B190's Looking for one

[psundstrom]

I'm looking for a B190 A/S. I'd like to find one with under 60k Miles. I won't be able to travel in it for 36 months. I'd like some feed back on: Is it better to get one now and work out a few kinks or wait and get it a little further down the road??? When I see some of the 1994-95 model years going for under 9k it seems tempting to jump in now and get one and have it ready for a coast to coast trip now. Then again maybe I'd be better to just wait it out and pick up a newer model a couple of years down the road. I'd appreciate some honest feed back about the pro's & cons of what the different year groups have.
Thanks, Pete

[85MH325]

Pete, I just bought a '94 with 32k miles. Even the newest B-Van is 10 years old now, so you're going to end up doing some maintenance. It's the nature of buying an old van. They're also not that easy to find nearby (unless you live in Florida maybe). We had to go to Kansas City for ours. The going price for a well maintained B-Van in the "new" body is between $15k and $20k, so if you can find a '94-'95 with less than 60k for under $10k, you'd best be jumping on it. I have yet to see one going for that. As a matter of fact, if you can even find a Falcon B-Van for under $10k, you're going to be doing good.

The V-10 in those years is a solid engine except for it's propensity to spit plugs. The 460 was a solid engine, but had some issues as well. Ours is a 460. Basically, finding one that is well maintained is more important than finding low mileage. My initial concern on mine was because it had so few miles on it, that I'd be seeing engine/transmission seal rot and subsequent leaks, but fortunately that's not the case with this one.

As they age, they're going to be harder to find. The up side is that in another ten years, the '05 Westfalia Sprinters will be down in the $15k-$20k price range!

I would have loved to have gotten a '99 (the last year they were built) but truth to tell, there's not much difference between any of them (on the '92 and up chassis), so whatever you find ought to be fine. The older Ford chassis was fine too, but the cab features/dash are basically from the '80s and weren't as refined as the later interiors.

Roger

[psundstrom]

Thanks for your feedback Roger, This is what exactly I need. I continually surf craigslist, eBay and this site. Most of my personal vehicles have less than 125k miles and all I've done is change the oil. Our daily driver is a 98 Lexus prchased new and has just 70k miles on it. I d like to get a b190 as it looks pretty easy to maneuver. I'm going to take two coast to coast road trips and stop at a lot of 1 week time share stops. I want to have an rv that we can hang until check in
times etc.
Your comments on seals etc is I definetely what I'd like to avoid. Am trying to avoid a rig that constantly puts me in damage control mode.
Were going to get a place down in Florida (Port St Lucie) which is about 45 minutes or so south of Melbourne. I thought that might be a good place to seek out a B170.
One again.. You folks rule.. good advice.. Thanks, Pete

[Skater]

Don't forget about b190.com. (Disclaimer, I run the site.)

I wouldn't buy one 3 years before I first use it - things go wrong with any camper, and you have to stay on top of them: window seals rot out, etc. Plus you have to deal with it in the way of your parking, have to pay insurance on it, etc. One of the things that's hardest is not using it - when you let it sit a long time, toilet seals dry out, fuel starts going bad, tires suddenly dry rot, etc.

That said, I wouldn't buy one a week before your trip either. You'd want it a couple months ahead of time so you can camp in it a couple times so you know what works and what doesn't.

But if you are planning on going camping in it in the meantime, then by all means buy one now and enjoy it! The good news about that is that when it comes time for your long trip, you'll have an excellent idea of what to expect, because you'll have a pretty good idea of what condition everything is in and what quirks it has developed over the years.

The biggest change in the campers was that in '97 (I think) they switched to a wet-bath setup in the back, and there is actually a sink back there. Prior to that, it was a separate toilet and shower, and only the kitchen sink in the camper.

[85MH325]

I found B190.com the other day and requested a login account, Skater!

Storage issues aside, like Skater, I think you'd do well to use the time to search for just the one you really want, and then once you find it, spend the time wisely before your "big trip" using it and bringing it up to snuff. There's nothing like starting out on the "big trip" in a moho that you have no experience with and no confidence in!

I had seen photos of the wet bath model... but didn't know when that change came about. There's also a difference in living space floorplan in those coaches; the stove and refrigerator swapped sides IIRC.

Roger

[Skater]

Originally Posted by 85MH325

I had seen photos of the wet bath model... but didn't know when that change came about. There's also a difference in living space floorplan in those coaches; the stove and refrigerator swapped sides IIRC.

That is correct - the fridge was curbside early on, but it switched to streetside in '95 or '96. This thread lists the changes we knew of from year to year, but there are likely some changes missing and others might be incorrect - for example, the thread indicates that fridges moved to streetside in '96, but I'm pretty sure I came across a '95 that had the fridge streetside.

[psundstrom]

Well, thanks for everyones advice. I just saw a 2007 interstate that was listed for a little under 65k. That sure looks sweet. So seeing I can't do any serious travel for at least three years hopefully one of these will be in reach.
that rear bed mid batch in my opinion is just right. just waiting to give up the day job.. I get to sit on the deck that I built for my caravanner and dream away in the meantime.
Thanks again everyone