Second (third?) Dodges. Fords are awful in every measurable way

Partial to the Sprinter because of better fuel economy and that you can run bio-diesel.

The Sprinter is ill-matic, but it's very tall. Like , "WTF IS THAT SCRAPING NOISE?!" tall.
I'm with Kerble on the Chevy Express. I have the 2500 v6 so it can be a little sluggish on pasing power with the a/c on, but it hasn't given me any trouble at all. That Vortec 6 is a proven engine as well. Chevy has been using it for some time now with excellent reliability.
Drove a RAM for years before that and i hated it. Threw a rod through the case idling at a light at 48k. The damn steering wheel sucked and the seats were annoying too. The Chevy feels like driving a couch in comparison.
And don't gimme any guff about changing the seats or the steering wheel. I like my cars like my women. Stock.

another vote for the dodge ram.

we had one that we drove into the ground. i think it was a 92'. made it all over the country with only one major breakdown.

we got a "new" one a few years ago. a 96' with 160k mikes on it and it is still going strong. it must be close to 200k by now. i would get in that thing and drive anywhere.

they do not make them anymore which is frickin stupid. luckily they run forever.

Do yourself a favor...find a decent local mechanic at an independent shop who isn't averse to working on your older van. Befriend that mechanic...he will save your ass. Most shops dislike working on anything that isn't basically new, and they will gouge you if you have an emergency. That's been my experience, anyway...

Thanks for all of the advice, everybody. I'll let you know what happens.

I am a mechanic - and i can tell you this...
make sure you run compression checks on all cylinders before buying.
The nature of vans is to put as many miles as you can in all that you do - business/pleasure.
Check the mileage...is it ridiculously high/low?
Do the compression check..if one or more are low, your new van wont make it. This will indicate that your engine requires overhauling.
Stay away from Chrysler/Dodge mini vans, and under no circumstances should you even consider a Ford Aerostar.
The compression check is really easy to do, and the seller should have no problem letting you do it on their property or letting you take it to a shop to do.
If they do - leave quickly.
If you are going on tour right away - check coolant system - this will get you a round trip.

Also - I live in Vancouver, BC...and the way to make friends with my shop is through the gift of Chivas.

Actress wrote:I am a mechanic - and i can tell you this...
make sure you run compression checks on all cylinders before buying.
The nature of vans is to put as many miles as you can in all that you do - business/pleasure.
Check the mileage...is it ridiculously high/low?
Do the compression check..if one or more are low, your new van wont make it. This will indicate that your engine requires overhauling.
Stay away from Chrysler/Dodge mini vans, and under no circumstances should you even consider a Ford Aerostar.
The compression check is really easy to do, and the seller should have no problem letting you do it on their property or letting you take it to a shop to do.
If they do - leave quickly.
If you are going on tour right away - check coolant system - this will get you a round trip.

Sage advice. When I started having problems with my old, well-maintained VanDura, I eventually ended up checking cylinder compression (without knowing what I was doing, really), and discovered that you could feel the discrepancies in pressure with your hand alone (this is bad news). I took my van to a random local shop, and was presented with a bill for $175.00...for letting me know that the compression on two of the cylinders was bad. I had already told them this when I brought it in. Their justification was that they had to 'rebuild' their compression tester to be able to fit it onto my antiquated van.

If you go with an older van, expect these sorts of expensive issues. There are potentially a lot of hidden costs, or hidden labor, involved with used vehicles.

Like I said - bring Chivas, and that bill will shrink.
At most local shops.
Also, the compression tester size is not an issue and should not be billed...it's not the customers fault that the shop doesn't have the necessary equipment.
I f you are moderately savvy with your hands(ie. you can do a basic tune-up) it is easy to do the test yourself.
Compression testers for most vehicles run about $50 and this will definitively prove the cylinders are leaking.
All you have to do is screw it into a spark plug hole and fire up the engine, and read the gauge - compare them to the readings for the other plug holes(in a new car they will be identical pressure readings)...easy, and you cant break anything.
If you do the finger in the hole test and feel no compression then you shouldn't even need to take it in for a second opinion - keep looking for a used van.
One van I have recently been impressed with for fuel economy and reliability is the honda odyssey...and it is capable of towing.
They are getting cheaper now for a 90's model and they have that legendary Honda longevity. Imagine a van