Where does I find one? Our club is looking for an even command center that's a little more solid than EZ-ups and folding tables.
A club member has offered to donate a 40-year-old and well-used RV, probably 30ft long, on a GM truck chassis. It hasn't been used regularly in at least 10 years, and is about in the condition you would expect it to be for a free 40-year-old RV.
I'm of the position that a $4000 step van would actually end up being cheaper and more suitable. So where do I find one?
Fed Ex Ground drivers own their own trucks. They occasionally come up for sale.
What about a used food truck? Gut the kitchen but keep the opening side for viewing the course.
CraigsList, but don't bother looking if that's all you're willing to spend. The boom in food trucks has decent step vans going for more than double that. I sold one that ran and drove but had major issues for $5000 two years ago. Pretty sure it took another $5000 just to get it road legal.
Most larger cities have a guy that deals in used work trucks and utility vehicles. Look for a lot with lots of bucket trucks and Cable company vans.
I don't know what kind of club you're in, but does anyone own a truck suitable for towing? If that's an option, perhaps you should consider building your "command center" into a 6x12 enclosed trailer.
$3k ought to buy you a nice used trailer. Always expect to buy new tires for it. Trailers are a whole heckuva lot cheaper to maintain and insure than an old beater step van.
I can not link the photo but if you see the box truck in this link, you will see that one window was added to each side and two similar windows added to the front.
With an internal platform built, you now have two or three people sitting at a desk-like arrangement with views to the front and side. Additionally, you have the ability for two people to sit in the van's front seats.
The rest of the interior serves as cone, etc storage as well as a podium for driver's meeting/awards.
How cheaply can you find a Van based box truck? I think $4k will get you a pretty nice one.
http://www.nworscca.com/gallery3/index.php/52/Chrysler-April-11-4
That's kind of what we're going for. I just liked the idea of the lower deck height and larger interior volume of a step van. Guess I'll hit truckpaper.com and that used emergency vehicle site.
Honestly, I bet if we blew out the entire interior of the RV, it would have plenty of space. One of the other club members talked to the owner's mechanic and he says the RV should be pretty sound mechanically.
Thanks, guys!
http://appleton.craigslist.org/cto/4965798537.html
http://appleton.craigslist.org/cto/4919048997.html
http://madison.craigslist.org/cto/4977074559.html
Or a cube van: http://wausau.craigslist.org/cto/4972815740.html
http://northernwi.craigslist.org/cto/4901196416.html
Old U-Haul: http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/cto/4965825976.html
http://madison.craigslist.org/cto/4913273271.html
Where would I look, oh I don't know... Craigslist.
That's where I started, but pickings were slimmer than that around here. Thanks!
In reply to Duke: I searched before '1993' with 'van' in the upper search bar. Why 1993? I was already searching for something else and I found some that way. When I didn't put a max year in, I got way too many mini vans.
These pages often have good deals
http://gsaauctions.gov/gsaauctions/aucitdsc/?sl=91QSCI15509020
http://www.govdeals.com/index.cfm
Yep, they occasionaly pop up on CL. Most have aluminum bodies so you could build it to suit your needs.
This one has been on my local CL for about a month. I have no use for one but it is still tempting.
pilotbraden wrote: These pages often have good deals http://gsaauctions.gov/gsaauctions/aucitdsc/?sl=91QSCI15509020 http://www.govdeals.com/index.cfm
I've checked govdeals, but that GSA site is new to me. Thanks.
stanger_missle wrote: Yep, they occasionaly pop up on CL. Most have aluminum bodies so you could build it to suit your needs. This one has been on my local CL for about a month. I have no use for one but it is still tempting.
That's exactly what I'd like to have. Wish it was 2500 miles closer.
Who gets to store the van for the 90% of the time it's not being used for events? That may be an issue.
We have a couple places. Probably the shop that currently owns the RV they are trying to dispose of.
So far, this is the winner, from 'stanger's post:
Duke wrote: So far, this is the winner, from 'stanger's post:
It already has racing stripes.
David S. Wallens wrote:Duke wrote: So far, this is the winner, from 'stanger's post:It already has racing stripes.
Yup... Kinda like a Martini racing stripes... 
Duke wrote: So far, this is the winner, from 'stanger's post:
SCR-SCCA uses a van just like that. Something you might want to keep in mind, no one is going to want to drive it to events, if you have to drive any distance. They are slow, seldom have A/C, barely have heat and just generally suck to drive. Most of our events require a 1-2 hour drive from the storage location to the event and then back. You couldn't pay me enough to drive ours during the summer.
Guy I bought my tow dolly from had a box truck we had to move to get the dolly out, he mentioned thinking about selling it. Located in Pine Hill NJ. No idea on a price but I can find his info if it's of interest.
Toyman01 wrote: SCR-SCCA uses a van just like that. Something you might want to keep in mind, no one is going to want to drive it to events, if you have to drive any distance. They are slow, seldom have A/C, barely have heat and just generally suck to drive.
Club I used to belong to had one of those. It worked very well as the support vehicle for our cruise-ins. But there were only 3 of us who could handle the "mostly non-synchro" gearbox to get it to events. They eventually did get the 2nd and 3rd gear synchros fixed but it never had a synchronized 1st gear to start with.
JThw8 wrote: Guy I bought my tow dolly from had a box truck we had to move to get the dolly out, he mentioned thinking about selling it. Located in Pine Hill NJ. No idea on a price but I can find his info if it's of interest.
Thanks! No need to go out of your way, but if you talk to him, please ask about the condition and asking price.
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