Conversion Van Helpful


Posted by Delaine Inman ® , Jun 12,2001,21:54   Archive
Not long ago I asked about people's experience in riding or driving a conversion van and only got a couple of responses. I test drove several and found that the driving and riding was much better for me. The drivers seat sits up high so that I am looking down at the road and as a passenger the back has dark tinted windows with shades that can be pulled down when the sun is really bright. For weeks we looked for one I could afford that didn't have too many miles. A new one costs 35 to 50 thousand dollars and even with a 10,000 discount we couldn't afford that. Most within our price range had 70 to 135,000 miles on them. Finally the GMC dealer about an hour and a half away called and said they had a '97 with 25,500 miles on it with everything on it I was looking for and it was in the price range we wanted. Two things we didn't like over the phone...it was black and gold(Vanderbilt colors and my husband graduated from University of Tennessee and has orange blood) and it was a Ford(my husband works for GM). My daughter took me to get it and we brought it home for 24 hours. The good news was that it was a beautiful van inside and out and didn't make me think "Go Vandy" and it had a dark bug shield across the front that covered up the four letter "F" word. I drove it several times during the day and night and rode in it and it was unbelievable how much better I felt. When we took it back I drove the entire 1 1/2 hours and did very well. Was starting to get tired but my eyes did not spasm the way they usually do. It was like a miracle. I had not driven that far in 2 years. I bought the van. I'll keep you posted. Just wanted to share that good news. From the beginning of my BEB any vehicle has been a torture chamber until now. The gas mileage is terrible but we got them down to 16,500 and I traded my minivan and put some cash down, so I was thrilled. I consider it a medical necessity now. Maybe this will give me some of my life back. We love to travel and it will be more comfortable for me and Rusty.



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Re: Conversion Van Helpful

Re : Conversion Van Helpful --- Delaine Inman
Posted by June in Toronto ® (June Floyd,June in Toronto), Jun 12,2001,22:33 Top of Thread Archive
Sounds like you made a good deal, Delaine on the van (not sure what a conversion van is though!). I drive a Jeep and enjoy being high up in that, and having the stability of a 4-wheel drive. I hope you and Rusty have many hours of good travelling. Enjoy.

June in Toronto

--modified by June in Toronto at Tue, Jun 12, 2001, 22:34:17




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Re: Conversion Van Helpful

Re : Conversion Van Helpful --- Delaine Inman
Posted by Joanne Matuzas ® , Jun 13,2001,11:36 Top of Thread Archive
What a great story. Thanks for sharing. And this might help another
blefro. What interests me about this disorder is how differently we all react to different situations, meds, botox, surgery, etc. Someone's experience may help someone else and may not. What matters is that we share, keep the new ideas and solutions flowing and the network will grow. Regards. Joanne M. San Diego, CA



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Re: Conversion Van Helpful

Re : Re: Conversion Van Helpful --- Joanne Matuzas
Posted by Shelley Chambers ® , Jun 13,2001,12:06 Top of Thread Archive
I am not sure what a Conversion Van is either. Is it just shaded windows or does it have other features? Personally, I bought an (almost) new Volvo wagon. It drives great, very heavy - feels like a tank. It makes me feel safer. Plus, it's a great teacher's car!
Shelley



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Re: Conversion Van Helpful

Re : Conversion Van Helpful --- Delaine Inman
Posted by Alan Phair ® , Jun 13,2001,15:29 Top of Thread Archive
Delaine, congratulations on the van. You will have a great time with it. I don't remember you asking about one before, but then again, I don't remember too many things any longer.

Back in the early 80's, I bought a ford conversion van. It was one with the high top and ladder to climb on the roof and sunbath. I had a TV and the whole works in it. I really loved that thing. The one thing that I always remember was that you never ever got tired driving no matter how long the trip was. I think that sitting up high made a big difference. I was lucky in that my company paid for it. I claimed that I used it for traveling sales meetings with customers and my reps so I justified it that way. I have to admit that we had a few parties in it.

My wife did not like to drive it as it was too big but told me after I got rid of it how much she missed it. I always loved to go camping and I remember my son and I sleeping in the tents and my wife and daughter using the van. That was actually a victory for me as her idea of roughing it was to stay in a Holiday inn instead of a Marriot. Only kidding of course.

I finally had to get rid of it because it would not fit in most of the parking garages in the city because of the height. I missed an important meeting one time in Boston because I couldn't find a place to park the darn thing. That was the end of that but I still miss it....Alan

P.S. My wife and I compromised after I got the BEB however. We ended up buying a Lexus RX300 which is an SUV. It has the tinted windows and we sit up high. We just bought our second one last month and believe it or not, it is the same color and model as the last one we had. That shows how much we like it. I do think that it helps with the eyes.

--modified by Alan Phair at Wed, Jun 13, 2001, 15:38:17




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Re: Conversion Van Helpful

Re : Conversion Van Helpful --- Delaine Inman
Posted by MaryNY ® (Mary,MaryNY), Jun 13,2001,21:51 Top of Thread Archive
Delaune-We have a Ford Windstar, and I definitely feel it is an advantage to be sitting high when driving. I feel safer in it, too. We had a Honda at one time, a Subaru, and a Tempo. I kept saying I felt like I was driving a tuna fish can! Mary



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Re: Conversion Van Helpful

Re : Conversion Van Helpful --- Delaine Inman
Posted by Shirley-Arkansas-USA ® , Jun 14,2001,14:48 Top of Thread Archive
Hi Delaine,
I'm glad to hear that you got one. I really hope that it helps you out. I can see where it would. I might even check into it at some point. Being up high and looking down at things is helpful. Plus, they don't have those long sloping windshields that let all that light and glare in. Sounds like a good deal to me. I have a mini-van or my husband does now(I don't have a vehicle at this point)but it is fairly low to the ground and has the long sloping windshield. Bummer.

Shirley in AR-




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Re: Conversion Van remarks and ?

Re : Conversion Van Helpful --- Delaine Inman
Posted by Delaine Inman ® , Jun 14,2001,21:27 Top of Thread Archive
I traded a Plymouth Voyager Van which sat up pretty high and had light tinted windows in the front and darker in the back, but it was a minivan and not near as wide and long as a conversion van. I got a high top which means at 5 feet 5 inches tall, I can stand up. the drivers seat is higher plus adjusts even higher so I can really look down. The side door is a dutch door like the back...2 doors opening for wide opening or just one can open. The windows are tinted very dark, plus have shades that pull down all the way around the van except in the front. The 4 captains chairs are very tall and comfy with side arms and recline. The back bench seat has a power button to make a triple bed which takes up the entire back from the captain chairs to the back door. It is like a small bus. Only the eighteen wheelers are taller than me. It has toys like 2 cassette tape players, 2 radios, 2 sets of head phones, a TV, a VCR, a 6 CD player, separate air and heat and sound in the back. Who wants a ride? Even if I can't drive much, I can really ride in comfort and Rusty can drive in comfort.



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Re: I want a ride!

Re : Re: Conversion Van remarks and ? --- Delaine Inman
Posted by Shirley-Arkansas-USA ® , Jun 14,2001,22:05 Top of Thread Archive
Count my in Delaine. I'm bringing my own music. There's no telling what you would play. We do both like Andrea Bocelli.. I want something to dance to, also, so we'll need to pick up Joanne M. since she loves to dance. I'm on the way to Joanne's so that won't be a problem. You do have to go through AR. to get to California. This could be fun as there are lots of things to see when our eyes are open in between here and California. I love "toys".

Shirley in AR. Can I bring my PC? We will need internet access.




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Re: I want a ride!

Re : Re: I want a ride! --- Shirley-Arkansas-USA
Posted by Delaine Inman ® , Jun 15,2001,22:03 Top of Thread Archive
If you have a lap top, it is a must we have it to keep the BB going. Keep on maping this out so we can pick up everyone from TN to California, end up in Oregon to help Dee finish the house and then go back east and into Canada. Sorry but you folks outside North America are out of luck. The Van does not float like those silly duck mobiles that drive as buses then go into the water as a boat. Too bad, I've always wanted to go to England and Australia. Oh well. I haven't been on a boat since I've had BEB....maybe I should try that. I think I could talk Rusty into getting us a ship if it would help me. He's the greatest.....just like Roy.



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