Here we go again! Another Jeep in the future?

[BadDriver4x4]

Well, Moses, you recommended a Cherokee Sport, and I think I may have found a decent one to work on. It is only $500.00 and it supposedly runs well and the 4x4 works. It's a 2000 with 190,000 on the 4.0L motor. It needs rockers and floor work. It also needs a power steering reservoir o-ring for the power steering to work. The only picture on Craigs List shows a pretty decent original Jeep. I would really like an old CJ, but I'll do what's best for my daughter and my budget for now and hopefully the old CJ will show up when I can do the best job on it. It sounds like the trailer hitch alone would be worth the investment. I'll still enjoy the Liberty while working on this, if I can get my hands on it. I can't believe I'm the only one looking at this time of year.

 

[Moses Ludel]

BadDriver4x4...Great price!  Parts worth more than the asking price...What I like, again, is the "stock" appearance despite the higher mileage.  I noticed our '99 XJ now has 157K miles on the odometer.  The 4.0L inline six engine still does not use oil, the AW4 transmission shifts fine, I went through the axles with a gearing change 62K miles ago, brakes are new, and the Jeep just wants to keep going!

You're in the salted winter road zone, our Nevada high desert vehicle is rust-free.  That does make a difference.  If you don't feel challenged by the rocker panel and floorboard issues, this could be the one!  Do make sure the chassis' heavy sheet metal "frame" is still intact, that would be a structural issue beyond just cosmetics.  Uni-body vehicles need to have a solid and intact pan/chassis...Inspect closely like I'm sure you do!

Moses

[BadDriver4x4]

I'm done! After trying to get a deal made on this Jeep and get the time to go check it out it's GONE! The next time I post a Jeep here it will be my pictures, but for those out there who think there are no unmolested Jeeps that can be had for a song, I hope I have inspired you to get out and look. 

[Moses Ludel]

Yup, BadDriver4x4, the good ones go fast!  Case in point, we wanted a 1999-2004 Holiday Rambler Alumascape pull-type travel trailer.  Knew exactly what we needed, there was no real scarcity of specimens, and the quest was primarily Craigslist and dealer feelers.  The dealers were at a loss and had no access because the used travel trailer market has heated up significantly, especially this past summer.  Three to five years ago, dealers were grabbing trailers for a song from recession victims.

So, we chased our "dream", threw a net out over five Western States, and spent four months meandering through overpriced, misrepresented and sold trailers.  We got a thorough education on values, the market, used trailer concerns, sellers' illusions and the many rabbit holes related to buying a travel trailer.  Often, the good ones were sold (ads stay up after the sale of a vehicle, as you discovered), or they were grossly overpriced; there was no point to making the phone call.  

The part that worked was being diligent.  Timing is everything.  We caught a fresh Craigslist ad one Sunday morning, four months into the search.  The trailer was 500 miles away (not a big deal in the West, just the cost of diesel fuel to get there and back).  The seller was on an annual elk hunt, and the price was right.  The elk hunt paid off for us, we were the first to reach his cell number, the described history was exactly what we sought.  With months of buying experience under our belts, I bought the trailer sight unseen before our cell phone conversation ended.  

This 30-foot 2000 model trailer was represented to the best of the seller's knowledge/ability and with documentation back to day one.  Always garaged when not in use, never "lived-in" like many used trailers these days.  Very well cared for, highly original though not quite "immaculate" as stated in the ad (a rather overused and ambiguous term on Craigslist), it was in top shape.  We did not squabble about the market based price and two weeks later drove to Oregon with a cashier's check in hand.

Two of the tires belt separated on the way home (did not throw off their tread, fortunately!), a brake lining at one wheel was loose and floating between the shoe and drum (fortunately the lining stayed intact and did not damage the drum, there was no metal-to-metal contact!); the stove was rusted in the pan beneath the burners.  With no other "surprises", we were still thrilled with the trailer.  Within a month, I replaced all four brake assemblies, serviced the wheel bearings, installed a new stainless steel stove/oven, mounted four new tires and a new spare (Load Range 'E' ten-ply instead of the OEM 'D' eight-ply), and did the due diligence work to make sure the trailer meets our standards and functions properly.  A mattress was custom built as well.  Early this month, I towed the trailer to the SEMA Show at Las Vegas (416 miles each way) and 'camped' in my own place at the Circus Circus RV Park.  From my dining table, I could look out the window and see my usual hotel room—home sweet home on wheels!

Four months of relentless searching.  Now we have the trailer that fills our needs and every expectation!  I'm a restorer, and the Alumascape gets closer to "as new" condition all the time!

Moses