Step one of a van build was to figure out what I want and what van fits those needs. This is my first vehicle and my first build, and it will probably be my only car for a while. I don’t have plans to live in it full time at the moment, and I don’t want to spend all of my money on gas. All of those things argue in favor of a smaller van, which is why I was shopping for a Ford Transit Connect, a Nissan NV200, or a Ram Promaster City. I wanted something under 100K miles so that I know it has some life left in it.
I kept an eye on Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, and local used car lots looking for vans that fit the bill. I test-drove around 5 vans before I eventually bought one. I started test-driving before I was really ready to buy a van, but ultimately, it was helpful to have those examples in my back pocket when I did eventually buy my van.
My 2018 Ram Promaster City was a work vehicle for a solar installation business in its past life. Although it has back windows, the cabin was walled off from the cargo area so I couldn’t see out the back on the way home. The 30-minute drive home was nerve-wracking. I was convinced I was going to crash it on the way home after just having bought it. But in the end, I made it home uneventfully. So, a little unbelievably, I now have a van. I guess I’m really doing this.
