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Okay, I have a family heirloom being delivered to my driveway that is being shipped down from Alaska. Arrival is scheduled for the end of this month.
It's a 1955 Chevrolet Be-Air, Cherried Out, custom painted. It's in great condition and I used to drive it frequently when we lived in Alaska (family is letting me have it because my wife and I are the only ones who drove it much). Obviously it would be parked in the garage.
DW is a Stay At Home Mom and doesn't drive much during the day or go to many places. So we're thinking maybe we should trade in the minivan so we can get a motorhome, which we have been wanting for awhile. We were much into camping in Alaska and would like to do so again (kids are 10, 8 and 6). She can use the '55 (which is dependable) to take the kids to and from school and run errands. We could use my car (2005 Accord, great shape) for longer trips around town and the motorhome for our frequent weekend excursions.
What would you do? The minivan is going to be sold in a year or two for a new vehicle if we keep it. Likely an SUV around the $30K - $40K range. Or sell the minivan and get a motorhome for under $30K.
Personally, if I were going to sell the van and buy a motorhome I'd look into buying a cheap (sub-$5K) vehicle for my wife to putter around town in and leave the classic parked except for "Sunday drives". Using it as a daily driver would have a significant impact in terms of wear and tear, especially carting small kids around.
I would not drive a customized classic to the supermarket or shopping mall. Door dings, shopping cart scratches, etc. will take their toll on the paint, and since it's a custom paint job, not as easy a proposition to fix.
Do you have sufficient need for a motor home that renting one for the time you would use it annually would be significantly expensive? If deciding between using the Bel Air and renting a motor home, I'd rent a motor home and keep the Bel Air in pristine condition.
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Yeah, put me in the camp of driving the 55 Chevy a little more sparingly. It's definitely a cool thing to have, and it might not need to be THAT sparingly, but I sure wouldn't use it for daily errands and running the kids around.
Speaking of that, just from a safety perspective I wouldn't consider it for taking the kids around daily. It may be large and heavy but otherwise is not designed to keep occupants safe in a crash, nor would it be particularly good at avoidance maneuvers.
I suppose I am in the camp of.... what's the point of having it and taking up your garage if you are not going to drive it?
I guess I need to clarify. I take the kids to school (along with a neighbor's kid). Said neighbor picks up the kids and drops them off at home. DW might actually drive that car, maybe one... possibly twice during the week.
I have put seat belts in the car and it's definitely not going to be out on the highway (too windy inside at 60+ MPH.. LOL).
Most of the driving she does is within 2 - 3 miles of the house.... again... if she does any driving at all.
I suppose I am in the camp of.... what's the point of having it and taking up your garage if you are not going to drive it?
I guess I need to clarify. I take the kids to school (along with a neighbor's kid). Said neighbor picks up the kids and drops them off at home. DW might actually drive that car, maybe one... possibly twice during the week.
I have put seat belts in the car and it's definitely not going to be out on the highway (too windy inside at 60+ MPH.. LOL).
Most of the driving she does is within 2 - 3 miles of the house.... again... if she does any driving at all.
I don't disagree. I know people with garage queens and don't understand the point except as an investment. BUT if she is "forced" to drive it in bad weather that will not help it's condition or value. And it would be a shame if it were damaged on a grocery run.
The van/motorhome is another issue entirely, as you've posted it. As others have asked, can you really justify the cost of buying/insuring/maintaining/storing a motorhome, based on how often you would use it? If so, go for it. If not, consider renting when you want to travel. Is your minivan worth so much that it would fund one of the other purchases, or could you just keep it as her daily driver? The more I think about it the less I like the idea of using the '55 as a kid hauler. As you may know, short runs like her 2-3 mile radius are about the worst thing you can do to a car.
I suppose I am in the camp of.... what's the point of having it and taking up your garage if you are not going to drive it?
I can understand that. I don't think the suggestion is to leave it in the garage for months on end. I think the idea is maybe tool around in it occasionally on weekends and such. My neighbor restores/hot rods some interesting cars, and I think sometimes sells them but he has kept a few, and they mostly take them out to shows/cruises on weekends during the season, that sort of thing. They drive the car when they go, of course, but you don't see them driving these around during the week for errands. And they probably do sit for a few months in the winter (a problem you don't have to worry about in FL).
Quote:
Originally Posted by FloridaKash
I guess I need to clarify. I take the kids to school (along with a neighbor's kid). Said neighbor picks up the kids and drops them off at home. DW might actually drive that car, maybe one... possibly twice during the week.
That sounds a little better than the kids going to school in it daily. Although it's still her driving it, and it will carry an increased chance of injury in an accident, no doubt.
Quote:
Originally Posted by FloridaKash
I have put seat belts in the car and it's definitely not going to be out on the highway (too windy inside at 60+ MPH.. LOL).
Seat belts are good, but the car won't have crumple zones, side impact beams, interior components designed not to injure you in a crash, good rollover integrity, etc. Lower non-highways speeds will help a little. And of course what is the point of having it if you don't sometimes take the whole gang out in it? I get that. The safety aspect is just something worth pointing out before you go removing the other grocery getter from your fleet. And for some reason we tend to think about this a bit more when there are children involved.
Quote:
Originally Posted by FloridaKash
Most of the driving she does is within 2 - 3 miles of the house.... again... if she does any driving at all.
Yep, and so are most of the crashes! Within a reasonable radius of home, more often than not. It's just obvious from a statistical standpoint because the majority of our driving is also within that radius.
I'm not trying to discourage you too much. Really! I was just looking to make sure you have considered this aspect carefully before making this car the only one available during the day.
Thanks everyone for the input. Got some food for thought. Thanks again!
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Within a reasonable radius of home, more often than not. It's just obvious from a statistical standpoint because the majority of our driving is also within that radius.
