If you’re anything like us, you’ve watched countless hours of van life YouTubers and are now inspired to travel…in a van, but which one do you choose?!
First off, there’s not one perfect vehicle. Each one has its own pros and cons and you need to determine which one fits YOUR needs best. While traveling, we saw everything from motorcycles to truck campers to RVs to vans to expedition vehicles. Each with their own unique pros list. We knew we wanted a van. We liked the fact that a van was on the smaller side which meant that it would be easier to navigate through small towns, find places to park and easier to drive. Sebastian did a lot of research on which van was right for us and in the end we bought an extended Ford Transit. Below are three reasons why we chose the Ford Transit…
- Affordable: A Ford Transit was more affordable than other vans like the Mercedes Sprinter.
- Cheaper Maintenance: We felt that Ford parts would be easier to find or get throughout Central and South America. Plus, Ford is a common car brand which we felt more people would know how to fix if we had any issues.
- Appearance: The Dodge Ram is similar in size and price but we liked the look of the Transit better.
Like I said earlier, each vehicle has its own pros list. A truck camper often has 4 wheel drive which means you can get to places other vehicles can’t. However, you might not have as much room in a truck camper as in a van. An extended Mercedes sprinter is a foot and a half longer than the Transit which is huge when every inch counts, but it is more expensive and parts are harder to come by. We also learned that electronics do not do well in humid areas. So, if you have a newer model with lots of electronics, a lot of mechanics in Mexico and Central America don’t know how to fix them and the cost for those that do are outrageously expensive. We were told when driving the Pan American Highway…older cars are best. On the flip side you then run the risk of possibly having an unreliable vehicle. I think if you are planning a longer adventure, you will most likely need maintenance at some point…hopefully nothing too crazy…so just be mindful of the availability of parts you might need in the country you’re headed to. Everyone we ran into had to do some type of maintenance on their vehicle during their trip…including us. Even with a Ford, we had to wait over a week and a half for a part to come in. The bottom line is, choose a vehicle that is reliable and the rest is all preference…happy choosing!