U.S. tourist for 6 weeks: Rent a car vs buy and sell

[wakemantk]

@jackson49 Yes, this is what I was thinking. Six weeks later and only several thousand km more miles seems like you could sell for almost the same price as purchased.

 

[kbriann]

@wakemantk Yeah so long as it's not selling to a dealer etc, and so long as you're good at buying and at selling and can wait a week or two. This is how I've done vehicles for my trips (in NZ) at least (and made a profit sometimes)

Disregard what someone there said about a $3500 vehicle "not being able to make the trip" this makes no sense. You're going to drive maybe 7,000kms on normal public roads. Are most $3500 cars only 7000kms away from the end of their lives? no way.

 

[josh81]

@dinomangino 3500usd

 

[dinomangino]

@josh81 Ahh in that case you still can't buy a van that will last that trip.

 

[calicobasinbelle]

@dinomangino He still doesn’t need to. He could buy a $30,000 van, and if he sells it for $27,000 he’ll be well ahead versus paying US$3,500 to rent one. I’m not sure if you’re deliberately being argumentative here or you’re genuinely struggling to get this pretty simple concept.

 

[sflare]

@calicobasinbelle Thats unlikely at that price point - you're going to be a "motivated seller", you're not going to get top dollar, the more expensive it is the greater the buy/sell spread is going to be, I wouldn't expect Turners to offer more than $20k as thats their model.

 

[calicobasinbelle]

@sflare Sure, but doesn’t make old mate above any less obtuse.

 

[f3n1xhvn732]

@dinomangino I don’t think that’s what they’re saying. I would assume they would buy a van / vehicle and try to sell it at the end of their trip for about what they paid which would mean they don’t pay $3500 on a rental

 

[terrenzio46]

@dinomangino There are shitloads of original condition 80s and 90s campers out there on the road doing 10000ks a year.

Most cheaper rentals are 90s vans with well over 400'000km on the clock (though they use masks over the Speedo so you can't see the 100'000s)

 

[resjudicata]

@wakemantk Probably not the right sub for this question?

Factor in the time you're going to have to waste trying to sell it, and how much of a loss you're prepared to take on it.

You could try some car dealers to see if they'd do something, although they're probably wanting to get that 3500 usd out of you instead of the rental car company?

Any reason you want a van?