BOB

We have been without a car large enough to fit our whole family for over two years.  We took two cars to church.  Two cars to the movies.  Two cars to any activity where the whole family was required to attend.  If  there was an out-of-town family event, we either didn't go - or we had to rent a minivan (which isn't cheap).  One of the cars was great and new and recently paid off.  The other, well it's seen better days.  We bought that one when we got married, and it was used.

We had talked about what kind of car we wanted.  We wanted the ability to:

1. all fit in the vehicle, comfortably - with car seats.

2. Travel in comfort (no Tetris skills required).

3. Go camping, with all our gear, and drive on rough roads.

4. To tow a trailer.

5. Nothing too fancy - something that could handle the wear and tear that 4 kids can ensue.

What it boiled down to, is we really wanted a 4-door truck.  Tracy, of course, was all for this idea.  As was I, with one exception.  A truck would have the exact number of seats we needed to fit our family, with 3 in front and 3 in back.  Would it be too crowded for long road trips?  What if one of the kids wanted to bring along a friend?  I just didn't like the idea of already being maxed out, as far as seating goes.  I was okay with the gas mileage issue.  I was okay with off-roading issue.  But the seating availability, or the lack thereof, concerned me.


We liked some SUV's, but storage was a problem.  If I was going to pay as much for a SUV as I would for a truck, I might as well get a truck - with better storage.

But then our other realistic option would be a minivan.  Beside the obvious "soccer mom" image that it carries with it, I didn't want to be crowded.  We love taking road trips.  We love camping.  And our biggest complaint over the years was lack of space to move around, and at times breathe.  We have traveled in Europe, crowded.  In Colorado, crowded.  In AZ, UT, WY, NE, and NM, crowded.  I wanted to enjoy traveling a little more.  And be a little less crowded.  Is that too much to ask?  Maybe.  The pro to a minivan however, was the gas mileage (when being compared to trucks and SUV's large enough to fit all of us).

Needless to say, we had been looking for awhile, with nothing to show for it.  Nothing caught our eye, and quite honestly we really enjoyed not having a car payment.  After much discussion we finally decided that a truck wasn't a right fit for us.  Neither was a minivan.  We decided to go with a whole new route.  A route that at first seemed very painful to the ego of a person who had never had the desire to own a van.  Yep - we decided we wanted a full-size van.  Gasp.  I knew realistically, it was the best option for us, but did I really want to drive around town in a BMW (Big Mormon Wagon)?  Oh the embarrassment.  Oh the vain-ness.  Oh the childhood memories seared in my brain.  Okay, those memories weren't all that bad, in fact they were good.  Fun road trips.  Good times.  Family time.  Hmmm - maybe that's what we want for our kids too.  Embarrassment and all.

Now came the next challenge.  When we went to the dealership, we found out that they rarely carried full-sized vans on  the lot.  If we wanted one, they recommended we order one (to the tune of 35-45,000 buckaroos).  Um, thanks, but no thanks.  They said they do get used ones from time to time.  However, they are usually stripped down - due to the previous owner using it as a work vehicle.  The dealership said when they do get them, they usually sell them pretty fast to someone who is in need of a work van.  So we just had to keep our eyes open.

It took about a year of searching.  One day, Tracy was taking the kids to get an ice cream cone - when he decided to go take a drive through our local car dealership.  And there he was.  It seemed too good to be true.  12 passenger van, previously owned by a large family.  Used, but in good condition (60,000 miles - a little higher than what we wanted).  Basic seats (that are removable), minimal bells and whistles.  Econoline Wagon 350. V8.  Great towing capability.  At a fair price.

We took it for a test drive, and much to my surprise - I really liked it.  I loved the space.  I loved the powerful engine.  And then my mind started racing about all the things we could go and see in this van.  Oh the possibilities!  Of course, that was purely emotional - but that's me.  That's how I I connect.  I wanted this van.

There were a few bumps in the road.  Someone else wanted to buy it, but couldn't get financing.  We couldn't finance it through the dealership because the van was considered a "commercial vehicle" and that was against the rules.  Although they couldn't explain why that was a rule at the dealership...anyway we had to finance through our bank and it took longer than we wanted (especially with our credit history of having to short-sale a house.  We can buy a house without a single problem, but to buy a vehicle?  No way).  But we got it all worked out, and on March 23, we became the proud owners of a van.  The irony of this whole thing?  It is the biggest car, with the biggest engine that we have ever owned, and it's by far the cheapest car payment we have ever had.  Awesome.


                                              Meet BOB.  Big Ol' Bus.