van life isn't going very well ( I might lose my home )

[@victoriaamber5406]

PLEASE get a 2nd opinion and other quotes. Being a woman I know how many time mechanics have tried to screw me out of work that didn't really need to be done. Iv been told things were SO much worse then they actually were. Having a good trustworthy mechanic can be a game changer. Praying for you SO hard that this sad news turns around sooner then later. Sending so much love and positivity from Northern Ont Canada XOXOXOX

[@nocturnalfields]

Yes , the more opinions on the van the better! Unfortunately , at this time it’s been about 3 mechanics, who have all told me the same story … but still it’s so hard to know who to trust these days :(

[@victoriaamber5406]

@@nocturnalfields AWE dang! Im so sorry you are going through this

[@GreenMntMoto]

Get the vehicle’s book (Haynes) n start studying - learn everything about the van you can - study the problem, isolate it, repair it n move on. Could be a cheap knock sensor or a fuel filter and easy to fix. mechanics aren’t to be trusted, ever, anywhere, they will rip you off. Get your head in a book, hands dirty n fix it - this is going to happen

[@nocturnalfields]

I definitely hear you, on assessing the problem, and learning more about the vehicle itself. I've considered the fuel filter, knock sensor, oil pressure, as well as the 02 sensor and so on .. in the end there is metal in the oil, and a loud constant ticking/knocking noise. the engine is constantly misfiring. this issue from lengthy assessment is unfortunately a big one(no simple fix) and is related to the significant wear on the connecting rods and pistons In the end you are right I could put a lot more work into swapping the engine myself, but I also have to consider the labor + time (maybe 2 months or most likely more for me to learn and do the work correctly) that comes with taking on a project of that size at this point in my life. As a full time graduate student, working full time, and other life happenings this is most likely not something I can take on right now. Not to mention the time crunch ( I need to be in California for school come the new year). I am pursuing other options at this point that can allow me to return to my life reasonably quickly with a significantly lower cost in money + time. Perhaps one day I will have the time to take on a trade or task such as this, but for now, it's not in the cards for me.

[@nocturnalfields]

and I agree on the mechanics situation! It's really hard to trust any of these people which is unfortunate, but thankfully I have close family friends who were able to confirm the diagnoses I received from multiple parties. along with my own research.

[@hollyexley]

That's a lot of money. I'm really sorry, these things are so stressful. Glad you have support with family.

[@nocturnalfields]

Thank you for your words x

[@Bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb]

sending love, light, healing vibes! and the courage to see the other side

[@nocturnalfields]

Thank you!

[@ProserpinePomegranate]

Sorry to hear you are in dire straits with your van,I hope you can get it all sorted soon. You have lovely family support around you. Sending you my best❤

[@nocturnalfields]

Thank you!

[@strangedaysdiaries]

Wow this is so devastating to hear, I am so sorry! Wishing you the best of luck! ❤ I’m sure you’ll figure it out!

[@nocturnalfields]

thanks you! All the strings are being pulled at the moment …

[@thelivingmystery.africa]

❤

[@thescaledraven5482]

Wow, these types of things are a drag. Are you involved with the travel vlogging community? Perhaps someone in the community would have some helpful suggestions.... Sounds cheesy but your health is everything. I don't have any helpful advice but please stay in gratitude and keep your family together. Please keep us in the loop, I am CERTAIN that things are working out as they should. Give Archie a cuddle for me.

[@nocturnalfields]

I agree it’ll all work out one way or another! Thank you for your words + Archie is cuddled up and snoring next to me as I type this lol

[@ilovelushxo]

That fucking sucks. And I’m kinda spooked that the good ole Chevy express that everyone talks about being good did that at that mileage! I’m kinda in the same boat now, I basically need to sell my van bc of all the repairs it needs…I honestly don’t know what to do

[@nocturnalfields]

im so sorry to hear you are struggling with a similar situation, I'm personally attempting to solve one problem at a time, and be patient ...but its a lot in general to manage ... hope everything settles for you in the end! AND YEP! the first thing I said to the mechanic was "at 130,000 miles? I thought these would last much longer form my research" to which they responded it actually depends on how hard these vehicles are being worked for those miles not solely how many miles have been driven. so those factors play a roll, but still.... so early on... the last thing I expected was for her to kick it at this point... just my luck I suppose.

[@PurpleDragonFly1972]

Maybe buy a new vehicle and make payments. 🤔 That way you're not out all of your savings at once.

[@Babygirl_Adventures]

Bless you much love from us .

[@kimberlyrichardson2848]

Maybe you’re just on pause for a bit.🖤

[@nocturnalfields]

Definitely a bit of a pause , which I am attempting to embrace at the moment !

[@ltstatic3932]

live in a van, but work, park at work or close by, no need to travel back and forth, if u get bored then quit and drive around for a year, if you want to drive around 24/7 with no job, you will run out of money on fuel alone. Just save up alot and then go travel.

[@nocturnalfields]

yes, work is what I have been doing the past 7 months in nyc. I've been living walking distance from my work and working as a bar manager 40-50 hours a week. I had been saving to travel , and this issue with the engine was quite the curve ball and would certainly put a dent in all that I saved , but that is the reality of life and owning a vehicle in the end

[@nocturnalfields]

I agree it is not sustainable to live + travel without working

[@angeleeshaw]

Once your van starts to have engine troubles, its usually not long before other issues start popping up. I wouldn't jump into investing in a new engine unless you are absolutely sure everything else in that van is in good shape. (Water pump, radiator, motor mounts, everything!) 🥲

[@nocturnalfields]

@@angeleeshaw yes, absolutely - this has been a big concern in assessing whether I should invest so much into a new engine if she was just gonna have a bunch more problems to fix on top of it

[@angeleeshaw]

@@nocturnalfields Ugh! Its such a tough call - and getting to those answers just costs more money. I have been there. Wishing you luck along the way 💗

[@syrakurt]

I would have the transmission evaluated. If the transmission is in excellent condition and if there is no major body rust, I would seriously consider putting a brand new engine in it and shop around for the best price to do that. Even if you have to ship the van to another state. If you can find a way to do it cheaper do that. Why would I take that approach? Because consider the alternative of losing your investment and the work you put into it..Plus consider that this van with a good engine can last a long long time. It should easily go another 130,000 mi or maybe even 200,000 more with a new engine. And a careful driver without a lead foot who does good maintenance.. And consider that any vehicle is going to need maintenance. This is a very expensive kind of maintenance but with a brand new engine you shouldn't need much else for a long time. After all this engine was destroyed probably by a previous owner and the way they used it. Certainly not your fault. But with the new engine you could take care of it to ensure its longevity. It's been quite a few years since I had an engine replaced I'm sure it's a lot more now than it was before. However just for comparison I lost an engine becausewe had circumstances where the oil did not get changedon schedule and it leaked and the engine burned up. That engine only had 33,000 mi I was devastated. It cost almost as much to replace the engine as I paid for the car since it was also a used car. The only engine we could find was at a junkyard and it also only had about 30,000 mi on it. How ironic. But it was a good vehicle and the junkyard engine looked really good so I went ahead. And guess what. I got 150,000 more miles out of that vehicle over the next 20 years, and we were not using the car so I sold it to someone who will probably get another 50,000 mi. Because the engine was still running fine. One more perspective. Replacing some European engines today can cost $30,000 or more. And consider that new vehicles cost $40,000 up to $100,000 or more. The cost of replacing your engine doesn't look so bad when you consider that. I know that might seem kind of ridiculous because you are not going to buy an expensive European car, but sometimes we need a comparison to appreciate what we have. If you can afford it I would seriously consider renewing your van. Assuming there are not some other important factors. I'm just wondering if you are in shocked at how expensive it is to maintain vehicles today and maybe you need to get past that and do some analysis. Maybe not the analysis I just did above but something like that.

[@themusicvault7038]

Hopefully, this video will at least help you understand where the problem is and minimize the repair costs: kzbin.info/www/bejne/o6a8n5quj7Whl6c Either way, good luck and God bless.

[@nocturnalfields]

thank you for sharing!

[@AubreyH901]

didnt you get this van looked at by a mechanic before you purchased it maybe you got scammed

[@nocturnalfields]

yes, I had multiple mechanics ensure the van was in good shape . including chevy dealership.

[@johnwilliamscoffin]

♥🫶