OUR FAMILY HAS OUT GROWN OUR VIXEN (#100 - WE'RE THE SECOND OWNERS) AND IT'S TIME TO MOVE ON. THESE VEHICLES ARE FAIRLY RARE AND THIS ONE, WHICH HAS 400,000 MILES ON THE CHASSIS AND APPROXIMATELY 52,000 MILES ON A TOTAL ENGINE REBUILD, IS IN PRETTY GOOD SHAPE. IT'S BEEN USED (WE DROVE IT FROM MAINE TO COLORADO A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO AND ALL OVER NEW ENGLAND SINCE THEN) AND THE PRICE IS SET TO REFLECT THE WEAR AND TEAR ON THE VEHICLE. THAT BEING SAID, I WOULDN'T HESITATE TO DRIVE IT ANYWHERE TOMORROW.
WE HAVE ALL RECORDS, TO INCLUDE ANY/ALL TECH MANUALS AND DIAGRAMS YOU COULD WANT. THE LAST OWNER PURCHASED IT NEW AND KEPT A METICULOUS LOG OF ALL WORK AND UPGRADES. WE'VE TRIED TO DO THE SAME AND HAVE BEEN DILIGENT WITH REGARDS TO MAINTENANCE. WE ALSO HAD THE PROBLEMATIC AIR LEVELING SYSTEM REPLACED WITH BILSTEIN SHOCKS AND THE SHORT SHIFTER KIT INSTALLED (BOTH FROM GREG ERICSSON'S AFAB VIXEN SHOP IN MONTANA) NEW CLUTCH PROFESSIONALLY INSTALLED ON 8/20/17. OIL AND GLOW PLUGS JUST REPLACED. THE RADIATOR WAS RECENTLY COMPLETELY RECORDED AND ALL BELTS REPLACED (PROBABLY THE VIXEN'S BIGGEST WEAK SPOT, IN ADDITION TO ENGINE COOLING-RELATED ISSUES). THE WEBASTO SYSTEM'S PUMP WAS REPLACED AND IT WORKS FLAWLESSLY. WE ALWAYS ADDED DIESEL ADDITIVE TO EVERY FILL-UP. THE TIRES ARE IN GOOD SHAPE. ORIGINAL RADIO WAS GONE WHEN WE BOUGHT IT SO WE INSTALLED AN ALPINE HEAD UNIT AND FOUR NEW SPEAKERS. SHOWER DRAIN PUMP WORKS FINE, AS DOES THE GALLEY SINK PUMP. NO RUST ANYWHERE EXCEPT FOR THE BATTERY CAGE, AND THAT'S AN EASY WELD JOB. NEW HOUSE BATTERIES (GEL) IN 2014. POWER INVERTER IS ORIGINAL BUT RECORDS INDICATE IT WAS REBUILT IN THE 90S; WE'VE NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH IT. ALL WATER/SEWAGE FITTINGS WORK FINE.
THE "ISSUES" WITH THIS VIXEN ARE AS FOLLOWS:
THE ALTERNATOR BRACKET HAS A CRACK IN IT. IT'S NOT GOING ANYWHERE BUT SHOULD BE REPLACED/WELDED AT SOME POINT
NO HORN AND NO CRUISE CONTROL.
THE WINDSHIELD HAS TWO SMALL STARBURST CRACKS THAT WERE DRILLED AND FILLED SO THEY WOULDN'T EXPAND BUT THEY ARE NOTICEABLE.
DASH AIR CONDITIONING WAS RECHARGED LAST YEAR BUT IT'S NEVER BLOWN VERY COLD.
THE REFRIGERATOR AND MICROWAVE ARE GONE. WE'VE NEVER REPLACED THEM BECAUSE WE LIKE HAVING THE EXTRA STORAGE SO WE JUST PUT A COOLER IN THE EMPTY SPACE.
HEADLIGHTS ARE DIM.
WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORK BUT ARE VERY SLOW.
THE ONBOARD AIR COMPRESSOR IS STILL INTACT BUT STOPPED WORKING. TO LIFT THE ROOF, WE INSTALLED A VALVE AND PURCHASED A 12V MINI-COMPRESSOR THAT WE PLUG IN WHEN WE'RE READY.
AND FINALLY, THE BIGGEST ISSUE IS THE WEAR AND TEAR IN THE VEHICLE. THE CARPET IS WORN, THE SEATS AREN'T TORN BUT THEY'RE 30 YEARS OLD, AND THE HEADLINERS ARE MISSING/WORN. NOT SURE WHAT A CONVERSION VAN SHOP WOULD CHARGE TO REDO THESE THINGS BUT, AGAIN, WE THINK THE PRICE REFLECTS THAT.