Buying Used Double

[npl]

I'm thinking of buying a second-hand double stroller.
I have a newborn and a 28mo. I already have a decent walking stroller (vintage peg perego pram/stroller with big fixed wheels) and a good Maclaren, plus various infant carriers. I don't need a general do-all double or something that needs to go in the trunk often.
The times I'd need it for both kids to ride in (when I wouldn't be able to use two singles, or a single and a carrier) are neighbourhood walks over rough sidewalk. We get a lot of snow and ice. I don't think we'd need it for more than one winter, before my older kid would be able to walk far enough.
I don't have the budget for a new stroller, so I wondered which doubles are durable enough to consider buying used.
What do you recommend I look for?

[BabyBearsMom]

I would look for a Bob Duallie or a Mountain Buggy Duo if I were looking for a used stroller to go over rough sidewalks.

[brittone2]

I'm not a super stroller guru, but I bought a used Valco twin (the model I had was a precursor to the runabout trimode-pretty much the same thing) on CL. I later resold it on CL for double what I had paid for it, with multiple parties interested.

My kids are all roughly 3 years apart, and at the time, the Valco was one of the models that could accommodate a larger older child (vs. a toddler).

The air tires had a nice push.

[rin]

I was in this exact same situation (we have an almost 28 month old and a 6 week old). I looked at a used BOB Duallie but my husband vetoed it because he thought the footprint was too big. We just bought a used Valco Twin Trimode last week, and so far I really like it.

[npl]

Thanks.
I do see lots of Trimode doubles around here.
What is a reasonable price for a used in good condition? New they are so expensive!

Another option I thought of was an all-terain like the single Trimode with a jump seat. Is that really steerable? Even on snowy/icy sidewalks with a 3yo in a snowsuit?

[sweetsoul99]

I would just forgo the jumpseat option, especially for outdoor walking. my Bob Duallie is a dream to push, it really makes pushing 80 lbs worth of kids a ton easier (as compared to pushing them in my BJCMD). Mine is probably 4 or 5 years old and is still going strong. I've also heard the same about Mountain Buggy. Phil & Ted's I feel aren't as easy to push, but are another good durable option that are easy to find on cl. And they would be a lot easier to take to the store or crowded places if you need that option.

[roseyloxs]

Agreed. Skip the jump seat and just look for a side by side. I like the BOB, MB, and Valco suggestions. I might also keep a Burley or Chariot bike trailer in mind too for snow and ice. Both usually have kits for front swivel stroller wheels or a single fixed jogging wheel. The big wheels of a trailer should do well on snow and ice. Neither will have a recline though so that would be a dealbreaker if you want your kids to nap in it.

I would expect a BOB or Valco to be in the $300-400 range depending on age. MBs tend to go a little lower since they aren't as well known but they are just as beefy as the other two.

[brittone2]

I bought our Valco used late in 2009 or early 2010 for 100 bucks on CL, which IMO is crazy cheap. I think I posted a wanted ad and got a response to it from someone looking to sell. She was gifted the Valco from a family member, so I'm not sure if she didn't know the value or just was eager to purge.
It was a runabout trimode precursor-basically the same thing but there was a steering change in the model year just after the one I bought. For my purposes, it was great though. It was a twin with a jump seat included in that price, cup holders, rain cover and a few other accessories. I sold it late in 2011 for 200 bucks, with several interested parties. I don't use strollers heavily...I have an Inglesina Zippy from 04, and my kids haven't been huge stroller lovers as infants. I mostly wanted something for neighborhood walks with DS2 and DD. I babywear for a lot of errands rather than use a stroller, just because it works better for me. Once my kids are older toddlers (2yo and up) they do better in a stroller. I wouldn't have been able to justify a new valco twin since we aren't heavy stroller users, and my older child (middle kid) was already 3 when DS2 was born, so not a big stroller rider any longer. It was convenient though for times when I wanted to walk a distance and DD wouldn't have been able to keep up.

eta: I played around w/ the jump seat and I can see how it could be handy in a pinch, but I wouldn't want to steer with it all of the time. That could have been my specific model of valco trimode though, because they changed the wheels the following year (I think later they could lock out to make pushing easier?)

[npl]

Thanks for all that info - especially about the model change.
We pulled the old peg perego tandem out of the basement, and we're going to see if we can fix it up enough to use in the interim. We'll know how much we're likely to use a double by the time we need something that can handle the wintery sidewalks.
It occurred to us that between the pram and the shoes/boots for a family of 7, there really isn't room in our front hall for a double stroller. The peg tandem folds compactly enough that we can put it in the coat closet, but I doubt a decent all-terain would fold small or easily enough for that to be a convenient storage solution.
So, if I were to revise my criteria to include being able to put it in our largish front closet, and were less worried about the snow and ice (but still walking about a mile each way on bumpy sidewalks), what would you recommend?

[roseyloxs]

I saw this stroller hook advertised somewhere and it always seemed pretty cool. Maybe it could work for you? It's the Buggup Full Stroller Hook. The stroller in the pic is an easywalker duo.

http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR5GnhTbTEDRK8yZoMqstKApzcxEEpC1 PxsdJ8WbIekY5pHNOkV&t=1

[npl]

That stroller hook looks cool. If there's a stud in the closet wall, it would definitely help.