I have had 2 Volvo 240 wagons and love them. They will do the kind of hauling you are taliking about just fine. I have found the Volvos have their strengths and weaknesses like most cars but the weaknesses are such that you can take car of them yourself. This board can clue you in on them. The area I've had to deal with the most has been electrical. Nothing costly, just poor connections. If I were buying that car, I'd go through it and clean and tighten the grounds, resolder the relays (check the board archives), and replace the alternator brushes. The others have given you good advice on the suspension and other areas to check.