[Emil Dinev]

I am on the market for a new bigger van, I currently have citroen berlingo but it's quite small now for my needs.
Which van would you guys recommend and why?
I have been looking into Renault Traffic, LWB and it looks ok, price is good too compared to Transit or Transporter.
So what's your thoughts?

Cheers
Emil

[Carpet Dawg]

Don't get a transit £500 worth of welding to get it through its MOT today. Rust buckets. 

Maybe the newer transits have better bodies.

Going to buy new next time. Is november/December a good time to sell?

[stuart_clark]

I am in the market soon for a new van ! After looking at John Kellys I will probably buy the same! A new ford custom, which is the slightly smaller transit
ive had a conect three years now and its a great van, just a bit small for my needs

stuart

[Mark_Jubb]

On my 2nd Transporter. Had the first one for nearly 8 years, this one is nearly 4 years old, "touch wood" not a single major problem in all that time. Never let me down, comfortable, spacious and will knock along when you need it to. Couldn't tell you what it does to the gallon, when it gets down to 1/4 full I just fill it up. 1st one returned me about 40% of what I paid for it after 8 years and 125,000 miles.

[Chris waters]

I have a 58plate transit jumbo,I know it's a big van but I fit as well. It's a really great van ,far better than the sprinter I had before but When I stop fitting and only do carpet cleaning I will go for the transit custom or transporter. I wouldn't touch a Renault. Load of crapola

[Melissa Edwards]

Bloody vans...bane of my life! 

[Hilton]

Nissan NV 200

[neil 47]

Vw caddy 70 miles to a tenner solid van

[Alby]

New Peugeot Bippa van, £179 a month Lease, 3 years warranty, 60 mpg.
20,000 or every two years service.

[creighton foyle]

nv200 i downsized from a mwb transit and though i have to be disciplined with what gear i put in it i am happy with it.

the bigger the van the more you will find to fill it.

[Darran Pryce]

Purchased a 2011 Dispatch lwb 2L yesterday.  Had a vivaro before.  Down sized due to selling my window cleaning round as I'm doing carpets almost every day. Great van, and the power.

Lots of room.

[Emil Dinev]

Thanks for your replies guys, quite mixed opinions though so I'm now more confused than before 
I really need a bigger van, I was driving behind a nv200 today but it's not much bigger than my berlingo really.
Carpet Dawg, how old is your transit? I am looking to have a nearly new van up to 1000 miles on the clock. This will knock of 2-3 grand from the original price.
Also do I go for financing or leasing? What are the benefits and downsides?

Cheers
Emil

[Alby]

Leasing a van is best,  100% tax relief.

[mr muzzy]

got my vw caddy with 6 miles on the clock ,has 145,000 on now ,brill van  vw transporter will be my next one

[Brendan (chem2clean)]

I have a mwb transit 8 years now, like carpet dawg said they do rust, spent a a few hundred myself for it to pass it's mot. But I would buy one again because apart from a replacing a water pump it's been my only issue . What ever can you have I don't think you ever have enough room, after a busy week it's a mess.

[stuart_clark]

Darren

how much did you pay for it mate ? I was looking at one a couple of weeks ago , 2012 reg with only 10,000 miles on clock, full service history, £9500

[Darran Pryce]

paid £7200. Got 3k for my old vivaro so just put rest to.  Cracking van. Wanted the lwb for the gutter vac and other machines.  Full electric pac with satnav.  Only done 42000 miles.

[John Kelly]

New Transit Customs are brilliant.

[stuart_clark]

Was thinking about spending the cash what with the new laws on taxation and getting 100ing 100%  tax deductable straight away

[davep]

What new laws Stuart?

[M W.]

Mercedes all day 

[Carpet Dawg]

Someone asked me how old my transit is. Its 2006.

To be honest in 3ish years i've only had to change the alternator and tyres. Just the body work has let me down.

I had a Connect for 4 years and just a water pump on that van. No rust on that at all.

I've seen a fair few rusty Mercedes too.

[stuart_clark]

Dave
in the old days, if you splashed out your cash on a new motor you would only get 25% tax relief per year, but now you get it in one go, so if you have the cash to invest in your business you can up to £500,000 as long it is a replacement and purchased in the same tax year


Stuart

[John Kelly]

It will only save you 20% of the pre vat purchase price.

[stuart_clark]

Dont understand you john ? Acording to HMRC and my accountant if I make a new van purchase I will get 100% tax relief as if I had purchased it over four years ie lease or contract hire

[Emil Dinev]

Thanks everyone for your input.
I am close to closing a deal with the local Renault dealership. It's a new Trafic van on 14 plate for 12G +Vat on 5 yrs finance. It has sat nav, air con, rear park sensor etc.i have been advised that i am better off on financing as oposed to leasing as i'm not vat registered.

Cheers
Emil

[John Kelly]

Stuart.

If you buy a van for 20k that 20k comes of your profit and loss. Therefore you pay no tax on that 20k. At the moment you can claim the full 100% in the year of purchase. So that is 20% for most people.
So you have paid 20k + vat for a van. You can claim 100% tax relief in the first year which means you pay £4000 less tax. So you are paying 16K + vat for your van.

[stuart_clark]

John

thats what I meant, but you explained it better

[jasonl]

I have only ever bought one new van , I buy from auction normally at trade price , use them for a year or 2 then sell on for what I paid . 


I would rather put my money into a decent car , employees tend to justrag vans around when they think I wont notice, and then however careful dents and scrapes appear from all the constant backing into places.

[Glynn]

We've just bought a brand new MB Sprinter, still have the new Movano but the sprinter is in a totally different league.
We will only be buying Mercedes from now on.

[Russ Chadd]

After my 2005 VW transporter started to play up and cost me money i sold it and now i have a brand new transit custom 310 LWB on order and due for delivery in the next couple of weeks.
John Kelly recommended the van and having previously owned a VW he loves his... that was good enough for me!

[Shaun_Ashmore]

I think it depends on what you put in it, Glynn has a big truckmount a transit would be no use to him.

Shaun

[stuart_clark]

Darren

how is your new van mate ? Is it as economical as your vivaro ? I was looking at a new one yesterday apparently you can get them for £10,0000 plus vat brand new but thats for the 1.6 multijet comfort

[JandS]

Peugeot Expert...no rust with these babies.

[Darran Pryce]

Same with the dispatch and do not rust.  Engines go on and on.  Newer models got Toyota engine, but even the Citroen engine is great.

120bhp, shifts, even when full.

[Frank pole]

After my 2005 VW transporter started to play up and cost me money i sold it and now i have a brand new transit custom 310 LWB on order and due for delivery in the next couple of weeks.
John Kelly recommended the van and having previously owned a VW he loves his... that was good enough for me!

Good move Russ!

My cousin if a fleet manager for one of the big 3 couriers - Thinks the new transit is the one to have! services intervals are outstanding!

[stuart_clark]

Darren

what does it do to the gallon mate ? My mate had a 1.6 hdi comfort that did about 44 mpg and he carried over 1500 litres of water so there was some weight there, I had the old 2litre scudo which was 120 bhp very powerful van but only did about 34mpg or 37 if you ran it like an angel, I do in exess of 25000 miles a year so I am after somthing as economical as possable, my transit conect does about 42 mpg just not enough space in it for everything I need

stuart

[Darran Pryce]

Darren

what does it do to the gallon mate ? My mate had a 1.6 hdi comfort that did about 44 mpg and he carried over 1500 litres of water so there was some weight there, I had the old 2litre scudo which was 120 bhp very powerful van but only did about 34mpg or 37 if you ran it like an angel, I do in exess of 25000 miles a year so I am after somthing as economical as possable, my transit conect does about 42 mpg just not enough space in it for everything I need

stuart

Hi Stuart

Not sure how many MPG, I have the 2L 120bhp LWB, I just fill it when needed mate.  I  can use anything from £50-£80 per week.  It depends were the jobs are or if I'm pricing jobs up out of the Yorkshire area. 

I also carry a 350L tank inside for my commercial window jobs. 

[Pete Blackburn]

Avoid Ford at all costs.  The Transits have rust set in before they even register them. Don't fall for the new Transit custom either they still use crap recycle metal. JUST DONT BUY FORD AND YOU SHOULD BE FINE.

Buy VW, Germans get it right.

[Radek Jablonski]

Ford and rust? Every car and van in the uk in use close to the sea will have rust. I have a toyota avensis in great condition and my mechanic asked me if the car is from uk as is very rusty underneath, said yes as it is from scotland.
Think the ford is best seller for some reason.

[Glynn]

"Think the ford is best seller for some reason"

I think thats down to price.
Like everything, you get what you pay for.
Mercedes for us from now on.

[M W.]

had  x 3 sprinters. 2 x 311cdi had slight problem with injector , which is there only vice,

recently bought 316cdi 160 bhp. carrys and tows for fun.  .

But as previously said horses for courses.

if we were carrying cpt cleaning equp only.

i would opt vito/transporter/hi-lux.

[stuart_clark]

I've had a ford transit conect  for about 4 years now and there isn't a spot of rust on it, it isnt garaged but left outside all the time

[Steve_Knight]

Been telling you that for years Glynn

[stuart_clark]

Darren

I bought a LWB ctroen dispatch from your kneck of the woods on friday, its a 1.6 hdi  1200 h1 49000 8n clock imaculate in every detail, I am very pleased with it, mind you I got a shock when I filled it up ! Cost nearly £115 from empty, a far cry from my conect at £65



Stuart

[Richard Cole]

Yes Dispatches are expensive to fill up but you should get 600 plus miles out of a tank