Clean It Up

UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Carl@Cwc on November 12, 2013, 02:38:50 pm

Title: Best van for 400ltrs
Post by: Carl@Cwc on November 12, 2013, 02:38:50 pm
Looking to add another van and only want smallish van capable of easily carrying 400ltrs . This will be a one man van only , so only needs room for tank, poles etc.
Come on in please spruce...
Title: Re: Best van for 400ltrs
Post by: AuRavelling79 on November 12, 2013, 04:13:18 pm
Older ... Fiat Doblo 1.3 diesel 2005/2006. Payload 736kg. Tax £135. Mpg 40. Get one with side doors - so much easier. Had mine 7 years with a 400L tank - not selling mind.

Newer ... Later Fiat Doblo same as above 2007 - 2010 but tax went up to about £195

Newest ... latest shape Doblo  choice of engines payloads 750 or 1000 kg
Title: Re: Best van for 400ltrs
Post by: Pete Thompson on November 12, 2013, 04:15:15 pm
VW Caddy

That is all.
Title: Re: Best van for 400ltrs
Post by: PoleKing on November 12, 2013, 06:30:02 pm
VW Caddy

That is all.

+1.
Lol at Fiat Doblo. They look pony.
Title: Re: Best van for 400ltrs
Post by: LBWCS on November 12, 2013, 06:54:57 pm
Transit connect
Title: Re: Best van for 400ltrs
Post by: Sean Kelly on November 12, 2013, 07:02:05 pm
Vauxhall combo
Title: Re: Best van for 400ltrs
Post by: Total shine cleaning services on November 12, 2013, 09:39:44 pm
lwb hi roof transit connect, great vans and plenty of space

Graham
Title: Re: Best van for 400ltrs
Post by: Scrimble on November 12, 2013, 09:48:45 pm
VW Caddy

That is all.

+1.
Lol at Fiat Doblo. They look pony.

fiat doblo is prob the best looking new van out there
Title: Re: Best van for 400ltrs
Post by: bobplum on November 12, 2013, 09:54:09 pm
VW Caddy

That is all.

bump1
Title: Re: Best van for 400ltrs
Post by: PoleKing on November 12, 2013, 10:02:44 pm
VW Caddy

That is all.

+1.
Lol at Fiat Doblo. They look pony.

fiat doblo is prob the best looking new van out there

Lol lol lol
You and I have had this discussion before Scrimble
Title: Re: Best van for 400ltrs
Post by: Pete Thompson on November 12, 2013, 10:24:46 pm
I had a Fiat once.

Never again on this earth will I pay money for anything with the name FIAT on.
Title: Re: Best van for 400ltrs
Post by: H20cleaning on November 13, 2013, 12:28:05 am
I had a Fiat once.

Never again on this earth will I pay money for anything with the name FIAT on.
Me to.. I turned 18bought myself a 2002 fiat punto sporting speed gear set me bak £2000... Had it 2 months and the cam belt was due so had that done, several weeks later the head gasket decided to go costing me £600 the car never ran the same after
Title: Re: Best van for 400ltrs
Post by: andyM on November 13, 2013, 06:10:47 am
VW Caddy

That is all.

+1.
Lol at Fiat Doblo. They look pony.

I don't like the look of them either.
They might be a good van, but I don't like the styling of them.
Title: Re: Best van for 400ltrs
Post by: sham33 on November 13, 2013, 01:32:52 pm
Berlingo or peugeot partner. I have a berlingo handles 400 ltrs easy.
Title: Re: Best van for 400ltrs
Post by: GAZZA B on November 13, 2013, 04:49:32 pm
+ 1
Title: Re: Best van for 400ltrs
Post by: Mist A Bit on November 13, 2013, 06:17:33 pm
Iveco lwb jumbo 3.0 will handle it
Title: Re: Best van for 400ltrs
Post by: Avo on November 13, 2013, 08:28:20 pm
Vw transporter amazing van got a 500L system in mine
Title: Re: Best van for 400ltrs
Post by: Chris - CBWC on December 01, 2013, 08:27:55 pm
Is the 600kg Berlingo enough for a full 400L tank or do you have the 750/800kg one?

EDIT: Scratch that, it would be best to have side doors as well which I don't think the older Berlingos have.  I'm looking at a Doblo or a Combo now, thanks for the recommendations
Title: Re: Best van for 400ltrs
Post by: Jonny 87 on December 01, 2013, 08:51:41 pm
VW Caddy

That is all.

Ditto to that.

I've got a 56 plate with 93000 miles. Runs great.
Title: Re: Best van for 400ltrs
Post by: Simon Mess on December 01, 2013, 09:32:34 pm
Is the 600kg Berlingo enough for a full 400L tank or do you have the 750/800kg one?

EDIT: Scratch that, it would be best to have side doors as well which I don't think the older Berlingos have.  I'm looking at a Doblo or a Combo now, thanks for the recommendations

I have a transit connect lwb 230 it has a 900kg payload, I have a 500l tank. Recently went over customers weighbridge with a full tank, reading was 2300kg, only 40kg less than my gvw. Gave me a bit of a shock, but the point is, imo, you need 800kg payload.
The current shape doblo and combo are the same vans, and while the doblo is available with a 1000kg payload, I have only ever seen them as a lwb version. For the combo, search the 2300 version, which are quite common, even as a swb and would handle your tank easily. You could probably get away with the standard 750kg payload version (with careful planning of what you carry), but if it was me, I would go for the 2300.
Title: Re: Best van for 400ltrs
Post by: Chris - CBWC on December 01, 2013, 09:52:46 pm
Thanks for that.  I'm trying to be as flexible as possible with my choices as budget is the biggest constraint I have.  Anyone currently use a Mercedes-Benz Vito?  Supposedly reliable but costly if/when it does go wrong so maybe not a good choice for an older van
Title: Re: Best van for 400ltrs
Post by: Simon Mess on December 01, 2013, 10:19:36 pm
Vito's are supposed to be pretty efficient, for a 2.2 anyway. But if you look at owners reviews, they are not rated very well for reliability, I guess a lot has to do with how the van is treated though.

I have had my transit connect for over 3.5 years now, not had any problems re reliability, but it isn't the most efficient van of its size. I drive pretty gently most of the time and get around 40mpg.

Not sure what sort of budget you had in mind, but the 2300 combo's are currently starting at about £8k. 850kg versions of the partner/berlingo are starting just over £4k with reasonable miles (up to 60k), the standard versions of the current shape doblo are about the same.

To be honest, if your vito is not giving you problems, I would stick with it because buying a 2nd hand van is a bit of a lottery!.
Title: Re: Best van for 400ltrs
Post by: Chris - CBWC on December 02, 2013, 07:01:21 pm
No I don't have a Vito, I have a Renault Clio!  Fine (-ish for a Clio...) for trad, not for a mounted tank though!  I need a loan to make the change from trad to wfp so need it done right, first time and with as small a loan as I can until I'm up to speed and I can think about further expansion.  There are plenty of vans around, but they hold their resale value so it's finding the right one.

The Doblo I was after went over the weekend, to a window cleaner who wanted to put a van mount in it!  I'm looking at a Dispatch now, but like you say, it's a lottery.  We bought a Zafira to cart the family around, timing belt snapped some months later and shredded the engine, the rebuild cost as much as the car did  :(  Keen for that not to happen again naturally.
Title: Re: Best van for 400ltrs
Post by: Simon Mess on December 02, 2013, 07:51:40 pm
Sorry dude, don't know what made me think you already had a vito, I guess senility is creeping in faster than I thought!.
The current (2007ish onwards) shape citroen dispatch/fiat scudo/Peugeot expert seem to be pretty good vans and there is a lot of them about so plenty of choice. Payload starts at 988kg so you are fine there and there is a choice of 1.6 or 2.0 engines. If I were to change my van, either of those 3 would be pretty high on my shortlist. If it is the previous shape you are looking at, well they seem to be good vans too, but obviously the youngest versions are getting on a bit, so you might struggle to find one in good condition. The 1.9 non turbo diesels have a payload of 815kg (I think), the 2.0 turbo versions are about 900kg. What I like about these vans is the load floor, which at the front end has a pronounced 'step' up to the cab area. From a safety point of view this is highly desirable, as even a tank which is just strapped in is not going to come any further forward than the step (should it move in the event of an accident.
Title: Re: Best van for 400ltrs
Post by: Spruce on December 02, 2013, 08:10:34 pm
Berlingo 800LX (2000 - 2007) will will handle 500 liter tank, hose reel and pole. I wouldn't push it loading much more. The facelift 2.0hdi from 2003 has a slightly lower payload of 788kgs and the lower van speed limits apply. Once they fitted the 1.6hdi engine in the 800LX the payload increased and they reverted back to the higher speed limits.

The newer Berlingo's (current model) have slightly higher payloads ie 825kgs.

Transit Connect L220 have an 825kg payload and carry that weight quite well. A good example second hand will command a higher price than some other makes.

Careful as all these newer vans fall into the lower speed limit catagory. We have to start to become more aware of these speeds limits. There is a threat that new speeding cameras will be able to recognise the van by its registration number and apply the approporate fine. For example, a single carriage road has a speed limit of 60mph. But these vans have a speed limit of 50mph. If you are flashed at 70mph it becomes serious as you will be 20mph over the limit, not 10.  
Title: Re: Best van for 400ltrs
Post by: Spruce on December 02, 2013, 08:22:45 pm
Sorry dude, don't know what made me think you already had a vito, I guess senility is creeping in faster than I thought!.
The current (2007ish onwards) shape citroen dispatch/fiat scudo/Peugeot expert seem to be pretty good vans and there is a lot of them about so plenty of choice. Payload starts at 988kg so you are fine there and there is a choice of 1.6 or 2.0 engines. If I were to change my van, either of those 3 would be pretty high on my shortlist. If it is the previous shape you are looking at, well they seem to be good vans too, but obviously the youngest versions are getting on a bit, so you might struggle to find one in good condition. The 1.9 non turbo diesels have a payload of 815kg (I think), the 2.0 turbo versions are about 900kg. What I like about these vans is the load floor, which at the front end has a pronounced 'step' up to the cab area. From a safety point of view this is highly desirable, as even a tank which is just strapped in is not going to come any further forward than the step (should it move in the event of an accident.

Simon - excellent post.

This step up into the cabin area from a safety point of view hasn't been expressed on the forum before as far as I'm aware and is a very valid point. Well 'spoken'.

You are also right about the payloads of the Dispatch/Expert/Scudo. The only addition to this was the very early Dispatch/Scudo/ Experts with the 1.9 TD (not Hdi) were also 815kgs payloads, but were uprated around 2000/1 to 900kgs. PSA then stuck to the 900kg payload spec for the Hdi introduction. The normally aspirated 1.9 stayed at 815kgs.
Title: Re: Best van for 400ltrs
Post by: Chris - CBWC on December 02, 2013, 09:04:11 pm
I hadn't realised about the speed limits either.  I'm not looking at the Berlingo, purely because it doesn't have a side door - am I being too fussy? !!  I know that plenty of people on here have them, but it seems that with the various bits of maintenance needed from time to time, having side access would make things so much easier.  Not to mention fitting it in the first place.

I hadn't noticed the step up in the Dispatch until you mentioned it!  Very good as there's no bulkhead, just the backs of the two passenger seats, and behind the driver seat is a metal framework with bars.  Considering the size and weight of the tank in an accident, a bulkhead is probably necessary!  The Dispatch is 2001 with quite high mileage
Title: Re: Best van for 400ltrs
Post by: Simon Mess on December 02, 2013, 09:08:46 pm
Berlingo's and partner's do have a side door, maybe not all of them, not sure what the deal is, maybe just certain versions?. 
Title: Re: Best van for 400ltrs
Post by: Spruce on December 02, 2013, 09:44:40 pm
I hadn't realised about the speed limits either.  I'm not looking at the Berlingo, purely because it doesn't have a side door - am I being too fussy? !!  I know that plenty of people on here have them, but it seems that with the various bits of maintenance needed from time to time, having side access would make things so much easier.  Not to mention fitting it in the first place.

I hadn't noticed the step up in the Dispatch until you mentioned it!  Very good as there's no bulkhead, just the backs of the two passenger seats, and behind the driver seat is a metal framework with bars.  Considering the size and weight of the tank in an accident, a bulkhead is probably necessary!  The Dispatch is 2001 with quite high mileage

My son's 800LX Partner Hdi van has a PSA fitted half steel lower bulkhead with steel mesh upper. He doesn't have a side loading door which is a big disadvantage as he can't put stuff in the triangular section between his tank and the bulkhead. I personally feel a side loading door is a bonus from our experience.

There is no particular Berlingo model that came standard with a side loading door (or 2 sliding doors) - they were optional extras. So when we ordered units for stock, the most popular were 600 LX models and some we ordered with and others without SLDs. I don't even recall ordering a stock van with twin SLD's ever. Believe it or not, SLDs on Berlingos took a long time to be accepted by the public.

We hardly ever ordered 800LX models either as they were more expensive and were generally ordered especially to customer requests. That probably explains why there are more 600LX units second hand.

I wouldn't put much faith in those ladder bars behind the seat. They maybe alright for light boxes but won't stop a water tank. I always recommend a second hand PSA steel bulkhead - they are expensive but very strong. I would also not buy a high mileage Dispatch van of that age. You will be prone to high repair costs. Ignition keys and barrels are an expensive repair.

If the van has central locking then the suspect barrel will be in the ignition.
Title: Re: Best van for 400ltrs
Post by: AuRavelling79 on December 03, 2013, 05:04:35 pm
The Doblo 1.3 multijet diesel (2005-2010) has a GVW of 2000kg (payload 736kg) and thus has car speed limits. (Also cheap road tax)

The Doblo 1.9 multijet diesel (2005-2010) has a GVW of 2015kg (payload still 736kg) and is restricted to "van" speeds. (Not so cheap road tax)
Title: Re: Best van for 400ltrs
Post by: Pete Thompson on December 03, 2013, 05:20:14 pm
Quote
purely because it doesn't have a side door - am I being too fussy?

No you are not being too fussy, in my opinion a side-loading door is extremely useful, almost essential.

Remember you won't be able to squeeze past your tank once it's in, so the only way to store stuff behind it is to either lift over the tank (which itself is a squeeze) or use the side door.

VW caddys have a side door as standard as standard.  ;D  ;D  ;D
Title: Re: Best van for 400ltrs
Post by: Chris - CBWC on December 03, 2013, 07:21:23 pm
Does anyone have a van on 0% finance?  There's a Renault Kangoo at a garage very near me, with SLD.  I'm just thinking a little less short-term.  Rather than the lottery of an older van with high mileage, getting a newer van with low mileage, a guarantee and warranty, on a reasonable monthly payment may be a better option, and considering I already have a round built up, it'll just take time to get the speed up.
Title: Re: Best van for 400ltrs
Post by: Simon Mess on December 03, 2013, 07:41:34 pm
Kangoo might struggle with 400l payload wise, which model is it?
Title: Re: Best van for 400ltrs
Post by: Chris - CBWC on December 03, 2013, 07:49:06 pm
1.5 DCi ML20 70+, looks like 819kg payload - http://www.parkers.co.uk/vans/reviews/renault/kangoo/2008/technical-data/ love the Parkers website
Title: Re: Best van for 400ltrs
Post by: andyM on December 03, 2013, 08:23:55 pm
Does anyone have a van on 0% finance?  There's a Renault Kangoo at a garage very near me, with SLD.  I'm just thinking a little less short-term.  Rather than the lottery of an older van with high mileage, getting a newer van with low mileage, a guarantee and warranty, on a reasonable monthly payment may be a better option, and considering I already have a round built up, it'll just take time to get the speed up.

When you go wfp you will realise that the tool you require the most is your van!
With trad work you can get away with using a car but with a full wfp van system you can't go to work if the van's not running.  :(
Buy the newest most suitable van you can afford within your budget, with a guarantee/warranty that will give you peace of mind.
Title: Re: Best van for 400ltrs
Post by: Simon Mess on December 03, 2013, 08:44:13 pm
ML20's are pretty thin on the ground, you are lucky to find that. Yes, with 70bhp you wont be winning many traffic light grand prix!, but who cares if it does the job. If you get it and like it, you can always get it chipped!.
Title: Re: Best van for 400ltrs
Post by: KS Cleaning on December 03, 2013, 10:45:04 pm
Does anyone have a van on 0% finance?  There's a Renault Kangoo at a garage very near me, with SLD.  I'm just thinking a little less short-term.  Rather than the lottery of an older van with high mileage, getting a newer van with low mileage, a guarantee and warranty, on a reasonable monthly payment may be a better option, and considering I already have a round built up, it'll just take time to get the speed up.
Not really such a thing as 0% finance, the reality is, they lump the money you think you are saving on repayments on to the cost of the van