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UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: FRESHER on February 14, 2015, 09:23:22 am

Title: Best and worst van you have owned?
Post by: FRESHER on February 14, 2015, 09:23:22 am
What has been the best and worst van you have owned over the last 5 years or so?
My best, 58 plate Astra van.  Worst 13 plate Peugeot Expert, been back at the dealers for months.
Title: Re: Best and worst van you have owned?
Post by: duncan h on February 14, 2015, 10:02:11 am
x reg transit. Had it, I guess 5 years and only had new battery and exhaust
Title: Re: Best and worst van you have owned?
Post by: Richard Stevenson on February 14, 2015, 11:31:49 am
Best van Renault traffic, worst Peugeot expert
Title: Re: Best and worst van you have owned?
Post by: PoleKing on February 14, 2015, 11:52:11 am
Best: Current Renault Trafic.
Worst: 51 Citroën Relay. Absolutely dire but all i could afford at the time.
Title: Re: Best and worst van you have owned?
Post by: Don Kee on February 14, 2015, 12:35:19 pm
Best - current transit (06' , just ticked over 50k  solid underneath & waxyoiled)

Worst - previous transit (51plate, dont over 120k and had more holes than a golf course, had head gasket done, selector box done)
Title: Re: Best and worst van you have owned?
Post by: Jonny 87 on February 14, 2015, 03:02:36 pm
I've only been self employed for 4 years now, and had two vans. A 56 plate vw caddy and now a 07 toyota hiace.

Both great vans, but my hiace wins hands down on reliability and working use. It's a great size.
Title: Re: Best and worst van you have owned?
Post by: EandM on February 14, 2015, 03:20:12 pm
Best: My current Ranger Supercab 4x4 - over engineered for my needs so hasn't missed a days work in three years, would easily carry twice as much as it does, 4wd gets me everywhere and enough room to take the kids to school

Worst: Probably my P100 that I loved dearly but consumed things like engines / gearboxes and clutches - note: 75 bhp from a 1.8 that needs 2,000 rpm to pull away on a hill with two tonnes isn't enough !
Title: Re: Best and worst van you have owned?
Post by: the king on February 14, 2015, 05:28:36 pm
best is a tie toyota haice an now a vauxhall vaviro my toyota was bonb prouf but sadly the rust started and the glow plugs snaped off in the head so i sold it my vivaro ive not had it long so early days

worst was my old fiat scudo every thing went rong on it glad to get shot lol electricks brakes were naff starter moter went cluch pedel went to the flore an wouldent wrk it leaked every were but the body was rust free an the 1.9d engine was prity solid slow but could take a good frashing

Title: Re: Best and worst van you have owned?
Post by: Mick Kent on February 14, 2015, 06:28:47 pm
Worst was my old ldv cub.
Best is my pug expert although old 2004 and on near 250k she doesnt ever miss a beat and just keeps on rolling.
Title: Re: Best and worst van you have owned?
Post by: Clever Forum Name on February 14, 2015, 07:26:25 pm
Worst has to be my vauxhall combo. It hit 66,666 miles on the Sunday. Monday the cam chain snapped.
Title: Re: Best and worst van you have owned?
Post by: dd on February 14, 2015, 07:37:44 pm
Have dispatch 2.0hdi (old shape) for 9 years from new. Only major expense so far was I just had new cam belt on recent service. Been very reliable.
Title: Re: Best and worst van you have owned?
Post by: the king on February 14, 2015, 10:01:56 pm
Worst has to be my vauxhall combo. It hit 66,666 miles on the Sunday. Monday the cam chain snapped.
them 1.3cdti engines run on fresh air but chain snapnig is common the 1.7dti is the one to get bomb prouf or the 1.7cdti
Title: Re: Best and worst van you have owned?
Post by: david mark on February 14, 2015, 10:32:23 pm
Combo crapiest van I've owned
Title: Re: Best and worst van you have owned?
Post by: Elfyn on February 15, 2015, 01:28:52 pm
Best - Fiat Ducato - I'm on my fifth one. I tend to change them at about 5 year old, but the third one went to 6yrs and 120k miles. Never had a problem with any one of them.  ;D
Title: Re: Best and worst van you have owned?
Post by: Susan Dean (1stclean) on February 15, 2015, 05:33:08 pm
best van merc sprinter 312 done million mile now on a 1999 same engine and box frist ever new van we bought

worst van 02 reg transit 2.4 utter rubbish
Title: Re: Best and worst van you have owned?
Post by: Stoots on February 15, 2015, 07:49:41 pm
owned 51 plate scudo and 02 plate berlingo both equal in poopness/goodness
Title: Re: Best and worst van you have owned?
Post by: Mist A Bit on February 15, 2015, 08:23:01 pm
Worst van was a Bedford rascal , wouldn't start in the cold , rusted to bits and the 900cc petrol engine had it at 60,000 , was a laugh tho. Best van is my iveco, mighty strong, proper commercial.

Had hiace , Astra van, escort van all did the job just fine
Title: Re: Best and worst van you have owned?
Post by: Walter Mitty on February 15, 2015, 09:00:20 pm
If we can only go back 5 years my current van is both best and worst on the basis that it's been my only van in that time - an '03 Renault Trafic.
My best one was quite some years ago when I was tradding.  It was a petrol powered Nissan Sunny van.  Nothing spectacular but for reliability it was superb.   I bought it with 28,000 on the clock and sold it ten years later with about 145,000 on it - and it was still running beautifully.  I had it serviced twice a year on the dot (shorter frequencies between services back then plus it was petrol).  When I sold it on after 145,000 miles, it still had the original clutch - mind you, I did need to change handbrake cable at some point (I start on handbrake rather than balancing pedals).  If I had kep it, it would have gone past a quater million by now and I bet it would still be running (though obviously too light for WFP).
Title: Re: Best and worst van you have owned?
Post by: philip.parkin@talk21.com on February 16, 2015, 04:56:52 am
Worst vehicle I've ever owned was my 54 plate combo 1.7 CDTI 90000 miles and it died. Best Van My current dispatch 57 plate 1.6 16000 miles Love it. Cant fault it. Just a shame its french really.
Title: Re: Best and worst van you have owned?
Post by: jk999 on February 16, 2015, 09:03:12 pm
Ldv pilot worst van could have walked faster even a push bike over took me lol best van 06 vivaro its like driving a car had it 7 years
Title: Re: Best and worst van you have owned?
Post by: paulben on February 17, 2015, 07:01:17 am
best hi-ace worst transit more holes than swiss cheese
Title: Re: Best and worst van you have owned?
Post by: peterrogers on February 23, 2015, 01:10:59 am
by far the worst opel vivaro 2002... electrical nightmare lol best van td is a 2002 transit easy o fix and no the problems u just have to watch out for the rust lol
Title: Re: Best and worst van you have owned?
Post by: Sean Dyer on February 23, 2015, 05:26:59 pm
worst 04 vivaro
best 63 vw transporter
until the gritter ripped the front nearside off this weekend, been sat in on hold to insurance company all day fighting for a courtesy van with a roofrack
Title: Re: Best and worst van you have owned?
Post by: AuRavelling79 on February 23, 2015, 05:38:53 pm
Only had two vans - Doblo 1.3 '56 new - Dan the Man bought it from me in October and still uses it. On about 41k in 8 years. Starter motor went in warranty, a side door jammed shut just after and the electric window mechanism failed on the drivers side and was replaced for £90.

Hyundai iload 2.5 Comfort - just coming to three years old nothing has ever gone wrong but as it is still in its 5 year warranty and just on 16,000 from new I don't expect it to. 1st MOT due on Friday.

So both vans fine.
Title: Re: Best and worst van you have owned?
Post by: Amazin on February 24, 2015, 11:21:26 pm
omg, thank you so much OP. this is exactly what I need in order to know what to buy.

quick question: are 10 year old vans with over 150k milage bad?
Title: Re: Best and worst van you have owned?
Post by: paulben on February 26, 2015, 07:03:11 am
I wouldn't worry about the mileage on a diesel all depends on how its been driven and looked after .I sold a petrol car a few years ago with 220 k on clock still went like s**t off a shovel
Title: Re: Best and worst van you have owned?
Post by: the king on February 26, 2015, 07:08:26 am
omg, thank you so much OP. this is exactly what I need in order to know what to buy.

quick question: are 10 year old vans with over 150k milage bad?
older vans with high milege will probly have a few inggles but if it has full service history u shoukd b fine
Title: Re: Best and worst van you have owned?
Post by: Klean07 on February 26, 2015, 09:29:42 am
04 Connect for 8 years never let me down though only fitted alternator, throttle pedal, wiper blades and a few tyres here and there. Only had my dispatch a few weeks but no problems so far. Though driving is like driving  car!
Title: Re: Best and worst van you have owned?
Post by: Mist A Bit on February 26, 2015, 02:13:58 pm
I had an old van with 324,000 on the clock. Rotted away being a ford but that engine would of carried on, my latest van has the lowest milage I've ever had.  high milage on a desiel especially old diesel engines isn't a problem
Title: Re: Best and worst van you have owned?
Post by: eric star on February 27, 2015, 12:33:14 pm
Never had a van best car was a Nissan bluebird and my worse was Austin montego
Title: Re: Best and worst van you have owned?
Post by: Mist A Bit on February 28, 2015, 08:24:28 am
Best: ford escort, fiat scudo and vw transporter

worst: Iveco daily, Vauxhall astra & citroen
just shows the differece in experiences , my iveco has been faultless , my vauxhall was good and citroen soso
your best was my worse. escort van x 2 rusted beyond repair and first one snapped alternator belt and wrapped itself around the timing belt and ripped it off the sprockets, fiat gearbox went bang and the vw was a mass of engine managment problems and failing suspension, these not all vans but an experience with these particular brands