Clean It Up

UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Amazin on May 07, 2015, 07:46:20 am

Title: would you buy a red van for Window Cleaning?
Post by: Amazin on May 07, 2015, 07:46:20 am
http://vans.autotrader.co.uk/used-vans/ford/transit/2006-ford-transit-2-2tdci-duratorq-85ps-260s-low-roof-panel-van-low-miles-no-car-diesel-strood-vfpa-8ad08f374cff0818014d28753dc81a0f/radius/40miles/mileage/min/79999/payload/700/max/price/2000/4999 (http://vans.autotrader.co.uk/used-vans/ford/transit/2006-ford-transit-2-2tdci-duratorq-85ps-260s-low-roof-panel-van-low-miles-no-car-diesel-strood-vfpa-8ad08f374cff0818014d28753dc81a0f/radius/40miles/mileage/min/79999/payload/700/max/price/2000/4999)

lol, for some reason I keep seeing red vans coming up from dealers. mainly from Royal mail. would it be weird to use one of them for window cleaning?

Title: Re: would you buy a red van for Window Cleaning?
Post by: Ste b on May 07, 2015, 07:54:26 am
I wouldnt touch a royal mail van, thrashed everyday.

Plus red always fades so youll soon be driving a pink van  :)
Title: Re: would you buy a red van for Window Cleaning?
Post by: STEVE-UK on May 07, 2015, 08:09:37 am
I was in the market for another van last year and was looking for a t330 in white to match my other vans, After a lot of hunting around a yellow one turned up £1000 less for the same spec than anything else I had seen

This van is an 08 plate transit and gets twice as much new work off the street and positive comments than our new transit custom!
Title: Re: would you buy a red van for Window Cleaning?
Post by: martinw on May 07, 2015, 08:14:43 am
Stay away from them. Thrashed to near death. Suspensions most likely been fixed more than once.
Doors will be misaligned. Lock barrels worn out and central locking issues. Intermittent engine warning  light flashes. The list can go on.
Most of them are being used for 10-15 miles short runs with countless stop and starts.
Title: Re: would you buy a red van for Window Cleaning?
Post by: lal on May 07, 2015, 08:39:46 am
I wouldnt touch a royal mail van, thrashed everyday.

Plus red always fades so youll soon be driving a pink van  :)

 +1  i worked for Royal Mail in Croydon for many years, the drivers definetly thrash the life out of the vans, always  driving
 them like there's no time left in the day, i wouldn't  touch with a barge pole.
Title: Re: would you buy a red van for Window Cleaning?
Post by: Darranvps on May 07, 2015, 09:56:47 am
All window cleaners in Bradford used Red Vans prior to 1995 some still do......
West Riding
Hawksworths
and many more with creamy sign writing
I was the very first to use white with blue lettering back in 1992 it stood out like a sore thumb and all other window cleaners thought i was mad
Title: Re: would you buy a red van for Window Cleaning?
Post by: Rich Wilts on May 07, 2015, 10:46:57 am
I wouldnt touch a royal mail van, thrashed everyday.

Plus red always fades so youll soon be driving a pink van  :)

Royal Mail vans aren't thrashed,  no more than any other fleet vehicle.

I bought a Royal Mail van 6 years ago. There was only ever one thing wrong with it, it leaked water into the footwell from under the bonnert. A common fault in that a sealing grommet has a habit of corroding and allowing water to ingress. It saild through every MOT with minimal issues. I got £1700 for it traded in which isnt bad for a 10 year old vehicle thats not been thrashed but overloaded.

As for red, never again, they do turn pink, especially the bonnet.
Title: Re: would you buy a red van for Window Cleaning?
Post by: Elfyn on May 07, 2015, 12:19:09 pm
Looks like a good, clean, van for the age (9 yr old), but I thought it's a bit over priced. I wouldn't be to worried about it being an ex post van - it can't have had that much work for a van of that mileage.
You, also, need to work out if the payload is high enough for what you need.
Title: Re: would you buy a red van for Window Cleaning?
Post by: Smudger on May 07, 2015, 04:35:29 pm
Red does fade so needs regular polishing, good mileage tho.

Just a note of caution, I've read the 2.2  engine is a bit more liable to problems than the 2.4

Darran
Title: Re: would you buy a red van for Window Cleaning?
Post by: NWH on May 07, 2015, 05:07:58 pm
I speak to quiet a few postman and they laugh when this subject comes up,just take it from me they are driven by different people all the time and are thrashed within an inch of there life daily lol. They don't stop start most of em,there left running when delivering and most of the time they hardly bother using the clutch to change gear trust me. 
Title: Re: would you buy a red van for Window Cleaning?
Post by: combat1 on May 07, 2015, 05:47:58 pm
Better than a red van! I've just ordered a red water tank! Cool.
Title: Re: would you buy a red van for Window Cleaning?
Post by: Smudger on May 07, 2015, 06:06:45 pm
That will be a brodex then....

their equipment would be well suited to old post office vans

Darran
Title: Re: would you buy a red van for Window Cleaning?
Post by: combat1 on May 07, 2015, 06:19:04 pm
Not Brodex oh no! You can order coloured tanks from this company. Got to wait a week but thought it would look good with my blue vehicle ha ha.
Title: Re: would you buy a red van for Window Cleaning?
Post by: cgh window cleaning on May 07, 2015, 10:10:07 pm
Any van driven by any one other than the owner runs the risk of being thrashed.
Most employees will abuse them.
I see Royal Mail vans like most of you several times a day.how many times do you see them being driven flat out doing hand brake turns like most would have you believe?
Judge each van individually,I have owned an ex Royal Mail van and other than general wear and maintenance it was a great little van.
Title: Re: would you buy a red van for Window Cleaning?
Post by: Mist A Bit on May 08, 2015, 12:31:14 pm
My last van was red, never thought of it as weired tho. Didn't sign write it. As many say it fades pretty quick so need a good supply of t cut. Got a yellow van now, and I'm much more recognised
Title: Re: would you buy a red van for Window Cleaning?
Post by: SeanK on May 08, 2015, 01:07:00 pm
Any van driven by any one other than the owner runs the risk of being thrashed.
Most employees will abuse them.
I see Royal Mail vans like most of you several times a day.how many times do you see them being driven flat out doing hand brake turns like most would have you believe?
Judge each van individually,I have owned an ex Royal Mail van and other than general wear and maintenance it was a great little van.

That's exactly right, Royal Mail workers are randomly watched so there's no way they do half the things that some on
here think they do.
They also now have a list of checks that they must complete before taking the vans out like checking oil tyres brake fluid and so on, they can be randomly pulled on these also even waved down while out driving.
Plus all the vans have trackers now so speeding and other things can be monitored.
Brother works for them and a few weeks back he was asked to remove all the contents of the van just as he was about to head out to make sure it wasn't overloaded.
The problem now is because of cutbacks they are holding on to their vans until they are nearly ready for the scrap heap
so getting a decent Royal mail van now would be hard enough.
Title: Re: would you buy a red van for Window Cleaning?
Post by: Amazin on May 08, 2015, 05:51:53 pm
My problem is that there's are few red vans out there that got the specs im looking for. The colour issue is bit worrying though.  How much would it cost to repaint it to a different colour?
Title: Re: would you buy a red van for Window Cleaning?
Post by: Smudger on May 08, 2015, 06:02:15 pm
Don't paint it wrap it, a full wrap can be done from  £800

Darran
Title: Re: would you buy a red van for Window Cleaning?
Post by: Rob@Blast off on May 08, 2015, 09:21:52 pm
I've got a red van, it has faded in places but nothing a bit of polish won't fix, any used van could of been thrashed before you own it after all you don't get many oap's buying new vans to use for their weekly supermarket trip.
Title: Re: would you buy a red van for Window Cleaning?
Post by: Avo on May 08, 2015, 09:45:42 pm
The main importance is reliability in a van.
I mean if I saw a bargain van that's well looked after the colour wouldn't stop me red,yellow or orange 😄
I thought I saw you today in your red van mate 👍
Title: Re: would you buy a red van for Window Cleaning?
Post by: Rob@Blast off on May 09, 2015, 01:12:16 am
Same as mate,
Could be bright pink for all I care, as long as it starts and stops it'll do.
Was it Emscote rd? Been there all day struggling with crap water pressure  :(
Title: Re: would you buy a red van for Window Cleaning?
Post by: Avo on May 09, 2015, 06:36:52 am
Same as mate,
Could be bright pink for all I care, as long as it starts and stops it'll do.
Was it Emscote rd? Been there all day struggling with crap water pressure  :(
yes that's right about 4pm 😄 you looked hard at it