Quote from: KS Cleaning on January 16, 2026, 05:06:08 pm

Quote from: robert mitchell on January 16, 2026, 03:41:21 pm

Quote from: KS Cleaning on January 12, 2026, 11:26:22 pm

So that’s me done a weeks work with my E Custom. The van itself is quite brilliant, a pleasure to drive, very smooth and it glides nicely over the various road surfaces, in fact it’s such a comfortable ride that I now find it a drag to drive our X4M about town as it obviously has much stiffer suspension.

I don’t have a home charger installed yet so I’m relying on public chargers at the moment which is a bit of a pain. The van only charges to 90% ( I will need to look into this ) which gives a range of 160 miles, the reality is that of the predicted 160 miles I will actually get around 130 miles in the winter months. Not a problem as I don’t do a lot of miles.

The ratchet strapping of the flat tank isn’t ideal but it is the best solution at the moment, I have one  strap going over the top to pull it down to the floor and another going around it pulling it towards the bulkhead, it does feel solid but of course it isn’t crash tested, but then the Waterworks professionaly fitted system for EV’s won’t have been crash tested either?

I mentioned in another thread that the water sloshing was terrible in the flat tank, I have added 25 metres of 100mm perforated drainage pipe cut into shorter lengths, this has made a big difference.

All in all a very positive first week, the only negative so far being that there doesn’t seem to be a viable option of a bolted in tank/frame.

The waterworks systems are crash tested now .

Are they crash tested in an EV? How do they secure them?

They are bolted through the floor (not chassis), the waterworks system has a panel that blows out and releases the water in big impact , meaning you will get wet but the tank wont move.

You’re not meant to drill through the floor of an Electric van without dropping the battery pack which is a major job. Even then there might not be the required clearance between the floor and the replaced battery pack for the protruding bolt thread and spreader plate. I will give Ionics a phone and get a definitive answer as to how they secure the tank and if it’s been crash tested.

I have a univalve on all my poles but on my 25 SLX  it only works if pole is extended. when collapsed it doesn't work which can be frustrating. Does anyone know why this is happening?

20 years ago (in Feb) I paid £11500 for a brand new 2.0hdi dispatch. I still run it as my only work vehicle and it is going in for annual service and MOT tomorrow. 160k plus on the clock.

From your posts I understand your VW is several years younger than my dispatch and you are having to replace it because it is falling apart with rust. Personally this would not persuade me to part with £40k (which must be at least a whole years profit for you), to buy another one.

Also from reading your posts, your VW has needed significantly more things replaced on it than my 20 year old van. Personally I think VW is over hyped and over priced.

I must be making a grand a week and I have bought everything I need bar another PF hosereel because they are bomb proof. The work is coming in thick and fast now so I have decided to save as much as I can this year and try and buy cash. May need to get a £10k loan to top the balance up. There is a VIP event at my local VW dealer next week so I might as well pop along and eat all their biscuits and discuss it. The only thing; they are sick of the sight of me, as I always pop in for parts and then mention a new van.

Anyhow, picked up 2 new customers yesterday and one today without trying. If I can focus on saving all my income then I will have the funds in place before the year is out. watch this space.

Personally I would never consider a brand new van, which ever method of purchase was available. I look at ex BT vans when the time comes, very well looked after and way cheaper.

Depends what you are earning if a small or part time income then yes older secondhand vans are the way to go to save money , but if earnings are much higher it’s a no brainer to have new vans as far more tax effective and also the VAT can be claimed back .