[Cowan]

Hello

Just looking to find out from anyone who owns a Vivaro, going to look at two on Sunday and hopefully buy one of them to replace my Citroen dispatch.

The Dispatch is a plain 1.9D and really struggles pulling my trailer rig (edge Grimebuster) particularly up steep hills or even along straights if I prefill the onboard buffer tank for jobs!

If anyone owns a Vivaro and pulls a trailer would be interested to hear your thoughts.

Thanks Gavin 

[Smudger]

Wouldn't buy a vivaro, the dispatch is a much better vehicle, however if your set on have one of these I strongly suggest you check out the injectors, if it's done something between 80 and 100 k and is an 06 to 10 plate insist they are changed before you buy it.

Darran

[Rob@Blast off]

I have the old 1.9dti vivaro and it's a bit sluggish tbh but I do carry loads of junk around.
Used to have a 1.9d dispatch great van but my god it was slow 

[Cowan]

Appreciate your input lads, my dispatch is a older style one and had it for 4 years but just feel it could really do with being replaced for something that will tow the trailer rig easier.

Perhaps a newer style Dispatch would be a better option. Will perhaps cancel the planned viewings for Sunday until i do a little more research.

Any other make/models you would recommend?

[Great Outdoors]

Sorry just saw this post, we use a Renault Trafic (07 plate from new) to tow a box trailer (6*4 loaded)  on a weekly basis, hardly notice it 

[Kev Martin]

OK we have had both over the last 10 years.  First we had a Citroen Relay and a Dispatch.  Found them both Ultra Reliable but both had the same problem  Put a hill in the way or add a trailer or combination of both youmight as well get out and walk.  Not a fault of the van they were both just chuggers.

Then we bought a Renault Traffic 2.5Diesel 155bhp  I thought we were in a Formula 1 Car amazing power and torque.  Put a trailer on and you didn't know iit was on and I am talking big trailers.  Never once had a problem.

Then sold it and bought a Vauuxhalll Vivaro 2.0cdi Sportive.  Little bit less power than the Traffic but more economical and to be fair pulled our Box  Trailer no bother.  However, we did have the water seizing the injectors in on that one and luckily once I had sprayed the injector seats with Aqua Mix Phosphoric Acid the garage managed to release the injectors the next day and changed them.  But that made me get rid of the van.

We now have the Transit Custom and that is brilliant.

So in short the Vauxhall/Traffic both pull well and drive well but watch out for the injectors if you buy an older one.

Hope that helps

Kev

[Cowan]

Thanks Great Outdoors and Kev - I really like the dispatch as I said but like you with the trailer or hill (even worse both) it's just not coping at all!

Prefer the Vivaro over the transit as the body work seems to look better in terms of little or no rust compared to transits of similar age!

If I was to buy the 06 or 08 Vivaro and the injectors did need replaced how much approx would this cost?

Thanks again

Gavin

[Great Outdoors]

Thanks Great Outdoors and Kev - I really like the dispatch as I said but like you with the trailer or hill (even worse both) it's just not coping at all!

Prefer the Vivaro over the transit as the body work seems to look better in terms of little or no rust compared to transits of similar age!

If I was to buy the 06 or 08 Vivaro and the injectors did need replaced how much approx would this cost?

Thanks again

Gavin

Yer Renaults etc, that age are galvanised hence no rust 

 As I understand it, injectors problem only effects a small proportion of Renault / Nissan vans bigger problem with Vivaro Vauxhall, I would simply get these checked prior to purchase, they know which engine model has the issue
Mike

[Smudger]

It's the 2.0 ltr models from 06 basically it effects 1/3rd of all vivaro's primasters and traffics. Other than hi tops they are all put together in the uk ( Luton )

Best way to tell is remove the air box under this is a foam block designed to stop the water, remove this if there is water of signs of water ingress then there is a good chance when they need to come out they will be seized in.
The earlier version of this van had the 1.9 engine which don't have this problem

Only specialists will touch them now, at around £150 + vat per injector to remove new injectors are £150 + vat each so you are looking for £1200 plus for the set.

Mine was away 8 days and cost £1800 because they were really bad ( this from a fully serviced 07 with 110k on the clock )

Main dealers are worse as the injector usually snaps they will then only replace the head as well at a cost of another 2k
I have a dispatch which I brought because the Vivaro was off the road 04 plate and its a wonderful van, since starting by biz, my true, one regret was buying this vivaro it carries no more than the dispatch despite it's size, it's expensive to run/ repair and seat adjustment is poor for driving,  if I could I'd give the thing away 

Darran

[Richy L]

Ive had three injectors go on my 2008 2.0 vivaro.
£600 each for the first two and £800 for the third one.(the third one was seized and I had to go to a company with a machine to pull it out.)

... and it pulls a 750kg trailer easily

[Cowan]

Great info lads, appreciated. Will do some research tonight on the specific models and see what I find out in terms of injectors! Glad I asked as did not have any idea of this issue and the potential for the expensive repairs!

[chris scott]

Buy the Master/Movano.

[Griffus]

Use a Vivaro 2900 CDTi 100 D/CAB LWB for towing a 1100 litre bowser with large PW included.

Never a problem and been pulling it a few years now.

It's also regularly used to carry 6 people and all gear (not PW in this case).

Ignore the haters, great van.

This particular one is 2005 and we've had it since the beginning of 2008.

Great van

[Richy L]

despite the problems I have had with it, i agree, it is great van. Plenty of power

[Cowan]

http://www.gumtree.com/p/vans/2006-year-mddl-55reg-vauxhall-vivaro-phenomenally-low-miles-full-years-mot-with-very-rare-air-con/1098683327

http://www.gumtree.com/p/vans/2009-year-model-58-reg-2-owner-swb-vauxhall-vivaro-low-miles-fsh.-6-stamps-great-spec-facelift-mode/1098684085

These are the two vans, both have pros and cons! What are your thoughts?

[Smudger]

First one is the original model so I reckon it's the 1.9 as you can see its already had a gearbox - common problem on these, but at least it's been done

Second is just ripe for the injectors to fail in the next 15k - is there vat on top ??
I think it's a little heavy on price, 4,500 is nearer the mark

Darran

[Cowan]

Loving your input smuddger

The 55 (06 reg), do you think this will not have the injector problem? Also if it is the 1.9 engine will this still pull ok?

Cheers mate

[Smudger]

Can't comment on the 1.9 as I have never needed to tow, but I would have thought it ok.

I just wouldn't want to see others buy, what on the surface is a good looking van only to find they will have to part with another 2k to fix it, injectors should be an easy change of s few hundred quid.

The early vivaro's have the gearbox issue, so I spent extra to get the next gen, only to be court out with a different problem that's just coming to light, if you lived closer I'd gladly sell/ part ex mine for your Citroen in a heart beat,

Darran

[Great Outdoors]

You are always going to get mixed replies when you ask this type of question

Our Trafic has been off the road for 3 days max in almost 8 years, still drives like a car, one issue we did find is driving in winter, slippery as hell , now use winter's problem solved ... maybe we have been lucky, Renault Kangoo has never been off the road.
Our next van would be a Master purely for increased capacity load area / payload.

We found the old Dispatch load area simply too small to use as a pressure washing vehicle, window cleaning it would be fine.
Do  a simple Google search and they all have their faults 
 

[chris scott]

Buy a Master / Movano /Interstar. Better allround van. Thats not to say the Traffics arn't good.