[jimlaffo]

Cheers, I'll take your replies on board.
Another option I've thought of is the Vivaro sportive 6 seater. Does anyone own one? Are they more economical than a pickup?
My wife has the car but I do the school run so its essential I have the seat space. I do like the look of a pickup but a 6 seater van might be more practical. Cheers.

[brianbarber]

I'm my opinion, go for a transit custom double cab, with highest payload ,you should match the capacity of a pick up, plus pick ups are  not as tall and have severe access issues, friend went from std transporter to navara pick  up ,with that box on the back and he says biggest mistake he's ever made.

You can even buy transitbconnect 240 LWB crew cab (brand new shape) and have 400 litre  in that


Mr B

[Plankton]

The Vivaro crew cab I've seen with a 600l tank fitted left no room for anything else. The chaps front tyres were taking an absolute hammering, says he replaces them all the time. 
Have a look at Truckmans website and you will get an idea of headroom etc from there pics.
 

[EandM]

Rust is a major problem with ford rangers IMO they are not well built

Some trucks are leisure vehicles not work horses , That's part of the issue with some .

Even my mates Landy Disco only 5yrs old and needed about £3,000 spending on it .

Your Ford comments are a bit OTT Mike. I started my pick up search for a classic L200 but speaking to my MOT tester and various mechanics they wouldn't go near them. The later shape is an improvement but my 02 Ranger has been absolutely hassle free for over three years and now sits reliably on 145,000. Rust isn't an issue as a breed but does seems to depend on where and what sort of life they've had. I've seen 08 Rangers that are spotless and 08 Rangers with bits of rust creeping in. Some have been fairly bad but equally I've seen terminally rotted L200  chassis. Aside from the design issues of which the older L200's have many and the Rangers very few they're all pretty much of muchness and nearly all UK pickup trucks are built to similar specs on similar production lines in Thailand.

[Mike #1]

I know a guy who  has stuck with brand new  Rangers over the past few years and had to take both models back for rusty body work  when they have been less than a year old .

I do agree that a lot younger models have been better built as commercial work horses of varied makes and models and any truck  looked after well with proper maintenance will age well . My L200 is rusting underneath on the chassis at almost 5yrs old so needs cleaning up and under sealing ideally .

And the paintwork on the running boards has peeled off in areas  and started to rust over the winter so will be in the paint shop later this year . As their is a 8 week waiting list other wise it would be in sooner .

The L200 a few years or so was slated on review sites was slated because of engine trouble and was dubious about getting at one point but it was believed by some that guys were chipping the engines and actually  creating issues by doing so .

[robbo333]

I've owned both the Nissan Nivara and the Toyota Hilux Vigo 'Intimidator' (Japanese import).
Neither I used for window cleaning, just for leisure. (Wasn't cleaning at the time).
The Toyota was an amazing vehicle (best I've ever owned...full stop) and I enjoyed having them both but if I had the choice again, I would not use either for window cleaning and personal. I would have a separate van and car. That's just my opinion. Good vans are cheap enough and good cars are even cheaper. You need to hire one for a day and try it yourself.

But what if the truck was your seperate van, Rob.
What would be your review?
That'll be the position I'll be in...

If I had to use a pick up for work then, for me, it would be a Toyota Hilux Vigo 3.0 Diesel, Automatic.
They are pretty much bullet proof, look fantastic, the 4WD is excellent, even in 2wd it will pull a house down and they are real head turners. Load bed length could be an issue and I would get fed up of having to put extra bits on the back seat.
I've had beemers, landys, discos and all sorts in my lifetime. I reckon I enjoyed the Toyota more than any of them.
In fact my two dream vehicles would be a VW T5 for work and the above Toyota for family. Throw in a Yamaha 1000 fazer and i'm sorted. So lets add all that up...

[PoleKing]

Cheers Rob.

Wouldn't have the Fazer though.
My last ride was a Ducati 748.
Crashed 15/10/2007 & not been back on since. 

[Mike #1]

Trucks are good all round vehicles but if you want all round 4wd capability .

Then the  L200  2006 model and beyond beats em all hands down because of the super select 4wd .


This enables it to drive in 4h on dry Tarmac or wet roads and still be able to turn corners .

All other trucks can only really be driven safely  in 4wd  off road in wet & muddy conditions  .

[PoleKing]

If I get one, I'll be like 90% of people who own a pick-up.
The closest it'll get to real off roading is parking on the kerb
That's one of the reasons I bought my car over the Range Rover.

[Mike #1]

You're right mate mine has done most 4wd driving on the road in wet or snowy conditions purely for a safety reasons .

As trucks without any weight in the back end can slide out going round a roundabout or corner .

[EandM]

You're right mate mine has done most 4wd driving on the road in wet or snowy conditions purely for a safety reasons .

As trucks without any weight in the back end can slide out going round a roundabout or corner .

I find that with mine when the tank's out, although that is hardly ever. My parents live on a hill with a narrow concrete track so turning around requires reversing on to the grass. Having  the tank present in 2wd actually gives me more grip than not having the tank in 4wd - the tail does hop about.
I've never had any issues on the road that required the use of 4wd under anything less than snow. The Ranger has as standard a rear limited slip diff which has so far got me out 99% of traction issues - only on  one occasion when it snowed heavily did I resort to 4wd H and drove home on snowy roads as though as I was on tarmac, most impressed !
The later L200 has a separate centre diff as standard which gives it tarmac ability though I don't think it has a  standard rear LSD  although some have rear diff lock and LSD maybe an option so I suppose it's swings and roundabouts...

[Darranvps]

Separate cheap van for work £2,500

Car for family, drums, etc   £1000

This is what I've got.2 lots of tax, insurance, mot and repairs but worth it IMHO.

I do around 3,000 miles a year in the van and 5000  in the car.

It's gonna be a ball ache keep switching and it ll get wet for sure with wfp.

If u have a busy workload you ll need a 500l tank really.

I do 40k plus a year in my car and each van does over 30K 

[dazmond]

Separate cheap van for work £2,500

Car for family, drums, etc   £1000

This is what I've got.2 lots of tax, insurance, mot and repairs but worth it IMHO.

I do around 3,000 miles a year in the van and 5000  in the car.

It's gonna be a ball ache keep switching and it ll get wet for sure with wfp.

If u have a busy workload you ll need a 500l tank really.

I do 40k plus a year in my car and each van does over 30K 

and....?

im a sole trader with very compact work all in a 10 mile area(most within 6 miles from home)and my car is only used for carting my drums about to gigs/rehearsals and taking the missus out once or twice a week.

[jimlaffo]

As I've found with previous posts, this topic very much splits opinions!
I suppose the only way I'll find out is to bite the bullet and go for one or the other! I think the pick up style is more easy on the eye but a van would no doubt be more practical for work.  I wouldn't mind seeing a pick up set up though, just to see how easy it is getting poles out, dropping hose reel down etc. If it's very straight forward (like my van is) I may opt for that.

[LWC]

I have a new Nissan Navara Tekna Connect model, the works, ive got a snug top on the back, at the moment im using a backpack and barrels whilst my tank is being made.

Ive ordered a custom made one thats going to fit around the arches. I will upload pics when its in. Its just over 400 litres...could have been a lot more in fairness...options are endless when talking custom tanks. I picked up a wydale 350 tank in it other day and there was still loads of room. Poles could be an issue, they wont fit front to back, even a 18ft i doubt! They fit more on a diagonal, or i manage to put mine across, it sits on the edges where bottom of snug top is. Again id have to show you a picture.

On the pickup side of things tho, i absolutely love it, ive always wanted one and glad i did! Serious comfort, nice to drive and goes well! Im averaging 35mpg in it, thats stopping and starting and on a run ill get over 40mpg, im seriously impressed with fuel consumption, i wasnt expecting it to be this good...i know big vans that dont pull these numbers. 5 seats, perfect for my family, plenty of room in the back for the kids. They all love it and so do i. Ill upload pics when mines all finished

My advice, if you like them and YOU think it will work for you...go do it. I thought it and it does work  

[marc]

Hi Jim I had a Nissan navara a few years ago I think it was a 2006 model if you send me your email I will try and sort out some pics  I had a square  400ltr tank on it , it was a great motor to drive 2.5 auto so a little juicy to run but a great driving position and it never let me down once I think I had it around 3 years and it was 6 months old when I got it the 2.5 engine was a little hash but I am comparing  it to driving a 3.0 deseil x5 but still had loads of fun in it like having the rear end coming out and sliding in the wet only because I hammered it though lol the biggest issue was parking look at ya work and if there are any tight roads or parking issues it could prove a nightmare but a nice driving position high up over looking the road , even parking in the supermarkets your back hangs out 2 or 3 foot another thing I had was customers looking at the motor and making comments like we must be paying too much if your driving one of those
You could always stick with ya van and get the wife to do the school run lol or make em walk we used to walk and it didn't do us any harm did it :-)

[LWC]

Excellent point about parking, they are BIG

[Mike #1]

Never had any issues parking only 16ft long not much longer than my neighbours ford estate car or most saloon cars .

[PoleKing]

Never had any issues parking only 16ft long not much longer than my neighbours ford estate car or most saloon cars .

+1
If I get one it'll be smaller than the car is think.

[LWC]

Never had any issues parking only 16ft long not much longer than my neighbours ford estate car or most saloon cars .

+1
If I get one it'll be smaller than the car is think.

Really? I just had a quick look, for an a example a  2007-14 ford mondeo estate is 15'8ft...my pickup is 17'4ft. Its not so much the length either...theyre just really big vehicles. Youll see when you drive one.