[neil100]

Tosh I have a fiat Ducato. Its a great van but from what you have said I think you would find it to big.

My son Has just got a new Fiat Doblo Cargo. These are small vans and you would be looking at a 500ltr tank as your max.Gross payload of 730kg.

He got the one with the 1.3 16valve multijet engine. Its a corker, The drive in them is very good indeed.It was the van of the year in 2006, if you are only operating one reel from the back its ideal.

My sons getting his 400ltr tank fitted by the fabricators at the end of the week so I will post pics when its done.

My only advice would be to buy new if you can afford it. Take the long term view. WWW.VANSDIRECT.CO.UK are selling the basic Doblo for £5990 + vat. Cheapest in the country. The Doblo also as the cheapest running costs of any new van over three years and average mileage at 8.5p a mile.

Just giving you a few ideas.Nel.

[matt]

i like the VW Transporter

next year im getting a old T2  Transporter, the bay window type

as some of you know, im into my air cooled VW's (as i have a splitscreen camper) and i thought if i got a T2 ( bay ) i could conbine my hobby with work, and it allways puts a smile on my face driving a VW, the sound of the flat 4 engine

though i would consider a T4, as they run forever aswell, and you can pick up nice un's for the 3 K mark

[AuRavelling79]

Tosh - same as Neil/Busydaffs

1. Go new, go to vansdirect, pay monthly lease thingy. I've just got a Fiat Doblo 1.3SX from them like Neil describes 730kg - 45/50mpg, low tax. ok up to 500litres plus backpack, driver and stuff. 3yr 100k mile warranty
Mine was about £600 down / £180 a month, balloon rental at end of about 4yrs 2K.


2. If it's going to be your only vehicle (Mrs Malc has a little car) and you've got your littlun too then definitely get a Fiat Scudo (Same as despatch/expert) with 3 seats. And bigger payload.

[busydaffodil]

Busy; I'm sorry if you took offense at my 'woman' jibe; I'm only joking.  If you knew my background, you'd understand I'm as far from being a male-chauvinistic pig that you could get. 

Sweety, are you on your period?  cos no where in this thread have I found anything offensive to me.    Your just being sensitive!   


Again, buy new.........good for the image, very good prices & no risk of buying scrap.   My link on page 1 of this topic was to Fiat Scudo.  Thats my recommendation.   (sometimes I hate being a bit knowledgeable about motors...its not right or girl like) 

[matt]

ive just seen a slammed roof-chop despatch (along the lines of american hotrod), its it satin black

well smart, thinking about buying it myself

[windows_chepstow]

Tosh - same as Neil/Busydaffs

1. Go new, go to vansdirect, pay monthly lease thingy. I've just got a Fiat Doblo 1.3SX from them like Neil describes 730kg - 45/50mpg, low tax. ok up to 500litres plus backpack, driver and stuff. 3yr 100k mile warranty
Mine was about £600 down / £180 a month, balloon rental at end of about 4yrs 2K.


2. If it's going to be your only vehicle (Mrs Malc has a little car) and you've got your littlun too then definitely get a Fiat Scudo (Same as despatch/expert) with 3 seats. And bigger payload.

Cheers, Malc, but I don't like the thought of forking out 200 quid a month for years, when I could get 2nd hand van for a couple of grand.

Obviously there's a risk it could breakdown and stuff; I know.

Maybe my next van I'll buy brand new.

Anyway, thanks guys; I'll save this post to favourates and start looking round. 

Cheers.

[AuRavelling79]

Again, buy new.........good for the image, very good prices & no risk of buying scrap.   My link on page 1 of this topic was to Fiat Scudo.  Thats my recommendation.   (sometimes I hate being a bit knowledgeable about motors...its not right or girl like) 

Careful, bizzy,  I fell in love with a mate's wife (only in my mind ) because I saw her changing the alternator on her car!

[Paul Coleman]

I use a Renault Trafic - the 2.9 tonne version.  Not sure about recommending it though.  The gearbox had to be replaced at 39,000 miles.  The first I noticed of a problem was a whine in first gear sometimes then it was hard (sometimes impossible) to get into first.  The gearbox was replaced FOC under warranty.  Now I have started to hear a slight intermittent whine again after 9,000 miles with the new box.  I'm wondering if it's just my imagination or not.  Anyway, although they are a very comfortable drive for a diesel van, I just don't trust it at the moment.  I would rather have something that sounds and drives like a van so long as it is reliable.
I didn't realise that a gearbox change was part of Renault's annual service    Vivaros and Primastars are the same design but I don't know if they source their parts from the same places as Renault.
It may be that it's all in my mind because of what happened before.

[Skyglide]

Just bought our second van 6 weeks ago from a dealer.
VW Transporter 1200 D long wheelbase. (the heavy load one)£3450 and no VAT.
Got a 5 cylinder 2.4L non turbo engine.
Carries all the weight you want, solid , dependable and if you change the oil regularly will do 500k miles plus.
Get a triple 9 ladder in and a 750 ltr tank with loads of room for pressure washer and hose reels.

Every van we add will definately be a VW Transporter.

Chris

[julianbiggs]

Fiat Doblo 1.9 JTD..,.great van...loads of room...really nippy too...2 sliding doors on the sides make it so easy for acces..

TRAD IS THE FUTURE.......WFP IS DEAD

[Sir Squeaky]

What do you want a van for Tosh?

It'll just cost you more and you won't be working any different.
You don't have to get one just because others on here have.

[mark dew]

average mileage at 8.5p a mile.

Wow!! With the tax man giving 40p per mile allowance that is great value for money.

(A friend has a taxi and he also swears by this vehicle. He recommended strongly to get the fuel injection or is it the turbo model??)
Its a bit of a postman pat mobil though..... 

[windows_chepstow]

Squeaks, I want to make more money with less effort.

It's simple.

I've a lot of jobs now that a WFP will tear through, far quicker than my backpack and far far quicker than using ladders.  I want to go 100% (as near as possible) WFP, so need more water.

I also find it a pain loading up my car with gear on a Monday morning and emptying it on a Saturday for use as the family car.

The van is also tax-deductable.

So in essence I want to make more money with less effort.

[Sir Squeaky]

How can dragging that giant worm out of a van be quicker than a backpack?
That makes no sense.

[j.v. price ltd]

bit late on this one but we run vauxhalls and they do a great range and cheap as chips to run and repair.

all the best

[windows_chepstow]

How can dragging that giant worm out of a van be quicker than a backpack?
That makes no sense.

Big worm is less heavy; big worm transports the water, not my back, loads more water too; therefore faster, especially if there's a lot of glass about.

[mark dew]

How can dragging that giant worm out of a van be quicker than a backpack?
That makes no sense.

over 90% of my jobs i use less than 25 litres and i have to agree that i am much quicker using a trolley rather than dragging hoses from a van mount.

For bigger jobs though the van mount is quicker.

Get a trolley tosh.  

[windows_chepstow]

So in essence I want to make more money with less effort.

What I really want is to make loads of cash in a four day working week and have a day off sailing a dingy at least once a week; during the 'working week', leaving weekends free for boring family stuff.

That'll need some discussion with Wor Lass though.

(I used to have a 14 foot sailing dinghy that I lovingly restored; till my ex-wife (Irish) flogged it for 50 quid )

[Ian Lancaster]

I spent days searching all the local dealers for a van that would take a 400l plus tank, trolley (omni) poles and a 3m double window cleaners ladder inside to save climbing up to get it off the roof.

Despatch/Expert/Scudo seemed ideal, but with the seats being fixed couldn't get the ladder inside (the old Toyotas had fold-down seats so the ladder would fit in over the passenger seat)

Eventually decided I'd have to go for a transit sized van. 

Settled on a short wheel base Fiat Ducato.  It's got a high(ish) roof so I've put a rack inside, fixed to the roof and the ladder slips in perfectly with the front end just above the windscreen over the left hand passenger seat - there's room for a (short) passenger to sit in without banging his/her head.

Basic 2lt engine but plenty of power.  Looks good now it's sign written.  Easy to drive and park.  Plenty of carrying capacity.

Searched the web and got an 04 white unwritten one with 34k miles on the clock.  £6k no VAT.

Similar "posh" van (Vivaro/Transporter/Trafic etc) would have been another £2k plus vat.

I reckon I got a bargain - wouldn't want any other van now

Cheers,

Ian