Are vans better offroad than cars ?

[Felix]

the main problem with a van of this size is that they're less practical as a daily driver, particularly when you're trying to drive around and park in car parks.

Nah, its easy

[demographic]

If we've got 28 pages into a non buying a van thread then I suspect yer expectations are a bit high.
You're competing against people who want a van to make money, convert into campers or do airport runs.
Cheap cars are all over the place, vans not so much.
It's not happening is it.

[Couchy]

I’m waiting for the converting a van to a camper thread it’ll be epic

[KungFooBob]

WINNER!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/284899405083

[weeksy]

WINNER!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/284899405083

I'm not sure on the interior

[cheb]

Nah, it's only got two seats.

[mangocrazy]

There are some truly delusional people in the world. And one not too far away from me, it would appear...

[KungFooBob]

There are some truly delusional people in the world. And one not too far away from me, it would appear...

I was searching for 'classic cars' and had them sorted by distance. I think I'd prefer a Morris Minor tho'

[weeksy]

Still not given up.... Half of me has.... but the other half still would like one.

https://www.a4motorcompany.co.uk/used-v ... re-4321704



This is ticking several boxes...

https://swindoncarandvan.co.uk/used-veh ... b-90ps-ac/



As is this one too. This one needs service, clean, touch-up and prep before sale....

Both are arguably above initial budget.. but they don't completely shatter it.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

The bottom one will be quicker, it's got a go faster stripe

[dern]

Second one looks clean inside the back.

[demographic]

Second one looks clean inside the back.

88,000 should be about ready for a fresh gearbox if the older ones are anything to go by.

[weeksy]

Second one looks clean inside the back.

88,000 should be about ready for a fresh gearbox if the older ones are anything to go by.

And this is why I've not pulled my wallet out. This, that, the other, etc.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

Going by the lack of purchases you don't really want a van, if there was one that you really liked you'd have bought it by now regardless of the price

[weeksy]

Going by the lack of purchases you don't really want a van, if there was one that you really liked you'd have bought it by now regardless of the price

Very simplistic world. First answer to that is, I've driven a couple and viewed a couple, but not been blown away.

To get something I think would be likely to do me right and suit would be £20k+, I simply don't have £20k.

I've chatted with several mates who run vans, both private and company and they basically have expense and horror stories of new shocks at 25,000, gearboxes, injectors, clutches.

The more I sit and think the harder it is to spend big money, then harder again to do it on a van. Essentially the main difference would be that we can get changed in the van instead of the car, plus we could leave bikes in the van overnight at hotels. But really how inconvenient is that, meh, not so much.

I use the car once, maybe twice a week, usually weekends of course, but then it just sits there. Putting £20k into a van to sit there all day most days, heck I'm struggling. At least when I buy a bicycle I self justify it through use.

[Couchy]

New or nearly new van or private owner with light use. We sell ours at 2-3 years old with 60-70k on. I wouldn’t buy one, they don’t get abused but they get used as a tool of the job. They’re used as site canteen at lunch so the interiors aren’t great. They carry a load all the time so wear on components is higher than the mileage suggests. We sell them before warranty runs out and before any bills other than servicing arrives.
It’s honestly a minefield. Saying the above the smaller vans we’ve had at high miles have been fine but they really are more like cars and don’t carry so much.

If you want a van up the budget and get one to last 5-10 years

[mangocrazy]

I don't know if this is helpful or not, but I bought my 2002 VW Transporter 2.5 TDi in 2007 for £7000 with 115,000 on the clock. Fifteen years later it's done within touching distance of 250k miles and in that time has had a set of injectors and a remap, a new clutch (advised to do so as old one was getting past it and remap was imminent), a diesel pump, an alternator and as many timing chains and waterpumps (always change together) as the service schedule has required. Aside from that it's just been oil, filters, brake discs and pads. But the T4 is old-skool, has very little in the way of electronics and does have a reputation for toughness.

Before that I had an old smiley-face Transit with a dog-slow DI motor but that just went on and on until the inevitable tin worm condemned it. Before that was another Transit that got nicked and had the engine (which had just been completely overhauled, the bastards) flame cut out of the chassis and then dumped. Before that was a Fiat Ducato that was a complete dog and I really don't want to think about it any more.

[demographic]

Second one looks clean inside the back.

88,000 should be about ready for a fresh gearbox if the older ones are anything to go by.

And this is why I've not pulled my wallet out. This, that, the other, etc.

Don't get me wrong mind.
I'm happy to find out I'm wrong but last time I was looking for a different van was about six or so years ago and the Vivaros were often on Ebay with a fresh (under a warrenty) gearbox at about a hundred thousand miles.
Then a lad I worked with had one that developed the gearbox whine and sold it to a big loss.

They should have sorted it since then but I don't know for sure they have so it's a fairly large lump of doubt from me.

Mines a Toyota Hiace and although I'm happy with it, its a lot rougher looking than I think you would like.
Its been dead reliable and is at about 212,000 miles and I wouldn't swap it for any modern Transit so I'm sort of hoping to keep it blatting on til I get something electric instead.

[Couchy]

88,000 should be about ready for a fresh gearbox if the older ones are anything to go by.

And this is why I've not pulled my wallet out. This, that, the other, etc.

Don't get me wrong mind.
I'm happy to find out I'm wrong but last time I was looking for a different van was about six or so years ago and the Vivaros were often on Ebay with a fresh (under a warrenty) gearbox at about a hundred thousand miles.
Then a lad I worked with had one that developed the gearbox whine and sold it to a big loss.

They should have sorted it since then but I don't know for sure they have so it's a fairly large lump of doubt from me.

Mines a Toyota Hiace and although I'm happy with it, its a lot rougher looking than I think you would like.
Its been dead reliable and is at about 212,000 miles and I wouldn't swap it for any modern Transit so I'm sort of hoping to keep it blatting on til I get something electric instead.

The hiace will outlive most things if you don’t mind a basic van. My bro has just sold his 1997 one with a gazillion miles on and bought an 06 pre dpf one. Last van he’ll have to buy he thinks and I believe him. Tbh an import hiace may do the guvnor as they have more luxuries

[demographic]

The hiace will outlive most things if you don’t mind a basic van. My bro has just sold his 1997 one with a gazillion miles on and bought an 06 pre dpf one. Last van he’ll have to buy he thinks and I believe him. Tbh an import hiace may do the guvnor as they have more luxuries

Mines pre DPF
Its about as basic as its possible to get and I'd actually want to pay LESS for one with lecky windows cos they're a pain in the arse at bait times with having to knock the ignition on to just open a window.
Basic radio was replaced from Halfords stock but could do with it again now that bluetooth from phones is more common.
It's done reasonable miles, not at all fast on takeoff but round here I'm often just doing the main traffic speed anyway, it could do with a sixth gear though. Just to keep the revs down on the M6.
Slightly narrower than my old trusty Smilie face Transits which I could at a pinch lie across the seats for a light nap at dinner time.
Does an indicated 107 (with about a 10% over read by my GPS) flat out but it's using some juice at that kind of revs.
Most people would hate it but its reliable and has a 10 foot load length in the back (LWB) so even with my big toolsafe its got space for a bike or for me to kip in.
As I detest domestic work with a passion it doesn't need to impress customers but the tools inside are worth more than most peoples vans so it's kind of under the radar of thieves also, not being signwritten helps with that.

After saying a that, the fucker will blow up next week though eh?