revtothelimit - motorbike forum

No, not VW Transporters and their associated "scene tax"... I've known about that for a long time.

I'm talking proper commercial vehicles... Big boxes on wheels... Full size Transits, Mercedes Sprinters, VW Crafters, Citroen Relays, Peugoet Boxers etc...

I'm looking at buying a van myself right now for a few reasons. 20 odd years ago when I did a bit of part time van driving for delivery companies, these vehicles were cheaper than a car to buy... Bigger and heavier, yes, but much simpler and because they were essentially just a box on wheels, the price reflected that. Now...? I am genuinely shocked! I was speaking to a friend about his 5yr old LWB Sprinter with 80k on the clock the other day, he says he'll be selling it soon (to get another)... It'll be up for £20k +VAT he says (the replacement he's ordered is over £60k +VAT!!!). Wasn't long ago that brand new they weren't that... Steel might be twice the price it was 20yrs ago, but it's still 30% cheaper than it was during the height of the COVID pandemic, but it still wouldn't count for the crazy prices vans are going for now!

I've had a good look around... It seems anything under £10k has been to the moon, is covered in dents, or has mechanical issues that you'd want to avoid... £15k seems to be about the point where you might get a reasonable van to last a few years if you really look after it, but it'll be leggy and still a spartan spec. How did this happen?

I appreciate that cars have got more expensive too, but considering I've bought quite a few of them over the years, they haven't really got much more expensive than they were 20yrs ago I don't think, at least for what you get... But I'm staggered by the price of vans these days! They genuinely cost far more than the sum of their parts!

Vans were always expensive, it's nothing new.

I paid £16500 for a Transit Custom 3 years ago.
16 plate with 43,000

It’s now on 118,000 and I’d guess worth maybe £6000

I have a mate who owns Anchor Vans near Reading who could help you

They also do no VAT as one of their filters

FWIW I’ve not had a single issue with mine, it also has lifetime warranty via my mate

It’s not massive though which I know you need.

These are ugly but I bet a decent workhorse
https://www.anchorvans.co.uk/used/comme ... o-vat-8135

Pirahna wrote: Thu Jan 15, 2026 9:47 pm Vans were always expensive, it's nothing new.

I beg to differ... At least vans that are being used as work vans, not status symbols.

20yrs ago a new LWB Transit was barely more than £10k new... These days, you'd be lucky to see change from £40k! Bear in mind that inflation for the last 20yrs comes out at about 80%, so you'd expect that van to maybe be pushing £20k now, but not double the price!

Cars by contrast have absolutely not kept pace price wise...

It looks from the outside that vans are keeping price with houses, significantly outpacing both inflation and market expectations!

I paid £16500 for a Transit Custom 3 years ago.
16 plate with 43,000

It’s now on 118,000 and I’d guess worth maybe £6000

I think you might be surprised at what you could sell it for tomorrow... Though it does seem to be BIG vans that are being hit cost wise the worst, Transit Customs and smaller less so... But looking for something with a 4m load length does seem to bring massive extra costs with it!

I have a mate who owns Anchor Vans near Reading who could help you

I'll have a look at their current stock...

weeksy wrote: Thu Jan 15, 2026 9:48 pm These are ugly but I bet a decent workhorse
https://www.anchorvans.co.uk/used/comme ... o-vat-8135

These are basically my only option... And even then, they've damned expensive for what they are.

Had a look at a 3yr old one with 80k on the clock the other day, was £14k inc VAT (not worried about the VAT either way)... It was in reasonably decent nick, but not even reverse parking sensors (on a 6.5m long vehicle FFS!) let alone a reversing cam... Still seems desperately poor VFM to me!

Find a nice Iveco Daily with service history. They are well capable of racking up 300k so buying a high milage motor is not that bad. Some Citroen Relays i am told use the same engine.

The mail order revolution needs goods transportation I suppose, hence the demand for, and price, of vans?

Taipan wrote: Thu Jan 15, 2026 10:21 pm The mail order revolution needs goods transportation I suppose, hence the demand for, and price, of vans?

Ever since covid they got silly. Every man and his dog wants a self built camper.

Just wait until you have to work on one... Some of the Transits have to have the entire rear end dismantled to change the brake pads.
New exhaust for a Sprinter is around $6,000

@weeksy this https://www.anchorvans.co.uk/used/comme ... uro-6-7450 was actually one of the vans I had shortlisted... BUT... It's the best part of £5k overpriced! Does it come with a special "thank you" hidden in the glovebox or something?!?!

ZRX61 wrote: Thu Jan 15, 2026 10:25 pm Just wait until you have to work on one... Some of the Transits have to have the entire rear end dismantled to change the brakes.
New exhaust for a Sprinter is around $6,000

Fuck it... I'm claiming benefits!

Felix wrote: Thu Jan 15, 2026 10:25 pm

Taipan wrote: Thu Jan 15, 2026 10:21 pm The mail order revolution needs goods transportation I suppose, hence the demand for, and price, of vans?

Ever since covid they got silly. Every man and his dog wants a self built camper.

Ah yes, this makes more sense... Given it's Long and XL wheelbase, high roof vans I'm looking at... Just the size that's ripe for conversion!

Taipan wrote: Thu Jan 15, 2026 10:21 pm The mail order revolution needs goods transportation I suppose, hence the demand for, and price, of vans?

I guess this too... Worst thing here is that 20 odd yrs ago I used to pick up delivery driving work readily through agencies when between jobs, and you just turn up where you're told, drive THEIR van for the day/week/whatever then go home and get paid... These days almost all of these jobs are no longer jobs, but self employed zero hours contracts for owner-operators with their own van (to be vetted by the company) and no guarantee of work, even once you've spent £15k+ on the bloody thing!!!

We use merc sprinter vans with a Luton box and tail lift, we needed to replace one and it was a right pain finding one for reasonable money.
My advice is look everyday and be ready to buy, the odd one does come up privately for reasonable money but you need to be quick

mboy wrote: Thu Jan 15, 2026 10:44 pm @weeksy this https://www.anchorvans.co.uk/used/comme ... uro-6-7450 was actually one of the vans I had shortlisted... BUT... It's the best part of £5k overpriced! Does it come with a special "thank you" hidden in the glovebox or something?!?!

I doubt it has dancing girls in the load area waiting for you
But I do know they take a lot of pride in looking after customers, from start to finish, but how much that is worth to you, is up to you

FWIW with Vans the Transits (and others now too) do come with the mod cons like heated seats, windscreens, parking cameras, Traction, aircon, DAB, Apple etc etc. Whereas 10 years ago vans were a lot more basic i think, certainly when we used to hire them.

I've not really looked at the massive ones though as it's not a road we need to go down, although i do sometimes look and want something slightly bigger than ours for sure. the MAN LION seemed to tick a lot of boxes.

I struggle to see past a Transit though as i like how they drive, although the wet belt stories are a concern for sure.

We'll see sometime later this year what way i end up going.

mboy wrote: Thu Jan 15, 2026 10:15 pm I think you might be surprised at what you could sell it for tomorrow...

Dunno mate, not looked much really in truth. But mine is a lot lot better than most vans out there and i know how easy a life mine has had Whether that changes the price i dunno though.

weeksy wrote: Thu Jan 15, 2026 9:48 pm I paid £16500 for a Transit Custom 3 years ago.
16 plate with 43,000

It’s now on 118,000 and I’d guess worth maybe £6000

I have a mate who owns Anchor Vans near Reading who could help you

They also do no VAT as one of their filters

FWIW I’ve not had a single issue with mine, it also has lifetime warranty via my mate

It’s not massive though which I know you need.

These are ugly but I bet a decent workhorse
https://www.anchorvans.co.uk/used/comme ... o-vat-8135

I actually went there yesterday to look at a van (cam belt went on my work van, making it scrap ) I was interested in one they had but they had lost the keys for it. Complete waste of my afternoon

The Martian wrote: Fri Jan 16, 2026 9:29 am

weeksy wrote: Thu Jan 15, 2026 9:48 pm I paid £16500 for a Transit Custom 3 years ago.
16 plate with 43,000

It’s now on 118,000 and I’d guess worth maybe £6000

I have a mate who owns Anchor Vans near Reading who could help you

They also do no VAT as one of their filters

FWIW I’ve not had a single issue with mine, it also has lifetime warranty via my mate

It’s not massive though which I know you need.

These are ugly but I bet a decent workhorse
https://www.anchorvans.co.uk/used/comme ... o-vat-8135

I actually went there yesterday to look at a van (cam belt went on my work van, making it scrap ) I was interested in one they had but they had lost the keys for it. Complete waste of my afternoon

Anchor Vans or Trade Vans ?

weeksy wrote: Fri Jan 16, 2026 9:32 am

The Martian wrote: Fri Jan 16, 2026 9:29 am

weeksy wrote: Thu Jan 15, 2026 9:48 pm I paid £16500 for a Transit Custom 3 years ago.
16 plate with 43,000

It’s now on 118,000 and I’d guess worth maybe £6000

I have a mate who owns Anchor Vans near Reading who could help you

They also do no VAT as one of their filters

FWIW I’ve not had a single issue with mine, it also has lifetime warranty via my mate

It’s not massive though which I know you need.

These are ugly but I bet a decent workhorse
https://www.anchorvans.co.uk/used/comme ... o-vat-8135

I actually went there yesterday to look at a van (cam belt went on my work van, making it scrap ) I was interested in one they had but they had lost the keys for it. Complete waste of my afternoon

Anchor Vans or Trade Vans ?

Trade vans

The Martian wrote: Fri Jan 16, 2026 9:35 am

weeksy wrote: Fri Jan 16, 2026 9:32 am

The Martian wrote: Fri Jan 16, 2026 9:29 am

I actually went there yesterday to look at a van (cam belt went on my work van, making it scrap ) I was interested in one they had but they had lost the keys for it. Complete waste of my afternoon

Anchor Vans or Trade Vans ?

Trade vans

That's interesting, that's the basrtard child version which is no warranty, sold as seen type vans not good enough for main site.

I'm sure he'd still be interested to hear though, it's a couple of miles down the road rather than the main site.

weeksy wrote: Fri Jan 16, 2026 9:38 am

The Martian wrote: Fri Jan 16, 2026 9:35 am

weeksy wrote: Fri Jan 16, 2026 9:32 am

Anchor Vans or Trade Vans ?

Trade vans

That's interesting, that's the basrtard child version which is no warranty, sold as seen type vans not good enough for main site.

I'm sure he'd still be interested to hear though, it's a couple of miles down the road rather than the main site.

I did overhear one of the guys saying to another potential customer that they offer no warranty (not sure how they do that legally) which I think they should put on the autotrader ad as I might not have bothered, but they did have a couple of potentials and trying to find a cheapish van that isn't shit is proving difficult!

I did leave a card in case they found the keys but I'm looking at a couple of others today and I'm unlikely to return regardless.

The Martian wrote: Fri Jan 16, 2026 9:45 am

weeksy wrote: Fri Jan 16, 2026 9:38 am

The Martian wrote: Fri Jan 16, 2026 9:35 am

Trade vans

That's interesting, that's the basrtard child version which is no warranty, sold as seen type vans not good enough for main site.

I'm sure he'd still be interested to hear though, it's a couple of miles down the road rather than the main site.

I did overhear one of the guys saying to another potential customer that they offer no warranty (not sure how they do that legally) which I think they should put on the autotrader ad as I might not have bothered, but they did have a couple of potentials and trying to find a cheapish van that isn't shit is proving difficult!

I did leave a card in case they found the keys but I'm looking at a couple of others today and I'm unlikely to return regardless.

https://www.tradevansuk.com/

The info is on there in terms of warranty etc.. They only sell them to the trade, not to private individuals. I assume that's how they can do without warranty etc.

https://www.tradevansuk.com/how-we-work

weeksy wrote: Fri Jan 16, 2026 9:50 am

The Martian wrote: Fri Jan 16, 2026 9:45 am

weeksy wrote: Fri Jan 16, 2026 9:38 am
That's interesting, that's the basrtard child version which is no warranty, sold as seen type vans not good enough for main site.

I'm sure he'd still be interested to hear though, it's a couple of miles down the road rather than the main site.

I did overhear one of the guys saying to another potential customer that they offer no warranty (not sure how they do that legally) which I think they should put on the autotrader ad as I might not have bothered, but they did have a couple of potentials and trying to find a cheapish van that isn't shit is proving difficult!

I did leave a card in case they found the keys but I'm looking at a couple of others today and I'm unlikely to return regardless.

https://www.tradevansuk.com/

The info is on there in terms of warranty etc.. They only sell them to the trade, not to private individuals. I assume that's how they can do without warranty etc.

https://www.tradevansuk.com/how-we-work

I guessed there was a caveat from what I overheard the other customer being told (business to business sales) but it was a new one on me. I didn't clock it on the website, I just went straight from autotrader advert to listings.