New van - advice needed please

W

Windy2484

Member
so I'm looking at a new van around the 5k mark

Currently have a Citroen Berlingo which has been awesome - never missed a beat

Want something that's going to fit 8x4 sheets of board in etc but not a huge van either.

Talking to a Mate at the wknd who has a large company says steer away from Vauxhall vivaros as the gearbox are prone to exploding and costing a good grand. - I'd got my heart set on one!

Love a caddy but can you fit a full board in a lwb maxi?

It's a fooking minefield really!!

All advice gratefully received.
 
To be honest you can't beat the transit can run them to the ground only problem being rust underneath but by far the best work horse.
I have the vivaro starting to go wrong now on 400 pound so far it's made by Renault I'd stay clear.
Also wouldn't go for a vito they turn into rust buckets and cost a fortune to fix :(
The only van around that size to fit 8"4 is the transit ive found.
Good luck
 
a mazda, ford, toyota 4x2 pickup truck. easy loading of 8x4 sheets. i cut 3 scaffold boards to fit just over the butt you can put tools and materials in the butt and up to 20 sheets on the boards over the butt. these trucks will carry 1.25 tonne. quick loading of sand, mixer etc.
i have not owned a van for 20 years. these 4x2 trucks are unbeatable, i often am asked if i will sell as they are the best workhorse and hard to find.
 
Transit. £5k will get you a decent mk7 with about 100k on the clock.

Unbeatable work horses. Common faults are all cheap fixes, parts are cheap, simple and easy to maintain. Just keep the sills and underneath clean when possible.

I wouldn't swap my transit for anything and I've owed a few vans and driven loads.
 
I've had an Iveco for three years or so, it's a good work horse. 8ft at the back and you've got the head height to walk straight into it good for pissy days for mixing if stuck and have had s**t loads of steel scaffold and planks in the back and still pulls well. Albeit a bit dead on the steep hills but Ato B is all I want in a work van.
 
Man with the golden touch said:
To be honest you can't beat the transit can run them to the ground only problem being rust underneath but by far the best work horse.
I have the vivaro starting to go wrong now on 400 pound so far it's made by Renault I'd stay clear.
Also wouldn't go for a vito they turn into rust buckets and cost a fortune to fix :(
The only van around that size to fit 8"4 is the transit ive found.
Good luck
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I've got a vito and its rusting badly around the doors. Otherwise a sound van though. A lot of vans you can fit an 8x4 , but only on the flat so you got to get a false shelf put in or take your tools out each time.
 
malc said:
a mazda, ford, toyota 4x2 pickup truck. easy loading of 8x4 sheets. i cut 3 scaffold boards to fit just over the butt you can put tools and materials in the butt and up to 20 sheets on the boards over the butt. these trucks will carry 1.25 tonne. quick loading of sand, mixer etc.
i have not owned a van for 20 years. these 4x2 trucks are unbeatable, i often am asked if i will sell as they are the best workhorse and hard to find.
Click to expand...
What about security though? Have you got one of those covers that you can pull out and lock?
 
I had a v
Cornelius said:
I've got a vito and its rusting badly around the doors. Otherwise a sound van though. A lot of vans you can fit an 8x4 , but only on the flat so you got to get a false shelf put in or take your tools out each time.
Click to expand...

I had a vito don't get me wrong great van but rust got the better of it and pretty quick also when something needed fixing your bank got hit.
I couldn't get an 8"4 in it with shelves plus I'm a one man band so only ever get 6"3.
My dads only ever had transits and had half the problems ive ever had trying new vans out.
Just my opinion.
 
Man with the golden touch said:
I had a v


I had a vito don't get me wrong great van but rust got the better of it and pretty quick also when something needed fixing your bank got hit.
I couldn't get an 8"4 in it with shelves plus I'm a one man band so only ever get 6"3.
My dads only ever had transits and had half the problems ive ever had trying new vans out.
Just my opinion.
Click to expand...
Transits are excellent, maybe a transit on a lease for me next....
 
Pug said:
Yep. Well pleased with it. Weird owning a van that doesn't rattle though.
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I like the look of them, had one on hire for a few days while mine was off the road, it's handy for underground carpark but found it sluggish and lazy a bit. Now thinking of getting a crew cab one for the Mrs, seen the msport ones they look the dogs bollox

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
 
I've got the 2.2ltr. Not that quick but I drive like an old woman anyway. Had a 18boards, 8 bags of adhesive and 8 multi on last week and it made no difference to handling or pull.
 
The new trafic is what's I've had now for a few months
Seems solid enough and with the new model they made slightly longer so you can get an 8x4 flat in the back so happy days
Time will tell on reliability but it's gor 4 years warranty and 4 years breakdown all included which includes a replacement van should it ever be in the garage.

At your price if you want something slightly newer than the 5k tranny look at the scudo (new shape) in LWB or the other 2 varients as you can get an 8x4 flat in the back of those even handier if you can find a high top version

Have a mate That's got one and it's been spot on over last few years he's had it
 
Thanks guys for the sound advice as usual!

To be perfectly honest I really want a new van and a warranty but not sure if my credit would allow it!

Transit van it is I reckon.
 
Windy2484 said:
Thanks guys for the sound advice as usual!

To be perfectly honest I really want a new van and a warranty but not sure if my credit would allow it!

Transit van it is I reckon.
Click to expand...
You'd be surprised
A vehicle finance is a loan secured against the vehicle so the majority of people actually do get it. As if you dont pay they have the asset of the van/car to take back
 
Cornelius said:
What about security though? Have you got one of those covers that you can pull out and lock?
Click to expand...

security? i only have a tarp. if i leave bagged materials on overnight i have a few plastic plasterboard covers that i place the bagged material in. i do live in a low crime rate area.
 
malc said:
security? i only have a tarp. if i leave bagged materials on overnight i have a few plastic plasterboard covers that i place the bagged material in. i do live in a low crime rate area.[/QUOTE
I'd worry about my tools being safe, but a truck is definitely better for transporting goods.
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probably a daft question but I take it you cant sign a leased van
 
malc said:
no problem. my grandson has a paintshop and he has leased vans in there every week to correct the bodywork and respray, ready for resale.
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Thats good to hear, thought it would have been a no no
 
Windy2484 said:
so I'm looking at a new van around the 5k mark

Currently have a Citroen Berlingo which has been awesome - never missed a beat

Want something that's going to fit 8x4 sheets of board in etc but not a huge van either.

Talking to a Mate at the wknd who has a large company says steer away from Vauxhall vivaros as the gearbox are prone to exploding and costing a good grand. - I'd got my heart set on one!

Love a caddy but can you fit a full board in a lwb maxi?

It's a fooking minefield really!!

All advice gratefully received.
Click to expand...
I think your safe with a vivaro after 07 I think? I've got an 14 plate not my first choice but there cheap .. Lwb sportive black 20k on the clock 10900 plus vat . I wanted a transit custom but there to much money second hand around 14 k plus . I
 
Mag said:
I think your safe with a vivaro after 07 I think? I've got an 14 plate not my first choice but there cheap .. Lwb sportive black 20k on the clock 10900 plus vat . I wanted a transit custom but there to much money second hand around 14 k plus . I
Click to expand...

Which puts to bed the depreciation argument. I bought my 14 plate Vivaro brand new for £11,500 + VAT.

Made no sense paying cash as the interest rate was so low. Made even less sense leasing a van with all the returns expenses and mileage restrictions.

Leasing is a poor option IMHO as you never own it and the often mentioned 'payments are deductible' also applies to buying one. So I just don't see any advantage to leasing, just downsides.

Given how cheap finance is now you're unlikely to find a better time to buy that way.
 
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My partner is a nurse and we get our other car from the NHS scheme and to be fair I've lost my fair share of cash on cars over the years. I have zero issues with leasing as everything is covered - even wear items tyres etc and we get a new car every two to three years. Wasted cash I know but no hassle at all. That's kinda what I'd like with my work van if I could choose
 
Windy2484 said:
My partner is a nurse and we get our other car from the NHS scheme and to be fair I've lost my fair share of cash on cars over the years. I have zero issues with leasing as everything is covered - even wear items tyres etc and we get a new car every two to three years. Wasted cash I know but no hassle at all. That's kinda what I'd like with my work van if I could choose
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If it works for you then go for it. Don't forget that you're looking at a van though, the rectification payments at the end can get very expensive and there's likely to be a lot more on a van than a car.
 
imago said:
If it works for you then go for it. Don't forget that you're looking at a van though, the rectification payments at the end can get very expensive and there's likely to be a lot more on a van than a car.
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It defo works with a car, i've leased 3 cars on a PCP and would never have been able to afford to buy or would have been suck with for 5+ years on finance. But i agree on a van would be different, alot easier to damage a van than a car plus easier to exceed milage if you happened to get a job a bit out of town
 
My traffic costs me £63 a week over 5 years
VAT deposit
4 year warranty
4 years breakdown

The exact same van to lease (I'm not vat registered) worked out at £75 ish including the vat

Albeit over less time

But as others have said in our game there's no chance it would be in an acceptable condition when handed back.

If you can't earn £65 a week to cover the cost then you shouldn't be trading.

I looked at the customs but f**k me £19k plus vat NO THANKS!

I upgraded from a combo that served me well for 5 years and I sold it for £200 less than I bought it

Vans don't depreciate like cars

After the finance has reached 4 years I will trade in and provided the arse doesn't fall out of the UK again I'll have more cash at the end of it than I put down as the deposit
 
Some good offers around on vans at the moment, I've just got 2 new transits, one bought outright, one on hp.
I once leased, never again they charged me excess mileage complained it was excessively worn inside, either though it was professionally valited before I sent it back it was a nightmare.
 
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