I aim to buy my first van at the end of this year..

[WaterTight]

I'm not a car person and know jack all - so rather than get shafted looking for bargains I thought it best to hedge my bets and go for a small/medium van (it's all I need) with reasonably low mileage and spend about 2.5 - 3k. I'm thinking if it's got service history (or at least part service history,) fairly low mileage (which can be checked) and one of the types that loads of people seem to go for (carry / expert / combo / berlingo) I'd have to be quite unlucky to get something about to fall apart. Does this sound like it should work as a plan? Or would it be madness not to try and get it looked over by someone independant (at great cost no doubt...)

As a sidepoint - why the hell are vans so expensive? It looks to me like cars are generally cheaper. I mean obviously you can spend lots on a car but there are lots of cheap cars. There don't seem to be any cheap vans. The only ones that seem cheap turn out to have 200k on the clock and appear to have been banger racing. I thought it might simply be because they're bigger and therefore more materials used but big vans are really not all that more expensive than small vans. Is it because they're built to be tougher or something?

Any other tips would be appreciated.

 

[Resolute]

It's probably best to get someone else to look over it if you can. Also it might be worth buying from a garage rather then privately as it's slightly safer.
Things you need to consider are age, mileage, condition, service history etc.
Where abouts are you based? If your in the south east and likely to work within the M25 then you need to consider the low emission zone.
There are cheap vans around, you just need to look for them but it also helps if you do have some knowledge of vehicles so you know what to look for.

 

[Guest123]

I originally looked at a small to medium sized van, but decided against it, Vans quickly fill up with everything you already have and what you add in the future. So I opted for a LWB transit and racked it out from end to end. It's like a mobile plumbers merchants! I've got everything in it, as well as about every conceivable pipe fitting I'm likely to need, I've got drills, grinders, my pipe rack and even my table saw on board and still have space for bathroom suites and rubbish removal. It's the best purchase I've bought and as I can get a emergency call out to work in the middle of nowhere in the wee small hours, I'm not relying on a plumbers merchant as I've usually got the fittings to repair bursts etc.
Basically a small van may tide you over in the short term but you could be left with it as vans are hard to sell if your business really takes off and you need something bigger.
By the way the fuel economy on my LWB Transit is better than my Mazda estate!

 

[Resolute]

Only problem with a bigger van is parking!!!

Do you leave all your gear in your van though? I don't leave anything in mine!

 

[Phil]

I'd love a nice big van but I would just fill it with expensive tools/equipment and then have them all nicked. Also these big vans are amongt the most hated on the roads as they block peoples veiw.

Also I would never be able to park it.

What do you use now watertight, car?

Push along trolley? mg_smile:

 

[WaterTight]

I use a car. And through necessity-inspired-ingenuity have managed to fit more in it - accessibly and reasonably neatly - then I see people use small vans to carry. About 8 large cases of fittings, all powertools, a mini plastic chest of waste fittings, a crate of toilet parts, buckets, hoses, an extendable ladder, electronic, pipe freezer, open tote tool bag, 2.5 metre lengths of pipes run down the side - 1 1/4 inside 1 1/2, 15mm inside 22mm, bags of fixings, spares, a huge hold-all of traps and wastes. It all fits and I can get at all of it with relatively little rumaging - and because it's a car it all sits side by side and stays put. The main reason I want a van is actually because of appearances and looking professional.

 

[Resolute]

That's a lot in a car! What do you drive?

Before I brought my little van I used the family car - trying to fit everything in a vectra for a bathroom install was a nightmare and meant I forgot things (although I still forget to put things in the van so prob says more about me then the vehicle)!!!

 

[WaterTight]

Oh it's a huuuuge car...

Wait for it.....wait for it......




(not my actual one pictured..) You'd be surpsied with 1.5 yrs worth of organising, reorganising, head scratching and jigging and re-jigging. There's litereall not an inch besides the driver's seat wasted. I even bought those things that hang down the back of the seats for maps and kids games and what not and keep silicone tubes and oddments in them. Even the passenger footwell contains a selections of taps. The reat footwells contain bags of fittings too.

I'm actually concerned that when I get a van I'll be irritated by how much things will move around, I'll need some decent racking. good thing about a car as well is I just sling a messy dust sheet over everything at the end of the day and it looks of no interest to thieves. Looks like a bag lady is sleeping in it.

 

[Phil]

I have a Combo and the passanger seat has a massive permenent box of waster traps on it with a seat belt round it and the footwell has a similar box with waste pipe fittings although finding a certain one (normally right at bottom) means you have to make a right mess.One thing I've never been able to organise is my silicone tubes, I have 15 - 20 normally. Pink grip, builders mastic Dow Corning etc, at the moment they are in a plastic tub but I'd like to rack them up somewhere so I can pick the one I want without having to trash my van everytime I wasnt one.

 

[SafeGasInstall]

I'm not a car person and know jack all - so rather than get shafted looking for bargains I thought it best to hedge my bets and go for a small/medium van (it's all I need) with reasonably low mileage and spend about 2.5 - 3k. I'm thinking if it's got service history (or at least part service history,) fairly low mileage (which can be checked) and one of the types that loads of people seem to go for (carry / expert / combo / berlingo) I'd have to be quite unlucky to get something about to fall apart. Does this sound like it should work as a plan? Or would it be madness not to try and get it looked over by someone independant (at great cost no doubt...)

As a sidepoint - why the hell are vans so expensive? It looks to me like cars are generally cheaper. I mean obviously you can spend lots on a car but there are lots of cheap cars. There don't seem to be any cheap vans. The only ones that seem cheap turn out to have 200k on the clock and appear to have been banger racing. I thought it might simply be because they're bigger and therefore more materials used but big vans are really not all that more expensive than small vans. Is it because they're built to be tougher or something?

Any other tips would be appreciated.

for this much money and required service history and low mileage ,you have just one option put those money as deposit and drive a way a used vw transporter or merc vito van ,will never regret my advise

 

[Phil]

My electrician (poor lad) has had his Vito broken into 3 times this year and ALL his power/hand tools stolen each time. Insurance payed out for 1st lot but the other two times he had to pay.

He said he would never get another Vito as the locks are so easily chisled.

His words not mine, I've never had one.

 

[armyash]

Only tip i'm in a position to offer is take someone with you to look it over. Best bet is get yourself on some kind of car/van enthusiast forum and see if there is anyone local who would be willing to look it over for you. They might want a small fee but you might get lucky and they might do it for nothing as they will probably be happy to come along and feel clever showing you whats what!

Have a chat with them over the phone/online just to make sure you are singing off the same song sheet then jobs a goodun.

Will be better than getting ripped off and at the end of the day you don't have to take the van if you're not happy with it regardless of what the guy says.

just an idea

 

[arran197]

Transit Connect LWB. Don't bother with a Berlingo. They're too small. The normal Connect is too small. The Transit is too big. This is what I have found, I drive loads of vans. For our proffession, Transit Connect LWB all the way. Had one for 18 months as daily transport from the company I used to work for. It was great. Not the best for fuel economy, but handled great, had plenty of rear space and was reliable. Should be readily available in a variety of colours and specs. Mine was fitted with a/c, rear parking sensors, cd player, full sized passenger seat, 4 air bags, remote central locking, alarm, extra interior lighting and fully racked out in the back. But you can get them with even more kit, electric windows etc.

I now drive a New Berlingo every day and it isn't a patch. The interior is more car like, so is a nicer place to be and has cd player, electric windows. But the body roll is terrible, the gearbox feels like it's made of cheesecake and the back is no where near big enough.

 

[Mrs Tara Plumbi]

I know nothing about vans cars etc.. they are just a way of getting from A to B.
But as long as I've known Mr TP every new van he gets is bigger than the last.
He says there is little difference in price between SWB MWB & LWB so get the biggest so big things fit in - like 3m copper also sheets of plaster board.

Now, we have 3 kids and when I found I was pregnant with twins i did what all parents of twins do - sold the Ford Escort to get the car with the biggest boot - a Vectra.
I hate it but the boot is a tardis.
Now I'm getting rid and plan to get double cab (6 seats) van instead of car - I wish i had thought of it when they were babies - it would have been easiet to carry around all that baby stuff!
Mr TP is trying to convimce me that I should get MWB but I am sure SWB is quite big enough for twin pushchair and Tesco's shopping! - Bit of a shock for those who break in hoping to steal tools!

Anyway if you can work out of a car then a well organised SWB should be easy.

Buying new on finance can out better deal than buying old used - I know, I've bought a lot of old cars.
Leasing can be excellent ONLY IF you do low milages - typicially less than 10,000 p year - this will suit me so I probably will probably lease a Vivaro.

Also changing to a van from car - a diesel engine should do more than twice as many miles as petrol - well over 200,000

 

[arran197]

Vivaros are good vans. Very economical and the interior has some good cubby holes. Drives quite nice too. Not as good as Ford vans though.