Hiya.
Well we're on the move & I need a new vehicle in addition to the 406 estate, so research time.
And to complicte matters we're keeping on 3 of the basset puppies so now I have 5 adult dogs + 3 soon to be adults. We show all over the country & with 3 entire males that need to be kept separate the 406 ain't big enough. So, I thought initially good old Ford tanny. Everyone knows how to fix them, plenty about & reasoable resale value. And then 0.2 sec later I thought, my dogs, in airless noisy bumpy truck-no way. So it looks like a people carrier or mpv thing.
VW T4 seems to come out well in car by car breakdown.
What does the backroom consensus reccomend?
Diesel preferred for economy. Speed/ acceleration not vital ( but must be able to get to motorway speed before end of slip road) but ride is. I'm not exactly going to be accerlerating or cornering enthusiastiaclly with all the hounds in the back. Aircon to rear important. Removable seats & carpet so I can put in the cages is vital. More likely to exist with seats more or less permanently removed. Good residual would be nice. Not new-say £4-£7k.
Thank you everyone.
BTW I know what the other dog show lot use, & it all comes down to what was the cheapest at that time. Not necc the best for the job, which is why I'm asking on here.
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www.bayingbasset.com
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Berlingo or kangoo
Berlingo preferably
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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Whatever you buy please don't put a sign in the back window - "Caution - Show Dogs in Transit". On the odd occasion when I see one of these I wonder what I am meant to do about it - can you explain?
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Borrow the nearest steamroller always seems like the way forward to me. Or RPG.
People on board? No problem, I'll drive aggressively towards you then. Dogs??!? Oh right, I'll leave plenty of space!!
Is it a similar vein of smug that leads people to have "Baby on board" signs to show off their impeccable fertility to the world?
(No offence to the OP by the way, it's not my thing but I've nothing at all against showdogs. It's the signs I hate!)
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Gordon. The purpose of the "Child Onboard" sign is, allegedly, to tell the rescue services arriving at a crumped wreck, what they are looking for ie kids on the back floor under the seats or whatever. My kids once made me a sign which I didn't use, which said "Caution - Old F*rt in Transit" and I had limited success with one which said "I speed up and hoot a lot for Horses"
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I'd never thought of that, actually quite a good idea.
I retract my ire about those then, actually seems quite reasonable.
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Vito van? Had a ride in one that looked like a factory conversion. No glass in the rearmost panels, but glass in the NS slider door and the OS window opposite. There's an arguement for reducing the amount of glass to reduce the "greenhouse effect", which must be a consideration when moving dogs, who don't take heat very well. They don't mind the lack of view, IME!
It seemed to go well, and the rear rows of seats (two) moved/removed in seconds.
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Anything with air conditioning to the load area will do the job. One of my pair of hounds isn't a good traveller, but having a window to look out seems to discourage her from being sick.
A friend who is into fostering rescued dogs uses a Toyota Previa, with dog cages slotted into the footwells as necessary. She's happy with it and, being diesel, the running costs aren't excessive either.
The Berlingo was mentioned earlier. A Fiat Dolbo might be better, as the loadspace is bigger, but I suspect you'd need the 1.9 JTD to cope with the weight.
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You beat me to it AS!
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What does 'ex husband in boot' infer then? as i saw this on a car rear window the other day and a 'little angels on board '............as well.in the same window..
er...............berlingo...........
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OK, I'm still a bit undecided.
I'll have a really good look at one of these VW T4s for size this weekend.
Actually AS I never thought about it like that-good call.
I only ever thought that the function of those signs was to encourage peeps not to get too close. After they've got close enough to read it...
If I thought it would make any diff I'd have something along the lines of "If you rear end me I'm letting all the dogs out whilst I load my gun-best get running now."
OK, really anything else apart from T4? Berlingo I see comes hugely rated, but it is barely any more than the 406 estate seats down. Need floor area. In fact do you know what? I need Ali Baba CarpetsR Us with a bit of a TARDIS influence. Hmm, what assistant to have doing the Dance Of The Seven Veils....
Thank to you all for replying. I'm off for a slightly cold shower.....
oh no, I've had a thought
which Bond girl would be your TARDIS companion?
coat, gone, apologies
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www.bayingbasset.com
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If you rear end me I'm letting all the dogs out whilst I load my gun-best get running now."
Oh yes like I am terrified of a van load of bassets.
Let me introduce you to my brace of Malinois.
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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I think my 45 kg Dobermann might just make a rear-ender a tad more worried than any Basset I've met so far ;-O
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Oh yes like I am terrified of a van load of bassets.
My favorites are the bobbly pink and blue chewy ones...mmmm....
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hahaha! Yes, pair of Malinois might make somone leg it!
My bassets would comtrive to look even more miserable.
Anyone recall the Red Dwarf episode with the Despair Squid.........well then!
OK, been to look at T4-yep, 6 full sized cages in there easy. But then I had a proper look at HJ's breakdown & see the T5 has the engine to have. I'll have a quick search about on here before I post up about where on earth to source a 2nd hand one. Like rocking horse doodoo it seems. There's one on a link SWMBO sent me, err, here:
The Caravelle Centre
hmm, in case no worky, here:
www.thecaravellecentre.com/vehicle_detail.asp?vehi...1
is that a T4 or a T5?
Thank you all.
Not missing out by not looking at a Scenic thing am I? Budgets getting well bent out of shape..
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www.bayingbasset.com
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Thats a T4
This a T5 - note the shorter bonnet line
www.volkswagen.co.uk/new_cars/commercial
Friend of mine who does Obedience, Working trials and Shutzund*, bought a SWB T5 brand new for about 12k. The inside was then fibre glass lined and fitted with 4 inbuilt cages and a kit area. (same people who fit out blinkey vans, and now does the RAF vans).
(the only thing not covered is Heel Work to Music)
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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I have to say, my Touran is an excelent dog carrier.
With the Rear seats up and the two spare seats down and my dog guard inplace I have has a Malinois, and A labrador retriever in there no problem at all, loads of space to settle down. 2 cages would go in there treat as the back dorr is flat shaped.
All the 3 rear seats individualy fold or come out, giving a whole load of options for cages.
For cages and dog packing options check out Lintran - expensive but very well tailor made foreach vehicle
www.lintran.co.uk/
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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