Choosing a Small Motor Van.
I am going to compare 3 small motor vans in some detail, with the intention of helping anybody who finds themselve in need of such a vehicle. You may also find it useful to refer to this document if you need to hire a small motor van, even if only for one day.
I have chosen the following vans because I have extensive personal experience of them.
1. Volkswagen Transporter from 2010
2. Vauxhall Vivaro (Renault Trafic, & Nissan Primera are the same van)
3. Ford Transit from 2006
To get the tedious stuff out of the way first, all of these vans are suitable for putting quite large heavy things in, driving to a different location and then taking them out again. So if you wish to partake of this surprisingly popular activity, then any of them is just fine, none of them will break down or give you a headache.
Now the essential stuff:
The Volkswagen has a clever box fitted under the passenger seat, it's quite well concealed and would be a good place to store a large quantity of food and biscuits. Your goodies would be safe here and a dog left in the cab for a short period would be unlikely to snaffle anything. It can be a bit of a pain accessing your goodies, because you will inevitably have many items on the seat, a fact which is compounded by the lack of open storage areas on the dash. Volkswagen have really let themselves down here, this is an 80s dashboard, and entirely unsuited to a modern intelligent working man, anything you rest on the dash will end up falling into the footwell, and probably out of one of the doors, next time you open it. As if this wasn't bad enough the cupholders are of the clever small car type, with a sort of spring loaded flap to hold the cup, this sadly makes inserting your cup a two handed affair, if you don't wish to crush a paper cup. On the plus side it is possible to use a normal household china mug in the transporter cup holders, but it's not really a good idea to use a cup without a lid, if you intend to drive far too close behind Nissan Micra's like a van man should.
The Vivaro has space under the passenger seats for quite a lot of food and biscuits, but you will need a storage container. The space is restricted by the giblets of the seat, and unless you use an anti slip mat, the low open box that will fit, will slide irritatingly forward everytime the Micra driver brakes for no apparent reason. Move to the dashboard though and things start to look up, lots of handy stowage space, neatly shielded from the sun, and plenty of areas that can't be seen by the potential thief. Two cup holders convieniently situated beside the doors, enabling easy one handed coffee sipping, without having to take your eyes off of the Micra's brake lights, allowing you to get a good metre closer. Each door pocket has carefully designed to accomodate a 2 litre soft drinks bottle, with lots more room for other items.
The Transit is very similar to the Vivaro, for underseat storage, but the dashboard is a masterclass for how these things should be done! Cup and bottle holders built in beside the doors, superior even to the Vivaro, making aggresive coffee swilling tomfoolery fall within the reach of even the dopiest driver. The real jewel in the Transit is though the dazzling centrepiece of the dashboard, a fold out picnic table with additional cup holders! I have to tell you dear reader, that Mrs Rambler and I have enjoyed a number of happy fast food experiences in a Transit motor van, with a variety of food and confectionary snacks laid out like a banquet over that wonderful dashboard.
Additonally all of the vans have a smallish glove box, which if you opt for air con will be refrigerated in summer.
So the Ford is clear winner here! Unfortunately Ford don't seem to rust proof their vans effectively, so if you wish to grow old with your faithful small motor van, you need to get the Vivaro.