Which van to buy?

Honest John Back Room » Motoring discussion
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Fri 5 Aug 2005 14:12
Which van to buy? - oldbanger
Following the "Transit van economy/specs" thread.

I am thinking of buying a Transit-sized (medium high roof)
van. Economy in terms of fuel consumption/spares'n'repairs
is important, as is reliability. I know little of vans.
Any ideas/pointers to suitable vehicles, or "things to
think about", will be very welcome! I think that if I
can fit in a few 8'x4' sheets of stuff, that will be great
(however, I'm not a builder/in business).
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Fri 5 Aug 2005 14:22
Which van to buy? - DavidHM
Budget?
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Fri 5 Aug 2005 14:23
Which van to buy? - oldbanger
Budget?


Oh, sorry - Genuine 2-hand bargain required, £2,500 or so.
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Fri 5 Aug 2005 14:37
Which van to buy? - Mapmaker
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=32677&...f

have a read of that.
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Fri 5 Aug 2005 15:43
Which van to buy? - oldbanger
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=32677&...f
have a read of that.


I have... interesting. The "Relay" seems a little less agricultural than some... I don't think I need the vast
space of the 3 1/2 ton vans.... I wonder what the
economy/inside size is for the relay... (Google, google).
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Fri 5 Aug 2005 19:18
Which van to buy? - Vansboy
As with older, traded in cars, they're of little value/interest to larger garages, so end up not retailed, but passed on, to smaller dealers or auctioned.

So, if you've an approachable commercial franchise, nearby, well worth asking if they'd sell you one of their part ex's - WITHOUT comebacks - you'd need to buy on trade terms/as scrap value, or whatever they'd put on invoice, to protect themselves.

& don't forget you'll need 17.5% add on as VAT!!!

VB
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Fri 5 Aug 2005 20:07
Which van to buy? - Sprice
Toyota Hiace power vans are reliable and capable of huge mileages. An example for sale on ebay is here:-

cgi.ebay.co.uk/2000-TOYOTA-HIACE-POWERVAN-GS-SWB-R...m
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Fri 5 Aug 2005 22:43
Which van to buy? - legacylad
Personally i have run VW Transporters on & off for 15+ years.Bought my current '97 2.4D (5 cyl nonturbo)LWB HiRoof as an ex demo and am now almost surgically attached.Only meant to keep it 2 years.I keep looking at new more powerful(and aesthetically)improved vans but prefer to spend the money on my life!You can pick these up within your budget and they will cruise all day at 60/65mph, whilst returning 35mpg.Just fit a good CD player and relax! Yes I am biased but would never buy anything else. Probably cos I've never had anything else (apart from a Vito which was a mistake, although it must have been a Friday special).
ps The red paintwork fades in due course!
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Mon 8 Aug 2005 13:22
Which van to buy? - oldbanger
Toyota Hiace power vans are reliable and capable of huge mileages.


They look nice - could I fit an 8x4 inside?

Also, part of the reason I'd like a van is that I've a small boy, who'd love it. 3 seats would be needed, to take the occasional extra passenger. A sliding side door would be excellent, too!
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Mon 8 Aug 2005 13:16
Which van to buy? - oldbanger
So, if you've an approachable commercial franchise,
nearby, well worth asking if they'd sell you one of
their part ex's - WITHOUT comebacks - you'd need to
buy on trade terms/as scrap value, or whatever
they'd put on invoice, to protect themselves.
& don't forget you'll need 17.5% add on as VAT!!!


This is very interesting, I had no idea it could be done - presumably that's how the people who sell vans at auction get their vehicles? I'd feel a little embarrassed, not knowing the ins & outs - should I just knock on a door? Write? Ask for Bert in Maintenance? "Feel my way" by trying a maybe less-likely firm first?
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Mon 8 Aug 2005 20:14
Which van to buy? - Vansboy
Ask the sales people - they're there to sell - so they'll know what they've got coming in as trade ins.

VB
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Mon 8 Aug 2005 23:01
Which van to buy? - matstro
don't forget, in your price range, the Relay, Ducato and Boxer are the only vans you'll be able to buy with a dash mounted gearstick - ideal if your'e carrying a 3rd person often as their feet won't get tangled up with the gear lever and your hand won't get tangled up with their legs!!
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Real MPG enables you to register the fuel economy you are actually getting against your make and model of car, its engine and type of transmission.

Every time you enter an average consumption figure against your car, the overall average automatically adjusts to reflect it.

Real MPG

From economical vans to those that have the largest payloads, we have a shortlist for everyone - click to find out which will suit your needs.

Undecided on which van to buy? Our Top 10 shortlists can help...