what are ‘sportline’, ‘trendline’, ‘highline’ etc.?

how un-vanlike they try to make it.

or $$, $$$, $$$$

Sportline? Trying to appease the petrol head who woke up and found he owned a van…

we’ve just gone through the whole process with your sort of budget.

I was leaning to the Transit Custom and getting it converted with seats, but with a half decent mileage and then adding on VAT and seats, it was looking more like £20k.

We ended up buying a T5, an ex mobility one, so it didn’t have VAT added. It’s SWB, three seat in front and a 2 and 1 in the back. We got ours with not that high mileage for a bit more than your budget.

Driving wise, the T5 seemed better to me than the Transit Custom – the T5 was just less van like seated. Depreciation protection made it an easier decision in case we don’t like having a van. Depreciation on the Transit Custom is a bit of an unknown/risk.

We’re getting used to it and working out what to do with the space – likely just leave 2 seats in the back most of the time, so room for bikes and kids and camping stuff.

The only real issue for me so far is multi storey car parks!

Wouldn’t change our T5 for the world. Its fantastic.

As for insurance – Brentacre. Always insured my modified and non-modified cars through them and I cannot fault them at all.

thanks all.

Just one last question (?) … I’m currently looking on autotrader/ebay – any other places to check?

Only place I found additional vehicles was by looking at vans on ebay and then following the dealer link to their webpage, sometimes they have stock they are not actively advertising. Also just looking at their ‘other items’ on ebay brings up vehicles the search seems to miss.

reggiegasket – Member
thanks all.
Just one last question (?) … I’m currently looking on autotrader/ebay – any other places to check?
POSTED 1 HOUR AGO # REPORT-POST

Got mine from gumtree, but it was only half a mile down the road.

A mate just bought his from a company called Anchor vans, it wasn’t without a few issues but its a nice van and there was no vat on it.
T5 forum classifieds and pistonheads I guess would be good places to look

I am toying with the idea of getting a van next year.

I travel across the Severn Bridge regularly and have a Tag. If I get a van that has been converted (windows/extra seats etc) will the ANPR still think it is a van? I know people who go through the manned tolls get charged as a car because the van has the extra windows in.

Eskay – I have a converted panel van with side windows and rear seat.. Went through the manned booth on the Severn for the dyfi and got charged car rate 🙂

will the ANPR still think it is a van?

ANPR reads the number plate not the windows, it will register whatever the van is designated.

mikewsmith – Member

ANPR reads the number plate not the windows, Yea, thanks for that!

I guess I should have been more explicit. When extra seats are put in are they reclassified as combi type vans? I guess you have to register the modification somewhere to get the seats past a safety inspection?

you will have to get it reclassified.

Additional seats make no difference – its still a van (actually a LGV). You should have the registration document modified to reflect the number of seats but it needs no inspection etc. in order to do so – just submit the changes to the DVLA.

I sent photos and details of my seats to dvla to reflect seat number…

V5 still says lgv but ‘window van’ instead of ‘panel van’ and seats up to 7.

This makes no difference to the speed limits I can drive at or the vehicle taxation class.

If you want car speed limits then the only way is for it to be re-classified as a ‘motor caravan’ for which you need a 1800mm bed, two burner hob, sink, water storage and waste and 2 cupboards (I think that’s all of it, sure someone will tell me different if I am).

I think thats pretty much it. I’m waiting for mine to come back from the DVLA with its new classification at the minute… Even sat at 70 I’ll still be getting passed by Transits and Sprinters doing 90+.

Buy a shuttle or caravelle and you can sit at car speeds 🙂

They also have the bonus of coming with tailgates rather than split doors..