I may want a Transit swb or a Vivaro about 55 or 56 plate, i've looked at some but they always seem tatty.

What do i need to look for? some are already rusty is this normal?

Vivaros are actually a fair bit smaller than a transit. Depends what you actually want to do with it though as to whether the difference in size matters. For me its the difference between useful and useless.

Vans get driven by van drivers and are treated like vans. Other people treat them like vans too, lean crap against them, bump into them etc. They show their years more than cars do, but a van can be scruffy looking and well looked after. Its up to you to guess where the threshold between scruffy and knackered is. Aside from the regular test drive check every door, handle, lock, button dingledongle and knickknack. Check everything works,moves and adjusts. Thats where difference between used and abused will show up. Transits have fancy central locking and no key holes on most of the doors, so making sure everything is in order in that respect is pretty important. Try and gauge what a van has been carrying, if its full of sand and cement dust then its probably spend most if its life doing short journeys overloaded with building materials. I chose mine (a sprinter) because it had been used as a parts chaser for a dealership – long miles with light loads, loaded and carried carefully. Low milage isn't always a virtue, but a van that been owned and driven by one person (rather than ex-fleet or ex-hire) might be

Most people who buy transits new only keep them for the duration of the warrantee then ditch them, The market is usually awash with 3 year old transits.

Transits have a bit a poor rep with flywheels, effecting all but the very lowest power/spec model. I think with Vivaros gearboxes are an issue.

With transits there are an absolute gazzillion to choose from, decide the spec you want (there us a huge range of sizes, engines, payloads, even front and rear wheel drive options) and keep looking til you find one that has the history you're happy with

Thanks, i know now how many variations there are, before i looked a tranny was a tranny 😯

Everyone says Vivaro gearboxes are crap, are they really that bad?

Vivaro's arent too bad and corrosion protection is better than a Transit. Driving wise Transit's are prob nicer the gearbox on the Vivaro is ok but is a bit 'loose' and the gates arent brilliantly distributed. Comfort wise a Vivaro is better though and has a nicer interior and better driving position. For a lot of motorway miles id go Vivaro and for general day to day duties go with a Transit

The gearboxes on the 1.9cdti vivaros have a bad rep, those on the 2.5 and newer 2.0 (56 plates onwards for this) much less so. The other known problem area with them is the clutch cylinders, about £300 to sort it all.

I don't think a standard vivaro and SWB low roof are that different in size terms, having had both the transit is a little wider but not much difference.

Whats your budget? The facelift 2.0 115bhp vivaro/trafics are really nice vans to drive. Similarly the newer shaped transits are a fair bit nicer than the old ones too.

Budget is about £5000, i did think i'd get a good un for that but now i'm not sure.

You will but not a new shape vivaro. Well not many anyway. An 07 went through the auction i was at today for 4500ish but it had done 120k and was ex police, 4 seats and your own cage for prisoners anyone 🙂

vivaro,is also branded as a Renault and a Nissan,also the gears on a vivaro type are cable where as on the Trannie theyre a solid bar linkage.

Try http://www.btfleet.com/sales/cars-commercial-vehicles.aspx for some cheap ones,seem to remember a rider on here worked and had a BT van.

All the BT fleet stuff I see go through the auctions goes for silly money. 54 plate small engined vivaros were going for nearly £5k last week with vat, mileages are fairly low but it's still a lot of money.

try an ex coke cola van ? most were red but the new ones seem to be black ?

mate got one in very good cond .

also come with the extra seats in rear and a window on one side

if that helps

I've not seen any of the coke vans coming through for a while. There were a load last year 04/54/05's coming through at 4 years old but not seen any of the new ones. They are well specced tho with AC, sat nav and the bigger engine if you can find one.

I use a Vivaro and brilliant van for the money
good on the motorways and very comfy inside
Would not look at a transit hired many and crap

Regarding to look for mainly is the gear box
in the earlier models the gear box went on
70,000 miles approx but as your looking at a later
model you be fine.
Second hand il look at a SKY van they have these
and do an average 25,000 mile in three years
and they look after the van IE maintainance
and the best thing is the paint work is covered
in vinyl for advertising so no scratches.

I get 5 full bikes and kit in the back of the van
and get an average of 45 miles to the gallon.

If I were looking for a small van, ideally I would be looking to pick up one that had previously been owned by a florist.

Flowerpowered? 8)

He's not looking at a newer model at £5k, or at least not many. Gearboxes last varying distances some as little as 50k, my mates was up at 130k when it went (or started too) but they are the big problem.

Sky vans are OK but only have the lower powered (82 vs 100bhp) and the 5 speed box, still pretty nice to drive but a little underpowered and the 100bhp versions are more relaxing to drive.

I'm amazed you get 45mpg out of yours grantway you must drive like a saint. I used to take it easy in mine and get 36mpg at best (post remap on an 82bhp only 32mpg before that). Do you calculate every fill/reset the odometer etc?

STEVE H -Sorry a bit of a hijack but since you seem to know your stuff.

Do you see any new-style ex-fleet VW Caddy's coming through the auctions yet? I think they came out in '08 so should they start appearing soon?

New style caddys are earlier – mine's 05 and is the new shape, nice drive, can get lots in. Seem to be holding their value.

Thanks ART,

Yeah im shocked at the price of secondhand Caddy's. I must have been the Caddy Maxi's that came out in 08 then.

VAN UPDATE

I bought a van yesterday of a friend of a relative, shook hands and was going to take the money and pick it up today. I got home and thought i'd better HPI check it…

Turns out from the mileage report it had done 160k not 60k that the owner thought. it had been round the clock. I genuinely think the guy didn't know, he was gutted he'd been ripped off too.

Just goes to show.

I'm still looking 😐

Keep looking, traders round these parts (Bath area) seem to be picking up lots of vans for cash being sold (mostly by builders it has to said) who are going out of business.

phyncra – yeah caddys amazing for 2nd hand value, although got mine for a good deal, 3years old, no VAT roughly half its original price, one owner, immaculate, with a few useful extras (passenger air bag and air con). Maxis were out in 05 too believe it or not, there was one on the forecourt when I bought mine, but new 'variations' seem to be popping up all the time 😯 FWIW I think the extra length on the wheelbase looks weird on the caddys and would be thinking medium sized van as per the OPs hunt if I had wanted something bigger – but we are a 2 van family already so there was no need 😀

I've looked into vans, and it's a bloody nightmare trying to find anything looked after. I'm going to continue with a car, it's served me well so far for bike/work duties. Vectra – cheap and reliable!

My Toyota hi-ace LWB has been awesome. Great MPG, fast, and it still runs like a newie…with 130,000 on the clock. It's my first choice for any trip…. so comfortable, even with 3 up front.