I’m in the market for a van to carry the bikes about in. Currently leaning towards a Caddy but open to suggestions.

The van needs to be no more than £5k, must have air-con and decent fuel economy.

Any suggestions and/or pictures of your bike vans?

Got this for sale after a trip to france this week back in 10 days £1500 ONO MOT 9mths tax 10 mths 1.9 desiel

P5100751 by Richard Munro, on Flickr

P5100754 by Richard Munro, on Flickr
Only bought it to tied me other untill my camper got sorted

Heading out of Glenbrittle by Richard Munro, on Flickr

Berlingo.

Currently fitting it out to take 3 bikes with the wheels off and 3 people on a Euro roadtrip.
When it hasn’t got all that mdf in it though, it will take 2-3 bikes with wheels on but maybe 4 or more with wheels off.

I also have slept in it, making a bed platform but with the two rear split seats taken out.

3 bikes and a Blingo yesterday…

I know what you’re thinking…sick rims huh?… 😉

Postie Rich, how many miles, service history, etc etc etc

transporter.

anything else just don’t cut it.

sleep in a berlingo? maybe for one night, certainly not for a jollyday.

We’ve got a 2K caddy, the back is about the same size as a Queen size bed so no problems sleeping in it. But bikes have to live outside (roof or tow bar rack). It’s insulated and carpeted with a bed conversion. We managed 3 weeks around Europe in it last year.

If were just going for the day get 5 bikes in no problems even with the wheels on. But only two seats!

If your after a caddy make sure its the TDi, the SDi is slow and drinks fuel. Ours has the electric pack and AC and probably getting the same MPG-ish as a golf of equivalent age.

Love ours, but now there’s a dog in the equation were running a little tight on space. As soon as I can find a job closer to home we’ll be investing in a Transporter

Currently fitting it out to take 3 bikes with the wheels off and 3 people on a Euro roadtrip.

Forgive me, but what “fitting out” does it need for that?

Forgive me, but what “fitting out” does it need for that?

I was pondering that, I can fit 3+3 in my car without having to thin too much about it, and I know it’s smaller than a van!

transporter.

ah yes, the trail centre Audi of the van world 😉

I got a Kangoo for commuting and bike duties a few months back. It’s OK, nice to drive, economical, bit noisy like most without a bulkhead are. The drawback with this size is it only has two seats. The third seat that you get in the next size up, (Citroen Dispatch size) would be useful.

That sort of consideration is probably more important than which make/model you go for, as for every type there’ll be two people here, one to tell you to how great they are, and the other to tell you to avoid like the plague.

Currently fitting it out to take 3 bikes with the wheels off and 3 people on a Euro roadtrip.
Forgive me, but what “fitting out” does it need for that?

Because there are 3 bikes, 3 people, 3 sets of gear, 3 sets of tents, 3 sets of camping gear etc. etc…

All I have done is built a false floor in the back as you can see from the pics to maximise the available height so that I have room for stowing stuff underneath like cooking stuff, food and beer 😀
Also removed the back split-double seats so I have just a nice open space for tents and everything else…

It just means it keeps the bikes totally separate from the rest of the gear, clean clothes and bedding etc and means we hopefully won’t rip open any tents etc on wayward pedals and stuff as we inevitably end up shoving stuff in as we move about the place for 3 weeks…

Anyway, I guess I just like building stuff at every opportunity, even if unnecessary 🙂

I’ve got a Citroen Dispatch and it’s so far been really great van.

Loads of room in the back for bikes and sleep in.

There are some on Autotrader for £5k + vat at dealers, but that’s before you haggle. A privately bought van would be cheaper again.

IMG_0034 by Amplebrew, on Flickr

IMG_0068 by Amplebrew, on Flickr

Ooh, that’s nice Amplebrew. Just like the one I should have bought. Do you get good MPG out of them?

Thisisnotaspoon some blurb here from the chap that sold it to me done about 1.5k since I got it!
Based in Kendal

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/for-sale-peugeot-partner-combi-van-chap-and-reliable

Pussy Wagon;
£300 Nissan Prairie with 1.8turbo engine fitted from a Stanza-used to ‘speed’ weave across 2lanes of the motorway at 100+mph (germany of course). ‘Race prepped’ gutted interior. Wrote a chavs corsa off at CwmCarn with it.

pimp my ride by Laralookfabulous, on Flickr

Scotland (4) by Laralookfabulous, on Flickr

Replaced by my 110 5 years ago,

DSC01495 by Laralookfabulous, on Flickr

tthew – Member
Ooh, that’s nice Amplebrew. Just like the one I should have bought. Do you get good MPG out of them?

Citroen reckons on 39.2mpg combined.

I think the fuel tank holds 80 litres (although I’d have to check the handbook) and I’ve just got slightly over 400 miles on half a tank.

It’s only the 1.6hdi 90ps engine though, as I’m only ever carrying bikes, dogs and a bit of camping gear and I don’t drive above 50mph when carrying the dogs anyway.

Driving Miss Daisy has nothing on me 😀

*has van envy*

I guess I just like building stuff at every opportunity, even if unnecessary

Very much fair enough 🙂 Actually I might steal that idea for mine 😉