Hey guys, i have been on the hunt for a panel / base van that i can slowly convert over time. Currently i am thinking about Vauxhall Vivaro or Renault traffic.

If there are any users / owners on here can you please post up your good and bad points.

This van malarkey is a complete minefield

The clutch is hydraulic and the slave cylinder can go at lowish miles (130k on our work one). The cylinder is £25 but by the time you have factored in a new clutch for the gearbox off job it’s about £500 for a non-DMF one and £600+ for a DMF (Dual Mass Flywheel) clutch. These are local garage not main dealer prices. The main steeler wanter best part of £900 for the job.

Fuel consumption is mid-30’s (the old one, 06 plate, with no aircon regularly returns 850+ miles on a full tank, the new one with lots of toys, 11 plate, does a bit less). Servicing is about £230 a year if your mileage is 18k or less. The window winders on the old one lose their knobs easily, we bolted them on.

Watch out when reversing under low headroom as the aerial on the roof breaks really easily. It’s in 2 parts but the fixing for the base, which is the part that breaks, is hidden under the cab roof lining and is a bit of a pig to get to.

I understand the later 2.0dci engine + gearbox are more reliable than the older 1.9. They have a reputation for getting through track rod ends. I get around 34mpg overall, 2007 van with 140k on it.

Thanks for that info, much appreciated.

FWIW, I easily get 40mpg in my 2009 2.0 dci LWB Trafic – more on a longer run.

I had windows and a set of removable seats fitted, insulated it and ply-lined carpetted it. Easily takes 6 folk plus bikes and all kit. Drives/handles really nicely. Love mine – should have bought one years ago!

[url=https://flic.kr/p/dhPTZX]IMAG0146[/url] by ScotRoutes, on Flickr

(The rear seats normally face the front – i like them like that for a spot of van camping)

I Had mine (2002 Renault Trafic) off my dad when it was 3 years old, did another 70,000 miles in it and its still going strong with one of my mates.

Most of them will require a gearbox rebuild by 100 -120k
Do the clutch, slave cylinder and shifter cables at the same time

Mine had 2 HP fuel pumps at about £450 exchange

It also used to do a set of pattern front Wishbones every 12-18 months for some reason.
Should have brought originals as they lasted 65-70,000 miles before letting go.

Cr@p in snow, so I ran mine on winters all year round.

Change the oil often, don’t wait for 18,000 miles, its much easier with a Vacuum pump too ;o) well worth the £40 from machine mart

I`d have replaced it with a new one but there were none available middle of the year due to the new model coming out but being delayed.

I brought a new Transit Custom Doublecab instead

Gearboxes!

I had a recon on my Trafic at 80k 😐

Nice to drive though

Got a tranny now

My 56 plate Trafic is going strong at 186000 miles. Nice to drive, tiny bit narrower than the Transit (2002) that I had before, so easier on Cumbrian lanes. 38mpg from a mix of motorway and pootling.

Mine has eaten a couple of powersteering pumps, apparently it can be an issue if you start the engine with the steering over near lock on either side.

The best bit is that unlike the Transit before it, there is zero body rust.

Scotroutes, thats a lovely van. Did you do all the work yourself internally?

They have a habit of welding the injectors into the head …

I love mine, 45mpg, easy to handle, you can drive like a **** and everyone gets out the way, takes a shed load of stuff in the back. Most fun vehicle I’ve had – though the only competition is a micra 🙂 I’ve had to spend a little on repairs but nothing more than you’d expect with a 10y van.

Company Vivaro 1.9, abused by me till 120K when I got a new Peugeot Expert.

I loved it, fast comfortable, good brakes but could fade a bit on the A27 and the million roundabouts of Chichester. From a company view point its only weak point was puddles, high speed entry or a deep puddle would spray water into the air intake and hydraulic lock the engine!

Only had mine a couple of weeks but I’m happy with it so far. It’s averaged 35 and 38mpg on the first two tanks. It’s a SWB 115 on a 60plate.
Scotroutes, I’m liking your work. Did you have a build thread anywhere?

They have a habit of welding the injectors into the head …

featured on WATCHDOG BBC, last week, vauxhall now paying for repairs it appears,lovely things to drive, bit plasticy inside made from tupperware plastic that flexes, and the mirrors didnt fold in on the older models.

[quote=mactheknife ]Scotroutes, thats a lovely van. Did you do all the work yourself internally?
[/quote]Sorry – no build thread.

It started life as a basic van with a bulkhead which I then removed. It’s a few bolts. I bought the replacement pillar trim off ebay to tidy up the internal finish.
I followed the advice of damion on this thread regarding insulation.
Seats are from here and were fitted by Seafield Motors in Edinburgh, who also did the tinted windows. The seats are in a pair and one single and can be removed with a few bolts or (as in the photo) turned around to face the rear for when I’m in “camping” mode.
Ply was from a kit and modified a bit by me (especially the offside window). I used some flexi-ply to make the window surround.
I added three 12v sockets, one in the aforementioned window surround and two near the back door. These run straight off the battery so I can charge a phone etc without the ignition being on.
I also added a 3W LED spotlight at the back for night-time fettling and camping.
Additional speakers fitted to the rear. If I’d known I was going to get the roof lining I’d have fitted them in the appropriate place there.
I bought a roof liner for a minibus variant off ebay and fitted that over two layers of closed-cell foam (camping mat) for roof insulation.
Inside lights were all changed to LEDs for more light/less power use.
Walls are lined with stuff from Megavanmats. Fitted with contact adhesive and it went pretty well. The stuff is really stretchy and handled most contours just fine.
Flooring is vinyl from B&Q in a checker-plate finish. It fools most folk 🙂
Steel bars for bungees are from here and painted with some Hammerite.

That’s it I think

Vivaro double cab, 11 plate. Best vehicle Ive had to be honest. Around 45 mpg on a run, 38 potting around town. Loads of space to carry kids and dogs. Great to drive for what it is, initially felt huge, but just feels right now. There’s a bit of a knock coming from the steering, which is almost certainly the topmount bearing in the suspension. It’s also been mapped to around 140, which improves the drive a bit. For some reason, buying tyres for a commercial vehicle seemed a bit of a headache.

Boss’ lab crew cab was a great van until the auto box went.
Good size, nice to drive (I’m a T5 owner) and was pretty perky.
The ‘robot’ thing that controls the gear selection has died though. That was fun, being stuck blocking a lane of the A32 into Gosport in rush hour after it decided to die stuck in gear. Couldn’t start or move the damn thing….
So, as long as it’s either had gearbox work or you bung some cash in the bank to pay for it at some point I reckon they are a good buy, and considerably cheaper for the ‘equivalent’ than the T5.

Tyres are easy to get from Tyreleader, delivered to your door from Germany.

Great vans, they do have a few issues, but no worse than other vans we’ve used in the past.

Best thing is the value for money compared to the T5.

I’m looking at getting a crew van variant for my next vehicle to take family and dogs.

Ooft, got a purty hefty bill coming tomorrow as my vivaro has had a power problem which turned out to be a corroded injector. Seems to be a bit of a problem with some vans and the seals around the bonnet. Hopefully the other injectors don’t go the same way.

Bought a new Trafic SWB in 2012, took it home then first job hacked some holes in it and fitted windows ! Closely followed by insulation, ply sidewalls and roof covered in stretchy carpet, LED lights and removed the bulkhead . Fitted Ford Galaxy swivel seats to Driver and Pax. Rock and Roll 3/4 width bed from Smart Beds, made furniture from 12 and 6 mm ply covered in yinyl wrap and fitted SMEV 2 burner and sink unit, Vitofrigo top load fridge….small 3.9kg propane bottle and 78amphour sealed battery for the electrics .80 watt solar panel fitted on the roof.

Have used it for over 60 nights so far in just over 2 years……….. Should have done it years ago !

Sierra, that sounds awesome. Have you got any pics?

will sort some out and get them hosted so I can post them here

[/img]

Love it, i was pretty disheartened after I bought the van due to the engine issues but posts like yours and scotroutes are getting me excited again. I’ll be working on the back first with insulation, and re plying the sides and roof. I have some ideas for a side bench that pulls out to be a small double bed. Luckily I have a good mate who is a joiner.

Does the solar panel power the leisure battery?

Got an 03 1.9 swb, had it since 2008, 136k, Good to drive, had the gearbox rebuilt, and one HP pump go in that time, and track rod ends.

I’ll have another one once this one has been driven into the ground.

and the mirrors didnt fold in on the older models.

❓

Solar panel on mine just connected to leisure battery. Have not bothered linking leisure battery to the van battery. On a hook up the leisure battery is kept charged, when not on hook up rely on solar….been ok so far for 6 to 7 day trips in Lake District and IOM ( cant always rely on the sun shining either those places !!! ) During winter have so far only been on hook up……maybe future modification would be a Eberspacher but its a lot of work….

Love those pics, am considering adding some conversion to my bare box in the future…though it’s old enough that perhaps I shouldn’t invest too much in it. We can try just camping in it first, see how we enjoy it.

@mactheknife

Renault and Vauxhall have acknowledged the injectors are a problem on the vivaro and tragic. They’re paying for repairs apparently so its worth contacting the dealer

This a bit of an email chain. We have a long long term hire with Apex,and swap vans every 9000 miles. This one had 2100 miles and was never loaded with anything heavy. Clutch went.
Vauxhall paid in the end after a month of emails and they also paid for a hire car for a month as I went on holiday for two weeks and left the car on my drive. I am sure this is not a common problem but Vauxhall were a nightmare to deal with. I now have a Ford transit Custom .

Subject: RE: DU** FMG

The cost of repair (inc VAT) is £1,422.56

Unfortunately we are in the hands of Vauxhall and their Technicians

You can request an independent review of the clutch (you would need to advise Vauxhall this is what you are doing) and see their outcome but unfortunately, if not deemed still as warranty then the independent inspection would also be charged to you

Sorry about this, but this does happen – we have had this numerous times previously on new vehicles where they have done a few thousand miles and the investigations have deemed to be non warranty

Let me know what you wish to do

Many thanks

Lou

good and bad points.

My experience is overall good…

Good = Nice to drive, comfy & mechanically reliable. Easy to live with (SWB crew cab).

Bad = Electrics are a bit shit, would be nice to have electric windows.

Mine has electric windows (but not folding mirrors). I think it’s down to trim level

BoardinBob – Member

@mactheknife

Renault and Vauxhall have acknowledged the injectors are a problem on the vivaro and tragic. They’re paying for repairs apparently so its worth contacting the dealer

yea i had a read of the terms for Vauxhall helping with repairs to faulty vans. Basically my van is out of the age range. Its an 08 plate and it was up to 6 years old. Plus i had my repair done at a garage which is not a main dealer so again that strikes me out.

What i will do is try and get an answer from them to see if they will fork out for any future injector failures within a given time. I might as well whistle i reckon but worth a try.

But it has not put me off the van yet, i am really looking forward to getting stuck in with my conversion and using it for biking and weekends away camping.

Captain seats look awesome and with the bulkhead removed might be worth spending some cash on. Does anywhere know a place in Scotland who would do this work. I am not happy doing it myself yet.

Try Seafield Motors in Edinburgh. They did my windows and seat fitting.

I did think about rotating front seats but I couldn’t really justify the cost for my usage.

Oh – I have some lining material left over as I bought some for the roof, and didn’t use it, plus I think I over-estimated. Could do a deal if you’re after some?

How much material have you got left? I take it that its the carpet material you have in your pictures above 🙂

I’ll find a tape measure.

2m x 5.2m

That’s the same stuff I used

Slightly OT, but in that picture of the inside of your van, Scotroutes, where did you get those metal strips with the holes in, that your bungees are hooked into? I bought a panel van recently and there’s bugger all to hook bungees into, but they look like they’d be perfect!

This is my plan for mine

http://www.hannahbarnes.co.uk/2012/05/van-conversion/

I don’t need a full on camper experience as it’ll rarely be used “wild” so I’ll have facilities nearby

http://www.vanarack.com/store/load-restraints-cargo-tracking-for-vans/

I painted mine with Hammerite and screwed them into the ply at regular intervals. Just make sure you calculate the screw length accurately as you don’t want them going through the side of the van 😆

That’s brilliant, thanks! And thanks for the tip! 😀

Has anyone managed to get their van conversions comfortable enough for using in winter?

Would like to get a camper, but be able to use it year round.