I could do with changing my user name to reflect my current collection of classy vehicles;
RustyFordTransit
BertsGolf
IkeahotdogsVolvo
singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/so-ive-got-this-mercedes-and-i-have-questions/page/3/#post-11974077
Not a van admittedly, but lots of old Honda CRVs about with petrol engines. Reliable too.
Nissan Elgrand.
8 seater with rear bench folding out of the way, 3 bikes with wheels off, 2 bikes front wheels off, or 1 bike without removing wheels (all with seats in place).
Rear seats fold flat into small double bed (or single with a bike down the side) just chuck a mattress down on top
Big lazy 3.5 V6, switchable 2wd/4wd, every gadget/option possible, electric everything (sliding side doors, pop out windows, power curtains etc), cameras everywhere, really reliable if you've had the front cats gutted (most have) and I think looks good in a bonkers ugly JDM way - well better than a Alphard anyway.
Mate had a T5 V6.
Thirsty best describes it.
Galaxy or Smax. Remove seats and you've got a space to kip when away.
I spent a summer in the alps in a Sharan (shape shared with the Galaxy and Seat thing). Was brilliant. Enough room for me, bike and gear.
alpin the Seat version was the Alhambra, 2 of my staff had a Galaxy and an Alhambra.
The Galaxy was a 2.3 petrol and the Alhambra was a 1.9D not sure the Seat was sold in petrol format?
They are great bus like units but might be a bit of a big old barge compared to Hannah's Berlingo?
Honda do some pretty reliable transport possibly a Honda Stream?
What about a Mazda Bongo? You can get them up to 54 Reg. A fresh imported MPV pre- camper conversion might work for you.
There is a specialist in Rishworth, so fairly local of anything goes wrong
I'd go and get that vauxhall combo life linked above.
The combo life is the same vehicle as the new Berlingo and the rifter but with a different nose.
It's only 2 years old, still has mfr warranty
The other option to consider would be am older diesel without a dpf. I think they were mostly introduced in the mod naughties, so a t4 or something would I think have less issues with short journeys. Might open your options a little bit.
A bongo is a thirsty reverse tardis. The floor of it is really high i guess as it's mid engined. Less usable space than a galaxy, not sure if the other wierdo japanese stuff is better but they've mostly been clocked so be careful
What's the Berlingo like otherwise? Rust, upcoming expensive service, tyres etc.? Since you've had the ECU tested, the fix is likely time consuming but shouldn't be insanely expensive. Most likely thing is wire/ground connection on an output device. A torch and a bit of contortionism might find the problem. It's a question of looking at all the wires going to output devices and the ground connection. Otherwise a decent mechanic should be able to sort it.
I wouldn't write-off a diesel purely due to short journeys. True, many will throw a fit trying to clean their DPF if you keep turning the engine off halfway through the cycle (My Iveco won't put up with repeated local short trips...the sort you should do by bike) but as long as it gets hot and does the odd A Road it's fine
However, there will be many traders with similar trip styles, pretty sure the popular mid size vans such as Transit's and Vivaros can cope with town work, we have a huge fleet at work and the smaller vans don't seem to give much hassle.
@cromolyolly it’s pretty good I think! Had a full service in March/April. No dents or rust on bodywork. A tear on one seat from a DMR vault pedal! Guy that looked for broken wires said it looked good on that front.
I’ve just made enquiries about a giant diesel Transit that’s cheap enough that I could buy a cargo bike for many local trip duties and have all out camper conversion fun. It’ll probably turn out to be a thrashed rust bucket but my head is now on ‘can I go big and comfy and diesel…?’
Transit + Cheap = Rusty.
Not seen an older one not made of fag paper yet!
It’ll probably turn out to be a thrashed rust
It will probably need all the things you have replaced on your current van!
The problem with buying a van at the moment is your paying a premium. Everyone wants them for deliveries and campervan conversions.
Sounds like your belingo is a great van but just has one gremlin that needs fixing.
I'm guessing your in Halifax, which auto electricians have you tried?
J. S rushworth is highly recommended.
https://www.autoelectricianhalifax.co.uk/services
OK, my tuppence...2 things that spring to mind...When was the fuel filter last changed? - could be clogged...Or the other one; get the garage to check for air leaks after the airflow meter, any air dragged in here won't be 'seen' by the ECU and so not compensated for and it will lean the engine and maybe be the cause your power loss? Get yr partner to poke about behind it, and check the hoses and clips to make sure there's nothings obviously worn Might also be worth checking the wiring and connector to the airflow meter for any signs of corrosion or damage, might also be worth looking at the throttle pedal sensor for worn wiring.
As these are mechanical faults they tends not to turn on the engine fault light
You can sometime hear a 'hissing' noise with the engine running when there's an air leak
I'm with Welsh farmer. At the moment you have a with with a history you know, it pretty good shape, with one problem. If you drop, say, 5k on a replacement, will you end up with a better vehicle than if you spent 1k chasing the problem? At some point obviously you are throwing good money after bad, but it seems like you've had half the work done to fix the problem, in the sense you've eliminated some possible causes.
Someone on here I think discovered the bolt attaching a sensor or similar had developed so much crud from dissimilar metal corrosion that it was no longer grounding. Lots of output devices ground via the attachment point. Without seeing the car, that's where I be looking. I don't know about rhe Berlingo but some have an egr solenoid that is separate from the actual valve. If the valve has been replaced because a tech. thought that might be the problem, I be looking there or thereabouts as a start. With the right equipment, a mechanic should be able to see a snapshot of the pcm when the problem occurs, which could guide them.
@damascus it's booked in with him but he's not free until the end of the month.
Before he can look at it, I need to go to Scotland with the family and so I need a car that works. I'm looking at £700 minimum to rent, which would go a long way towards something new that I had faith in. And then if I can fix the Berlingo maybe I sell it and get some money back.
Back to eyeing up Stepwagons I think, seems to be the only affordable not-a-Berlingo and different-enough-from-a-Berlingo I can find.
Alternative view point.
700 quid hires you a reliable car for your holiday with no stress.
It doesn't buy much of a vehicle these days at all. And it could be buying a whole set of new problems at short notice before setting off on a long journey.
Can you borrow a car for the family trip to Scotland?
Is it £700 for the week? That sounds expensive
Dont bother with a jap import imho
Go for something common and easy to fix.
I did a Nissan el grande? For someone choice after choice on pads alone. Plus any tech backup is zero
What about a Nissan NV200.....
