Having finally got rid of the ‘spare’ car (Skoda Superb Estate) I now find myself in a position where I’m about to embark on major building works and without anything even remotely sensible for shifting the odd load of building materials. Majority of stuff will be delivered to the site but I’m imagining there will be the odd occasion where we need something extra-urgent and while the Skoda would have been perfect neither mine nor the wife’s cars are up to the task.
Don’t want to spend more than ~£2k if I can help it and we’re probably looking at late 2023/early 2024 to be finished. Is it worth taking a punt on a cheapo Peugeot Bipper or similar, or will I just end up shelling out for various breakdowns?

I had a 20 year old £400 banger Peugeot partner van and apart from a new fuel pump, ran it for about 2 years with no issues, apart from tyres.

But if you are considering that size of vehicle. I’d just get the car version, will likely to be less beat up than a van. Plus you don’t have issues taking it to the tip if getting rid of rubbish, unlike a van which you generally need a permit for.

A trailer would be an option?

Vans are bloomin expensive at the moment.

I bought a 💩📦 04 connect from eBay back in Feb for £900 as a bit of punt (170k on the clock) – similar vehicles were 1500+ on autotrader and marketplace.

I spent a weekend cleaning the inside of dog hair and had to buy new driver and passenger seats. It’s had the Speedo reconditioned as all the dials stopped working one raining night, and subsequently I’ve changed the belts and all liquids etc.

It’s cost me just under 1k in bits and bobs and servicing to get it reliable, but I’m pretty sure it’ll have issues when it gets wetter and colder…. So just under 2k.

If you can find an goodun great, but most vans have been driven hard and abused – especially at the sub 2k price point.

I’d say a trailer might be better bang for buck.

I’d also check what your local tips policy is too

Trailer is a no go for either car, and I think the council tip can definitely be gits about vans but we have a local guy with space to take rubble/soil/greenery etc. so it would be just for carrying stuff.

Didn’t think about just another car – should have kept the Skoda…

Any plans for a clean air zone in your area? The whole of greater Manchester one is on hold moment but it was going to charge non euro6 vans where as cars with the same engine were no charge

MPV, pull the seats out. Something with sliding doors so look at Chrysler Voyagers, Eurovan 2’s (C8/807/Ulysse) and that ilk. They’ve probably depreciated as far as they ever will so as long as you don’t trash it you’ll get your money back.

If you’re looking at the EV2’s avoid the auto boxes like the plague (heard of many folk buying one and not even making it home) and if it has green clocks make sure the belts have been done within the last 60k (the drip tray leaks onto them and causes premature wear, this was fixed on the orange clock models). 2.0 without FAP (fancy additive system) is the most hassle free, if there is a smaller tank forward of the fuel tank then it has FAP.

It depends how hardcore the building work is your taking on. I had a Mk7 LWB Transit for our project – think cement mixers, 8×4 sheets, steelwork, ton bags, Heras fencing etc
You can get a one hit permit for a van in the council tip but I found it quicker/less hassle to fill the van with crap and take it my local waste company and weighscale it – far cheaper than a skip.
My van was left over from a business we sold – £2k won’t get you much nowadays.

Cheap van

Between daft purchase cost, tax, insurance and maintenance, I don’t think that exists.

What makes you say no for a trailer?

You won’t get much in the back of a bipper.
We had fiat fiorino at work and it wasn’t exactly spacious in the back.

What makes you say no for a trailer?

There isn’t a towbar option for my car and even if there was it is absolutely the last car that should have one, and it appears to be the best part of £1000 for towbar and electrics to be fitted to the wife’s. At least with a van I’ve got the option of selling it on afterwards.

Building work is a small 1+1 bedroom granny flat at the bottom of the garden, approx 50m². When that’s done we’re moving in there to knock down 1/2 the actual house to build ~150m² extension. It’s all timber frame and pretty much everything except roof tiles, cladding and fixtures/fittings is included with the kits. Big tools, e.g. cement mixer, will be kept on site. There are at least 3 builders merchants within 15 miles for bulk deliveries, we’re getting skips for the majority of waste materials and BIL has a LARGE Citroen Relay for getting rid of anything else. I’m envisaging collecting boilers or bathroom suites and the odd bit of “shit, we need more bags of plaster”, rather than “plasterer is here and the plasterboard isn’t. Go get some.”

Look at MK2 2002 – 2009ish Berlingo/Partner Multispace. I bought one last year to avoid stupid tax on vans and they are clean air zone compliant (whereas the van variants aren’t).
Simple and dead easy to work on, small van sized with seats dropped down (or removed), can get in council tips without hassle.
Best engine is 2.0HDI, 1.4 or 1.6petrol also good – avoid the 1.6Hdi diesel if you can due to turbo issues.

£2 – £2.5k will get you a good 2.0HDI.

The van variant is also worth looking at – the 1.9diesel is slow but reliable.

Think the turbo issues were caused by not changing the oil as often as it needed – if my vague memory of that vehicle is right…I think it was scheduled to be done yearly and every 12,000 miles but probably needed it every 8,000 miles or something.

If you don’t find the top-end Multispace variant with the individual removable seats, the other versions don’t fold flat so you lose flat space in the boot, to remove them, there are some torx bolts and the seats are very heavy – but it then does leave a very flat and spacious rear end.

Something like this perhaps ?

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202205135645133?include-delivery-option=on&onesearchad=New&onesearchad=Nearly%20New&onesearchad=Used&sort=relevance&radius=1501&make=Citroen&postcode=bd229ql&advertising-location=at_cars&model=C8&price-to=20000&page=1

^That’s exactly* what I have and described above. Even keeping the middle row you get masses of space and the seats can either be tipped forward or removed easily enough.

*except for being less of an utter shitbox

Look for an old Berlingo multispace. Not a van so no cost at the local tip. Van shapped so loads of space when the seats are down. Managed to put 4 half ton sacks in mine. Obviously not at full wieght with garden waste, but gives an idea of the room in the back.

Skoda Roomster? Cheap as chips at the moment. not sure if you can remove the rear seats

Skoda Roomster? Cheap as chips at the moment. not sure if you can remove the rear seats

You can remove any rear seats with a socket set.

MPV. ford galaxy, seats fold down to make it van like proportions. Can take lots to the tip in one go.

Cheers folks. Few ideas to mull over there, that C8 looks like it’ll carry everything I could think of

Skoda Roomster? Cheap as chips at the moment. not sure if you can remove the rear seats

Bought one as a bike lugger when my combi van died last year. All the rear seats unclip easily giving a reasonable space – large 29er hard tail or the cx bike goes in fine with front wheel off. Possibly a little less space than a berlingo but cheaper! We have the basic spec 1.6 petrol auto, quite a nice drive.