Seriously considering a small van as a second vehicle – thinking Transit Connect size. Although heard Connect are pretty poor on fuel…

Ideally want something I can get a couple of bikes stood up in the back, good fuel economy and nice to drive. Any owners like to give some first hand experience?

Berlingo is great here, have the option of 2/3/4/5 seats by removing them, lots of room, handles to protect your licence, fuel ok, cheap – OR – a VW Caddy.

I’ve got a Ford Fiesta van. Bit smaller than you’re thinking of but a decent load space inside. You can get two bikes in easy, you just need to take the wheels off. I use a couple of old pillows and a duvet to stop them getting damaged. It has a towbar too so gives the option to carry more bikes if need be.
Nice to drive, super economical, one careful lady owner…
That last bit is not true but I am going to sell it next month (I’m moving overseas). Give me a shout if interested in seeing pics, getting more details.

Small van? How small….
My father has one of these: fully fitted camper van, and he can pop my bike the back between seats and cooking stuff..
He has owned it three years, and had an offer yesterday for £2k more that he paid for it(!)
Does 40+mpg, has had nothing but servicing. He does a few big trips each year, plus a daily use car.

Got a berlingo (new shape – much better than the old). Posted loads on it before, but in summary – take 2 seats out the back, 3 bikes wheel in + 3 folk, no taking wheels off, plenty room for it.

And it’s not just small bikes that fit too, my 22″ 29er horsethief goes fine.

Love my caddy, bike or two on the towbar carrier, dogs on raised platform inside, our gear underneath, here in Cornwall for the week.

Older berlingo here.
2 seats removed from back, tinted windows. Perfect bike car.

Thanks for your thoughts so far… I’ve got another car so not worried about seating options, would be panelled out for easy of cleaning 🙂

Caddy driver here 🙂

It’s comfortable to drive, pretty cheap to run averaging about 48mpg and will fit four bikes in the back without taking the wheels off.
I looked at quite a few different vans before I went for the Caddy and it was the only one that really fitted the bill as far as I was concerned.

We’ve had both Kangoo, Doblo and Caddy vans. Kangoo had the best engine and driving position but had annoying electrical gremlins. Doblo was very roomy, cheap and was very reliable but didn’t like the driving position and was leaf sprung at the back. Caddy was expensive and wasn’t as well finished as you might expect for the money.
Despite it being a Fiat the Doblo was good value for money. Did over 80k miles in it and never went wrong. 1.9JTD engine was good and it was very roomy.

Vauxhall Combo. Cracking little 1.3 CDTI engine and bags of room in the back. Ford’s can ocassionally run into engine trouble while the Combo is pretty bulletproof. If not that then again another Vauxhall, the Astra van. Although in the Astra bikes can be a struggle to stand upright and need to go on their side.

ive got a peugeot expert can fit 5 bikes easily with wheels on or 3 and enough to sleep down the side 40+mph just abit sluggish

Another vote for the combo. The 1.3 diesel is very spritely when lightly laden 🙂

I’ve got a berlingo and my mum has a kangoo, not much between them tbh, although the old shape kangoo feels smaller to drive than the new shape berlingo while still having plenty of room for bikes. Mine has more grunt than hers but not sure what engine she has.

I wish I’d bought mine years ago!

Hmm, interesting – ruled out the combo as thought it would be too low to get a bike in stood up…

Hmm, interesting – ruled out the combo as thought it would be too low to get a bike in stood up…

Had 4 bikes in the back of mine fully all stood up & no dis-assembly required. Drives fine & isn’t subject to silly speed limit restrictions as it’s a car based van, still subject to double price for crossing the Severn Bridge.

pug expert » 07 here. picks up quicker than my old Leon, cheaper to insure, have done straight, 5 hour drives in it and been reasonably happy @ the other end. not bling at all, but cheap for it. strap the side doors together inside to reduce wind noise if you’re doing distance. bikes in whole. sleep full length easy. think the mileage is ok of you go easy but never done the sums.

Thinking about a bike van too, was looking at Dispatch/Expert/Scudo’s as I didn’t think smaller vans were long enough. Obviously you guys seem to have done it, but can you really get a fully assembled bike or two with both wheels on in some of the smaller vans? My Genesis Alpitude is 1800mm from back to front and the data I’ve found for the smaller vans puts load length at nearer 1600 – 1700mm

You might have to turn the bars…

I’d never buy a FIAT but I did, a 1.9tdi Doblo and it was a cracking little van for my business. Real comfy, decent size, 50mpg plus and nippy, I’d have another tomorrow if I started another business. On the one occasion it let me down FIAT put me in a hire van, repaired the problem and washed the van within 24hrs.