Viewing 14 posts - 1 through 14 (of 14 total)
  • Thinking of changing the car for a van? Advice please?
  • chilled76
    Free Member

    Hiya folks,

    Decided I’d quite like a van, I’m always lugging DIY kit about. Bikes and other hobbies mean it would make some of my leisure time easier… and quite fancy doing the odd Saturday morning for £50 for colleagues etc to get extra beer money.

    I’ve currently got an 06 plate civic cdti and I reckon I can get about 3.5k for it on a private sale.

    I can feasibly push another grand on top of this (although £500 would be more ideal) so budget is about £4k with an absolute max of £4.5k.

    VW transporters were my first choice but seem to fetch a premium and are probably out of budget so have been having a quick scout about.

    Quite like Mercedes Vitos and I’ve heard Ford Transits are good for the money.

    Anything else I should consider?

    What’s the tax like on a van?

    Insurance companies that I should look at? Currently pay about £350 fully comp, is this likely to be much higher?

    Any advice much appreciated as I know very little about them, driven a few when renting them to move house in the past etc but beyond that I’m a complete novice.

    Would like one that can get 35mpg+ if possible?

    tthew
    Full Member

    Do it.

    (advice ends)

    jambalaya
    Free Member

    Lots of similar threads have a search. Your biggest issue may be many insurance companies will not carry car NCB over to vans. One solution is to go for a Belingo type vehicle. I considered same thing but settled for a old shape Rav4 in which you can remove the rear seats so van like lugging ability, resale values are high and generally outside your budget unfortunately.

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    monkeychild
    Free Member

    Are skoda roomsters in that price range now?? They are quite adaptable.

    tthew
    Full Member

    OK, a little less factiously,

    Look for a private sale, most garage prices are advertised price +VAT. You may get a early, but current shape Peugeot Expert/Citroen Dispatch/Fiat Escudo for that sort of money, but look for the 1.6 HDI threads on here to learn about the potential issues.
    Vauxhall Vivaro or it’s clones seem pretty popular also.
    Tax on mine is £220 per year.
    Insurance price is the usual postcode/driver/vehicle/mileage lottery. Normal insurers don’t tend to do vans at any sensible price, your NCB may not be transferable from a car, (not positive about that last bit, you’d have to check with the company)
    You’ll be lucky to get £50 quid for favours, a few cans of beer is more like the going rate.

    edit – and finally, a RAV4 or Skoda Roomster is NOT a suitable option instead of a van. 😀

    mikewsmith
    Free Member

    Moved from Audi a4 to LWB transit, we still had the Octavia.

    Insurance- had to move companies but use one of the comparison sites that does vans, NCB etc. moved over instantly. Price not much different.
    Tax- was around the £220 mark

    Some of the downsides first..

    Fuel going from 50+mpg to 30-32mpg was getting expensive by the time I left the UK.
    Speed limits, dropping 10mph most places was annoying.
    Nipping to the shops etc. car parks a bit harder, need to watch height barriers etc. and come up with a good way to put your shopping in the back.

    Upsides

    Loads of space, bed in the back, gas BBQ & stove, chairs & table. Changing in the back when it’s wet etc.

    I just factored in the VAT into the price of the sale.

    rickmeister
    Full Member

    Check out British Gas caddy vans on ebay…

    Otherwise, just do it. Went from a T5 to a Touran, its sh*t. Get a van…

    couldashouldawoulda
    Free Member

    Are you VAT registered? That’s a 20% difference in most sales.

    I’ve never had a single issue swapping NCD between car and van – but I always use the phone to talk to someone for the best deals (direct line, tesco van,….). Its usually slightly dearer to insure a van than a similar car (unless the van has more than 3 seats which get proper expensive).

    Other stuff – I’d go with Ford. Lots of options / models. Parts. Advice. Aftermarket stuff.

    Maybe a Connect LWB. Or a SWB transit. Both reasonable year / miles / quality for your budget.

    Tax is based on CC. My 1.8 TDCI is £200.

    VanMan
    Free Member

    Just came across this camper on VW site I think I shall be putting this on my Company car list when the Vito comes up for renewal!

    VanHalen
    Full Member

    a VW type 4 will be able to be bought for £4k.

    dont bother with a T5 if you want to keep it for ages/do some mileage as gearboxes/drivedrain failures are common (and expensive)

    I love my van. wouldnt be without one. insurance wise i think mine is less than yours.

    molgrips
    Free Member

    I’d recommend a large MPV (Galaxy, Sharan etc) with the seats out, unlsss you want to be really dirty in there (ahem).

    Far nicer to drive than vans both in terms of kit, ride and handling, and if you get a decent engine like the 170bhp diesel I hired, pretty nippy too. And better fuel economy. And you have the option of putting some or all of the seats back in.

    They are pretty big, but of course not as big as a van if you do have to lug properly large loads, and you would be wanting to look after the interior a bit better than with a van.

    If I were you I’d at least test drive an MPV so you can compare the driving experience.

    littlemisspanda
    Free Member

    I bought a Berlingo in Feb. Love it.

    It’s a 1.6, and it can be a MPV with seats up or van with seats down. Fuel economy very good, it’s a diesel, and it’s nice to drive. It can take a decent load (oo-err!) fits two bikes in without having to remove wheels, or we can put our camping gear in and put the bikes on a towball mounted rack.

    It’s got so many uses, it’s fab, and after Mr Panda and I struggling with a Corsa for a couple of years with our outdoor lifestyle I’d honestly say it’s been the best purchase we’ve made.

    molgrips
    Free Member

    Oh yeah – Berlingo or similar, another good shout. I borrowed the Peugot version once. Front half of a car, back half of a van – great.

    hjghg5
    Free Member

    I love my Berlingo, I’ve only had it 2 months and I wonder how I coped without it for so long.

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