Hi I am looking to buy a van for around 6k.
I need a van that is useable everyday and is as good on fuel as possible. It must be big enough for 3 bikes. Im thinking vito size. I would like to know what you would reccomend and why. Thanks in advance.

If you’re carrying three bikes does that mean 3 passengers too?

if you can spend a bit more you could be the lucky new owner of this:
http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/vw-caddy-19-tdi-bike-hauler-for-sale

😉

Scudo 2.0 jtd. 3 seats and 3 bikes easy in line front to back. Fast and loads of torque. Makes owning and riding a pleasure.

I’ve owned a few vans over a lot of years, and if paying the bills yourself it’s hard to argue with a transit / it’s derivatives.

Currenty we’ve got a Connect LWB (high roof) which has been the cheapest to own. All sorts of configs for passengers / loads.

A bit noisy tbf. But cheap (easy 45 mpg), reliable- a starter after 95K – £260. I’d reckon 6 bikes in the back easy min.

Why – walk around in the back – slightly hunched (in LWB). Cheap repairs. You could camp in the back if you had to.

Did I mention cheap?

maccruiskeen. Thanks for pointing that out. Yes it will have to carry three passengers as well as three bikes.

Thanks for all the comments so far.

Berlingo….
Just got one and its ace. 3 bikes/people easy, 4 with a touch more care but all inside. Normal car when you want it to be. Good economy depending on model.

Not a vito or transporter at that budget. Transporters hold their value to well and you’ll only just get a new shape t5 for that money if you look around carefully. Vitos are just horrid places to be.
Given you want 3 seats I’d be looking at the vivaro/trafic/primastar (07 plate on for the newer and better 2.0 engine and other changes) or the scudo/expert/despatch. In both cases all are made in 1 factory with the same engines and only minor bits change.

Not a vito, for the age you will be looking at you will find without a warranty that it will be a money pit (drive a works 55 plate so far two new rear shocks (no pot holes or other reason to cause it to leak except the worn rear bushes!), two new keys!!, constant Hi oil warning even with oil below the max mark. Worse of all though is a problem with it cutting out for no apparent reason normally in the offside lane of the motorway at speed but sometimes at low speed/low revs. Would not mind but even Mercedes cannot identify and cure the issue-but then I suppose an admission that the ECU is fubarred would mean embarrassment for them.
Previous experience with an old Scudo whilst a real workhorse was that stuff just broke on it when it got to 140000+ miles 😛

This is the kind of info I needed. Awsome thanks heaps. I was seriously thinking of getting a vito but now written the idea off.

You’ve just described a scudo/dispatch/expert to a tee, you’ll just about get a new shape 07 plate for that kind if cash, it’s a better van than the older shape for me by virtue of its squarer body shape.

Fiat scudo, or vauxhall traffic/primastar.etc, both used as taxis, so relaible, never seen a vito taxi,

Vito’s are prone to rust.
Transporters command top $$$
Caddy’s are work horses but get the 1.9Tdi engine. Only problem is 2 seats unless you get the Maxi version.
Peugeot Partner gets good write ups with good spec’s and good mpg.

It may be true that Transporters hold their value, but I managed to buy my second off ebay before Christmas for less than 3k. I love the things, and wouldn’t really consider anything else to match the OP’s criteria nearly as well.

Vitos rust to Shit!
Transporters are too expensive!
Citroen Dispatch/Peugeot Expert are OK
Vauxhall Vivaro/Renault Trafic/Nissan Primastar ok from 07 onwards as stated above.
Transit Connect Good vans
Or short/low wheelbase Tansit bigger van are good vans but you look like the type of people who go round offering to tarmac your drive!

PePPeR – Member
Transporters are too expensive!

Correction:

They can be. See my post above. It’s clearly not a reason for the OP to avoid looking at them.

Fantastic cheers. Your comments have given me plenty to think about. Do any of you have pics of your vans that you can put up??

For that money saxonrider yours would have been an older t4 though. Compared to modern vans in safety, comfort and other things they’re a million miles behind the times. I’ve had a number of vans including a t4 transporter and it really wasn’t that great looking back despite my thoughts at the time.
Expensive also isn’t down to the price alone but what you get for your money. 3k sounds good but if it’s 01ish with 150k ish or whatever it’s still expensive.

Transit – 40,000 Irish Gypsies can’t be wrong

Here’s my new Vauxhall Vivaro.

Saxon rider you haven’t mentioned how old and what spec your £3k Transporter is…

As a comparison my new Vivaro Sportive came in at £16k on the road including VAT, A comparable Transporter was going to cost over £22k. As much as I like VW’s (I’ve had Bay windows and a split screen, I can’t see myself paying that sort of difference).

BTW I’ve got an 03 125HP Medium Wheelbase High Top Transit in Panther Black for sale if anyone wants to make a nice little camper or some such?

Just had a quick blat around Ebay on 2007 Vivaros compared to Transporters, a Vivaro will cost around £4500 a Transporter £8500, I’ll stick with the Vauxhall.

I have a friend who gets 3 bikes and 3 people into a Mercedes A class. Sorted 😛

My T4 is a W-reg Caravelle with 120K miles. My first, which I bought in February 2006, was also a W-reg Caravelle with 120K, though I had bought it for £6500.

My current Caravelle has dual air bags, anti-lock brakes, and with £800 worth of body work, is in perfect exterior condition. It came with a FSH, and should get my family through many thousands of miles worth of camping trips.

ahem, I drive a Vito every day,It gets a lot of hard use on farm tracks delivering goods all over Cumbria,after 97.0000 miles we have had no major faults.the newer 639 versions are galvanised so no rust issues like the older ones.

The only wear item has been front pads lasting about 20.000 miles,considering the vans usually heavily loaded, and is travelling on all the lakeland passes I think its pretty good.

The drvers window switch has become intermittent, hopefully its not an expensive fix,I have a long vito sport for personnal use and can get 6 bikes and five passengers in it with all luggage,splitting fuel costs is one of the great things about vans,and its more sociable when your bouncing after a great day on the bike.. 😉

Had a Transporter great bit of kit. Mind says Transit/Renault(under whatever badge) for the next one. But i know i’ll end up paying top dollar again for a T5.

The newer vito I had was better for rust than the older one but they’re still by far the rustiest vans around. At auctions you see three year old one with rust showing already. Metallic paint versions will rust less than plain ones.

transit connect does not enjoy a good reliability reputation.
i run an 06 pug expert. fine, but side doors a bit noisy. if buying again i’d probably go vivaro/cabstar/traffic.

On a similiar note I have been looking at getting a Citroen Nemo/Peugeot Bipper for carrying my bikes due to the high MPG and cheap road tax but after looking at them I am unsure if you could actually fit a bike in the back!

Anyone had any experiance with them?

Ideally i dont want to be removing both wheels, front would be fine and I could get one of the floor mounted racks to attach the forks to!

Thanks

ahem no2: another Vito here, it’s a works van and bike hauling van. Older style front wheel drive, not the CDI version. We call it the slug … yeah the older ones rust, but a bit of care is all that’s required. Our is clocking 145k at the moment and still going strong. It’s solid and reliable and gets us from A-B albeit, a bit slowly up the steep stuff when tanked full and fully loaded. 😉 It really does depend what you want, but don’t get totally put off certain makes cause of perception/reputation. Work out what your key criteria are and go from there.

My T5 Kombi has been brilliant to own. Purchased as an ex demo 5 years ago the only issue has been the obligatory drive shaft failure at 65K. Otherwise it’s been a very competent bike/surf wagon. It’s happily carried a tonne of materials in the back and towed a 1.4 tonne caravan (don’t ask) with ease. A true workhorse.

Sadly, I’m almost certainly going to have to sell it this year due to job change etc. I would definitely buy another (4motion next) one when times allow.

Thanks for all the comments. I am now looking for a vw caddy tdi. Thanks again, Danny.

*ahem*

legend – Member

if you can spend a bit more you could be the lucky new owner of this:
http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/vw-caddy-19-tdi-bike-hauler-for-sale

Thanks but i dont want one with a lifting tailgate.

Really? You do realise you can’t shelter from rain under barn doors? Double sliders too 😉

Mates just sold a Caddy and bought a t4 so they can sleep in it. I’ve got a t4 and can’t knock it. Had 3 bikes and people in it on Saturday. Easy to drive round town, good for sleeping in and you can still get them at a reasonable price if you but a bare bones one and do all the interior yourself. They hold their value vey well which is more than can be said for most. Road tax is getting a bit steep though.

If you are not planning on doing a million miles, then the Peugeot Partner or the Citroen Dispatch will do the job – you should even be able to get the combi version with an extra row of seats – if not you can always get some added that will tip up to give you more room. There are loads of aftermarket companies that do it – Scot seats and Atlantechs for example.

We have a Renault Trafic at work that’s just clocked 200,000mls without complaint and still on the original clutch. Very good vans, so good we’ve just bought two new ones to replace it. Good on fuel, acceptably quiet for a van and plenty fast enough to cover long distances.

vito = rust & electrical issues.
T4 = scene tax, great drive & loads to play with but you can end up with no money for fuel & biking.
Transit = builders van + rust.

I run a T4 but am seriosuly considering a MWB, Hightop Vivaro, cheap for a van a few years old, more space than a T4, can stand up to change, full camper conversion for far less than equiv T4.

£6k on a T5 will buy you problems..