Over the last few years I've had an LDV convoy, Mercedes Vito, Vw Crafter, Vw Transporter and I'm now regularly driving a Renault Master.  My daily driver is a 2015 Transporter 140 Highline DSG, long wheel base with twin side loading doors, I love this van and will happily run it to 150k like my last T5. The biggest POS is the master and would never buy one with my own money 

11 hours ago, Defenderben said:

We have a few new Ford Transit Connect...My engineers love driving them but they are a total PITA for flat batteries!!!

Every time you unlock or open a door they switch on the side lights front & rear and start draining the battery, it is a ludicrous situation, they are on sites and getting tools out etc all day and come 16:30 we get the call to say "my vans dead" can you get a jump sorted...grrr

 

Our latest is the Nissan NV200 with full 5 year manufacturers warranty and on a very good 10 year lease deal

My brother has had this problem too, he is a heating engineer so can be in and out of his van a few times a day, Ford told him that every time you  unlock the van the fuel pump is primed and it will continue to keep primed along with keeping the starting system heated for 30min.  Ford did release an upgraded alternator

& 2nd battery from new but I'm not sure if these can be retrofitted.

The new Toyota Proace doesn't look bad (certainly looks a lot nicer than the old one)

 

https://www.toyota.co.uk/new-cars/proace/index.json

Do you really need a van?

 

My FIL has a carpet cleaning business and he gave up on vans as they were overpriced and just bought a cheap clio and took the back seats out. Would a people carrier with the seats out work better/cheaper?

^^^ Certainly works better if you do lots of routes where a Commercials Speed Limits can be a PITA if you have that size of vehicle or you have tolls to pay.

A smart people carrier with tints might be attractive for customers but not a thief magnet if tools / equipment is being left in.

But what ever you have plenty locally get to know what you carry so toe rags are always going to sniff around.

 

PS

Is a leased Electric Van (not ex utilities) an Option.?

Any Grants available locally, or nationally, free Charging Point at home type thing, good for image and the accounts..

Edited 29 March, 20179 yr by Awayoffski

11 hours ago, Defenderben said:

The Nissan NV200 has the 1.5dci engine from Renault AFAIK.

 

It has twin side doors as standard, reversing camera and good internal dimensions for us and i think it was 740kg load capacity, which is better than the Courier connect, and the Partner/Berlingos etc and some good lease deals. Ours is initially 5 years with the following 5 years on a peppercorn rental of £60 a year.

 

This sounds like a decent little van. How much pcm, pardon for asking!

56 minutes ago, Aspman said:

Do you really need a van?

 

My FIL has a carpet cleaning business and he gave up on vans as they were overpriced and just bought a cheap clio and took the back seats out. Would a people carrier with the seats out work better/cheaper?

 

I thought about this....been looking at estate cars n people carriers, their rear seats usually fold up well or remove easily so create the added space.

52 minutes ago, Awayoffski said:

^^^ Certainly works better if you do lots of routes where a Commercials Speed Limits can be a PITA if you have that size of vehicle or you have tolls to pay.

A smart people carrier with tints might be attractive for customers but not a thief magnet if tools / equipment is being left in.

But what ever you have plenty locally get to know what you carry so toe rags are always going to sniff around.

 

PS

Is a leased Electric Van (not ex utilities) an Option.?

Any Grants available locally, or nationally, free Charging Point at home type thing, good for image and the accounts..

 

Always an option....ANY business should be promoting the eco side of things in some way!

11 hours ago, Defenderben said:

The Nissan NV200 has the 1.5dci engine from Renault AFAIK.

 

Correct  

90bhp five speed or 110bhp six speed.

New ones come with 5 year, 100,000 mile warranty.

 

The Combi version of this van could well be my next vehicle.

Slightly longer than my Roomster but slightly shorter than a VW Caddy, so it should fit my garage.

11 hours ago, VWD said:

My post was around the newer Transits. And a Police warning about how easy it is to get in . But I know a sparky, who parked his van ( only rear doors ) up close to his house and still got his tools nicked. Fords- dead easy to nick the Cat and rear spare wheel . Transit and Ranger are the "mobile gents" dream vehicle, for both of these. And then, there's the economy, or rather lack of.

Side doors. I'd be wary of, as these are problem areas. Great for access, but if you can get out, then t leafs can get in. Transit side doors don't like things inside sliding into them, and the side rails are weak .

I don't know about the latest Transits, but the older ones had a delay on the internal light, meaning that with filling log books ( needed to stop camera problems) , the light could be left on, and next day- flat battery ,and it's a big deal as battery is under seat, and connection point for jump is under bonnet.

 

Think ill be looking elsewhere than Ford then!!

From what ive read and seen and heard from guys with Vitos, i think the only positive with them is, if you are the owner of a mk1 octy vrs looking to put Prosport coilovers on, the droplinks for the vito solves the problem of the link mount points being wrong...

 

Transits are hit and miss in my experience. Ease of nefarious entry aside,some go for ever without hassle, others are bricked before they leave the factory and are trouble personified.

 

Uncle had a vivaro, and changed it after a few yrs for a vivaro..neither ever gave hassle.

 

Something like an XC90 or crewcab hilux? Plenty space and has a perception of quality/class about it for public opinion of your professional abilities too.

 

22 minutes ago, mac11irl said:

From what ive read and seen and heard from guys with Vitos, i think the only positive with them is, if you are the owner of a mk1 octy vrs looking to put Prosport coilovers on, the droplinks for the vito solves the problem of the link mount points being wrong...

 

Transits are hit and miss in my experience. Ease of nefarious entry aside,some go for ever without hassle, others are bricked before they leave the factory and are trouble personified.

 

Uncle had a vivaro, and changed it after a few yrs for a vivaro..neither ever gave hassle.

 

Something like an XC90 or crewcab hilux? Plenty space and has a perception of quality/class about it for public opinion of your professional abilities too.

 

 

Thanks. I'd have thought most vans would've been pretty much bulletproof given their relatively simple compared to cars and the fact they're a workhorse.....how wrong was I!!

You're right about public perception, it needs to look the part. Will look closer at the Vivaro.

I wouldn't touch an XC90, great machine till it goes wrong then mega expensive as my mate found out, four figures every time it needed work!!

Maybe a double cab pick up....seen some decent enough lease deals on the Amorak too! 

Get a good quality (oem) bed box and yer laughing.

 

Navara has had some bad press recently regarding them (and L200) splitting on the chasis rails dye to fatigue failure on a high stress location and corrosion.

 

Newer L200 looks carp imo, hilux much better looking and.. its a hilux -nuff said reliability wise and (again) image wise..

Import a Maloo if wanted something very different

11 hours ago, Chubbs said:

 

This sounds like a decent little van. How much pcm, pardon for asking!

Deposit of £1k plus vat and £160plus vat x 60 then balloon of £2.6k plus vat then next 5 years at £60 plus vat per annum.