Renting a van, short wheelbase Transit, anyone drive one?
- Thread starter d_brennen
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No need to be like that mate my point is that because vans are designed to be driven All day they are easy to drive so you won't have a problem.
Only thing you really have to worry about is swinging out a bit wider on turns. For the rest of it you just sit in a nice comfy position over the wheel & pedals for ease of control.
You can literally drive a Transit for 8 hours no prob at all, I've done it loads of times.
Only thing you really have to worry about is swinging out a bit wider on turns. For the rest of it you just sit in a nice comfy position over the wheel & pedals for ease of control.
You can literally drive a Transit for 8 hours no prob at all, I've done it loads of times.
I would have thought that once you passed the relevant test then Yes it would be easy to drive all day. Reducing driver fatigue is a priority for work vehicles.
As somebody who regularly drives a six axle artic for upto 10hours of accumulated driving, it is indeed very easy to drive, I certainly would much prefer 10hours driving my Scania over ANY car for the same length of time.
That said, I've been driving HGV's professionally since '96 and am extremely used to them. When I first passed my test, I found driving trucks one of the most nerve wracking experiences and certainly didn't relish long trips.
These days, I'd far rather do a long distance run than a relatively local one.
As I've said in a different thread, a large HGV is a lot less tiring to drive than any car, seating position, style of driving and field of vision are imo the primary reasons for this.
A transit ultimately is a large car, this is why car licence holders can / should be able to drive them with relative ease.
Assuming the OP doesn't own a HGV license, comparing a Transit van to anything bigger than 3.5/7.5 tonne lorry is ridiculous.
Might as well have compared a fighter jet, for what it's worth.
Soldato
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I am also hiring a SWB Transit on two weeks for my own house move.
I take it these are big enough for double beds and two seater sofa's etc?
I take it these are big enough for double beds and two seater sofa's etc?
I don't actually think he was doing that, more asking if an artic, given its designed to be driven all day as a Transit is, is as easy to drive, if anything, I think, he was just being slightly pedantic.
Incidentally, a 3.5t vehicle would be a Transit, 7.5t & over is where things start to change (air brakes, operators licence required etc etc)
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You've completely and utterly missed the point, try actually reading what I quoted. It's the implied direct correlation between something being designed to be driven for long period (i.e. designed for comfort) and being inherently easy to drive that I am questioning.
Obviously everything becomes easier with experience, but the average car driver is not going jump into e.g. an HGV or quarry truck (i.e. vehicles deigned to be used for extended periods) and immediately feel perfectly confident. A transit is easy to drive but they are bloody uncomfortable IME and certainly not something I would want to drive all day.
Got a Renault Traffic in the end, it's pretty nice to drive if noisy, will be interesting to see what 8 hours + in it will do...
What surprised me was how quick off the mark it is unladen
e: It has sat nav built in, the hire company were trying to sell me sat nav hire for £15/day lol
What surprised me was how quick off the mark it is unladen
e: It has sat nav built in, the hire company were trying to sell me sat nav hire for £15/day lol
Soldato
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What surprised me was how quick off the mark it is unladen
Bare in mind that on a national speed limit road you are only allowed to do 50 or 60 for dual carriage ways. But you can still do 70 on the motorway.
https://www.gov.uk/speed-limits
Tbh I'd just go with a LWB. That little extra room will pay off on a house move and they are just as easy to drive.
Soldato
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Funnily enough I did change it, then got scared even that would not be big enough and hired a Sprinter. Pick it up tomorrow morning for a Tuesday move. It is a little daunting as it will be the biggest vehicle I have ever driven on the road.
Left at 11 am and arrived in London at midnight yesterday/this morning, all in all a ******** of a drive (there was a 2 1/2 hour ferry, some waiting around and a coffee break too) but surprisingly fresh upon arrival. Didn't help having a van load of heavy stuff to unload but I wouldn't have been able to do that drive in my car without more rest breaks
The Traffic was super, only had 10k on the clock, parking sensors and sat nav which was quite helpful. Fairly light on the juice too, did it in about half a tank. I miss it already
The Traffic was super, only had 10k on the clock, parking sensors and sat nav which was quite helpful. Fairly light on the juice too, did it in about half a tank. I miss it already