Anyone know anything about vans?

Freakitchen · 12 Feb 2015 at 22:05

Hi everyone,

My old man needs a new van for his firm. A few years ago he paid good money for a nearly-new Merc sprinter with low miles and it's given him nothing but trouble. Lots of expensive repairs, mostly engine-based, and now it has drive train issues.

He needs a LWB 'jumbo' type van, preferably high height too. What's the most reliable option out there in the world of vans?

This van will be driven to death, and mostly not by him, so he's tempted with a lease, but 40k miles a year causes issues with that.

Anyone have any experience with buying this sort of thing; choosing between new and used etc.?

Cheers

Maccapacca · 12 Feb 2015 at 22:18

Simple, French and with a warranty fits this quite well.

mattyg · 12 Feb 2015 at 22:42

I put 80k on an Iveco 35c12 with only servicing. I much preferred it to a sprinter. Although getting the back end out in a sprinter was much easier

Scania · 13 Feb 2015 at 04:55

Earlier Sprinters are dire,good to drive but very unreliable once the miles pile on, the later ones IMO are very much improved.

As something to run until it dies, a late Sprinter could well suit, I know of numerous ones with ludicrous mileage on them that just keep on going, arguably better than their French competition but at a premium.

Would a high top Tranny not suit? - a a transit would be at the top of my list but I'm unsure if they do a "jumbo" variant as such.

New if possible, most used vans have had a very hard life, an owned from new and crucially a looked after example should give years of trouble free service.

Joe T · 13 Feb 2015 at 06:10

Movano or Master are good shouts.

Swagger187 · 13 Feb 2015 at 09:04

They are slow and the drivers get in the way

Freakitchen · 13 Feb 2015 at 09:43

Thanks gents. If new is the answer, is it a case of just calling main dealers or is there a third party he could potentially get a better deal through?

Cosmic182 · 13 Feb 2015 at 09:46

Try looking at York Van Centre? You aren't far away.

Scania · 13 Feb 2015 at 10:38

Numerous brokers around much the same as for buying a car, I'd scour the web for commercial vehicle traders and make some enquiries.

Phone your local dealers too.

wingman · 13 Feb 2015 at 12:50

Can't comment on the Sprinter you had issues with but my old mans 2011 Sprinter has 230,000 on the clock and is still running strong, only an £800 repair in that time has fallen on it.

Zeed · 13 Feb 2015 at 16:22

So far good old ford transit wast best one i drove.

VW transporter was breaking all the time

I gotVauxhall Vivaro now 3890 miles and its got 3 fail lights on already AVOID.

MeEsH BaKkA · 13 Feb 2015 at 16:34

Transits are the best vans by a long way.

jon.bda · 13 Feb 2015 at 22:28

Man with a van who comes to our place has always been a Merc guy but has nothing but praise for his VW Crafter...says he can squeeze more in one than a lwb Sprinter as well...

AlanJ · 13 Feb 2015 at 22:36

I've put 84,000 miles on my transit in 2.5years never skipped a beat!! Can't beat a transit

atpbx · 14 Feb 2015 at 20:15

Transit.
With the most powerful engine he can afford.

Tinders · 14 Feb 2015 at 20:24

Isnt the crafter basically a sprinter body??

mattyfez · 14 Feb 2015 at 20:25

I like Peugeot vans, but not a fan of the seats though, found them a bit un-comfy for long drives, fine otherwise though.

Abraxaz1 · 14 Feb 2015 at 20:50

only have access to the run down beaten to a pulp vans that runtech give us and I can honestly say that transits seem to last longer before they eventually go to the great gods in the sky, plus they are relatively easy to drive without a clutch.

The only peugeot van we had died after a hour of abuse, drive shaft failed and key broke into multiple pieces when trying to open fuel filler cap but like I said I only get the rest of the works hand-me-downs. I found the nissan pickups are very reliable

and back end steps out very easily.

cash_13 · 15 Feb 2015 at 09:38

The idea that first sprinters were unreliable is WRONG!

I done 480,000 miles on my 2.9 sprinter doing a trip to Marbella from London once a week for 18 months and Rome, Monaco, Copenhagen Munich etc plus runs to Scotland in my job as a light haulage contractor...... its was only the later CDI 2.2 models that had major issues......change the oil and filters with any diesel engine and they will last longer. My latest van is a 35/S/12 Iveco which has already been mentioned which are cracking vans based on a solid lorry chassis.....they are reliable except for minor wiring and switch gear issues but are the most uncomfortable van you will ever drive sitting pretty well bolt upright, cheap as chip on spares though compared to Mercedes.......

GT3 · 15 Feb 2015 at 10:51

My 13 plate 313cdi lwb sprinter has been back to the dealer with a wiring fault that kept putting it in limp mode, and its had a new dual mass flywheel already as well as a full front suspension rebuild. It's nice to drive when its working, but pretty poor for one with less than 50k miles. My 58 plate and 59 plate 311 cdi's I had previously both had new gearboxes at 20k and 85k miles respectively. I probably drive it too hard and it is inner city mileage but still not good. The previous Iveco's we had whilst agricultural and not as nice to drive were a lot more mechanically solid.

In comparison my mates got a Peugeot Expert lwb (I realise its a smaller van but the Boxer should be similar) is a 57 plate with 160k miles, in that time its had a clutch and flywheel and front arb bushes and not much else

Anyone know anything about vans?

Tea Drinker