Vans...What to look for?

Tesla · 3 Feb 2006 at 10:02

Going to look at 7vans in a minute.

All are high mileage, one is T reg the others are W reg.

They are surplus to the requirments of the company my Mum works for so going cheap.

I think they are Ford Vans, majority Escort Vans. Could be wrong though as the company do use other vans too.

Anyway, what do I need to look out for? Same as buying a car?

Morba · 3 Feb 2006 at 10:30

pretty much same as a car imo, wear n tear will be more than a car tho i expect.

Adam_151 · 3 Feb 2006 at 10:30

Tesla said:
I think they are Ford Vans, majority Escort Vans. Could be wrong though as the company do use other vans too.

Just thought I'd make sure you are aware of something, car derived vans IIRC (like an escort van is, obviously) are allowed to travel at the same speeds as cars, 'true vans' are sometimes subject to a max speed of 10mph less than cars. Maybe someone who drives vans regulary, or someone who has a highway code book to hand can confirm this?

Ukadder · 3 Feb 2006 at 10:30

Don't buy a Renult Van, very unreliable compaired to the Fords and a lot more expensive to fix.

The Escort Vans are brilliant as are the couriers, I would say the biggiest thing to look for is the right size van for the job your thinking of, they are not briliant on fuel depenging on their size. Escorts/Couriers are the same as a good car a 2tone LWB Hi Roof is vastly diffrent. If your fixing PCs etc then maybe an estate car would be better but thats upto you.

Back Door catches, do the doors lock. Panneling inside the van is decent (costs a lot to get it re-done) Don't be put off by small scraps and dents, you wont get a perfect unmarked T/W reg van with high miles, unlike cars these don't really de-value the selling price.

Apart from that look for the same sort of stuff as normal ford cars, the Escort Vans are very very close to the Escort Cars.

vanpeebles · 3 Feb 2006 at 10:33

im sorry tesla but your only allowed a sooty van

[TW]Fox · 3 Feb 2006 at 11:51

You said the reason why you had to buy a van and not an Estate is that an Estate did not have enough room. An Escort Van is the same size as an Escort Estate just without rear seats - so smaller than a Mondeo Estate.

Buy a full size van or, if you can get away with less space, an Estate.

Morba · 3 Feb 2006 at 12:56

but a volvo estate :]

233 · 3 Feb 2006 at 12:58

true vans(transit size are 60mph limited on motorway one of our boys got done for speeding at 68 quite recently

althoguh car derived are still 70mph as per cars.

and dont buy a n/a derv escort van. its the most underpowered gutless piece of crap out

Tesla · 3 Feb 2006 at 13:42

I'm back.

Escort vans FTL!

They had two tidy-ish ones but they were mechanically rough so I didn't get anything.
I could probably spend a few hundred and a few days making them mechanically sound but tbh I dont want to.

I think GhiaX estate with removable roof rack could be a winner.

saitrix · 3 Feb 2006 at 13:49

If you want decent space then couldnt you just get a Mondeo Estate, with roof rack. Then just remove the rear seats? Id imagine that would give you a large area then for your bits.

I have no clue on the prices and all but how about an A6/5 series size estate, again take rear seats out. Would that be large enough?

4T5 · 3 Feb 2006 at 14:20

Estate cars are the way to go these days. As sormisoft says the eccy vans are guttless. If you stick any weight in at all it'll feel like its going backwards they really are crap. I like the old ones as you can hammer them all day and night sitting at 90 no probs but they are odviously to old and run down to represent a business.

The Mondy estate would be my choice. Loads of space go like Billy o for a Diesel and take a damn good thrashing with no adverse effects.
As a bonus you can fill them with junk and take them down the tip Without needing a tip pass.
You need a tip pass to enter the tip in an Eccy van which is a right pain.
Imho Estates are the current working mans motor.

toy_soldier · 3 Feb 2006 at 15:19

malc30 said:
You need a tip pass to enter the tip in an Eccy van which is a right pain.

Weve been to the tip a few times in works escort van with no probs..Unless different tips have their own rules etc.

mattpc · 3 Feb 2006 at 16:13

Get a nice Volvo 850 with an auto box leather and a decent engine. Maybe even a T5 if you can afford the insurance. Xantia Estates are also very good...

wandgrudd · 3 Feb 2006 at 17:47

sormicoft said:
true vans(transit size are 60mph limited on motorway one of our boys got done for speeding at 68 quite recently

althoguh car derived are still 70mph as per cars.

and dont buy a n/a derv escort van. its the most underpowered gutless piece of crap out

not true

every thing under 7.5 tonnes is a 70mph on motorway. (van wise)

http://www.highwaycode.gov.uk/09.htm#103

transit size vans are fine at 70 mph but many companies are have them restricted to cut down on speeding

Scania · 3 Feb 2006 at 20:05

Merc Sprinter for the win!

Look for clonky drivelines, AVOID anything thats been used for multi drop distribution work (Parcelfarce & the like), the condition of the panels tells you a lot as to how its driven, lots of outward pointing dents tells you the drivers driven it like Colin McRae without a secure load.

Escort / Astra vans are always better for work than cars, 1, there cheaper, 2, no need to screw about folding seats etc 3, they slide much better - Opps! I'm harking back to my days driving for ANC Parcels....

wandgrudd said:
transit size vans are fine at 70 mph but many companies are have them restricted to cut down on speeding

The best thing to prevent speeding in my experience is called "Hourly Pay"

austinpowers · 3 Feb 2006 at 20:39

[TW]Fox said:
You said the reason why you had to buy a van and not an Estate is that an Estate did not have enough room. An Escort Van is the same size as an Escort Estate just without rear seats - so smaller than a Mondeo Estate.

Buy a full size van or, if you can get away with less space, an Estate.

They're not the same size as a escort estate, higher and wider, you must be thinking of the Mk4 escort estate/van version, not the bigger escort van.

Buy my 02 Astra, it's up for renewel soon, £2600, never been tracked or thrashed

with only 136K on the clock.

ste_bla · 3 Feb 2006 at 20:59

sormicoft said:
true vans(transit size are 60mph limited on motorway one of our boys got done for speeding at 68 quite recently

althoguh car derived are still 70mph as per cars.

and dont buy a n/a derv escort van. its the most underpowered gutless piece of crap out

No;

70 - Motorway
60 - Dual Carriage
50 - NSL Single Carriage

Adz · 4 Feb 2006 at 13:45

mattpc said:
Get a nice Volvo 850 with an auto box leather and a decent engine. Maybe even a T5 if you can afford the insurance. Xantia Estates are also very good...

Or an Omega estate (preferably an Elite/CDX). Massive load area, decent engines, cheap insurance and they cost peanuts.

Hixxy · 4 Feb 2006 at 15:58

malc30 said:
You need a tip pass to enter the tip in an Eccy van which is a right pain. QUOTE]

round here it's any signed vans, plumbers builders etc. they know your running a business so there is a charge for dumping.

Treefrog · 8 Feb 2006 at 21:54

ste_bla said:
No;

70 - Motorway
60 - Dual Carriage
50 - NSL Single Carriage

Surely that's 7.5T limits, not van limits? Not that the bobbies really care in my experience.
Mind you that was 70mph on the A46 (three lanes) at 0300, no other vehicles in sight except the police car which cruised past me at around 75-80.