DaveyLC
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Registered: 8th Oct 08
Location: Berkshire
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Yet again I'm toying with the idea of a Camper and these are cheap as chips, plus well finished campers are still £20k+ so it would have some sort of re-sale value, obviously I'm not looking to make a profit but I would like to know I've not wasted a few grand 
I have been told however the 2.0cdti versions are complete and utter shit, riddled with electrical problems, catastrophic bottom-end failures and injector woes due to corrosion and drainage issues.
So that leaves the 1.9 (which is only available until 2006) and the 2.5 which seems to be phased out around 2010/11..
Has anyone had experience of the later 2.0's? i.e. have the reliability problems been sorted?
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SVM 286
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Registered: 13th Feb 05
Location: pain
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Worked on a few of the 1.9 and 2.0 variants Davey.
When they are right, they drive very nicely in my experience.
They do seem to be developed around more car, rather than commercial vehicle derived hardware/technology though and tend to wear certain things out at an accelerated rate.
I've changed a few injector rails.
They seem to like wearing out ball joints, wishbone bushes, drop links, roll bar bushes, track rod ends and track rods.
They also like a leaky & worn rack and are mad keen at spitting the back casing of the PAS pump clean off!
On the plus side, this could be why they drive like they do.
Short of a Transit, they are the most car-like vans I think i've driven.
I always found Sprinters, Vitos and (sorry Nic) Transporters, to feel very agricultural and wearing to drive over any distance.
And even though the Trafic/Vivaro has a face only a mother could love, it's a vehicle I wouldn't mind driving on a daily basis, entirely down to it's overall practicality and general ease/pleasantness of use.
If cheap enough, probably a viable purchase. But it will need fixing, unless it's been owned from new and carefully used by either a florist or a baker.
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SVM 286
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Oh and I think about the latest one I worked on was an 06, although there might have been an 09.
Not seen or driven any 2.5s though.
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DaveyLC
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Registered: 8th Oct 08
Location: Berkshire
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quote:
Originally posted by SVM 286
On the plus side, this could be why they drive like they do.
Short of a Transit, they are the most car-like vans I think i've driven.
This is one of the main reasons to choose one, when you arrive at your destination you don't want to feel like you've just driven a dumper truck around the world 
quote:
Originally posted by SVM 286
I always found Sprinters, Vitos and (sorry Nic) Transporters, to feel very agricultural and wearing to drive over any distance.
The T5 is certainly one of if not THE best looking van but that's about it! I think they drive like shit.
And the gearbox is what ruins the Vito IMHO.. Drive an Auto and its like a totally different experience 
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DaveyLC
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Registered: 8th Oct 08
Location: Berkshire
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quote:
Originally posted by SVM 286
Oh and I think about the latest one I worked on was an 06, although there might have been an 09.
Not seen or driven any 2.5s though.
I did a bit of research and found a BBC Watch Dog article, apparently the high number of injector failures on the 2.0 models was because of bad drainage, the head would literally fill with water and the injectors corroded causing them to fail and the corrosion normally meant they were well stuck meaning most people had to stump up for a new head!
Apparently the design was revised in 2009 so 10 plate and newer ones are proving to be more reliable.
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SVM 286
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Registered: 13th Feb 05
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I was so disappointed the first time I drove the three I mentioned.
I was expecting so much more, especially from something as dear as a Sprinter and wearing a Mercedes badge.
Likewise, I was utterly gobsmacked that something i'd always turned my nose up at (the Trafic), because of it's Renault badge and general ugliness, turned out to be such a delight to drive.
It's a bit like meeting a really ugly bird from a terrible town who turns out to have an amazing body, a lovely voice and a Nobel Peace Prize.
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SVM 286
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Registered: 13th Feb 05
Location: pain
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quote:
Originally posted by DaveyLC
quote:
Originally posted by SVM 286
On the plus side, this could be why they drive like they do.
Short of a Transit, they are the most car-like vans I think i've driven.
This is one of the main reasons to choose one, when you arrive at your destination you don't want to feel like you've just driven a dumper truck around the world
Indeed.
Especially if that destination happens to be Woolacombe for instance and you've just driven there in heavy summer traffic from London/Kent/Essex/etc.
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SVM 286
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Registered: 13th Feb 05
Location: pain
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quote:
Originally posted by DaveyLC
quote:
Originally posted by SVM 286
Oh and I think about the latest one I worked on was an 06, although there might have been an 09.
Not seen or driven any 2.5s though.
I did a bit of research and found a BBC Watch Dog article, apparently the high number of injector failures on the 2.0 models was because of bad drainage, the head would literally fill with water and the injectors corroded causing them to fail and the corrosion normally meant they were well stuck meaning most people had to stump up for a new head!
Apparently the design was revised in 2009 so 10 plate and newer ones are proving to be more reliable.
Ah ha.
The ones I changed did require significant time, patience and persuasion to get off.
Plus a load of various penetrating solutions and heat where appropriate.
One customer supplied his own rail. A second hand one. That was rusty
Both my governor and I were convinced it would be as bad or worse, but he insisted we still fit it said he'd pay whatever, either way.
I fitted it and it was perfect!
Humble pie for lunch that day.  
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MikeF86
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Registered: 14th Feb 15
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Later 2.0's can suffer timing chain worries. Last two thru the workshop both had jumped the timing, couldn't strip head as injectors seized etc. one had an engine, paid for in full by VX (customer loved me for that! £10k warranty bill due to time to fit a chain initially in case no damage then the hours to replace engine. Was 19.6 in total I believe). Other one we smashed rocker cover off, replaced all 4 injectors, VX paid 50% of the bill that time. Both vans 2010/11 MY, 100k ish mileage.
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MikeF86
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Registered: 14th Feb 15
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Whichever you go for it won't matter, same van different badge.
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DaveyLC
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Registered: 8th Oct 08
Location: Berkshire
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quote:
Originally posted by MikeF86
Whichever you go for it won't matter, same van different badge.
I know that, that's why I included all of them in the topic
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deano87
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Registered: 21st Oct 06
Location: Bedfordshire Drives: Ford Fiesta
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Transit.
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Jimbothebarbarian
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Registered: 19th Apr 07
Location: Cumbria..........drunk..
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I had an 04 trafic from new. Had it for five years most of which I used it for a fuck off huge milk round! I did millions of miles in it and kicked it's head right in. I had pretty trouble free motoring. Had a few issues with brakes binding a fuel pump go and a steering rack. But I did do well over 140k in it.
Drove like a car, was that quiet people thought it was a petrol version. I had the 1.9 version.
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gavin18787
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Registered: 22nd Feb 05
Location: Basildon, Essex
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Dads had a traffic LWB for a good few years. 1.9. Not had anything major apart from the power steering shitting itself once. Few non starting issues but that was due to a bad earth I think in the end. Over all trouble free.
Used it when I moved out a couple of years back. Drives nice and nippy considering it was stuffed with all of my worldly posessions
Drives supercharged Tec with torque 
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