jimmy 2.1
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Registered: 17th Oct 05
Location: Shipley, West Yorkshire
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I need a van that has three seats and enough room to carry my bikes to trackday's/racing. I've been hiring swb Transit's from the local hire place but the cost of hiring for one or two days soon adds up when I'm doing 10-12 trackdays a year!
I have around £1500 (possibly a bit more) to spend. I've been looking at Transit's, Merc Vito's, VW T4's, etc. I've been told Vito's are un-reliable and expensive to repair and Transit fuel pumps go and are a fortune to replace? Looked at T4's and they all seem to be miles out of my price range and people want a lot for rot boxes!
Anyone have experience of running these (or any other van) as daily, as it will be my daily vehicle?
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RichR
Premium Member
Registered: 17th Oct 01
Location: Waterhouses, Staffordshire
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I don't think the T4/T5 is big enough either personally. My friend has racked his out for mountain biking and once you have four bikes and gear in, its rammed.
I borrowed it to shift some plasterboard about and with an 8x4 sheet, you couldn't close the doors; only way we got it in was to put it in diagonally and effectively make the space around it fairly redundant.
Your pretty hands on, I'd guess you could change a fuel pump if it went on a Transit to cut out the labour element
[Edited on 06-02-2013 by LiVe LeE]
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RichR
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Registered: 17th Oct 01
Location: Waterhouses, Staffordshire
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Aprilia with a track stand (even just on the rear wheel) has got to be up at 2.4-2.5m so you might be hard pushed getting it in
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Gary
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Registered: 22nd Nov 06
Location: West Yorkshire
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Just dont buy a Renault traffic/Vaux Vivaro. Shocking things they are
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Nic Barnes
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Registered: 5th Apr 04
Location: nowhere near ginger people
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We've had various vehicles at my work over the years. Transits seem to be the longest lasting and take the most pain on a daily basis.
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jimmy 2.1
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Registered: 17th Oct 05
Location: Shipley, West Yorkshire
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Yeah I have no probs getting stuck in on repairs, just don't want to be buying one often if they're that unreliable!
I know what you mean about the T4/5's for space having been in a T5 Sportline there wasn't much room after a bike was loaded. Maybe its a 'Scene' van?  
I've got to factor fuel costs to use it daily. Suppose if they're thirsty it'll give me the kick up the arse i need to get back to pedalling to work!
Are Vivaro's that bad?
[Edited on 06-02-2013 by jimmy 2.1]
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Jon_C
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Registered: 7th Dec 05
Location: Suffolk
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Would it not be easier to get a little van for parts etc and then it's cheap to run around in and get a bike trailer
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Robin
Premium Member
Registered: 7th Jan 04
Location: Northants Drives: Clio 182 Cup
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Transit fuel pumps are not THAT common, scare stories are just that.
He expensive part would be the labour anyway, not the part.
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3CorsaMeal
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Registered: 11th Apr 02
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T4 Prices are mental, i couldn't believe it when my mate tried to prove what his was worth, i just assumed its worth about £500
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jimmy 2.1
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Registered: 17th Oct 05
Location: Shipley, West Yorkshire
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quote:
Originally posted by Jon_C
Would it not be easier to get a little van for parts etc and then it's cheap to run around in and get a bike trailer
Not really. I don't have anywhere to keep a trailor. Plus when its a wet day the van is somewhere I can keep dry/warm.
quote:
Originally posted by Robin
Transit fuel pumps are not THAT common, scare stories are just that.
He expensive part would be the labour anyway, not the part.
Thats what I though would be the case!
quote:
Originally posted by 3CorsaMeal
T4 Prices are mental, i couldn't believe it when my mate tried to prove what his was worth, i just assumed its worth about £500
They're ridiculous! Must be cos people can't afford the earlier split screen/bay window/T25's thats driving the prices up!
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baza31
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Registered: 19th Apr 03
Location: yorkshire
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If you only have £1500 go transit . Bullet proof machines , just don't go for one with a duratorque engine they are shite. Really really shite .
Vitos rot and things just fall apart
Vivaro engines are powered by hamsters that have heart attacks frequently . Also parts drop off .
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Dave
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Registered: 26th Feb 01
Location: Lancs
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I've probably done about 200k in the older shape Transits, 52&54 plates. Hardly ever had any issues with them and they were maintained really poorly.
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jimmy 2.1
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Registered: 17th Oct 05
Location: Shipley, West Yorkshire
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Ok thanks lad's! Looks like Transit's are the way to go. I guess there are millions of spares available for them so that'll help.
Dave, what was it like on Diesel mpg wise?
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Nic Barnes
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Registered: 5th Apr 04
Location: nowhere near ginger people
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Same Dave. Did about 2k a week in one for 3 years rarely maintained, broke down once which was the alt. when we got rid of it, I'm sure it was well over 300k and still drove good. Was a 55 plate. Our other depot has it I think as a commercial fitting van now.
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Dave
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Registered: 26th Feb 01
Location: Lancs
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quote:
Originally posted by jimmy 2.1
Ok thanks lad's! Looks like Transit's are the way to go. I guess there are millions of spares available for them so that'll help.
Dave, what was it like on Diesel mpg wise?
Steady enough, ours were swb 85's but with roof racks which tend to hit mpg, I can't put an exact figure on it but they were noticeably better than the Relay we also used.
The only real downside with the Transits is rust though, the cills arches and bottom of the doors. If you can get a non white one, they don't seem to be as bad, someone told me all the coloured ones are galvanised but not sure how true that is.
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Haimsey
Premium Member
Registered: 8th May 05
Location: Nottingham Drives: Corsa B
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Dunno if relevant but I used to drive Sprinters for deliveries.
They had such huge space and very nice to drive with all the mod cons of cc, blue tooth hands free, a/c, reversing cameras.
Was a long van though.
Brothers mate has a fiat ducato for his track bike.
Has storage rack fitted in the back and room to bed down if needed!
I'll see if he has a picture. It's very smart!
Marcy Marc 
White Sport Progress Thread
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colonel_g
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Registered: 11th Jan 09
Location: Thame
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Get a transit, i bought one with 130k odd miles i think it was for about 1300, spent a few quid tarting it up and was lovely, was an exec so elec windows etc, slow as fuck but i guess mpg in the mid 30's
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colonel_g
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Registered: 11th Jan 09
Location: Thame
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oh, and my bike went in perfectly fine. would easily fit a track bike in there with all your stands etc. Ran mine as a daily for a few months and only thing that pissed me off was the lack of being able to get into multi storey car parks
[Edited on 06-02-2013 by colonel_g]
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jimmy 2.1
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Registered: 17th Oct 05
Location: Shipley, West Yorkshire
User status: Offline
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Looks clean does that. As said earlier, I've hired Transit's before but never ran one daily.
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jrdn7
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Registered: 14th Feb 11
Location: Ireland
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My Uncle uses his 03 work Transit for trackdays, can fit a Suzuki GSXR-750 & a Honda Fireblade on paddock stands with spare tyres & all sorts of other shit. Bought the van for £1300, and even tho it hits something on a daily basis it runs like goes clock.
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corsarooney
Premium Member
Registered: 21st Nov 09
Location: Maidenhead, Berkshire
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I've driven a few different vans, my company uses sprinters and tbh they are great to drive and reliable as fuck, get services not all that often and get abused the fuck out of and still never break! My mate had a transit and his one was shit, bits constantly dropped off and it had that dreaded water pump failure, ended up selling for peanuts rather than fixing it.
Corsa 1.6 sport - 1
1.7 puma engined fiesta - 0
Keeping corsa's on the redline since 2008
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SAS-1991
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Registered: 6th Mar 08
Location: West Yorkshire
User status: Offline
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I have run a van for 3 years now, can't beat it! Good excuse not to give people lifts! But then you get people asking you to move stuff for them! :/
I use my van as a car too? So I play with it like I would a car,
Here's mine:
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matty101
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Registered: 21st Apr 10
Location: Hexham, Northumberland
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we had a transit at work (2000 i think) fuel pump went at about 120k. the boss got a bill for over 1300 quid. i thought it was abit steep but apparently the fuel pump has its own little ecu on which makes it expensive, then once fitted and off to a ford dealer to get coded it soon adds up :/
small van and a bike trailer. u can get collapsible bike trailers too if storage its an issue, and you would be supprised what you can fit in a little van like a combo.
[Edited on 07-02-2013 by matty101]
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jimmy 2.1
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Registered: 17th Oct 05
Location: Shipley, West Yorkshire
User status: Offline
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Its a nice van SAS, I've seen it driving about locally, but its not big enough for my needs.
Small vans only have 2 seats and I need 3. If I was going down the trailer route I'd might aswell get an estate car. But as I said earlier its not that practical especially when its raining. its not fun getting changed into leathers in the rain nor is it standing about in between sessions.
Got.my options down to 2 now, Transit and Sprinter. Someone suggested a VW LT28 but there's not so many in swb forms
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pow
Premium Member
Registered: 11th Sep 06
Location: Hazlemere, Buckinghamshire
User status: Offline
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The Transits and Mercs are the best van to drive, but my my do the Mercs like to ROT
Next door has a 55 plate Vito, I've borrowed it a few times and it goes like shit off a shovel, 6 speed box doing late 30's to the gallon, but it's rusting on EVERY panel!
[Edited on 08-02-2013 by pow]
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