Head wrecked. Van needed. But which??

Stavros Murphy

As per usual, I need another van. Due to mingeyness, the budget is probably around the 3k mark. Thing is, which one??? I used to just pop out and buy an L400 or a Hiace, but they no longer cut it, so a Traffic or variant seems to be looming.. but they're crap, aren't they?? Anyone got any advice? My head is melted at this stage tbh..

sandydan

what about renault lookalike,son got vauxhall 1.9 04 apart from diesel feedpipe from filter rubbing off engine mounting and holed as result seems to be going like a clock despite my prediction that it would be a disaster,in the newer 07 i know the gearshift developed a problem allegedly due to water from windscreen pouring onto linkage at gearbox but that can be averted,so that gives you the nissan model as well

Stavros Murphy

sandydan wrote: »

what about renault lookalike,son got vauxhall 1.9 04 apart from diesel feedpipe from filter rubbing off engine mounting and holed as result seems to be going like a clock despite my prediction that it would be a disaster,in the newer 07 i know the gearshift developed a problem allegedly due to water from windscreen pouring onto linkage at gearbox but that can be averted,so that gives you the nissan model as well

Yeah, I get your point, but over budget, so it's looking like selling off some stuff and throwing a few more schillings into the pot. There really doesn't seem to be much choice tbh, it's a traffic variant or a ducato/relay variant and much as I love driving them, the reliability is dire..

Thanks though for the advice.

CJhaughey

What about a Master? Supposed to be very good on fuel talking to guys that have them?
Is it a full size van or Scudo/Connect/Berlingo/Caddy you want?

kay 9

Transits ain't all that bad. Parts are readily available and they are easy work on. What's wrong with the hiace?

Stavros Murphy

kay 9 wrote: »

Transits ain't all that bad. Parts are readily available and they are easy work on. What's wrong with the hiace?

Hiace has died...RIP Hiace.. (I have another and could make one of the two but jasus, Hiace..life too short and all that, I've done years in them - like a prison sentence tbh.) I want a biteen of comfort, and it needs to be middley-big..

kay 9

I get ya. The vivaro etc are actually not that great for space. The lwb would be preferred. However, the earlier Primastars/trafics/vivaros with the 1.9 engine are known to be troublesome enough and had a timing belt instead of the newer 2.0 engine which has a chain. Gearboxes are not great but not a big job if you're handy. Probably the nicest vans to drive in that size. Transits rust but other than that are pretty reliable. The vivaros don't rust but have more expensive problems. Oh, almost forgot to mention the electrical fault fairy that seems to live in the vivaro etc. That's a whole other thread. Best of luck what ever you choose. Ps. Stay away from the transporter, absolute money pits. They would break a small business if/when they go wrong.

kay 9

Pity they haven't kept the hiace going. Thirsty machines but made up on reliability. Legendary vehicles

Stavros Murphy

I'm veering towards a Relay, I had a Boxer and loved it, but it cacked its guts on the M50 and rolled down to liffey valley in its death throes. I pulled off the head and the cam was snapped..which was not good. I loved driving that van though, much as it broke down every second week - very comfy, fast and spacious. Finding a good one might prove tricky tho.

Thelostcountry

Stavros Murphy wrote: »

Hiace has died...RIP Hiace.. (I have another and could make one of the two but jasus, Hiace..life too short and all that, I've done years in them - like a prison sentence tbh.) I want a biteen of comfort, and it needs to be middley-big..

You have friends in Hiace's Boss??









Hard to know what to buy theses days, every newish yolk is full of gimmicks

DMF.DPF,EGR ....

Stavros Murphy

Thelostcountry wrote: »

You have friends in Hiace's Boss??









Hard to know what to buy theses days, every newish yolk is full of gimmicks

DMF.DPF,EGR ....

Went to the dealership and asked about a 141 Expert. Can't be bothered buying somthing used. Just too much effort trying to find somthing unabused. 2.0 HDI, three seats and two sliding doors, probably have it in a week or so. Sometimes you just have to ignore your stingey gland..also sold the hiace..an era ends. :D

Thelostcountry

Stavros Murphy wrote: »

Went to the dealership and asked about a 141 Expert. Can't be bothered buying somthing used. Just too much effort trying to find somthing unabused. 2.0 HDI, three seats and two sliding doors, probably have it in a week or so. Sometimes you just have to ignore your stingey gland..also sold the hiace..an era ends. :D

Good stuff, at least when the electrics go haywire You can Feck it back at them to fix it:pac:

get a package deal??

3 years warranty 1 year road tax and 3 years servicing ??


Breast of luck with it:cool:

mancity1

Congrats on new van was just going to say to look at a Hyundai H1 but nothing beats a new van

sandydan

yez can't bate de man wid de muney

Reggie.

Well wear

Stavros Murphy

Thelostcountry wrote: »

Good stuff, at least when the electrics go haywire You can Feck it back at them to fix it:pac:

get a package deal??

3 years warranty 1 year road tax and 3 years servicing ??


Breast of luck with it:cool:

Thanks for that - things actually took a bit of a turn at the end-up, the local Renault dealer went all pro-active on me and sent down a new Master for a bit of an extended "test drive" and dangled a five year unlimited mileage warranty etc etc plus a damn good price...so I did a bit of a u-turn and plipped for that instead. Collect it tomorrow and the damn thing can't come soon enough tbh as the last few weeks have been tooth-pullingly hard on the "broken vans" front.

A bit of fresh will not go amiss, and I've a fair idea to order another and replace a very tired Transit we're working into the ground at the mo. Probably will too. Older vans are becoming a headache tbh, especially with all the new rules and regs they seem to introduce on a daily basis.

sandydan

good luck with new purchase, one point though take a look at where my friend alleged the water from windscreen is going,
His van is 07,maybe that is rectified since. he claimed water from windscreen drops on to gearbox at or over linkage at gearbox shaft,caused a bearing in gearbox-shaft to give trouble, it can be averted according to him.

Jimmy Garlic

I had a look at a 04 merc vito yesterday. Very clean, low mileage, cheap. Wondering if I should go for it or not. Don't know much about them.

Stavros Murphy

Jimmy Garlic wrote: »

I had a look at a 04 merc vito yesterday. Very clean, low mileage, cheap. Wondering if I should go for it or not. Don't know much about them.

me, I be running away. Piles.of.problems.

Between ply-lining, a loaner off the dealer, sign-writing and stuff, I actually only got into the Master yesterday. Happy so far, but it's early days. Very early. Probably gonna order another, if only for the fuel savings - it is effectively cost-free when compared to our other vans as it is so much more economical. I highly doubt I'll ever buy used again. Just not worth the grief and financially, they just don't make sense anymore. Repairs, fuel usage, tax-ineffectiveness etc just make it uneconomic to run an older vehicle commercially.

s14driftking

ull need that warranty with the master a mate has a 2012 one and its being back will Renault now 11 or 12 times, trouble with ignition drive shafts injectors engine mounts broke etc, very good on fuel thou

Stavros Murphy

s14driftking wrote: »

ull need that warranty with the master a mate has a 2012 one and its being back will Renault now 11 or 12 times, trouble with ignition drive shafts injectors engine mounts broke etc, very good on fuel thou

Yeah, but I also have mates with 2011/2012/2013 ones with the ar5e driven out of them with no bother at all. End of the day, there is a warranty, I'm not shy or quiet, so back it'll go and I have the guarantee of a loaner for any time it is off the road, so by and large, I'm happy out. I have a fairly new Iveco as well that everyone told me would break my heart - not missed a beat yet and its over 100k up already, so I guess you pays your money, you takes your chances.

sandydan

my son's 04 renault look a like vauxhall never let him down bar a pin hole in dsl pipe from filter to pump where it rubbed off mounting ,despite my predicting it would ,he says it's as economical as petrol car :D Well wear