Need a work vehicle ?

[W.olly]

Hi guys n gals

Well what a week i have had with the new business good though. Although just got back this morning from down south so a good 750 mile round trip in the old Berlngo, i am shocked it made it back as it just made it there i think. Back axle has gone all together now.

There is a chance of driving to Sardinia in Italy some time in the near future and there is no way in this world i will be going all that way in the Berlingo even with a new axle fitted.

Now i was looking at a Shogun but i cant afford one ( financed so needs to be 7 years ow newer ) And looked at a Jag X type, nice car but not up on them, not into BMW or Audi in my price range, or at all really.

So i looked at a 15 plate Fiat Doblo 1.3D Proessioanl, 40k on the clock and £6k inc vat. Affordable according to the dealer with the funds i have.

Nice van but unsure if they are any good ?.


I dont like modern vehicles as to hard to fix and costly etc etc. Give me a good old 20 years old Shogun or Discovery any day.

Shame the 21 year old Mitsi FTO i have does`nt have a big boot lol.

Come on help me decide what to look at, Transit ( maybe the Connect ) but told they are crap nowadays. VW expensive. Merc the same.

I need it for tools and dragging a 10x6`ish box trailer/workshop. reason for a Shogun aswell as pulling my 2.5ton boat. Guess thats out the window with a small van now.


I guess the time had to come when i need a modern vehicle


What you guys vouch for then around the £5k bracket.

Cheers

Wayne

 

[bigegg]

Lexus?
Rx or CT(?) for boot space.

A 20 y/o gs300 will set you back a grand - get one pre 1998, so you can get a towbar! 2t limit tho (4200kg gtw)
They truly ARE unkillable, and less than down payment on a finance deal?

 

[gaz_moose]

don't think I would want to finance 750 mile trips in a GS300..

what do you actually need? a van or a car?

 

[bigegg]

don't think I would want to finance 750 mile trips in a GS300..

what do you actually need? a van or a car?

You could be right.
£143 to do a 750mile round trip to Ben Nevis + back last year in the lexus.

But, the op mentioned a shogun: that's £150 to run to shops and back:
It's drinks like Oli Reed and George best on a bender.

My lpg shogun costs as much to run as the petrol lexus.
Both 3 litre engine.

 

[W.olly]

Lexus?
Rx or CT(?) for boot space.

A 20 y/o gs300 will set you back a grand - get one pre 1998, so you can get a towbar! 2t limit tho (4200kg gtw)
They truly ARE unkillable, and less than down payment on a finance deal?

I have a a grand in the hand for a deposit actually and can go to £1.5k soon if need be if i was to buy an old car. I will have a look and se about an estate if i go with a car.

Just checked van insurance and its a P take the cost

don't think I would want to finance 750 mile trips in a GS300..

what do you actually need? a van or a car?

After thinking on it a van wold be best, so i could go for an older one but i would be paranoid with long trips, the Italy trip i will be away for months, 6 months even.

You could be right.
£143 to do a 750mile round trip to Ben Nevis + back last year in the lexus.

But, the op mentioned a shogun: that's £150 to run to shops and back:
It's drinks like Oli Reed and George best on a bender.

Ye not cheap on fuel, i have had a few MK 2.8TD`s and look after them and bullet proof, never been failed by them yet but thought to go newer with a MK3.


Any good size vehicle that i like will do , if its a second hand van then any size aslong as it will tow a good box trailer loaded with 3/4 ton of gear aswell. never mind towing the boat in that case.

head is spinning with all the choices to look at.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

How about a Volvo estate [could double as a bedroom? ], or a BMW 3 series Touring?

 

[Migmac]

Look out for auctions selling Forestry Commission vans. They are all fully serviced, bits are replaced as and when needed. Admittedly some are abused by drivers but lots aren’t. 58 plate vans were going for £400 pounds up here, one boy bought a few of them. Washed and polished them and sold them on for tidy profit. We use all sorts of vans Transits, Sprinters and loads of the wee vans

 

[fixerupper]

Volvo 740 estate 2 litre fuel injection ...best car I've ever had .....

 

[W.olly]

I have always had something for Volvos as built well and big. which are them estate 4x4 country? types ?

 

[W.olly]

Skoda Yeti ?

 

[frank horton]

how about an older T4-5 VW combi........we got a 5 seater witha new engine for less than £3,000......wax-oiled from new........
just measured for the ferry 4.8m long (size of a car) but extra room......use as a sleeper and or a trauck.......
our's will be our FOREVER vehicle.......plenty of cheap new parts not alway genuine needed........
just sayin........

 

[addjunkie]

If your doing big miles and over nighters Id agree on the vw...with hinge down bed for a kip!

 

[Cobbler]

With your original enquiry about a Doblo, my old boss bought one a good 10 years ago, we all took the mick, fix it again tomorrow sort of thing, but he loved it, towed a caravan with it & reckoned it did 50 to the gallon. Last time I spoke to him, he'd bought another new one, so must be reasonable as he is one of these people that tends to change his other car every other month.

 

[bigegg]

I have always had something for Volvos as built well and big. which are them estate 4x4 country? types ?

Xc70 or 90?

 

[Beanwood]

Xc70 or 90?

Xc70 is a comfortable 4x4 and does miles with ease. According to we buy any car, my57 plate version is about £1500. Only does 34 to the gallon though. Serviced at a Volvo dealer gets 12 months roadside assistance as well, even in Europe
For loads of fast frugal miles what about a BMW 530D

 

[eLuSiVeMiTe]

I missed 6 ivecos when hunting for a new van. Be looking for another one next year.
Buy bigger than you think you need.
Once you've had a lwb hi top everything seems tiny in comparison.
Currently running a 04 plate traffic.
Beem pretty good so far but only had since nov.

Previous to that was a ldv convoy. Cheap to run and maintain unless the fuel pum dies.

 

[andyclimax]

seat alhambra or vw sharon or ford galaxy .
i had a alhambra for years , the best car i have ever had. take out the seats 2 minute job and you can get inside a set of propane / oxygen tanks , a spitfire welder generator wheel barrow type. 6 gate posts made from 100x100 x 6 mm box and still have loads of room to spare. can tow at least 2000kg as i did and i think will tow more . fit a roof rack or bars to carry long bits .
easy 60mpg . quick and nice to drive.
or you can fit 7 big fat rugby players each weighing over 100kg and not notice. awesome cars

 

[gaz_moose]

just search van on ebay for around the budget you want to spend.

£1500 would pick you up a decent enough vivaro / traffic etc.. then spend some on getting it serviced etc..

 

[W.olly]

how about an older T4-5 VW combi........we got a 5 seater witha new engine for less than £3,000......wax-oiled from new........
just measured for the ferry 4.8m long (size of a car) but extra room......use as a sleeper and or a trauck.......
our's will be our FOREVER vehicle.......plenty of cheap new parts not alway genuine needed........
just sayin........

If your doing big miles and over nighters Id agree on the vw...with hinge down bed for a kip!

A van is a no no now, near triple the cost of a car, even the small vans are.

With your original enquiry about a Doblo, my old boss bought one a good 10 years ago, we all took the mick, fix it again tomorrow sort of thing, but he loved it, towed a caravan with it & reckoned it did 50 to the gallon. Last time I spoke to him, he'd bought another new one, so must be reasonable as he is one of these people that tends to change his other car every other month.

Yes i thnk thye are good cars, like most second hand cars you take a chance i guess. Some folk are lucky with them, My wife has had peugoet an Fiat for the last 10 years and never a bad car yet really.

Xc70 or 90?

Thanks i will have a look but i may of decided see below.

seat alhambra or vw sharon or ford galaxy .
i had a alhambra for years , the best car i have ever had. take out the seats 2 minute job and you can get inside a set of propane / oxygen tanks , a spitfire welder generator wheel barrow type. 6 gate posts made from 100x100 x 6 mm box and still have loads of room to spare. can tow at least 2000kg as i did and i think will tow more . fit a roof rack or bars to carry long bits .
easy 60mpg . quick and nice to drive.
or you can fit 7 big fat rugby players each weighing over 100kg and not notice. awesome cars

Not my cup of T them mate. still thanks for the ideas.




Now the Skoda Yeti around 2010 plate, 2l diesel with 140BHP odd ( not the 110bhp ) brake and 4x4 with average 45 MPG over 50mpg on the motorway. Not bad for the 4x4 and power.

Good tow vehicles for big trailer as well.

Just going to check insurance first be for ei fully decide on them.

 

[130]

You could be right.
£143 to do a 750mile round trip to Ben Nevis + back last year in the lexus.

But, the op mentioned a shogun: that's £150 to run to shops and back:
It's drinks like Oli Reed and George best on a bender.

My lpg shogun costs as much to run as the petrol lexus.
Both 3 litre engine.

In 2011 when I converted the 328 LPG was 72.9 at the local petrol station.
It's been down to 43p at the local bottled gas place that has LPG pumps for autogas and now is up to 54p

Last time I did the maths I was using "petrol station" gas and it was working out as equivalent pence per mile to 58mpg
Thing is I get about 185 miles on a tank around town with one good run a week (80 miles). When I go on the motorway I'll get 240+ on a tank

Old BMW plus LPG is a good bet.
Tourings are a great work horse.
1990s BMW do have a level of tech people weren't aware of back in the day BUT are easy to diagnose and work on.

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Windows Script Host
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You chose the following
Annual Miles 12000
Petrol 28 MPG
Petrol cost £1.169 per litre
LPG cost £0.54 per litre
MPG drop of 10% on LPG
Conversion cost £814

Results are
LPG Annual cost £1169
Petrol Annual cost £2277.59
Yearly Saving £1108.6
Monthly Saving £92.38
Return on investment in 8.81 months
Percentage saving 48.67%
Petrol cost of £0.19 per mile
LPG cost of £0.1 per mile

Equivalents are
Petrol per gallon £5.31
LPG per gallon £2.45
LPG running cost equal to getting
54.55 MPG on petrol
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OK
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