Transit Connect opinions, not commercial use.

[W.olly]

I am thinking on selling the Mitsi FTO ( needs work so not worth much ) and getting a small van for short fishing sessions and i have always liked the Ford Transit Connect. Some thing in need of work MOT failure etc.

Are the Connects based on a ford car for parts etc on running gear etc ?

Oh and a LWB although i am a short **** lol. For insurance i will go for a camper conversion aswell to keep it down due to no NCB although i have full 26 years worth.

 

[octo0072000]

beware of light van speed limits been a thread on here about them

 

[8ob]

We run a couple of Connects, no real problems with either and they get a hammering. Not so sure any of your 26 years worth of NCD mean much to commercial vehicle insurers.

Bob

 

[W.olly]

beware of light van speed limits been a thread on here about them

That dont sound good if they have changed for motorways i will search and see what happening as i drive a van for work and heard nothing.

We run a couple of Connects, no real problems with either and they get a hammering. Not so sure any of your 26 years worth of NCD mean much to commercial vehicle insurers.

Bob

The NCB dont help with any bugger, stupid as it is aswell, i got them with special vehicle and 4x4 policies.

As this will be a camper classed it will be not to bad any way. famous last words lol.

 

[W.olly]

beware of light van speed limits been a thread on here about them

all good from this and no change from what i know of.

https://www.gov.uk/speed-limits

 

[8ob]

The NCB dont help with any ******, stupid as it is aswell, i got them with special vehicle and 4x4 policies.

As this will be a camper classed it will be not to bad any way. famous last words lol.

I had the same issue when I became a born again biker, nearly £400 a year for a 30mph Harley Armchair . Would not recognise any of the ncd accumulated on other vehicles .



Bob

 

[brightspark]

beware of light van speed limits been a thread on here about them

there a commercial van and haven't a car derived chassis so limited to 60mph where as car derived 70mph. I had an argument with a copper trying it on for me speeding . when I said id get it sorted in court he backed down its a Vauxhall combo

 

[W.olly]

Yep i drive a Citroen Relay, boot it all day long , well i dont speed

Yarm

That place has put near 45 minutes on my day FFS.

New Chemist we have now Nice place you live though

 

[brightspark]

yea traffics getting bad over 2000 houses currently going up

 

[W.olly]

yea traffics getting bad over 2000 houses currently going up

Its a `build and they will come ` attitude nowadays.

Find a space n fill it, bit like my workshop lol.

 

[eLuSiVeMiTe]

Dvla are getting tougher on camper conversions these days. Check the criteria you have to meet to change use of vehicle. Can't just slap a bed in the back and a portable hob anymore.

 

[james butler]

I've got a 2016 transit connect and i love it.
the only 3 bad things i can honestly say about it is
1- if you have the three seater version like mine if the middle seat is folded down you can't reach the handbrake easily (try one in the showroom its ridiculous).
2- the doors don't lock after you drive off so if you don't consciously lock the doors after you pul away theres nothing stopping any pedestrian running up to the back of the van and opening the doors stealing your stuff.
3- don't believe the service intervals - no car should go 20,000 miles between oil changes!!!!

 

[james butler]

one more thing the tax is £230 a year and not set to rise as its a light goods vehicle but your limited to the slower speed limits
if you have a car derived vehicle its Private light goods vehicle so you can go to the speeds normal cars can ALTHOUGH when i visited ford to get mine serviced they were telling me the tax has just gone up on said vehicles because of the new tax rules however the commercial sector was unaffected
the tax rules also affect caper conversions so beware

 

[james butler]

Is the load bay directly linked to the central locking? No extra presses on the button or owt?

directly linked
apparently you can request it to be fitted at manufacture to lock on drive off or whatever but i didn't know that.
when i asked them to program it in after the fact they said "they couldn't because of a difference in manufacture programming"

sounded more to me like they couldn't be bothered

 

[james butler]

oh yeah and one more thing you might want to check out the bulkhead bulge sticking into the load space.
im not that bothered by it but it means theres 6 foot of load length on the floor but only 5 foot closer to the ceiling
check out their pics on their website

 

[james butler]

I don't actually like lock on drive off (or whatever it's called), but on a van I think the load space doors should be separately locked/controlled from the cabin.

totally agree and it should be explained at point of sale
to be fair i haven't asked ford about double locking/unlocking i.e. one press just unlocks the front doors.
i might have to ask about that, but either way if they can get in the cab it would be moments before they get in the back.

 

[james butler]

ah one more thing before i forget
if you buy a new one get it undersealed
theres lots of plastic to protect the under sides but at the rear and middle sections protection from rust really is poor even for ford standards
its a really good van and definitely value for money when compared to the like of vw.
i got a limited transit connect for half the price of the equivalent vw caddy
i dare say the vw is a nicer van but not double the price nice
so if fords the one you want take the preventative maintenance and it should be good

 

[james butler]

apologies wolly i see your looking at an older transit.
the older ones are great too but watch out for rust gremlins as they rot faster than lancias ever did.
they share a lot of components with the focus and mondeo.
my bro has had his van since 2008 and its an 02 plate.
I've welded up both sills and he's changed the engine for a 2 litre mondeo lump
not bad seeing as its done 300,000+miles
i don't think its even been washed in that time either

 

[W.olly]

If i could find a cheap enough Mitsi Deli then i would go for one of them and fix it up as i love the Mitsi family of 4x4, this would then pull my boat.

No hassle with converting it, comfy seats already etc etc, gas guzzler but on WVO they are great



I Bob think will agree

 

[bigegg]

If i could find a cheap enough Mitsi Deli then i would go for one of them and fix it up as i love the Mitsi family of 4x4, this would then pull my boat.

No hassle with converting it, comfy seats already etc etc, gas guzzler but on WVO they are great



I Bob think will agree

Like this one?

i got a LPG shogun, otherwise I'd be seriously tempted by it...