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Van Or No Van

CNS-southwest

Well-known member
Messages
3,708
As some o you know, I have a little motorbike, I bought it around 6 months ago for commuting o my 9-5 job because I get 94mpg and I work close to London so parking is a either a pain, or you pay for it.

Now as I'm only starting out I was Gona go for an Astra van or caddy, my bike is worth about £1300 and so a budget of around £900 for a van, the rest for insurance and sign writing.

Bare in mind I'm doing trad mainly but will have a bak pack and some point and might move on to a van mount, a big might though.

So do I do trad in the in sign written and unreliable mondeo or buy a van.

Pros of buying a van:

Free advertisement

Ill be driving it for my 9-5 in rush hour and parking in a high street.

Nice and warm for winter

Safer than the bike ( got a second kiddy on way )

Looks more professional

Can keep all my gear in it rather than lug in/outa house

Can store some more water than could in a car due to room

I'd have to remove car seat and drop seats in mondeo

I'd need to buy a roof rack for the mondeo.

Can get McDonald drive thru /emoticons/smile.png

Cons of buying a van:

More expensive insurance

More fuel costs

It could end up being a money pit with my budget for the initial cost. (Will get an as check I think)

What if window cleaning doesn't work out for me.......

I just spent money on the bike....

I just Duno which way to go lol

 
if i were you id stick with the mondeo for a bit, trad really doesnt warrent a van, plus you wouldnt be able to put the kids in the van anyway, not if it has airbags in the passenger seat

or, sell the mondeo, sell the bike, and get a half decent estate

 
get a load of bungalow or compact work where you can leave your ladder, then just get a camelback and sprayer, no need for a bucket and can zip round on your bike!

 
Well I won't always be able to use the mondeo as she will need it for work and taking the kids so the ultimate plan is to buy a van anyway, and to start with I would work around her work and commitments or I could just sell bike and get van straight away an use it as advertisement.

So the kids were never going To go in the van, although I could sell bike and mondeo and get a double cab van, but this was a plan for when I earn enough and she won't need a car for work, but she still gota work at the moe lol

 
You can use a backpack and pole and carry it around in the mondeo, you dont even need a roof rack, just feed the pole through the car. But i suppose it all depends whether you want to go for the short term and see how you get on or go all in for the long term as i am sure you will need a van eventually.

 
You can use a backpack and pole and carry it around in the mondeo, you dont even need a roof rack, just feed the pole through the car. But i suppose it all depends whether you want to go for the short term and see how you get on or go all in for the long term as i am sure you will need a van eventually.

Yer it's a choice I'm struggling to make, on one side, I'm finding doing well practicing so see no reason why I won't go full, other hand, what if Something goes wrong could always sell it I Guess lol

 
Easy cheap way to start mate, covers tops and bottoms without having to carry ladders around, budget backpack under £100 diy harris pole under £50 4 25l drums under £25 2x refurbed di vessel off ebay £50 one sack of resin £70 under £300 and it can grow as you grow, minimum outlay easy to chuck in boot of whatever car you already have just to get you started!

 
Just use the car mate I use a 3 series estate and find this more than adequate for my doing although my round is growing by the day at the moment I been using it since may.

I get 120 litres in my boot with 4 barrels a full backpack And my trad gear too I'm doing all tops wfp from now and I can get a full day with the water I carry .

Mondeos have a decent size boot too so you will be more than fine , just plan your round around the wife's motoring needs etc as your not going to be working flat out from the offset . Keep your pennies and save as you go along to buy your van .

I know it will be hard as I'm saving for Christmas and a van and give it 6 months And I will have the cash to buy the full set up and go fully van mounted wfp .

 
I'd go with this if I were in your shoes...

http://www.autotrade...age/1?logcode=p

I have two kangoos and they are great cars, very reliable, easy to fix. The only problem with them is the electrics can be a bit buggy, but it will keep you going. The problem you are going to find is that due to your budget, your not really going to find a low mileage vehicle, so you want something thats is reliable and has been cared for.

So with that in mind, that one there would be my choice.

Just reading that again there, if you already have a mondeo, use that.

 
get that kangoo mate... trust me you will not regret it /emoticons/smile.png

if u get to busy.. which u probably will u can get your own 350 litre tank in their /emoticons/smile.png and run it of a trolley /emoticons/smile.png

 
get that kangoo mate... trust me you will not regret it /emoticons/smile.png
if u get to busy.. which u probably will u can get your own 350 litre tank in their /emoticons/smile.png and run it of a trolley /emoticons/smile.png
Bit far from me mate

 
£900 ahaha I wish

Unfortunately the mk3 tdci was the worst car ford ever built /emoticons/sad.png

It needs a new dmf (cheapest quote is £1300)

Needs a new turbo pipe £70

And has a fueling issue aswell which is likely the injector (£250 each + vat + fitting)

/emoticons/sad.png sad times, but it runs for now lol

 

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