Van advice please?

[paul1]

Hi guys

What medium size van would you guys recommend? Needs to be a passenger van for family life too and was wanting 500 to 650 tank set up, I like the look of the hyundai iload and vw transporter anyone got or had either??

Needs to look smart too as will be personal vehicle also. Thanks again

Paul1

 

[Jake]

Difficult one that, why do u need it to carry the family? Be better to have a seperate car otherwise you'll be forever unloading and loading it

 

[spruce]

Difficult one that, why do u need it to carry the family? Be better to have a seperate car otherwise you'll be forever unloading and loading it

I agree with @Jake here.

A 650 liter tank on most vans would need to be positioned between the front and rear axle for proper weight distribution. For example, the Vivaro can have a 650 liter tank up against the bulkhead (across the van) but my SWB Citroen Relay needs the tank to be fitted a little further back towards the rear axle as the front axle will be overloaded if the tank is crossways behind the bulkhead.

However, to put a row of seats in the back means moving the tank back across or slightly behind the rear axle on my van and would overload the back axle and be detrimental to its road handling.

I know of someone who used an old Transit T350 LWB medium roof and did this. Being a lwb with a bigger payload enabled him to position a 500 liter tank further back and gave him room for a row of seats in the back for the family. He still has/had (I haven't seen it around recently) enough space in the back for hose reels and his poles running down the offside so don't interfere with entry using the side sliding door. He had glass panels inserted into the sides so the children weren't in total darkness.

It worked for him or should I say he made it work for him. He had 4 children so having a small family car wasn't an option anyway.

Would I like to drive around in a lwb van as personal transport with half a tank of water? No.

There is another cleaner locally who has a LWB Trafic/Vivaro with rear seats for the children. Its one of those custom design units with the dividing bulkhead behind the rear seats. I don't know what size tank he has in the back but he can also go home to top up if necessary.

His name is Dave Kent and I have include his details

https://www.facebook.com/pages/KentKleen-Professional-Window-Cleaning/204258369627863

You can ask him for details - nice guy.

 

[Eviestevie]

Hi Paul either of them vehicles will be ok with weight

I agree if wanting to use for family then a transporter would be perfect!they are all the rage at the mo and hold there money well

They look the part as well!id have one tomo but the lads I work with have zero respect and I'd be checking the van all the time

 

[paul1]

Difficult one that, why do u need it to carry the family? Be better to have a seperate car otherwise you'll be forever unloading and loading it

hi mate

don't wan too vehicles done it before and hated dealing with too lots of everything just want one for both, sure its doable cheers

 

[spruce]

Hi Paul either of them vehicles will be ok with weightI agree if wanting to use for family then a transporter would be perfect!they are all the rage at the mo and hold there money well

They look the part as well!id have one tomo but the lads I work with have zero respect and I'd be checking the van all the time

With a 650 liter tank over the rear wheels?

 

[Alien Human]

What about a Hilux or Barbarian? ......sure @Diwrnach uses something like this but not sure if he uses it as family car as well .

 

[Jimroot]

I'd definatley get two vehicles with that kind of budget- can get a very decent family car for £2 k and use the rest on a dedicated work vehicle of slightly lower spec and easier to manage single cab. Sounds like you need to carry a lot of kit too @paul1 with the various services you're offering.

You won't want to drive the family round with 650l of water on days out, maybe to the local shops, but no further.

My money would go on: ford mondeo, ford transit connect/older transporter

 

[Natty1972]

I'll echo that about getting a work horse and a family car. You can pick up ap a cheap van anywhere .. I worked out of an estate car , I was sick of humping things in and out of it .. Bite the bullet bud

 

[Eviestevie]

A lo

With a 650 liter tank over the rear wheels?[/A Lwb long mentioned wouldn't have the load over rear wheels?it would almost be central so proper weight distribution!little further back

 

[Diwrnach]

What about a Hilux or Barbarian? ......sure @Diwrnach uses something like this but not sure if he uses it as family car as well .

Indeed I do, I use a Mitsubishi L200 Warrior, I can fit 3 kids and 2 adults fine in it (or 5 adults?) and use it as my family car, but it also works fine for WFP and also pressure washing etc.

Have considered getting a second vehicle but just can't justify it when the pick up does it all.

 

[paul1]

Na cant do 2 separate vehicles done it before and hated looking after 2 not for me personally, need one for both, any more van type advice appreciated

cheers guys

 

[Diwrnach]

Something a engineer friend of mine looked at, but not gone with as yet is under the back end of a L200 like mine where the spare tyre is kept is a HUGE amount of room, you could fit a tank underneath there NO problem at all and would leave the rear completely empty.

You would lose the spare mind.