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Questions about a van?

slippy

Active member
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840
Location
Bournemouth
Is it worth getting a van off ebay which already has the tank and RO set up already in it or buying the van then getting a company e.g. the cleaning warehouse or someone to fit it out?

I have a tight parking area if I park next to flat and my Xsara 4.1 metres long just does it so I think 4.5 metres would be the absolute max so that rules out certain vans or could get Vivaro or despatch and just park it in the street away from my flat complex but it would be more likely broken in to. Can you take the 40 40 RO out every evening a put in garage to stop it being nicked ?

Are the long wheel base vans like it says 'longer vans'?

 
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I bought a swb vivaro off ebay...van dealer tho...chucked my own set up in rather cheaply.bought all gear straight from the suppliers.....i dont use an ro..use a 25 ltre resin vessel...works for me

 
LWB = long wheel base.

MWB = medium wheel base.

SWB = short wheel base.

Wheel base is the distance between the front and rear wheels.

 
The longer the bigger the payload and the longer the van, right?

Generally true but not always.

You have to check the vehicle specs to identify payload of each van. Payload checker on Grippa website will help you with a reg number of the van. You have to register to use it.

This is an old model example. I have a 04 Citroen Relay 1100 in SWB. Its plated at 2800kgs which gives me a payload of 1154kgs. The same model van was available as a MWB. The cargo area was bigger but as it was still rated at 2800kgs the payload reduced to around 1115kgs.

I could have ordered a 1500 or 1800 MWB from the factory. The 1500 would have given me a payload of 1425kgs and the 1800 a payload of 1585kgs.

On special order from the factory you could get a LWB in the same standard roof height van but that was rated at 3500kgs so the payload was just short of 1480kgs as it used the heavier 2.8hdi engine.

The newer model (2006) onwards used the heavier 2.2 hdi engine. They kept the payloads very similar of the SWB and MWB but increased the GVW from 2800kgs to 3000kgs.

My model SWB also came out as a Citroen Relay 900 with lower payload of 735kgs which, for that size body is basically useless for window cleaning unless you have a 350 liter tank.

The earlier Ford Transit Connect is another van where the same body can have different payloads.

The T220L LWB is longer than the SWB and has a slightly higher roof. Its payload is 825kgs with the 1.8Tddi motor. The T230 is the identical body but has a payload of 900kgs with the Tdci motor.

Any Transit Connect with a T200 badge is a 625kg payload. The T200 and T220 were also available in SWB. The T200 was not available in LWB.

The larger Ford Transit T280 also came in different payloads depending body length and roof height.

.

 
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whats your budget? we might be able to better suggest vans that could suit you.

i personally would aim for the berlingo or partner 825. relatively compact and a big payload, loads to choose from, and not too expensive.

 
i,ve seen the full set ups on ebaythey look ok to me , its easy option ,was checking them out this week some nice ones
When buying an all in one package second hand you have to be very cautious as it will end up being more expensive than you thought.

If the system has an r/o then expect to have to replace the r/o membrane and prefilters. Also expect to have to replace the resin in any di vessel as well. On a 4040 r/o those items can set you back around £400.

Some sellers seem to think a second hand system is worth more than it actually is. They also seem to think that a £500 fitting bill for labour is also worth something. It isn't.

 
whats your budget? we might be able to better suggest vans that could suit you.
i personally would aim for the berlingo or partner 825. relatively compact and a big payload, loads to choose from, and not too expensive.

I am willing to pay up to £6,000 -£7,000 for a van but is it worth paying that much? I don't care if the seats are ripped or it's dented on the outside as long as it's mechanically sound so would also be happy to buy a £800 banger if it works. Is it worth paying more cos I could if it's worth it?

I am a one man band p/t going to expand. Have issues with filling up with water from my flat so would a big tank 500 litres be good? I could buy the water and that amount would last me two weeks with present number of customers. But they will increase. Need to be able to plug it and fill up and have space for a mower with the tank. Shorter van would be better for parking, but it's got to be big enough for window cleaning and other gear. Looking at a Renault Traffic £5,000 got tank in it and DI system 2008 ex AA sound good? Bloke from a forum selling it.

 
as spruce has stated what condition is the gear what your paying 5k for

you could get van at gd price then buy the gear its not hard and get local garage to do the fitting

then you know ehere you stand

 
Spoken to guy who is selling his Renault Traffic and he said if I do a dpi check on it there's a 10,000 mileage discrepancy in one month but thinks it's because the mechanic who did the MOT did a typo. Also on the enhanced dpi check of the vehicle it will come up that the finance hasn't been paid. he said he paid it off for the owner before him. He also said he was going to fix the alternator. Do these answers sound reasonable if you're thinking of buying the van?

 
as spruce has stated what condition is the gear what your paying 5k foryou could get van at gd price then buy the gear its not hard and get local garage to do the fitting

then you know ehere you stand

There's a tank with inlet and outlet tubes and a DI and a reel on the tank. I guess I would have to go and look at it first. I was told to throw water over the bonnet as well as apparently on Traffics the injectors in the middle of the engines often go and rust from water dripping down on them.

 
Spoken to guy who is selling his Renault Traffic and he said if I do a dpi check on it there's a 10,000 mileage discrepancy in one month but thinks it's because the mechanic who did the MOT did a typo. Also on the enhanced dpi check of the vehicle it will come up that the finance hasn't been paid. he said he paid it off for the owner before him. He also said he was going to fix the alternator. Do these answers sound reasonable if you're thinking of buying the van?

In the motor trade we wouldn't touch it. I wouldn't touch it, even if it was the best looking van around.

Why hasn't the current owner had the finance report updated and the vehicle cleared of finance? If the van still has outstanding finance, the finance house can just come and take it away from you and you loose everything.

If he was selling the van, surely the alternator should have been fixed before he even advertised it for sale.

The more I hear about your stories @slippy the more I believe you aren't a real life person. Its just not possible for someone to actually live the life in real life that you you have described you live.

 
In the motor trade we wouldn't touch it. I wouldn't touch it, even if it was the best looking van around.
Why hasn't the current owner had the finance report updated and the vehicle cleared of finance? If the van still has outstanding finance, the finance house can just come and take it away from you and you loose everything.

If he was selling the van, surely the alternator should have been fixed before he even advertised it for sale.

The more I hear about your stories @slippy the more I believe you aren't a real life person. Its just not possible for someone to actually live the life in real life that you you have described you live.

Maybe the finance has been cleared, I will run a enhanced DPI check.

A decorator friend who I sometimes work with recommended using ebay and just monitoring all the vans for sale to get an idea of the price of things out there, reading the sellers history, etc

 
Not twin di slippy..used to run this set up a while ago...just easier to change one resin a month now....i use around 300 litre a day n works for me
Wouldn't twin DI as opposed to just using one DI vessel save you money?

 

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