Can someone tell me if this van is worth paying 5k??

Hi guys.
 

I need to buy a bigger van so I can fit a 1000l tank in and this one seems to fit the bill, it has a 600l tank built in at the mo, so I would have to change it. 
 

Do you think it’s worth the money, old van but low mileage. I’m more concerned about the system, does anyone know whether it’s a good system? I’m pretty new to wfp window cleaning, so don’t know what’s good and what’s not... Just want assurance that it’s a fair deal before I pay £5000 for it.. ?

Heres the link on eBay : https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/57-PLATE-RENAULT-TRAFIC-2-0TD-LL29dCi-115-LWB-WINDOW-CLEANING-VAN-DIESEL/153819977337?hash=item23d0629679:g:Bj4AAOSwtgNeOAQx

I’ve also attached a pic of the system. 

Many thanks, Luke. 

Don't think the payload would be big enough to put a 1000 tank in. Do you know the payload? 

wee man said:

Don't think the payload would be big enough to put a 1000 tank in. Do you know the payload? 

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The payload is 1400kg. What would the payload have to be at least to fit a 1000l tank in please? I thought you could fit one in any bigger sized vans. ? 

wee man said:

That's not the payload you have to take another weight of that. I'm  it to sure how to work it out hopeful someone else will be able to help more. The way I found my last payload was when I was looking for insurance it came up on one of the site's. 

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1400kg is the payload. (I edited it from 3100kg) Thats what the guy said who’s selling it... ?

Luke Macclesfield said:

1400kg is the payload. (I edited it from 3100kg) Thats what the guy said who’s selling it... ?

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That seems dead on for a 1000 tank. Depending what else you have in it you might be a wee bit over the payload first thing in the morning. 

Luke Macclesfield said:

1400kg is the payload. (I edited it from 3100kg) Thats what the guy said who’s selling it... ?

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Payload is the weight a van will carry. Included in that would be the driver and passenger's weight, as well as the weight of fuel.

1000 litre of water will weigh 1000kgs. You haven't included the weight of the tank, the frame, the battery, the hose reels, the roof rack, ladders, a towbar and all the window cleaning equipment you will carry.

Ionics have fitted a 650 litre system because that's about the maximum tank size that van will carry.

If you want a 1000 liter tank when you need to look at a 3500kg van category and even then you will be restricted in what you can carry.

The Van you highlighted is a 2900kg category van. 

Why not phone Ionics and ask them if they will fit a 1000 litre tank into your Renault Trafic and see what they say?.

Just thinking about this, you would need to be looking at a MWB 3500kgs van as they would have a higher payload than a LWB. (A LWB has more metal which reduces payload.)

Luke Macclesfield said:

Do you think it’s worth the money

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No.

P4dstar said:

No.

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The seller is trying to value a 57 plate van with low mileage and an Ionic system on board.

I saw one example of a 12 plate with 151k on the clock for £4250 + VAT.

There's a 56 plate Transit MK7 SWB for £3000 with a similar mileage. It looks like mutton dressed as lamb.

Would I buy it? Its a good question. If I was looking for an up and running system I might be temped, but I would leave the system as it is.

If I was young and had the rest of my life ahead of me I would rather put that money toward a deposit on a new or nearly new van and go from there.

spruce said:

The seller is trying to value a 57 plate van with low mileage and an Ionic system on board.

I saw one example of a 12 plate with 151k on the clock for £4250 + VAT.

There's a 56 plate Transit MK7 SWB for £3000 with a similar mileage. It looks like mutton dressed as lamb.

Would I buy it? Its a good question. If I was looking for an up and running system I might be temped, but I would leave the system as it is.

If I was young and had the rest of my life ahead of me I would rather put that money toward a deposit on a new or nearly new van and go from there.

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Damn it Spruce, I was trying not to put any meat on that bone but now I have to ?

My main reasoning.... I had a 2009 Vivaro and it was a nightmare. At best that van is worth 3.5k and the systems regularly go on eBay for £400-600.

The payload of a 2900 Traffic / Vivaro is 1280 kgs. There is no way, unless it's been upgraded, would it take a 1000 litre tank.

Now I know the majority own one but I would never buy a second hand van that's been used for window cleaning. They have a very hard life unless they're very very well looked after.

P4dstar said:

Damn it Spruce, I was trying not to put any meat on that bone but now I have to ?

My main reasoning.... I had a 2009 Vivaro and it was a nightmare. At best that van is worth 3.5k and the systems regularly go on eBay for £400-600.

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Ok. You helped me make a firm decision on if I would buy the van or not. Answer: no.

There have been 2 Vivaro wfp owners in our village. The first cleaner had no issues at all will his van. It was written off in an accident with a Polish driver. He bought another and again no major issues at all.

The other cleaner had no end of issues and eventually scrapped the van and bought a Ford Custom.

When I was in the trade the Vivaro/Trafic was just launched in 2003. Within a few months the trade had singled them out as a trade-in to stay away from. They sold well in this country because of the Vauxhall badge.

The only other van we also dare not touch was the early M/B Vito.

spruce said:

Ok. You helped me make a firm decision on if I would buy the van or not. Answer: no.

There have been 2 Vivaro wfp owners in our village. The first cleaner had no issues at all will his van. It was written off in an accident with a Polish driver. He bought another and again no major issues at all.

The other cleaner had no end of issues and eventually scrapped the van and bought a Ford Custom.

When I was in the trade the Vivaro/Trafic was just launched in 2003. Within a few months the trade had singled them out as a trade-in to stay away from. They sold well in this country because of the Vauxhall badge.

The only other van we also dare not touch was the early M/B Vito.

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That surprises me about the Vito, being German and all. My issue with the Vivaro was the gearbox, there's another windy locally that has one and he was telling me about the injectors seizing. My biggest concern for Luke was the system isn't worth much and he wanted to change it anyway.

Not the best deal

P4dstar said:

That surprises me about the Vito, being German and all. My issue with the Vivaro was the gearbox, there's another windy locally that has one and he was telling me about the injectors seizing. My biggest concern for Luke was the system isn't worth much and he wanted to change it anyway.

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You make a good point with regard to the value of the system. When you "remove" the system from the van it's just not worth what he is asking even with low mileage. It's a 12 year old van.

The seller would have paid big bucks for his system from Ionics and would see what they sell refurbished systems for so thinks it's worth more than it is.

But again someone might come along and pay much more for the system than its worth to you and I.

If sellers can sell well used CLX poles on eBay for more than Gardiner's sell new then anything is possible.

The Vito was rust issues already evident on 1 year old vans.

I’ve got a 57 reg LWB trafic. It was bought 2.5 years ago on 53k and it’s on 71k now and it’s literally not missed a beat. 
I’ve serviced it every year, the only other money I’ve spent on it is new rear pads last year and 2 new front tyres about 3 months ago. 
 

Like all things something is only worth what someone is willing to pay ,if you are keen on it try making an offer they can only say no .

P4dstar said:

That surprises me about the Vito, being German and all. My issue with the Vivaro was the gearbox, there's another windy locally that has one and he was telling me about the injectors seizing. My biggest concern for Luke was the system isn't worth much and he wanted to change it anyway.

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I had 3 injectors replaced on the Vivaro, There not cheap to replace! But apart from that been a good van and had it 8 years now and still going well. Traffic Vivaro Primaster all the same van just different badges. 

Neil.. Lancashire said:

I had 3 injectors replaced on the Vivaro, There not cheap to replace! But apart from that been a good van and had it 8 years now and still going well. Traffic Vivaro Primaster all the same van just different badges. 

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I'm wondering how the deal between Renault and PSA (who purchased Vauxhall and Opel from GM) is going to progress in the future with regard to the Vivaro now no longer being a rebadged Renault Trafic but a rebadged Dispatch/Expert.

spruce said:

I'm wondering how the deal between Renault and PSA (who purchased Vauxhall and Opel from GM) is going to progress in the future with regard to the Vivaro now no longer being a rebadged Renault Trafic but a rebadged Dispatch/Expert.

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They're too small in my opinion. Fine if you only want to use it for window cleaning but not if you need to load genies, gutter vacs as well.

Part Timer said:

They're too small in my opinion. Fine if you only want to use it for window cleaning but not if you need to load genies, gutter vacs as well.

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I wish I had bought a LWB instead of this SWB Boxer. You can never have enough space.