using a van as a daily drive, cost etc

[a4gom]

i'm still on the fence whether or not to buy a van for my daily driver, ticks so many boxes it makes sense but it's hard to make the jump.

anyone got any ideas on running costs compared with cars?

insurance, tax, mot, mpg...

probably looking at renault traffic 5 seater or equivalent.

How does van insurance work / can you suggest a good provider. I have class 1 business use on the car, I work for local authority highways dept, i don't carry anything but myself but need to get around the network now and then, i probably do 7-8k a year 1/3 will be work miles. clean licence, 15+ years no claims 41 year old.

Cheers

[SteveD]

got a vw t5 transporter t30 kombi 130 bhp ,its awsome pulls like a train drives like a car and has every gadget inc aircon , £89 fills the tank and get 520 miles out of it   there are specialist van insurers now aswell worth a google

[Neil Purdie]

Theres not as many insurance companies that cover vans, so check if yours does or not. Otherwise it will be a case of cancelling your current policy and changing companies or waiting till renewal time to jump. It took me ages to get a decent price and terms for SDP use and commuting. Gladiator insurance were ok. NU direct were too, but watch out for their maximum NCB leaving you with less bonus than when you joined them  

Car derived vans can still legaly do car speeds, however goods vans have lower limits. Year before last, a friend was nicked for 70mph on a dual cariageway in a VW T5. He was rather annoyed as a mile earlier, it was a motorway and 70 was fine then.

Tyres should meet the load rating for the van and may reduce the selection of replacements. Not realy too much of a problem, but worth looking into before the event if your after replacement wheels/tyres or anything fancy.

If it's a fully open interior, it's going to be noisy when compared to a car and also gets really hot, really quickly in the sun.

[exsevener]

I did exactly this after a similar brainwave a couple of years back. No probs on the insurance side and I had all the creature comforts of a car plus the space to carry anything I felt like.

Only 2 negs.............one was "favours" from long lost friends asking to pick up washing machines etc. to save them on delivery costs ..feck my petrol costs!

...........but seriously the biggest downside which came as a bombshell and defeated the object of the van was the council dumps attitude when I wanted to skip genuine household crap when we were modernising the house.............turned away because of the van unless I payed through the nose for the privilege ..........ended up using the OHs shopping car to junk the lot over a 3 week period.

Moved it on after that deciding an estate is the better buy for a privateer.

[kermit The Frog]

I’ve had a van as my daily drive for years now. Only problem I’ve had is height restrictions in multi story car parks but that’s gonna depend on what sort of van you go for. The Mercedes and VW vans are great but if the cost is an issue stick with a ford.

QUOTE

the biggest downside which came as a bombshell and defeated the object of the van was the council dumps attitude when I wanted to skip genuine household crap when we were modernising the house.............turned away because of the van unless I payed through the nose for the privilege  ..........ended up using the OHs shopping car to junk the lot over a 3 week period.

If the van is not sign written and you phone in advance there shouldn’t be a problem. They may ask that you bring a copy of your council tax with you.

[Captain Colonial]

Avoid anything Iveco like the plague.  That is all.

[Hammy]

I ran an Astravan for a number of years - still miss the practicality. You can get a permit for the tip for small vans. Also check out getting the van in wifes name with you as main driver - saved a lot of cash that way.

I carpeted out the back Inc the roof - made it very quiet

[RedditchJay]

estates or MPV are very big nowadays without actually changing to a van... I have a 110 defender whih is massive inside...

[Darrell O'Neill]

I have a Renault Traffic 1.9 SWB 115bhp Sport. 2yr old and had it from new. Fantastic vans and my van before was a '05 plate VX Vivaro 90bhp. There's a huge difference between the new and the old. Althougth the old one couldnt be classed as slow, but it had a real annoying sub 4K rev limit in lower gears.

the Vivaro, Nissan Primstar and Traffic are the same vans, just different badges. When i was shopping around the Renault was 25-30% cheaper than the rest and with better toys.... not bad if you can live with a French badge!

I use it as a daily drive too, drives just like a car, turns just over 30mpg and 27mgg when towing. Tows the westie like a dream and is every bit as comfortable as a car. Easily see 100mph+ with or without the trailer (on private roads of course )

The seating posistion does take alittle getting used to if you've been a car driver, but the overall size isnt much different than a large 4WD and you get used to it.

My only reservation would be that any problems with the older ones seem to be abit expensive to repair.

Im 36. 5+ yrs NCD. clean licience and with directline its £260 a yr. Its actually due to go down when i get it sign written....

£200 12mths tax.. 18months servicing.

Not sure about the 5seater, but the van is subject to LGV speed restrictions.

I do like the VW's but to be honest the cost difference just doesnt warrant it. My '08 plate sport was just over 10K when new!! half as much again for the VW

[lippydave]

I have a Renault Traffic 1.9 SWB 115bhp Sport. 2yr old I ...

My only reservation would be that any problems with the older ones seem to be abit expensive to repair.

Ditto what Darren says, I bought a new Trafic in 03, clocked up 42,000 miles in 18 months problem free and sold it onto a pal who added another 100,000 to it.....

It eventually needed a new turbo, but not too bad after 140 odd thousand hard miles.  

We bought a new Merc' Vito in '05 and have a had a few older vitos too, but honestly apart from the cabin trim I preferred the Renault over the Mercs. Get one with a full steel bulkhead and a/c and it's very car like IMHO...

[a4gom]

Cheers guys, some good tips.

I have an estate at the mo and it does the job but family hols and trips out can mean roof box, cycle rack etc. A van would remove that plus it would be better for just throwing in the kids bikes, body boards scooters etc and getting changed after a ride / beach etc.

A van would also be better for towing the westie / spares / sleeping in but obviously it's the family I'm thinking of  

I've run cheap cars for a while now sub £1k, I appreciate I'm going to have to spend more than that to get something tidy and reliable in a van and if I'm honest thats been the sticking point to date.

[simon besant]

just ordered my new mb vito van 224hp (before i chip it)  old one is a 115 cdi chipped to 180hp and tows really well great to drive just like a car.

30+ mpg

mines no good to you as only has three seats but as a guide its a 04 plate with alloys and electric folding mirrors done 92000 miles and is still worth £5300.00

also rear wheel drive.

i know when i looked at vans you have to pay a bit more to get anything worth having.

[a4gom]

QUOTE

Only problem I’ve had is height restrictions in multi story car parks but that’s gonna depend on what sort of van you go for.

once took a load of mates to the airport in one of their vans with a roof rack on. got into car park ok with 8 of them in the back with luggage, got stuck trying to get back out, ended up letting all the tyres down to escape  

good heads up on the speed limit, won't matter to me really but i never realised that