Van HELL!!! Any advice very welcome - going to buy a new one.

[Destroyer2813]

Not sure, still debating fancy a change had 2 vivaros and aint had any problems with em but read a few stories about em but then again transits a bit more money but has a lot more features on it. Hate having to decide on things

 

[Dannypipe]

Me too mate. Trouble is my hand is being forced. I need to be sorted asap. If the van was working I'd take a couple of weeks to make a choice minimum.

 

[tamz]

My van just died!!!!! Vauxhall vivaro. Was driving home from work and a light flashed saying stop and showing the battery sign. As I needed milk I stopped at a garage to get milk and it wouldn't start. Totally dead. When I jump started it it went for a little bit then lost all power just around the corner from my house. Hopefully it's just a new battery that needs replacing

That is what i got rid of my vivaro for and bought the citreon. Took it to the garage and it showed up needing an alternator (£300) so that was changed. Stopped on the way past the garage to see if it would be ready to pick up later that day and he said it is cutting out. Ticked over for 10 minutes or so then would cut out. Showing an injector fault. I'd had the injectors done before at £800 odd so that was the last straw and i decided to dump it. The last thing i need is an unreliable van.
Btw i would never have another vivaro.

 

[Destroyer2813]

Im already couple weeks down still no closer :annoyed:

 

[Dannypipe]

That is what i got rid of my vivaro for and bought the citreon. Took it to the garage and it showed up needing an alternator (£300) so that was changed. Stopped on the way past the garage to see if it would be ready to pick up later that day and he said it is cutting out. Ticked over for 10 minutes or so then would cut out. Showing an injector fault. I'd had the injectors done before at £800 odd so that was the last straw and i decided to dump it. The last thing i need is an unreliable van.
Btw i would never have another vivaro.

But from what the AA bloke said, a Vivaro is the same as a Traffic and a Primastar.

Surely three different manufacturers wouldn't use the same engine, chassis if it was junk?

Been looking at the auction catalogue. They have hundreds of vans coming up. Lots of Vivaro's!!!

Don't want to buy a load of trouble though.

 

[Irish]

I got a brand new transit in sept for 6k cheaper than the ford dealership on the Internet i used to have a Peugeot partner spilt head alternator went twice got sick of spending money on it like tamz and his vivaro and it was too small like the combo can nightmare to find stuff the day after finishing a big job, like someone else said we spend a lot of time in our vans so a bit of comfort is a must, only thing is you kinda have to clean it every week as I feel bad having a 16grand van covered in muck

 

[Destroyer2813]

All the spares i"ve ever got for my vivaro are badged renault

 

[Blake]

I've bought my vivaro when it was 6 months old and that was 6 1/2 years ago. It now has 45k on the clock and in that time it has had two wishbones and a new powersteering pump. Overall I've really enjoyed it and it's been a great van, I just wish I had bought the sportive with the full electrics.

Looking to change soon to the new Expert as I don't need such a big van anymore.

 

[Destroyer2813]

You don't do many miles then Blake , I had to have a ps pump in my old vivaro

 

[villa_tom]

Are there any websites you boys know of that sell new or nearly new vans? I'm looking at a new van at the moment as I've had a few problems with mine recently and it's time for a new one.

Ive searched for the van I'm after but I not 100% on the websites as I've never heard of them.

 

[Dannypipe]

I got a brand new transit in sept for 6k cheaper than the ford dealership on the Internet i used to have a Peugeot partner spilt head alternator went twice got sick of spending money on it like tamz and his vivaro and it was too small like the combo can nightmare to find stuff the day after finishing a big job, like someone else said we spend a lot of time in our vans so a bit of comfort is a must, only thing is you kinda have to clean it every week as I feel bad having a 16grand van covered in muck

So what website did you get the van from at 6K under the dealership price?

I won't ever clean my van every week, but I totally see what you mean about having £16K of van covered in black soot.

A dirty van is a sign of success as they say.

But then someone wrote 'Gypsy King' in the back of my van on Saturday....it was parked outside a shop on the highstreet....funny, but I did scrub it out straight away.

 

[Blake]

You don't do many miles then Blake , I had to have a ps pump in my old vivaro

I like to keep it local 🙂

 

[Irish]

Happy new car is where I got mine olive in Twickenham they're in hull and dropped to my front door, I was a bit nervous about doing over the Internet but I was more than happy with them

 

[Blake]

So what website did you get the van from at 6K under the dealership price?

I won't ever clean my van every week, but I totally see what you mean about having £16K of van covered in black soot.

A dirty van is a sign of success as they say.

But then someone wrote 'Gypsy King' in the back of my van on Saturday....it was parked outside a shop on the highstreet....funny, but I did scrub it out straight away.

I always remember a customer once said she called me because she saw the van and liked how clean it was and figured that must reflect in my work. Little did she know 🙂

 

[Dannypipe]

I've worked out on average I do 10.5K miles a year, so not much. I know this has a bearing on lease hire. Tend to work local, and though those are less miles than a motorway user, I do spend a fair amount of time in the van. Would love a bit of air con' for the summer. Sitting in traffic sweating my balls off isn't much fun. But the main bonus of a new van is space. Glorious space.

My van is ex BT and the racking is brilliant. It would cost a fortune. However every inch of space is used...and I still can't carry as much as I did in my last van.

 

[Irish]

Yeah the lack of space was a pig in my old van especially when you knew something was in there but it took half an hour to find it usually at about 6 on a Friday evening! Ford wanted just under 22k for the trend 125 t260 happynewcar did it for 15,800

 

[Dannypipe]

Yeah, lack of space is a nightmare. My passenger footwell has an old F&E tank, full of pipe clips.The seat a box full of paper work. The back both sides racked, and stuffed. Even behind, beneath the seats I have motorised valves, and pumps. Its a joke.

I will be so much less wound up at work when I have space to put everything.

I wont fall into that trap of carrying extra stuff just as I have more space. My last van (Don't laugh, an LDV) I used to carry a generator incase I was working somewhere that had no power. Loads of other pointless crap. Van before that was a Transit, and I did the same with that, until driving up a hill and the engine went BANG!

I will start carrying the pipe freezer & transformer though.

 

[Irish]

Yeah I racked mine out with Barton storage bins for the 15/22/28mm fittings couple of f&e tanks for waste fittings and got my electric tools neatly stacked on the floor it's almost a pleasure to go to work I had every nook and cranny filled in my old van could never give anyone a lift it was that full

 

[Dannypipe]

I had every nook and cranny filled in my old van could never give anyone a lift it was that full

That's me mate. I'm sick of sighing when I know I have to go and uncover half my vans contents to get a munsen ring. (For anyone interested, munsen rings are stored in the canvas bag, at the back left, beneath the racking and behind the wastepipe fittings and the soldering gear box (fishing tackle box).

You can see my pain here right!!

 

[mfgs]

Have a look at the vw transporter. It may not be as big as you want, but they are lovely to drive. I much prefer mine to the transit I used to have. Also now having air con is a real bonus, I wont own a van without it from now on. I spend a lot of time in my van, so I want it to be nice to drive and comfy.