Random photo to jazz the post up Afternoon Troops I've got 10k for a van with the primary raison d'être as my transport for trackdays, will also be a daily vehicle as well. Don't want to spend any more as 1. I don't really have any more money and 2. Can't really be chewed financing anything, I like keeping my bills reduced to mortgage, Netflix and phone bill. Transit Customs in my opinion are horrendous on fuel, Merc and Fiat counterparts I'm just not feeling. I'm thinking Vivaro, Trafic, LWB Transit Connect or maybe a Caddy Maxi. Just wondering what everyone else uses and if there's any advice from people that are far more in the know than my self. Churs
i have a Mercedes Vito /Viano but as the 3.2 petrol version, and i think its a great bus ( apart from the gas mileage..) parts a cheap, and you can arrive in comfort.. you an pick up a good one for a lot less than 10k i paid 3k for mine and had some work done to it
Go lwb wherever possible, as you can then start making it a day van (seating n shit) and still keep bike in there If you can cope with a higher top, do it, as its far easier when you can stand (unless your 6’4) in the back I had use of vivaro and traffic (same thing) a few years back and found there were good on fuel and happy cruising at higher speed fully loaded. Plus being a bit squarer back you get a bit more room.
Blimey good value! Cheers bud. Yeah that's what I was thinking. Was very impressed with the Vivaro when I rented one for my last track day. Reckon a LWB connect is too small then?
Had this Vivaro BiTurbo coming up 3 years, paid £13500 new (no vat) and it's fab, drives like a car - standard wheel base slightly longer than the old model which helps. It had a fuel tank on recall (original too thin) and a clutch master cylinder on warranty. I fitted black windows all round & took the top of the bulkhead out. Drives like a car, and I've returned 50+ mpg over 45,000 miles driving steady. Highly recommended
I'm on my 3rd Vito in a row and so far so good. My latest is a 119 CDI Sport LWB. 2.2 turbo diesel. As it's fairly new I haven't found any faults yet. It drives great and goes well too. But before I got it, I sold my 2008 Vito 204 Sport. The build quality on this van is noticeably better than the new one. Much more solid. The new one feels as if the bean counters have had their way, like they always do. Obviously the technology on the new van is a quantum leap.
Depends on your plan. If you intend to convert to day can, imho you need to be able to sleep on a front bench with the bike in the back still. That allows space for 2 big bikes or even 3 smaller ones if you don’t build in the back
Plus a swb is only the size of a mums taxi so easily parked. And you can get 50mpg from these diesels in regular use
Although you'll probably manage with a SWB it's amazing how much more kit you can ram in a LWB. And they're not much longer tbf. Hope this helps
False neutral at cascades mate, came off at over 100. Bashed myself a bit but the bike needs a new motor
