I'm about to enter the market for a van with the primary use being bike transport to and from tracks. I'd like to hold 2 bikes in the back along with gear, spares etc. I've got a trailer but... Well, I don't like the idea of leaving the bike sat on a trailer over night. The 2 bikes going in will be my 1260 MTS and a BMW S1000RR or a Yamaha R6, so a lot of space is needed. I'm not a van person, I see a box on wheels and assume the driver is a maniac, so any guidance here would be very useful. Thanks!
height will count here if your carrying a multi, looks at a sprinter or crafter van. much depends on budget too.
This is what mine looks like fully loaded for Estoril, Valencia and Aragon this month. I needed: Room for two track bikes. Basic accommodation, bed, fridge, cooker and washing basin. A proper five meter awning with sides and floor. Good indoor and outdoor lighting. Electric hook up for tracks and campsites. 200 litre water tank. Water heater. Sound system. Proper ventilation. Full standing height. Nothing on the outside to hint at what is inside. Reversing camera. Proper wheel chocks. Tyre racks above the bikes. Secure fixing for 2x20 litre fuel cans. Outdoor shower. Ulys motorway transponder for France, Italy, Spain and Portugal. What I would like, but do not have: Motorhome V5. Air con. Custom drivers seat. Mine is a VW LT35, 158 bhp diesel, 2004 85k miles, cost £25k. Took me ages to find this configuration with proper space for two bikes plus track gear.
@Paul55 as much as I'd love something like that, I think it's slightly out of budget Thanks @cookster
Multi equals big van. Or long van and stagger them. Renault master mwb worked ok for me, mid top so can stand up, multi right to the front and sports bike right to the back. Then pack around FWIW mine cost me £800, had 230k on it, ran for 4 years with no major issues (about 15k) and sold if for £750
Medium wheelbase, medium roof transit. I ran a mk6 for a good few years and now run a transit custom. The custom, as a driver etc. is leagues ahead but is a lot newer and higher spec’d. As a van for moving stuff the older one was great. Loads about, cheap to repair (I didn’t have an ounce of trouble with mine) and the only real gremlins seem to be corrosion on the sills…… Go for a front wheel drive though as a rear axle makes the floor much higher and difficult to load with a ramp…… especially with legs as short as mine
ive had loads of vans for work, in my opinion Mercedes are the best, a little bit over engineered, but solid, slam the door and its like a safe, transits are much lower quality but very reliable and cheap to repair , seem to see a lot of french vans broken down on the motorway, and fiat, look nice but cack VWs are lovely, but when i was looking last were seriously underpowewred ahh but mercs are expensive when they break down?? but if they are looked after they dont break down, last one had 140K, the one before 200K haven't had bikes in the back but it will take 2 easy, loads of tie down loops, if i go to the TT next year i'llk knock up a big folding ramp hard part is looking, theres a million vans out there, work out what suits you and narrow down specs on AT, and dont buy off of a traveller are bear in mind ULEZ, the cancer might spread to a town near you, will you ever go through London?, non compliant ones are cheaper
Thanks mate, I live in Holland so thankfully no ULEZ for me as I doubt I'll be taking it into the centre of Amsterdam lol. Good to know about the merc's, I'm very much in favour of buying something engineered to last. I've been looking on the EU market and yea, there are some seriously cheap buckets, I think my budget is going to settle around 6-8k EUR. It's not a lot, but I see I can get some real steals for that budget.
I’ve had 4 Vito’s now. My latest a 119cdi blue tec thang. I bought new in 2019. It drives lovely and will easily take 2 bikes and kit. My first Vito was around 2004. The build quality was far better then. Very solid and well finished. But a dinosaur technically compared the new stuff.
Note tho multi is tall and wide. Iirc I had to take screen off to get in a Renault traffic which has same kind of roof as most stagnated vans. Mid top as minimum otherwise And you’ve got me looking on eBay at race vans/campers now
I agree ..... and even if you had twice that budget , I'd still go for an older Sprinter ( over 10 years old , or more ). Definitely before they started using CAN-BUS electrics , and even better , one with chain driven cams . Those engines are good for star-ship mileage ! . Is there going to be rust ? ...... of course there is ! So I would budget for even up to a grand ( maybe ) .... to absolutely blitz every bit of rust on the vehicle . It's the smart choice if you want to end up with a definite keeper Good luck ! PS - a buddy of mine lives in a motorhome built on the classic Mercedes Vario ladder chassis . It's 40 years old ..... rust is an ongoing chore , just like with ships , so he bought a welder and just keeps an eye on everything , and patches up when needed .
I used to have a Vito when I was doing trackdays, two bikes and two lots of kit fitted no problem. I never should have downsized to a Caddy but I’ve had a Honda Dominator in the back of that!
If you can a Mercedes Vito but with a high top. Sprinters are good but the size makes them a pig to find enough space to park. I’ve managed to get a Honda Transalp in the back of my van but needed to remove the screen and mirrors. Which is a faff if you’re loading in and out regularly. Try and buy the 639 facelift as that’s when the Sprinter engine was put into the Vito in around 2012. Good Luck
I just sold on my Vito as it was too far gone underneath from rust... I bought it for 3000 back in 2016 and sold it for scrap for 1000 euros.. I think I put over 60k on it in the end. Been to UK, Poland, Holland and all over Germany with it, and never missed a beat.. Aircon front and back, sunroof, space for 2 bikes plus kit. I had the 3.2 petrol version that could turn off some, but I found it super smooth and very quiet on long hauls.. and as a bonus you were never tired, as you had to fill up regularly. I also found that the spare parts from Mercedes were cheaper than expected and drastically cheaper than the T4 Vw i ran for a few years, I found the whole ownership experience that good I spec'ed and ordered a new V-Klasse 300 AMG to replace it and that is even better.
That myth just keeps on rolling ..... it's got a life of it's own . The "reasoning" appears to be that because their vehicles cost more than the equivalent from other makers , the parts must be more expensive , right ? ...... err , actually wrong ! Also , there are loads of parts available from breakers Another thumbs-up for Mercedes is that their legacy support with OEM parts for older vehicles is outstanding . Example - I ordered parts for a 230e saloon from the seventies , and I expected to get my pants pulled down regarding the price , but I was pleasantly surprised ( and everything was available from stock ! ) . But as for Ducati , just to pick a manufacturer at random ...... That's a different kettle of fish ...... Example - all of the sensors on my Y2k bike ( except the TPS ) have BMW logos and part numbers stamped into the plastic ...... bet you can't guess the price difference ! So , if any Ducati management top-dogs are reading this , I'd like to pass on my feelings ....
