Vans

[.:4:.]

Today I had an informal meeting with my boss who hasn't been around lately and it was more about staff moral etc, I landed a pay rise which is great (dunno how much yet but anything is good) and when asked if I have any other issues I told him that the most dangerous thing I do every day is the trip to and from work in the van (09 Mitsubishi express). He asked why. Reason being if I fall off a ladder or shock myself (electrician) that's my fault. If someone stops short on me or cuts me off hard, I'm always loaded, I'll almost certainly break both legs in the best case as my van has no airbags or abs and the motor is behind/beside me. The boss said ok, let me know what you find. Question. I'm not sure on the price point, but I was asked to do some research on a replacement. Weather it be dealer fit or factory it must have a cargo barrier (my demand), has to have roof racks and height is a big issue. The express is a big enough (just) but low enough van. Mine at the moment sits at 2050mm with racks and a pipe on the roof. I really like the new transits as they may be taller as a base van with no racks but the factory ones fold down. I.e take the ladders off and drive in... 3 seats is a bonus because on the odd day someone calls in sick and I end up with 2 apprentices as uncomfortable as it may be for them, having one skiing is better then one in the back (done that before) or one on the train. Utes are out of the question. Security is one thing, but space is the main objective. I get that vans drive average at the best of times but they are so practical. Furthermore small vans like the vw caddy are too small. Opinions please

[Makovic]

Why not a Falcon Cab Chassis with column shift (3 seater) and a fabricated box on the back? With side opening doors/drawers and roof racks.

[Craig@AUDI]

Transit van with the roof racks folding down is best option.

5yr 200k warranty at the moment too.

Column shift utes are handy but near on impossible to find one for sale at the moment and production dies soon.

Craig

[Craig@AUDI]

P.S. The I-Loads aren't a bad thing either, worth a look.

[.:4:.]

Originally Posted by Makovic

Why not a Falcon Cab Chassis with column shift (3 seater) and a fabricated box on the back? With side opening doors/drawers and roof racks.

Problem being access and price. Vans are big and as opposed to having 5 of everything in the back, you can have 10 on your shelves. I would love a falcon ute more then anything (I have a bf2 sedan and the wife a fg2) but its all about space. The issue with other vans is when you put roof racks on you end up taller. I like the fold downs the transit has. Little bit unsure about being diesel only, and only being manuals is a bit of a bummer. Its not that I can't drive them... in city traffic I grow old of 1st 2nd 3rd 2nd stop. I always like to keep atleast 1 6ft ladder in the back, because if it rains it sucks when you have wet ladders. And if you have to carry a 12ft, an 8ft, and atleast 1 6ft on a ute, they have to go on the roof, again upping the height to that of of a van. They drive terrible, but are functional to boot. I hate it but (in the terms of work) I'm a van man

[Makovic]

Fair enough.

Though:

A six foot ladder would probably fit.

Price? The Falcon should last twice as long.

Comfort. The Falcon Oh yeah!

[Brazen]

I know you said no Caddy due to size, but the Caddi Maxi is really big and a bloody good drive

[IMG]

[.:4:.]

Originally Posted by Makovic

Fair enough.

Though:

A six foot ladder would probably fit.

Price? The Falcon should last twice as long.

Comfort. The Falcon Oh yeah!

Yeah I know.. cant go wrong in a coon, which is why me and the wife have 2 of them. Its more about storing gear and heaps of it and being practical. Years ago we had a ba ute that was good to drive but was somewhat limited in space in the back to be productive. It had a canopy with pop out windows so it wasn't a bad thing at all. At the moment the firm is selling the newest and least usefull car. A 2013 ranger. Pov pack, 2 door, canopy, giant tray, probably the best car we have but the canopy has sliding windows not pop outs, and there isn't the height in the back to fit anything large. Pop outs on a ute are one thing, but a sliding door is much easier to get things out of the front of the front of the back if that makes any sense

[Itsme]

Ford Transit Custom LWB would be a good choice, would not be any higher than what you are driving now.

[.:4:.]

Originally Posted by Brazen

I know you said no Caddy due to size, but the Caddi Maxi is really big and a bloody good drive

image

Sorry mate, that one looks useless... it has no sliding door on the left side... just joking. There is a fine line between being tall enough for the bigger items and low enough for cbd car parks. I shot off an email asking about the price ceiling, as that is the decider in the end, but I gave him enough courtesy to answer on monday. 2 other big sale points to me (however not being the buyer) on the transit are the cargo barrier (I refuse to drive a van without it) and the fact it has protection on the inside of the non windows. My current van looks like a bag of microwave popcorn. Loaded to the roof with things banging around making inverse dents (new term?) Or is that outwards dents?

[Brazen]

Originally Posted by Craig@Rockdale

Transit van with the roof racks folding down is best option.

5yr 200k warranty at the moment too.

Wow that sounds like a winner. The best van with the best warranty.

[.:4:.]

Originally Posted by Brazen

Wow that sounds like a winner. The best van with the best warranty.

Best van is what I am after but warrenty isn't my issue, it's my say in which work car gets purchased by the company which is something I'm not entirely in control of. The opinion got asked of me, I replied due to my ohs concern, don't be surprised if in a fortnights time I make a post about the l300 I'm stuck with

[.:4:.]

an I ask how is the reliability of a current model transit. From the Australian made fords I have had they haven't put a foot wrong, but I don't want to put a sales pitch to the boss (smaller company) on a van from a global company with the factory in Turkey if its no good. Mind you the l300 mistubishi only starts if it feels like it, and if I'm not parked on a hill,it needs a solid bash with a hammer to start. The mechanics we use at work can't find a problem, but push starting the thing I can start it. I need a decent van guys

[SumoDog68]

ILoad is very popular - good value, decent diesel , good size ,rwd. Some still stick with Hiace which is solid but old Cabover design and pricy . Transporter and Vito are decent to drive but can be expensive to run. Renault Traffic is left field but seems ok. Don't know anyone to run a Transit.
If buying new , ILoad is probably the pick. For a sparky van is much easier to work out of than a ute or wagon.

[hackney]

Originally Posted by Craig@Rockdale

Transit van with the roof racks folding down is best option.

5yr 200k warranty at the moment too.

Column shift utes are handy but near on impossible to find one for sale at the moment and production dies soon.

Craig

Over in the UK a few months back Transit's are everywhere(& so should they after all,they are "Pommy" van)Not many Hi Ace's, the "I loads" are around as well,plus a lot of what I call "Euro" van's,where is Japan,Hi Aces are the main van they are used a lot as commuter buses.Transit's would have to be one of the nicest looking van's around at the moment.

[Tonz]

Lecy over here, v good friend, needed to replace old Toyota Hiace, leased for 12 months
1 new Toyota HiAce
1 " LWB VW Caddy
1 Hyaundi ILoad
1 LWB low roof Transit

then went all ILoad.
long distance comfort
reliability/ service/ dealer response
ease of accesability inside and roof. one has done over 200k and regularly visits APY lands north of Augusta. so very crappy roads

[russxr67]

Yep, Iload for the win. I bought a new turbo diesel model in 2010 and have been very impressed with it so far. Currently has just over 100k and it continues to impress. Fuel economy is great ,power is exceptional and the vehicle itself seems robustly built. I'm a tradie as well so was looking for the best fit financially and work wise the Hyundai came out on top.
Looked at the Toyota Hiace models at the same time but the Hyundai trumped it on price,power and most of all frontal impact zone . The Hiace just didn't have that feature, so the choice became relatively easy in the end. They seem to keep there value as well.

[Tonz]

Originally Posted by russxr67

Yep, Iload for the win. I bought a new turbo diesel model in 2010 and have been very impressed with it so far. Currently has just over 100k and it continues to impress. Fuel economy is great ,power is exceptional and the vehicle itself seems robustly built. I'm a tradie as well so was looking for the best fit financially and work wise the Hyundai came out on top.
Looked at the Toyota Hiace models at the same time but the Hyundai trumped it on price,power and most of all frontal impact zone . The Hiace just didn't have that feature, so the choice became relatively easy in the end. They seem to keep there value as well.

to well, bummer for those wanting a decent van at a cheaper price

[Franco Cozzo]

Do you need access to underground car parks? If not check out a Mercedes Sprinter.

Its like driving a car, they're a wicked van and they've got safety features up the wazoo.

The latest Fiat Ducato is a nice van too, but go for manual in this one.

[.:4:.]

Did a bit of leg work today, still waiting for a price point, but the new vans have so much going on. Height is probably my main issue, that being said, throwing on roof racks bumps everything up. The caddy vans are the shortest, but with roof racks they are as high as the transit custom, but are smaller in the back then the existing express. I don't care about stuff like digital radios or whatever, but all the bottom range vans have a rediculous factory inclusions, which aren't a sell point to me. iLoads don't look half bad, but again with roof racks they will be in the 2100mm range. Same with the hi ace. The one advantage the hi ace has is its old school being a cab over engine, making it a touch shorter overall. I had a look at the transit, and the thing had half the things we would have to get fitted anyways, height of 1987mm with the racks folded down and still rated to 130kg, but the price is way up there and I don't really need heated seats or 900 12v outlets... after getting the green light on a van, it's looking almost easier to live with an lpi falcon with a higher canopy, as irritating as it would be...

[russellw]

It will no doubt be outside the budget but the SWB Vito is a great van especially if you can find one of the (now obsolete) 122CDI models with the 3.0 165kW TDV6. 0-100 in 8.6 and still only uses 9l/100 km.

As the roof is recessed for racks, they measure 1960 with them fitted. I think the base model 111 is around $36k at the moment with a 6 speed manual or the optional 7 speed auto (standard on 116 & 119 models). Power is hardly outstanding on the entry (smaller engine) model at 84 kW / 270 Nm but then gradually improves with 3 power versions of the larger engine 100 kW / 330 Nm; 120 kW / 380 Nm and 140 kW / 440 Nm, the latter of which is getting close to the old V6.

Cheers
Russ

[cheek]

Have a look at the runner model VW Transporters. $33k and very very nice van to drive. I bought one a year ago and cannot be happier with it.

[.:4:.]

I got a reply on price today which I'm a bit bummed about. 30k.... if it was 35k I could work with that... you know a 2014 hi ace or iload fitted out with 20k on the dial etc. My boss is keen on the new ldv g10. I'm a little dubious on a car that hasn't been out long enough for a real reliability test, but really that's not my issue as its the company's problem. Size wise they are small enough to work with, but they're chinese and to date every car from there has been questionable. If he opted for the turbo petrol (he wont) the power figure might sway me a bit, but I don't want to have to deal with a work car that isn't 97% reliable (3% is driver abuse). The reviews seem alright but I may have to dodge the purchase untill a few hundred either crap out or catch fire, if not then I'll have to accept it. I spoke it's like the iload to an extent, when they first came out people were a little cagey due to the older reputation of korean cars, then when they turned out good, jumped all over them

[.:4:.]

His decision is also about his company tax, depreciation etc, that and I have no idea how much cash the firm has. The "nicest" although most useless car we have is a 4 door Sr hilux.... not including the bosses bmw x6 5.0i.....

[dopeydazza]

We use a Mercedes Benz sprinter 316 - ex ambulance, 6 cylinder up front, diesel. Use it to deliver flowers, a set of tables means we have 2 tiers of space, can take a table out and load taller stock in rear. The ride height is fantastic, but unfortunately very tall. 2.7 metres. A warning, the battery sits under passenger floorboard, and fuse box sits under drivers seat, so we must be careful transporting buckets of flowers with water, as any water running forward is a great risk of shorting out something. We don't have a cargo barrier unfortunately, so boss slammed on brakes once, a bucket went flying, and soaked dashboard, shorted out radio, heater controls. We use sprinter for the height of the flowers we deliver, and the load capacity, why it was picked. Hope that helps in your ideas.

[.:4:.]

Originally Posted by dopeydazza

We use a Mercedes Benz sprinter 316 - ex ambulance, 6 cylinder up front, diesel. Use it to deliver flowers, a set of tables means we have 2 tiers of space, can take a table out and load taller stock in rear. The ride height is fantastic, but unfortunately very tall. 2.7 metres. A warning, the battery sits under passenger floorboard, and fuse box sits under drivers seat, so we must be careful transporting buckets of flowers with water, as any water running forward is a great risk of shorting out something. We don't have a cargo barrier unfortunately, so boss slammed on brakes once, a bucket went flying, and soaked dashboard, shorted out radio, heater controls. We use sprinter for the height of the flowers we deliver, and the load capacity, why it was picked. Hope that helps in your ideas.

Height is the issue, when's the last time you parked in a covered shopping centre with a 2.7m limit? Let alone a hi rise carpark? Loading docks are usually fine for up to 3.6, but a 20 minute limit makes it difficult to park for 8 hours. Thats my major issue. If I was a domestic or industrial I could drive a ute with 3 ladders on the roof, but I need the space for 2 6 foots in the back and an 8 and a 12 on the roof and still try to squeeze into carparks etc, even if I have to take the ladders off the roof and chain them to the wheels

[.:4:.]

Update... monday I go pickup a px ranger. Its a 2 door xl poverty pack. Its the car the boss wanted to get rid of but turns out he can't due to the lease. At the moment the tray has a fixed window canopy which is useless, but hopefully soon we will get a service body for the back, which will be functional. It drives much nicer then the express, fits into carparks, however as it is its impossible to get to the front of the tray without removing everything from the back... not entirely sold on the idea, but I suppose I have to give it a try. It wasn't my decision anyways...

[lamborghinifan]

I load for the win.

[duaned]

I have a VW T5 Transporter Runner and purchased it new, have now done 76,000kms and not a thing has gone wrong. Mine is tuned for more boost as well. I did look at an Iload today, they are nice but damn expensive for the Turbo Diesel. Im showing interest in the LDV G10 2L turbo as well. It's packed with goodies, 165kw, rear wheel drive, ZF auto trans. and an awesome price at 30k driveaway.

[duaned]

Originally Posted by tempted

Honestly, why would you stoop to buying a piece of Chinese garbage just to save a couple of grand? You get what you pay for.

Well this is a work van, it helps me to make money. If it gets me from A to B then what does the badge have to do with this?