Our website is made possible by displaying online advertisements to our visitors.
Please consider supporting us by disabling your ad blocker.
Page 2 of 4 FirstFirst 1234 LastLast
Results 11 to 20 of 37

Thread: The Van Conundrum

  1. #11

    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Swale, Kent
    Age
    31
    Posts
    4,077

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Nakatomi View Post

    Ford Transit Custom: As the Trafic but the hire company left me needing to put diesel in before my long drive dahn saaf. No issue, I can expense the diesel no problem.. But I had to RTFM to find out how to get the damn fuel filler open! Stupid filler door is inaccessible UNLESS YOU OPEN THE PASSENGER DOOR!!!!!!! How can anybody put up with this?! Who flipping cares if the cab has a very handy 13A inverter powered socket under the middle seat, when you have to open the passenger door to put fuel in? Pretty economical & plenty of room in the back for my dream disco rig. But just NO on account of that flipping fuel filler flap. What kind of IDIOTS design these things?
    The Mercedes 9 seater Vito's we have at work have the same stupid design.

    I'm guessing they forgot to add one until it was too late in the design stage and put it inside the door.
    Nathan.

  2. #12
    Resident Antagonist Benny Smyth's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Worcestershire
    Age
    38
    Posts
    1,964

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Excalibur View Post
    P.S. Benny, your post confuses me. So buying your old van wasn't an option then? When I lease kit from PC World ( through a third party ) I always get the option to buy it at term, which I always do.
    Contract hire, not contract purchase. Hire for three years and then give it back. I knew this going in, but thought I'd give it a go - turns out that I ended up talking to someone who couldn't/wouldn't think for themselves and try to look at the possibility with a higher up.

  3. #13
    yourdj's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    The New Forest
    Age
    43
    Posts
    7,110

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by DJWilson View Post
    The Mercedes 9 seater Vito's we have at work have the same stupid design.

    I'm guessing they forgot to add one until it was too late in the design stage and put it inside the door.
    I had this on a Vivario people carrier in Spain. I think it may have something to do with regulations or something??

    Going back to electric (sorry I have a bee in my bonnet) I like the look of the partner etc. There is a whole fleet in the post office, so if they are using them then they can't be too bad. Its SO cheap, but I believe you lease the batteries. Not looked into the cost of that, but for £5,000 its a no brainer as i can get at least 3-3.5 for Zafira. The only thing is I really don't want a white van so might be worth factoring in a really cool wrap & alloys etc to jazz it up. Should not cost more than £1,000 extra?

    https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classif...ice-asc&page=1

    Having said that i have found an uber rare black Nissan with fresh ply. done 30k though so has clearly been a contractors van driving up and down the country to have done that in 2 years!! Makes you wonder as its pretty cheap. I am going through this area tomorrow so might contact them Monday for a test drive.

    https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classif...lectric&page=2

    Name:  17a7396c258149f5b21d43e8185b7b2d.jpg
Views: 201
Size:  81.4 KB
    Your DJ - Mobile DJ The New Forest, Southampton & Hampshire. Toby
    https://yourdj.co.uk/

  4. #14
    Dinosaur Excalibur's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Location
    East Yorkshire
    Age
    68
    Posts
    26,833

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Benny Smyth View Post
    Contract hire, not contract purchase. Hire for three years and then give it back. I knew this going in, but thought I'd give it a go - turns out that I ended up talking to someone who couldn't/wouldn't think for themselves and try to look at the possibility with a higher up.
    Now I'm not up on these things, but I always thought Leasing was the tax efficient way? Generally, they offer buyback at term. Don't know if Hire has the same advantages. I know that years ago, Leasing was very tax efficient, but things have changed.

    Quote Originally Posted by DJWilson View Post
    The Mercedes 9 seater Vito's we have at work have the same stupid design.

    I'm guessing they forgot to add one until it was too late in the design stage and put it inside the door.
    By far from being the only van with the filler cap flanked by a door. It's a second level of security to deter fuel theft.
    Excalibur. Older than the average DJ.

    www.excaliburmobiledisco.co.uk

  5. #15

    Join Date
    Nov 2014
    Location
    Durham, Co Durham
    Posts
    3,157

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Excalibur View Post
    By far from being the only van with the filler cap flanked by a door. It's a second level of security to deter fuel theft.
    It's blinking annoying. What would be a real 2nd level of security would be a flap you can only open from the cab and a locking filler cap. Pretty pointless anyway these days, since most fuel tanks have anti-syphon devices fitted. Ever had a dead van with 50 quid's worth of jungle juice left in the tank? I have.. had to get pretty creative to transfer it to the new one I can tell you LOL.

  6. #16
    Resident Antagonist Benny Smyth's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Worcestershire
    Age
    38
    Posts
    1,964

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Excalibur View Post
    By far from being the only van with the filler cap flanked by a door. It's a second level of security to deter fuel theft.
    You have to open the passenger to my Vivaro to get to be able to open the fuel flap. Never had a problem with it myself.

  7. #17

    Join Date
    Nov 2014
    Location
    Durham, Co Durham
    Posts
    3,157

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Benny Smyth View Post
    You have to open the passenger to my Vivaro to get to be able to open the fuel flap. Never had a problem with it myself.
    I'm very easily annoyed by things

  8. #18
    Resident Antagonist Benny Smyth's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Worcestershire
    Age
    38
    Posts
    1,964

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Nakatomi View Post
    I'm very easily annoyed by things
    Yeah...revealing that to me is definitely a positive move.

  9. #19

    Join Date
    Nov 2014
    Location
    Durham, Co Durham
    Posts
    3,157

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Benny Smyth View Post
    Yeah...revealing that to me is definitely a positive move.
    I dunno if it'd be a deal breaker, but when confronted with it the 1st time I was really annoyed with it by the time I'd read the manual.

    The custom had a lot of other stuff I liked though. How much of it was standard kit I don't know. I don't expect the inverter is fitted as standard though. Nor parking sensors, cruise control etc..

    As for electric cars & vans. Just no. And this comes from somebody whose day job involves making bits for electric vehicles. Domestic charging will only ever be slow & the same is true of the majority of publicly available charging points. The reality is, until 300kW+ charging points become more commonplace rapid (ie 15-30 minute) charging won't be widespread. Battery tech is improving all the time but charging infrastructure definitely isn't.

    For occasional use, maybe.. But I drive 60+ miles in my van every day because it's my only vehicle.
    Last edited by Nakatomi; 26-10-2018 at 11:29 AM.

  10. #20
    Dinosaur Excalibur's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Location
    East Yorkshire
    Age
    68
    Posts
    26,833

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Imagine View Post
    . It worked out that you could (at a stretch) get about 80 miles between charges.
    Hmmmm. Saturday night, if I was lucky enough to arrive, I'd have to put the thing on charge straight away to stand any chance of getting home again. Blimey, even the old LDVs would be faster than that.


    Quote Originally Posted by Imagine View Post
    .I feel electricity powered commercial vehicles have got to come a LONG way before they can be used properly
    You don't say, Sherlock?

    Quote Originally Posted by Nakatomi View Post
    I'm very easily annoyed by things
    With me it's usually people.

    Edit: Benny, thinking outside the box- Crewcab? Dual purpose. Lease a nice new one again, this time with a purchase option.
    Excalibur. Older than the average DJ.

    www.excaliburmobiledisco.co.uk

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •