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Replies
To buy a smaller van for fuel economy as opposed to the size you actually require, is false economy IMHO, you will constantly be annoyed with the lack of space, and the couple of pounds you would save in fuel each fill up will be long forgotten and become totally irrelevant. I guess ultimately it comes down to two things 1, how much waste and/or kit do you need to move around on a daily basis and 2, will a slightly larger vehicle really make all that much difference to parking?
I have a SWB medium roof Transit, before that i had a Fiat Scudo, i cant believe i used it for three years! when i first got the Transit it felt like an aircraft hanger compared to the Fiat, the Transit is twice the size inside but only slightly wider and longer than the Fiat! the higher roof makes a much a bigger difference day to day than i ever imagined.
Tip: If you do a lot of town driving/work then get a van with rear parking sensors, it makes squeezing into spaces a much easier operation. I retro fitted mine with a kit from ebay, without them it looks like you have no more room at the back when looking in the mirrors, when in reality you could have another 3ft to play with!
HTH
Anthony
Anthony is spot-on, particularly the rear sensors; must get them on mine!
I'd prioritise it this way. First, get the biggest you can use without it being a pain to park. Having to use a trailer really makes the day awkward, as you have to think of access all the time. Secondly, get the one that best fits your business; my Hiace is a pain as I have to unbolt and fold the mower handle every time it's used. Only a two-minute job, but over five years that's hundreds of times. Having to struggle to get tools from under bags of grass cuttings is going to be annoying. A LWB van is often worth seeking out, as the extra foot or so can make a huge difference.
Third on the list is reliability. Every day it's in the garage is lost money on top of the cost of repairs. That was my reason for buying the Hiace, they just go on forever, rarely if ever break, and so the cost-per-mile is brought right down.
Fuel economy would rank somewhere well down the list.
Anthony @ JDC Maintenance said:
Hi Anthony thanks for your reply.
Yes you are absolutely correct with what you say regarding the size of the vehicle.
I am 100% sitting on the fence between running costs and size of vehicle. The nissan can hole two euro pallets which would mean one hippo bag to collect waste and a pallets worth of room to negotiate the lawn mower, tools, spreader and aerator/scarifer. Not a lot of room when we look the load area in this logical way.
Parking, well you would not believe what it is like trying to park where I live. Parking sensors are on my immediate to buy list!
Anthony you said you had a scudo before. I was looking at the scudo yesterday. You say it is to small?
Perhaps I need to concentrate on either the transit or the vivaro range of vehicle.
Paul I was lying in bed and even today whilst working I was wondering if I would have the patience to keep collapsing the handle of the lawn mower?
It is looking like an immediate U-Turn regarding my vehicle search!
..... if you collapse the handles of mowers regularly be cables kink and fail prematurely.
I personally like vans which I can stand up in the back of. If parking is a nightmare go for a short van with extra height. You can then rack it out so tools can be stood vertically.
Mpg in my opinion only becomes an issue if regularly travel long distances. If local journeys then it is less of an issue.
When I started my business I used cars and then a Suzuki carry. I then moved onto a swb m/r transit and, I kid you not, transformed the way I could work and run my business.
English Sheep said:
Collapsing the handles on a honda pro is no quick job. Socket and spanner needed.
This investment is for a minimum of three years.
The market over here is some what different to the UK. Over here you are critically judged, if I were running this company back in the UK then there is no way I would be investing in such an expensive asset.
Having read what everybody has posted and taken into account Stuarts top tip regarding the Honda pro a bigger van is now on the cards.
By the way over here the insurance company want me to have a 100% enclosed trailer which I do not feel is practical enough due to the insurance policy being so restrictive.
I have just searched for the likes of a long wheel based merc Vito (6 years old) as the VW range are very very expensive. There is more choice for the Merc compared to the likes of Opel and Renault long wheelbases vans that you see every where in the UK.
Thanks for the top tips every one and thanks for the highlight that potential problem With the Honda Stuart.
I replace the 4 bolts with two of the black screw-up things. It's only a few seconds to undo each side and whip the top half of the handle off. In ten years or so I've never had a problem with the cables. I could use the rear door for the mower, but not with the triler on, so it's side door and handle off!
I only mention it as it's part of the compromise; I had a transit and it was bigger than I needed, and less reliable. Was the old model, though.
One other thing is to consider what you'll take on. If you can get away with a smaller van, carry less gear, and farm some work to others, you could be better off. Not needing ladders, long-reach gear, it all helps keep costs down. Although I can't talk, just bought a Henchman.....
Stuart @ Eco Garden Maintenance said:
I would look at avoiding removing waste from properties if you cannot use a trailer. Trying to keep waste and a neat array of tools in a van is very difficult and will always annoy you.
Please don't lift mowers into a van, no matter how low the floor is relative to the kerb. Hammer together a couple of planks of wood to use as a ramp and slide it up against the bulkhead when not in use. You shouldn't ever feel the need to lift a mower, they are not designed for it and you'll kill your back.
I have a transit T350 and the fuel economy is really bad (under 30mpg) but I needed it for towing the trailer, which gets used for the ride-on, waste and the like. If I didn't need the trailer I'd go back to a smaller SWB transit sized van or even try and get away with a vito, but I carry 2 mowers and the T350 fits them both in side by side via the side door which leaves the back of the van free for me to walk in and sort things out.
I'd be inclined to get a swb tranny in your boots.
As they say "size does matter!" The bigger the better.
Mines a Renault master. Bigger than a Tranny, vw transporter. You can get a sub 80,00 miles van for under £2000. When it gets its monthly scratch or bump I dont cry about it.
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