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[terry paget]

A chum dropped into my print shop this morning; he has an 04 Astra, does building work, finds Astra gets dusty, reckons he needs a van, wonders what to buy, wants me to buy his Astra. He wants 3 seats, but not a big van, is looking at a diesel 2008 Citroen Dispatch at £1400.
 I said I didn't want his Astra and know nothing about vans or diesels. Promised to enquire on this forum.  Please advise.

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

Builders van gets dusty.......whatever next.

[dave the builder]

Builders van gets dusty.......whatever next.

that does tend to happen with plaster,cement etc

it depends what sort of building work Terry's friend does 
I really don't like driving vans ,no all round vision,handle terrible,rattle ,uncomfortable driving position.
bulk materials can be delivered to the job,rubbish can be put in a skip (all priced into the job)
so my van is a 2003  saloon with a big boot for tools ,an Omega 
i can borrow one of the zafiras ,should i need that size load area (about the same load area as a mid size van)
larger loads (like moving conservatories etc) hiring a man with a van ,is cost effective .
I also have a decent trailer ,thou not yet fitted a shed dragging hook to my omega ,other cars in the fleet have them .
I know a few plasterers who have astra vans ,personally i'd just buy the estate ,and have the windows ,load carrying capacity is the same for van and estate .a local bricklayer I know has a zafira and trailer

double  bagging plaster and cement etc ,seat and load covers and using a hoover may be a solution 

don't buy a 2004 astra that a builder has used as a van Terry ,it won't end well 

[aaronjb]

Knew you couldn't be a real builder, Dave.. no real builder would be seen dead without a Transit tipper with rust holes in the frame big enough to fit your head through!

Or maybe that was just my old neighbour.. 

[dave the builder]

Knew you couldn't be a real builder, Dave.. no real builder would be seen dead without a Transit tipper with rust holes in the frame big enough to fit your head through!

Or maybe that was just my old neighbour.. 

yes ,i need to change my name to Dave the rusty vauxhall fixer 
the Ford marque is another one of my dislikes 
in my past I did spend far too long chasing rust on a transit drop-side 

[Doctor Gollum]

Mercedes Vito or, much as it galls me, VW Transporter...

[Rangie]

My son in law & his father have their own building business always have Transits put up with everything asked of them without any problems, as for rust who cares on a much abused vehicle it's a workhorse simple as that..😀

[Nick W]

Mercedes Vito or, much as it galls me, VW Transporter...

No.
Just no.
To both.


The car based vans don't really matter; just buy a marque you're comfortable with, and an example owned and used by someone who didn't load it full of dirty crap everyday.


Bigger vans need to have Ford badges.

[Sir Tigger KC]

The ubiquitous rusty Trannie! 

[dave the builder]

The ubiquitous rusty Trannie! 

ginger transvestite ?

[Sir Tigger KC]

The ubiquitous rusty Trannie! 

ginger transvestite ?

Terry's mate? 

[dave the builder]

The ubiquitous rusty Trannie! 

ginger transvestite ?

Terry's mate? 

I don't know , a builder that can't stand dust 
sounds a bit feminine 
feather duster 

[biggriffin]

Look at any builders merchant, and it's a toss up between, a Transit and Movano, the Posh builders have Vito and vw t5.

[dave the builder]

Look at any builders merchant, and it's a toss up between, a Transit and Movano, the Posh builders have Vito and vw t5.

posh builders 
do they have cigarette holders for their roll ups 

[Varche]

Cannot help with van advice but we had plasterers in to do a Spanish plastering job. Mostly white finish and it goes off quickly. They did a really great job .

Turned up in an absolutely unidentifiable white vehicle . The inside was all white as though a plaster bomb exploded inside once a week. I still wonder how it gets an mot. We offered them shower/ washing facilities each night but they just cleared off as they were. Covered head to foot in the stuff.

[Keith ABS]

 Vivaro, plentiful and low prices

[TheBoy]

Of all the transit sized vans I have driven and used and abused in a work capacity, the good ol' Tranny is by far the best.

As Nick W says, for car derived vans, they are all much of a muchness, and essentially being the same as the base spec car its derived from, a well known entity.

[Andy B]

I just borrow my Dad's Kia Sedona when I need van sized vehicle 

[deviator]

When I've asked around, everyone has suggested the Euro cab van (The Vauxhall/Nissan/Renault and various other companies).

I will say, if you going for a van based around the Vivaro/Movano, avoid the Renault F9Q engine. These seem to fail at an alarming rate, mine is on at least its 3rd engine in 259k and 15 years. To make it worse, it's about £400 for a secondhand engine. I don't know about the later types of engine used.

[YZ250]

I just borrow my Dad's Kia Sedona when I need van sized vehicle 

Has Dad still got access to the big long black vehicles?  Your Christmas tree would fit in there a treat when going to the tip. 

[TheBoy]

I just borrow my Dad's Kia Sedona when I need van sized vehicle 

I walk around town looking for an abandoned Zafira….

[Broomies Mate]

If you are offering advice to buy, then I assume he is looking second hand?  If so, you'll not go wrong with the Vivaro.  I'm on my third (a 2017 120PS single turbo).  I was advised to leave the BiTurbo alone, and being a member of many TVP forums, I was advised correctly.

The Transit (the proper one) rusts before it naturally dies, the Custom is a terrible drive (seat position, suspension etc).

Yes, the puny 1.6 engine in the (later) Vivaro has it's faults, but having owned a 2.0 and 1.9 (previous Vivaro's) the 1.6 is a very capable engine in what is a decent sized mid-size van.  I'm dreading the day I have to change for a new van (lease ends)..... the NEW Vivaro is no bigger than an Estate car..... and so far as I'm told, made of Chocolate.