Curently I'm driving 120 miles a day to and from work, as well as
needing a van for a self-build project - and I don't really want to
run two vehicles.

At the moment I'm driving a VW Caravelle (with all the rear seats out,
and a rubber-mat load-liner). This is a 2.4D, non-turbo - and returns
an average 37 mpg.

It's a 1997, 130K, and I'm now being pretty heavily clobbered with
maintenance costs too.

So I'm looking for a replacement van - most important qualities (in
order) are high-reliability, fuel economy, reasonable maintenance
costs.

I'd also say as-long-as-possible load space, and enclosed body (not a
pick-up).

Budget - £4000 (ish).

At the moment, I'm considering micro-vans (Suzuki Carry type, might
struggle with the mileage), Mazda Bongo (not so great fuel economy,
camper is a plus), Suzuki Jimny and trailer (trailer is a nuisance,
but 4wd ruggedness is a plus) - or just one of the many midi-vans out
there.

I'd also set quite a bit of importance by the local dealer's quality
of service (North Norfolk) - loaner cars, on-time and on-price.

Suggestions?

On 23/04/2011 17:12, wrote:
Curently I'm driving 120 miles a day to and from work, as well as
needing a van for a self-build project - and I don't really want to
run two vehicles.

At the moment I'm driving a VW Caravelle (with all the rear seats out,
and a rubber-mat load-liner). This is a 2.4D, non-turbo - and returns
an average 37 mpg.

It's a 1997, 130K, and I'm now being pretty heavily clobbered with
maintenance costs too.

So I'm looking for a replacement van - most important qualities (in
order) are high-reliability, fuel economy, reasonable maintenance
costs.

I'd also say as-long-as-possible load space, and enclosed body (not a
pick-up).

Budget - £4000 (ish).

At the moment, I'm considering micro-vans (Suzuki Carry type, might
struggle with the mileage), Mazda Bongo (not so great fuel economy,
camper is a plus), Suzuki Jimny and trailer (trailer is a nuisance,
but 4wd ruggedness is a plus) - or just one of the many midi-vans out
there.

I'd also set quite a bit of importance by the local dealer's quality
of service (North Norfolk) - loaner cars, on-time and on-price.

Suggestions?

May be bigger than you are looking at, but everyone I know who runs vans
swears by the Ford Transit for reliability. They also have the advantage
of having been around so long, there will be one available to suit just
about any budget and requirement.

Colin Bignell

On Apr 23, 5:51*pm, "Nightjar \"cpb\"@" "insertmysurnamehere wrote:
May be bigger than you are looking at, but everyone I know who runs vans
swears by the Ford Transit for reliability.

Only because he hasn't had the power steering fail on him _yet_

On Apr 23, 5:12*pm, " wrote:
Curently I'm driving 120 miles a day to and from work, as well as
needing a van for a self-build project - and I don't really want to
run two vehicles.

RUN TWO VEHICLES

Have you seen the price of fuel? Get a tiny pod car, get a big nasty
old van, or keep the one you have. Then ditch the 60 mile commute.

On Sat, 23 Apr 2011 09:12:45 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

Suzuki Jimny and trailer (trailer is a nuisance, but 4wd ruggedness is a plus)

No, the Jimny is a tin box on wheels 120 miles/day would be rather
tiring. Not sure I'd put 4wd ruggedness and Jimny in the same
sentance either.

--
Cheers
Dave.

In article ,
Andy Dingley wrote:
On Apr 23, 5:51*pm, "Nightjar \"cpb\"@" "insertmysurnamehere wrote:
May be bigger than you are looking at, but everyone I know who runs vans
swears by the Ford Transit for reliability.

Only because he hasn't had the power steering fail on him _yet_

Transits have power steering these days ?

Nick
--
Serendipity: http://www.leverton.org/blosxom (last update 29th March 2010)
"The Internet, a sort of ersatz counterfeit of real life"
-- Janet Street-Porter, BBC2, 19th March 1996

May be bigger than you are looking at, but everyone I know who runs vans
swears by the Ford Transit for reliability. They also have the advantage
of having been around so long, there will be one available to suit just
about any budget and requirement.

Colin Bignell

Mate of mine who's a brewer runs a transit for himself, berlingos for the
lads. Plus a transit flat-bed for larger deliveries.

In message
,
Andy Dingley writes
RUN TWO VEHICLES

Have you seen the price of fuel? Get a tiny pod car, get a big nasty
old van, or keep the one you have. Then ditch the 60 mile commute.

I'd absolutely agree with this. For years I've run a Defender (now a
Disco auto because my clutch knee went) for towing and heavily loaded
across fields work.
We also downsized the separate car to a Skoda Octavia diesel estate for
the local mileage and long trips. It does 60-ish mpg, sometimes 70,
although it falls off if you do over 60mph for long. So it doesn't have
to be a tiny pod car.

The insurance I've got down by playing the field, and careful choice of
year keeps the tax not too bad.

I know it's not the same scenario, but it's not too different. The only
snags are that SWMBO hates the Skoda because of the way it bounces, and
I'm waiting for the DMF to go (feels like not long now) so I can get a
proper flywheel fitted.
--
Bill

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the
drugs began to take hold. I remember Andy Dingley
saying something like:

On Apr 23, 5:51*pm, "Nightjar \"cpb\"@" "insertmysurnamehere wrote:
May be bigger than you are looking at, but everyone I know who runs vans
swears by the Ford Transit for reliability.

Only because he hasn't had the power steering fail on him _yet_

Split aluminium PS pipe is the favourite. Mine went a few months ago,
but it was largely caused by Ford's failure to adequately fasten the
pipe to the chassis, so it was vibrating up/down for thousands of miles.
60quid for a bit of bent tube - balls.

On 23/04/2011 20:44, Andy Dingley wrote:
On Apr 23, 5:51 pm, "Nightjar\"cpb\"@""insertmysurnamehere wrote:
May be bigger than you are looking at, but everyone I know who runs vans
swears by the Ford Transit for reliability.

Only because he hasn't had the power steering fail on him _yet_

Everyone refers to a group, not to an individual. It includes three
fleet operators as well as a number of single van operators. There is
also no such thing as absolute reliability; only reliability as compared
to other makes.

Colin Bignell

In message , "Nightjar
\"cpb\"@" writes
On 23/04/2011 17:12, wrote:
Curently I'm driving 120 miles a day to and from work, as well as
needing a van for a self-build project - and I don't really want to
run two vehicles.

At the moment I'm driving a VW Caravelle (with all the rear seats out,
and a rubber-mat load-liner). This is a 2.4D, non-turbo - and returns
an average 37 mpg.

It's a 1997, 130K, and I'm now being pretty heavily clobbered with
maintenance costs too.

So I'm looking for a replacement van - most important qualities (in
order) are high-reliability, fuel economy, reasonable maintenance
costs.

I'd also say as-long-as-possible load space, and enclosed body (not a
pick-up).

Budget - £4000 (ish).

At the moment, I'm considering micro-vans (Suzuki Carry type, might
struggle with the mileage), Mazda Bongo (not so great fuel economy,
camper is a plus), Suzuki Jimny and trailer (trailer is a nuisance,
but 4wd ruggedness is a plus) - or just one of the many midi-vans out
there.

I'd also set quite a bit of importance by the local dealer's quality
of service (North Norfolk) - loaner cars, on-time and on-price.

Suggestions?

May be bigger than you are looking at, but everyone I know who runs
vans swears by the Ford Transit for reliability. They also have the
advantage of having been around so long, there will be one available to
suit just about any budget and requirement.

Colin Bignell
Ford Transit Connect?
--
hugh
"Believe nothing. No matter where you read it, Or who said it, Even if
I have said it, Unless it agrees with your own reason And your own
common sense." Buddha