John G
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| posted on 14/1/17 at 09:19 AM |
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Crew cab van recomendations
I will be retiring from teaching after 36 years in the job and will need to be creative in my work pattern to supplement my pension.
Having kids with hobbies we are looking at crew cab vans as they tick lots of boxes. I have seen the Mercedes Vito crew cab, there are some nice ones
around 5 to 7k at around 120k miles. Any advice, things to look for, avoid etc. Are there any makes or models to look at / avoid?
Regards , John
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sprintB+
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| posted on 14/1/17 at 01:17 PM |
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Just beware, most crew cabs have had an industrious life. 120k doesn't seem much by todays standard but if its been on construction sites etc.
who knows. Take your time and have a good hunt around under the chassis. Power washing makes them look OK, but have a good poke about. I know of a T5
crew cab hitting 200k used and abused every day in the tin mine still going strong.
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Mash
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| posted on 14/1/17 at 07:45 PM |
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How about going for a minibus type, 8/9 seater of the Transit Tourneo type (Mercedes and VW both do a similar one)
Certainly the Tourneo has two removable rows of seats behind the drivers row(quick detach on rollers), so you could configure it to your requirements.
It will potentially get you away from that "industrial/rough" use that crew cabs might have. It is also more likely to fall into the
normal car speed limits, as opposed to crew cabs which may mean you are restricted to 50 on single carriageways, 60 on dual carriageways, and only
able to do 70 on motorways, as all van types are.
If the extra windows in the rear is a problem you can always tint them out.
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Schrodinger
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| posted on 14/1/17 at 10:03 PM |
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I was going to suggest something like a Mazda Bongo as the rear rows of seats can be removed.
Don't forget that if you are buying a commercial vehicle the road fund licence is a fair bit higher than for a private car.
Keith
Aviemore
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daniel mason
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| posted on 14/1/17 at 10:06 PM |
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I've heard good things re the Hyundai iload crew cabs. and a 5 year warranty
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gremlin1234
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| posted on 14/1/17 at 10:30 PM |
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quote:
Don't forget that if you are buying a commercial vehicle the road fund licence is a fair bit higher than for a private car.
also
'car' no-claims doesn't count to commercial vehicle insurance
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skydivepaul
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| posted on 14/1/17 at 10:55 PM |
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Take a look at vivaro / trafic crew cabs. I had one for a few years and it was great. Avoid the semi automatic box versions as they can be very
expensive to repair
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hkp57
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| posted on 15/1/17 at 06:32 AM |
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I recently bought a 116 Vito sport crew cab (Dualiner) and must say its perfect, plenty power for towing etc. I did have it remapped to 200BHP and
bags of
torque.
Dont be put off with the 111 model or the 113 having no power, its the same engine as the 116. A quick remap and you get close enough to the same
200bhp.
Still returns 38mpg also
One minor grudge is the gear change is a little slow (Manual) especially when engine is cold it wont be hurried going from 1st to 2nd. It is me nit
picking though.
Only stand out thing to avoid with a Vito is older than 2008. The older ones were not galvanized and rust like nothing else.
Fleet
SKC Raptor R - Hayabusa
Toyota C-HR Hybrid Limited Edition
Honda VFR1200 CrossTourer
DCT
Marlin Roadster 1800
Mercedes Vito 116 Sport
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Mash
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| posted on 16/1/17 at 05:10 PM |
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I'll repeat what I said before.
Crew cabs tend to be in the same class as vans, i.e. N1 (certainly Vito crew cabs are, Vito mini buses are M1)
This means lower top speeds than cars.
M1 vehicles are normal speed limits.
When you're towing, then your speed limits are lower of course, but if you're intending to use it as family transport, then doing 60 MPH
on dual carriageways may be a pain.
I drive a Mk7 Transit, and I certainly find it annoying at times.
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hkp57
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| posted on 17/1/17 at 03:56 AM |
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When it comes to speed limits it is not straight forward as to M1 / N1 classification.
To be classified the same as a car speed limit you have to meet one of two qualification statements.
Your van must either be "car derived" or "Dual Purpose"
My Vito Dualiner is classified on V5 as class N1, but as my van meets criteria for a Dual purpose its legal at car speeds.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/car-derived-vans-and-dual-purpose-vehicles/car-derived-vans-and-dual-purpose-vehicles
"Car-derived vans are the only goods vehicles which are subject to the same speed limits as a car.
Car-derived vans
Car-derived vans are designed to weigh no more than 2 tonnes when loaded and are based on car designs (eg Ford Fiesta, Vauxhall Corsa), or the vehicle
is built from a platform which has been designed to be built as a car or a van.
As a general rule, from the outside, these vehicles will look like the size of a car, but on the inside the vehicle will look like and function as a
van, because there will be:
no rear seats, rear seat belts or mountings
a payload area with floor panel in the rear of the vehicle
no side windows in the rear of the vehicle or if present, side windows will be opaque and fixed (with no means of opening or closing)
If you want to find out more information about the design of your vehicle and whether your van is car-derived, you can check your log book and the
description in the field ‘body type’. This will tell you how the vehicle has been classified by the manufacturer.
If you believe your new vehicle is a car-derived van, but has not been registered as one, you should contact your dealer. If you have bought a
second-hand vehicle you believe is car-derived, but has not been registered as one, you should contact the manufacturer.
Dual Purpose Vehicle
A dual purpose vehicle is a vehicle constructed or adapted for the carriage both of passengers and of goods and designed to weigh no more than 2,040
kg when unladen, and is either:
constructed or adapted so that the driving power of the engine is, or can be selected to be, transmitted to all wheels of the vehicle
or
permanently fitted with a rigid roof, at least one row of transverse passenger seats to the rear of the driver’s seat and will have side and rear
windows - there must also be a minimum ratio between the size of passenger and stowage areas
See The Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 (Part 1 Regulation 3) for the full definition."
Dual Purpose Vehicle
a vehicle constructed or adapted for the carriage both of passengers and of goods or burden of any description, being a vehicle of which the unladen
weight does not exceed 2040 kg, and which either—
(i)is so constructed or adapted that the driving power of the engine is, or by the appropriate use of the controls of the vehicle can be, transmitted
to all the wheels of the vehicle; or
(ii)satisfies the following conditions as to construction, namely—
(a)the vehicle must be permanently fitted with a rigid roof, with or without a sliding panel;
(b)the area of the vehicle to the rear of the driver's seat must—
(i)be permanently fitted with at least one row of transverse seats (fixed or folding) for two or more passengers and those seats must be properly
sprung or cushioned and provided with upholstered back-rests, attached either to the seats or to a side or the floor of the vehicle; and
(ii)be lit on each side and at the rear by a window or windows of glass or other transparent material having an area or aggregate area of not less
than 1850 square centimetres on each side and not less than 770 square centimetres at the rear; and
(c)the distance between the rearmost part of the steering wheel and the back-rests of the row of transverse seats satisfying the requirements
specified in head (i) of sub-paragraph (b) (or, if there is more than one such row of seats, the distance between the rearmost part of the steering
wheel and the back-rests of the rearmost such row) must, when the seats are ready for use, be not less than one-third of the distance between the
rearmost part of the steering wheel and the rearmost part of the floor of the vehicle.
Fleet
SKC Raptor R - Hayabusa
Toyota C-HR Hybrid Limited Edition
Honda VFR1200 CrossTourer
DCT
Marlin Roadster 1800
Mercedes Vito 116 Sport
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Mash
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| posted on 17/1/17 at 11:07 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by hkp57
When it comes to speed limits it is not straight forward as to M1 / N1 classification.
To be classified the same as a car speed limit you have to meet one of two qualification statements.
Your van must either be "car derived" or "Dual Purpose"
My Vito Dualiner is classified on V5 as class N1, but as my van meets criteria for a Dual purpose its legal at car speeds.
Dual Purpose Vehicle
a vehicle constructed or adapted for the carriage both of passengers and of goods or burden of any description, being a vehicle of which the unladen
weight does not exceed 2040 kg, and which either—
(i)is so constructed or adapted that the driving power of the engine is, or by the appropriate use of the controls of the vehicle can be, transmitted
to all the wheels of the vehicle; or
(ii)satisfies the following conditions as to construction, namely—
(a)the vehicle must be permanently fitted with a rigid roof, with or without a sliding panel;
(b)the area of the vehicle to the rear of the driver's seat must—
(i)be permanently fitted with at least one row of transverse seats (fixed or folding) for two or more passengers and those seats must be
properly sprung or cushioned and provided with upholstered back-rests, attached either to the seats or to a side or the floor of the vehicle; and
(ii)be lit on each side and at the rear by a window or windows of glass or other transparent material having an area or aggregate area of not less
than 1850 square centimetres on each side and not less than 770 square centimetres at the rear; and
(c)the distance between the rearmost part of the steering wheel and the back-rests of the row of transverse seats satisfying the requirements
specified in head (i) of sub-paragraph (b) (or, if there is more than one such row of seats, the distance between the rearmost part of the steering
wheel and the back-rests of the rearmost such row) must, when the seats are ready for use, be not less than one-third of the distance between the
rearmost part of the steering wheel and the rearmost part of the floor of the vehicle.
Sorry, I thought Vito Crew Cabs had removable seats 
You are right though, speed limits are extremely complicated, and often you will get a different opinion from DVLA than you get from the Police. I do
know that some people have been caught out because of that. There has been a lot of talk about it on the Transit forum, and still, no-one has come up
with a definitive answer.
I tend to err on the side of caution. 
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hkp57
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| posted on 17/1/17 at 02:11 PM |
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You 100% right about no definitive answer anywhere.
There can be long and pointless debates on what constitutes "permanently fitted". Even if not removed when the seats are folded up there
is more than enough space to exceed the load limits. Some debate that provided the fixings are still in the floor the seats can be returned to normal
position as quick as being removed.
Bolted in seats are easy to remove in a short time and the speed cameras cannot see that.
I was stopped on a major trunk road in Scotland the A9 with my vito doing 60ish by an unmarked car, he said he could not tell due to the window tints
how many seats there were, once he looked I got a talking to about the speed limits as they clocked me at 66 then I was sent on my way.
I have done some research since and have been told but not seen by my own eyes the police use an online database and the dualiner is a dual purpose on
there. That came from another forum so can't confirm that.
not to stray to far away from the OP original question, over the years I have driven everything from Bedfords, Sherpas, transits, Vauxhall, VW
T4' T5 and Mk1 and Mk2 Vitos I have by far enjoyed the Vito in both Marks. Just the issue with rust on the older ones, 150k on the clock with
FSH is just broken in. Suspension knocks from strut top mounts and ARB drop links are common. Some issues with central locking on the rear and side
doors known to pop up also.
Fleet
SKC Raptor R - Hayabusa
Toyota C-HR Hybrid Limited Edition
Honda VFR1200 CrossTourer
DCT
Marlin Roadster 1800
Mercedes Vito 116 Sport
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John G
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| posted on 17/1/17 at 03:40 PM |
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Many thanks for the replies and general information so far. I am in no rush at the moment so will keep looking and investigating. What sort of
insurance prices should I expect? Clean licence 57 living in countryside TN19. Any other comments on the Vauxhalls Peugeot etc?
Regards, John
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DAN@ADRIAN FLUX
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| posted on 17/1/17 at 09:49 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by gremlin1234
quote:
Don't forget that if you are buying a commercial vehicle the road fund licence is a fair bit higher than for a private car.
also
'car' no-claims doesn't count to commercial vehicle insurance
Hi,
The majority of our commercial vehicle policies will accept private car no claims discount.
Regards,
Dan.
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