[Ken]

What van do you use, and what weight can it carry? If you use a hi- or semi hi-top can you get your ladders on? (If you still use ladders!) Loads of cheap Transits around and also some ex Royal Mail LDVs. Are these a good choice?

[Moderator David@stives]

I have a lwb semi hi top transit .

I can carry 1200kg   and my ladders fit nicely inside.

[marc al]

  Steer clear of the LDV's, they areprone to gearbox problems when the royal mail have had them on all their stop start jobs, plus they are hideously ugly.

   I use a Merc Vito, low top, my ladder fits in side, and it will carry 1080kg.

  Marc

[preston powerblast]

I have used a vw transporter which was a fantastic van. But I have just up graded to a citroen relay, I have put a roof rack on it , but being a short arse I have to carry a step ladder to get the ladders on and off.
LDV in my opinion are the pits.

[P @ F]

LDV are pants , they are prone to diff probs too , not a cheap job to sort ,
i use a VW transporter , it will carry 1250kg , cant fault it .

 Rich  P @ F

[Paul Coleman]

  Steer clear of the LDV's, they areprone to gearbox problems when the royal mail have had them on all their stop start jobs, plus they are hideously ugly.

   I use a Merc Vito, low top, my ladder fits in side, and it will carry 1080kg.

  Marc

From what I've been hearing, the Renault Trafic is prone to gearbox problems too.  I had a new gearbox at 39,000 miles (just inside warranty period).  I've been hearing some bad stories about them recently.

[matt]

come summer i am due to use a VW transporter aswell

not 1 of your new fangled types

air cooled all the way

split screen 1965 panel van

its the future you know

[genesis_windows]

  Steer clear of the LDV's, they areprone to gearbox problems when the royal mail have had them on all their stop start jobs, plus they are hideously ugly.

   I use a Merc Vito, low top, my ladder fits in side, and it will carry 1080kg.

  Marc

my LDV is very reliable and ex postal!
never had a minutes trouble with it.
Its a pilot and can carry 1.5 tonnes.
can relate to the ugly bit though but £1,500 on an r reg cant really go wrong.Ladders are easy on and off on the rare occasions i use them.

[steve massey]

I had an old shape merc vito had a lot of trouble with that recon i had a bad one.
Now got a new shape merc vito extra long wheel base it drives like a car and its low so i can throw the ladders on easy. I have a 650 ltr tank in back and still loads of room left

[Sarah Sarill]

We  use an LDV Convoy - an ex postal van which we bought from our local LDV garage who serviced it from new.

No spent any real money on it (bit of welding ) in 4 years and flew through its MOT in October with £60 of minor jobs.

Speak as I find - they are used by the PO because they are workhorses and that is our experience.

Like every manufacturer you can have good and bad examples of the same vehicle.

Sarah

[preston powerblast]

Your right Shiner, renault traffic and the peugot partner, both have problems selecting one gear and is only rectifiable by replacing the gearbox.
Which I have been told is an easy job to do.
Thats why my sons a mechanic.
But I have still got the old vw transporter workhorse, which to be honest cant ever see me getting rid of.
But I am just giving it a rest while I play in the old traffic.
Have also got LDV.

[neil100]

I have a Fiat Ducato. My first van, Its big and ugly in a pretty kind of way. 1145 kg payload, So i have a 800ltr tank of water and I am still having to top during the day.

Ladders on roofrack, no problem getting them off, I just use the roller though I dont use them much now.

I love driving it, I can not beleive how well it handles all the weight we have in, Superb and their so much room in the back.

Recommended.

Nel.

[supernova77]

I picked up an excellent little S Reg Vauxhall Combo 1.7d with 38k miles on the clock about 2 months ago for £900 

It's a great little van... I carry x8 25L water containers and my trolley in it, the pole also fits inside and as I'm 6ft 6" its easy to get the ladders off when I need to

The payload is 810kg.

Andy

[master cleaner]

citreon dispatch 1.9td payload 900kg
love it to bits
400ltr tank fitted and carries 2 trolleys 125ltr and 50 ltr

cant fault it

gary

[www.mrgutters.co.uk]

hi

i will add my pennies worth , i have a fiat scudo but i am not sure how good they are mechanicaly as i have only had her a week , but i have had loads of vans in the past 2 escorts , then transporter , then double cab pickup , now this in one year . i miss the size of my transporter as it had a good payload , but it didint help the piston going through the block! my fiat is practical as we only have the one car, since it drives smooth like a car and is comfy and spacious , plus two side loading doors , with a 800kg payload it copes well with my 400 ltr and the laddrs are easy enuf to get off . would like a vito one day !

shawn

[Mick (UHPS)]

Citreon Dispatch.

Had her MOT'd today...sailed through without fault.

Depends what yer going to be doing most...commercial or domestic. My mate, mostly commercial, uses a Vauxhall Vivaro it looks good and drives good but, he has to mount all his poles on top (or awkwardly at an angle if inside) and he struggles to reach up to get stuff down. He used to have a Dispatch like mine and reckons its far better if you are mainly domestic.

[macc]

hi. ive a vw transporter lwb 2.5 td. 650ltr tank in her, i love it, even fully loaded goes & pulls up great.

[Lee.]

I have a nissan vanette 2.3 ltr.
looks like a car inside cabin, with nice centre consol. Drives like a car too. its a high top so there is plenty of room inside. not much longer than a car, Dissapointed that it only carries 8oo kg though so all that space, a good size engine to pull the weight, but cant put the weight in it. When I bought it the guy said it was advertised for it's great pay load, it was advertised with two pallets of bricks in the back .  Fell for that one! but a lovely van even the wife enjoys driving it.
How does it handle WFP I hear you ask? ain't got a clue, still trying to save for one . Hope to have one soon. But a roller on the back means I can put a heavy 11 rung ladder on the back with one hand.

Lee