It looks like it could soon be time to spend some money on a vehicle. I have a few options and I would be interested in your opinions/experiences.
My current van is an S reg Berlingo. It's not particularly high mileage (130k) but it needs a full service (belts, filters, fluids, glow plugs or whatever they have), some electrical work and a new power steering rack. This will have to be done at a garage as I have no off-road parking or necessary skills. I can see this easily being £5-600 worth of work. The van probably is worth £500 (it has 9 month's MoT and 4 month's tax but is looking a bit tatty these days). Is it worth spending the money on the work?
Option Two: New van, contract hire. VW Caddy/Ford Connect size. Approx £600+vat deposit, £200+vat per month for 35 months. Pluses: A shiny new van, no MoTs to worry about, very little maintenance and it could be included(?), better mpg. Minuses: it's a fair chunk of cash every month, it's not mine at the end of three years, will window cleaning wear and tear mean a "hidden" payment at the end of the contract? Is it the best bet for a one man band that's not vat registered?
Option Three: 3-4 year old van. Local VW Commercial centre has a 54 plated Caddy with 104 bhp motor, in gunmetal grey, with 54k on the clock for £7k+vat. He pretty much told me he would take an offer on it and would take my old Berlingo in as p/x, without me saying a word! Made a bit suspicious but still! It comes serviced, mot-ed, and with a 12 month VW Used Vehicle warranty. Pluses: nearly new for a lot less than new, still shiny, nice spec, good mpg and limited maintenance costs. Minuses: MoT costs, how long would the loan payments be..?
Option Three: Buy an older van, £1000 mark. Pluses: Cheap, won't mind if it gets knocked and dented at work. Minuses: Maintenance time-bomb? MoT costs, not so good on fuel, not so professional looking, probably high to very high mileage.
Option four: You tell me!
I hate buying second-hand cars. If it all goes belly-up, you don't have a lot of comeback, you can be out of pocket and can't work. My mind says a new/er van would be a good call but I welcome your opinions or experiences. If it helps, I am largely wfp, although I use a backpack and jerry cans and don't have a fixed tank system. I wouldn't think that is going to change as the portable option suits the type of work that I do. I probably never carry more than 150 litres of water, and occasionally have a workmate in the van so all up a payload of 600-750kg is fine. Most of my work is local so I do less than 10k miles per year.
