Which Van is best for an electrical contractor? | Page 38 | on ElectriciansForums

Which Van is best for an electrical contractor?

Discuss Which Van is best for an electrical contractor? in the Business Related area at ElectriciansForums.net

a-z electrics said:
I used to have a vauxhall zafira! but for last 3 years have had a nissan eNV200 electric van. I know a lot of guys will criticize evs as not suitable for range etc but for a sole trader operating locally (within a 25 mile radius) it works fine.
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So much good info in one post (suggest reading the full post above)
I run the diesel version of the NV200. Bought used at high mileage and very complete history. Used mainly in London traffic. Dead easy to park and, critically, fits in most car-parks even with a rack and Rhino Tube. A bit basic - change the radio / Bluetooth for your sanity. Been around for years unchanged so plenty of cheap spares / breakers. Down sides are really just slow and a bit noisy on a motorway. Could do with a hatch under the seat like Berlingos for 2.4 metres of trunking but will carry a six step Youngman step ladder inside due to the shape of the cab.

I fitted slightly larger alloys, ply racking and a half width false floor which works well. Limited space equals don't cart lots of unnecessary crap - tidy it out. Probably go for the EV version if the right deal was available. If you have solar on the house it's an obvious match. Images to follow when I find them.
 
once had a Subaru Sumo. rear engine, light on front end, any sort of crosswind blew it off the road.
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Zerax said:
Unless it's one of the T5s with the oil burn issue... I think it's like 1 litre/1000 miles ??
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and a new gearbox every 50,000 miles.
 
I have had Peugeot Partner vans for a number of years via lease agreements. They were great until they went wrong. Local Peugeot dealer is useless. Gone back to using a car (not Peugeot).
 
Dan said:
Best Van for Electricians for 2019 / 2020? (Pics Please But Not Essential)

You can vote for 3 - The one you had last, the one you have now, the one you want next. ​

You don't have to fill all these in. But if you do, copy and paste the questions into a thread of your own. Or quote this first post and just make your own bullet point replies. I'll do one for the plumbers and tilers too. See if we can come up with a formula for best vans somehow, and then I'll write an article for some Van Magazines and Professional Electrician Magazine and whatnot.


View attachment 52246

<---- copy from here ---->​

  1. CURRENT ELECTRICIANS VAN - WHICH VAN ARE YOU USING RIGHT NOW AS AN ELECTRICIAN?
    1. How much was it? and Was it new or preloved? :D :D
    2. Where did you buy it from? (give them a plug?)
    3. Insurance, were they good enough to give a plug to? - Feel free to link to them and mention price there about
  2. PREVIOUS ELECTRICIANS VAN - WHICH VAN DID YOU USE LAST AS AN ELECTRICIAN?
    1. How much was it? and Was it new or preloved? :D :D
    2. Where did you buy it from? (give them a plug?)
    3. Insurance, were they good enough to give a plug to? - Feel free to link to them and mention price there about
  3. NEXT ELECTRICIANS VAN - WHICH VAN WILL YOU NEXT USE AS AN ELECTRICIAN?
    1. How much was it? and Was it new or preloved? :D :D
    2. Where did you buy it from? (give them a plug?)
    3. Insurance, were they good enough to give a plug to? - Feel free to link to them and mention price there about
<---- copy to here ---->
Then past it inside a post of your own in the reply box, and answer what you can. :)​

Let's make this thread a handy thread for those looking for vans. I'll make a poll with popular van makes, whether long or short wheel base, what model is was, what extras it had, whether it had a Dab Radio (Best Dab Radios Thread) and that kinda jazz.

Colours? Did you select a certain colour? - Restore it perhaps if it was an old one? (A tiler sticks a new pre 1960s van through the books, restoration the lot, and uses it as 'marketing budget' and offsets it. Does one every year I think. Loafs of old triumphs and fords and bedfords. He's got a collection now.

Going to make a poll, I'll add some van makes. I wont do the models. There is bloody millions of 'em.

But choose a van make from the list, some pick ups in there too.

And then please reply with the pics of them if you can.

NOTES TO BE AWARE OF WHEN POSTING ANY VAN PICTURES ANYWHERE ON SOCIAL SITES
  • Side on pictures of your van if you can't number plates (Apple App to hide number plates) https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/hidemyplate/id662558691) - (Google Android App to Hide Numberplates)
  • If you keep tools in your van, and have your post code on any google listings, checkatrade, mybuilder, anything of that sort, and your van pictures show up in Google image search, robbers can link the two and find your van. So avoid posting pictures of it anywhere unless it's locked up in storage or tools are not in the van. This goes for all sites not just our forums.
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I found myself in a bit of a tight spot a couple of days before last Xmas. Two days to be exact. Guess I got to appreciate that he let me have a months grace with his van but just after Christmas when being self employed also became a stark reality again I thought I would try lease purchase. Never really nurtured my credit rating and to be fair I wasn’t a stranger to the odd financial knock back. So I pulled up to the pc and happened to stumble upon


Now when your only other option would be ask your dad or her parents for a loan at the age of 42. You think I might have grown out of that.

However the dude who called me up in response to asking for a quote - Neil Dandy managed to put me on the road in my own van within a month. When you’re on your --- financially and wouldn’t be surprised if there were two red flags when they say “Can you spell that again” I was just looking for something I could afford. So my deal is as this.

Van: Brand new Citeron Berlingo in my choice of colour.
Deposit: ÂŁ0.00
Monthly: ÂŁ235
Admin and initial payment: ÂŁ385
Tax: 1 year included
Warranty: 3 years
Mileage: unlimited
Term: 5 years ÂŁ4,000 final payment
Part ex after 3 years
Insurance: ÂŁ635 per month includes ÂŁ2k tool cover

When you do the actual sums you are paying more than you would if you were to do it via a bank loan. But Neil made it hassle free whilst I was busy keeping my nose to the grind stone.

I’m delighted with the service he provided and I got a van which I can confidently afford.

It’s a great little van. The touch screen and ease of how your phone connects is a big plus. Comes with reverse sensors and air con cruise e control as standard. Not all vans do. And I’ll get about 500miles to a £60 tank. Oh and it comes with 3 seats. Not what you’d want every day but it comes in handy especially when you have two kids and the wife is out in the car.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Kevin Macnamara said:
I found myself in a bit of a tight spot a couple of days before last Xmas. Two days to be exact. Guess I got to appreciate that he let me have a months grace with his van but just after Christmas when being self employed also became a stark reality again I thought I would try lease purchase. Never really nurtured my credit rating and to be fair I wasn’t a stranger to the odd financial knock back. So I pulled up to the pc and happened to stumble upon


Now when your only other option would be ask your dad or her parents for a loan at the age of 42. You think I might have grown out of that.

However the dude who called me up in response to asking for a quote - Neil Dandy managed to put me on the road in my own van within a month. When you’re on your --- financially and wouldn’t be surprised if there were two red flags when they say “Can you spell that again” I was just looking for something I could afford. So my deal is as this.

Van: Brand new Citeron Berlingo in my choice of colour.
Deposit: ÂŁ0.00
Monthly: ÂŁ235
Admin and initial payment: ÂŁ385
Tax: 1 year included
Warranty: 3 years
Mileage: unlimited
Term: 5 years ÂŁ4,000 final payment
Part ex after 3 years
Insurance: ÂŁ635 per month includes ÂŁ2k tool cover

When you do the actual sums you are paying more than you would if you were to do it via a bank loan. But Neil made it hassle free whilst I was busy keeping my nose to the grind stone.

I’m delighted with the service he provided and I got a van which I can confidently afford.

It’s a great little van. The touch screen and ease of how your phone connects is a big plus. Comes with reverse sensors and air con cruise e control as standard. Not all vans do. And I’ll get about 500miles to a £60 tank. Oh and it comes with 3 seats. Not what you’d want every day but it comes in handy especially when you have two kids and the wife is out in the car.
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If you're not something to do with good old neil there I'll eat my hat.

No linking to sales websites please.

Checkout the advertising options here: Advertising with ElectriciansForums.net - What's allowed? - https://www.electriciansforums.net/threads/advertising-with-electriciansforums-net-whats-allowed.178037/
 
Maybe the critical factor is not "what van" but "who's van"? By that I mean, my NV200 is privately owned and not everyone's 1st choice. My experience of vehicles is regular garage maintenance and occasional DIY repairs make this age / mileage viable. Possibly a different individual with more work / better work / less time would exchange higher costs of running a new van on lease or finance for turn-key convenience. It's a personal decision, not based entirely on costs.
 
Kevin Macnamara said:
Can I choose the hat. Only thing I to do with him is that I was a customer.
Click to expand...
Prices and everything, it has to be a mate of a mate if not you're neil yourself lol

I'm no fool matey. :D This is my job.

Less of the sales stuff and we'll be alright. :)

(We're actually looking for a van-related sponsor, more contract hire related than what you had, from what I can see)
 

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