Which Van is best for an electrical contractor?

[BigSi]

Is he Part P registered?

Looks like a Cowboy to me!

 

[Mac]

check out my van

View attachment 526

Spot on mate

Is he Part P registered?

Looks like a bird to me

 

[carl9254]

Im looking to buy anytime soon, will have about 3.5k to spend, want a small van, what shall i look for??

 

[david williams]

hi i use a citroen berlingo 57 plate 1.6 which is nippy as hell and well good on diesel and if u lease 4 3 years etc any probs are taken care of for free, hope this helps ur decision,dave n wales

 

[Frenchsparky]

For USA side it will be Ford E350 or GMC 3500 series one tonne full size vans with diesel engine but for myself I have GMC pick up truck { med size lorry } one of them have old 3 cylinder Detorit Diesel I know that thing leak oil but the engine never dammed quit running

But I did have larger lorries a two tonne truck Internatnal for bucket truck service when I work on parking lot luminaires or some high rise area where I don't want to mess around with 5+ meter ladders

In France side I have Ford F250 pick up for hevey stuff otherwise Renault master suit me just fine beside few part and bits that have to be dealt with it.

Merci,Marc

 

[Romans99]

Dodge RAM.

 

[paulthe spark]

How do you go about installing a socket in a van? was just reading some old posts i came across jboy 1888's pictures of his van and seems like a good idea. Anyone know how to do this

 

[MvP Electrics]

How do you go about installing a socket in a van? was just reading some old posts i came across jboy 1888's pictures of his van and seems like a good idea. Anyone know how to do this

hi mate, i think u use one of these invertors to get a 230v socket in ur van or car.

Maplin> car 12v inverter

 

[Frenchsparky]

I just want to remind some of you guys I am pretty sure most of you allready know this but the cheap inverters do not produce clean sine wave format it can cause hovac on electroic stuff a very good qaulinty inverter can make clean sine wave but they are not cheap.

Merci,Marc

 

[Romans99]

Probably more trouble than its worth.
Even Tesco do an invertor for 110v

 

[pennywise]

Jeani make a 2.5Kw beast would probably drain the battery in seconds.

Lamp Holders & Switches - Jeani - The Name To Switch On To

 

[Frenchsparky]

Pennywise.,

Yeah I can belive how fast it can drain the battery{ies } down fast if not carefull with it.

I have 2400 watt inverter { a true sine wave } and hook up to forklift battery { larger than diesel cranking battery is } and it last me a quite a while before it run down.

Merci,marc

 

[pennywise]

Currently got an ex BG connect with all the service engineer racking, makes finding stuff in the van a joy rather than a small open cast mining operation, having the three strip lights in the back comes in handy in the winter months no more finding stuff with torches. I've had the van for 2 years nothing has gone wrong apart from wear and tear items and servicing costs. Think I may be looking to get a bigger van in the new year as I've filled the current one with a small tool shop!, find it frustrating clearing a site on the last day of the job and not having enough room for all the crap, was thinking maybe a VW transporter or Vito. The only problem really is i've looked at the cost of having it racked out the same as the current van, from botts they want £1849 with no install.

 

[rossinator]

I have about £2000 up to to £3000 to go spend on a van, I'm domestic so don't tend to carry big amounts of stuff or need long ladders or carry people. Your thoughts people please on the best small to medium van for this kind of money. Had been thinking VW Caddy...

 

[BigSi]

I was in the same situation too a few months ago, every week trawling through the Autotrader for inspiration. I decided that I’d rather have a newer small van, than a larger old van, and came up with a rough list of the vehicles available in the £2,000 to £3000 price bracket. Don’t forget that most vehicles will have VAT added on to the screen price. So when you find a nice van for £2800 (in your price range), the actual price is £3220 (which I found pretty annoying when using the search option on the Autotrader website).

Basically the one’s I had on my list were;

Citroen Berlingo - You can get the newish shape (03 onwards I think).
Peugeot Partner - Basically the same vehicle as above.
Vauxhall Combo - Tend to be slightly more that the two vehicles above.
Ford Transit Connect - Again, more than the Berlingo/Partner/Combo, but the biggest of the three above.
Vauxhall Astra Van - Pretty much an estate car.
Renault Kangoo – Didn’t look at one, so not sure about size etc.
Cirtoren Despatch – largest of the lot (Peugeot have the same model).

Of course you still have your older van’s;

Ford escort, Vauxhall combo (old shape), Berlingo/Partner (old shape), Vauxhall Astra.

In the end I bought a Citroen Berlingo (53) for £2700 (no VAT added), and absolutely love it! My advice would be to look at all the vehicles, and decide which one suits you best. I would of liked a Transit Connect, but all the ones I looked at were out of my price range.

Hope this helps.