What Van to buy?

[xdanielx]

Hey guys,

In the next couple weeks I'm goin to be buying a van.
Just wondering if any of u guys have had bad experiences with any models, things i should steer clear of??

just looking for something big enough to fit 2 dirtbikes in, prob will end by with an early 90's hiace..

will be spending between 3-6k

Any tips would be cool

also if anyone knows of any vans for sale that would be great.

thanks

[hatzo]

Buy the van with the leasst kms as posible,
and if you can don't buy one that was used for ,
deliveries/couriers.

(I used to be a delivery driver , and
the words Gentle Driving weren't in my Vocab,
plus tight deadlines mean go fast...)

Keep away from Mazda/Ford Econovans ,
because they have Head Gasket Issues ,
and Cooling Systems Issues.
-Gear Boxes are strong (I only killed two at $500 a pop)
-Engines are around $2000 for a good condition second handy
3 Engines for me (1 bearing failer, lost count of headgakets , and blew two heads)
-Diffs are unbreakable.

From my experience the Mitubishi Vans where the most reliable.
The engine died at 300,000km, other than that it was a good van.

Toyota Hiaces seem to be reliable,
but they arn't cheap to buy.

Merceades Vans , are lemons from the conversations Ive had with other delivery drivers.


So Mitsubishi , or Toyota are the way to go.

[Rollabender]

[Driftspec]

Full hektik wag0n right ther...

[fergo308]

stay the hell away from euro vans,particularly the MB100,Mb140 vans as have been mentioned. weVe had two come through work recently with head gasket issues,and the labour to repair them is insane compared to a 'normal' japanese model. stuff like removing the entire front end to get the radiator out is an example... three days work for the merc against one for a hiace.

a diesel hiace is the most reliable option. they're not cheap,no van that's still useful to a business is. people tend to drive them until they are so far gone that they can't get rego anymore.

Have you considered an old commodore ute? they're cheap (enough) and there are so many of them that the chances of one still being in decent nick are greater. will be a lot nicer to drive when you're not hauling the bikes around as well.


Justin...

[matt99]

Toyota is definatly the way to go.

Volkswagons strike transmision troubles (more so in the automatics hoving problems in the selector solenoid but I have seen plenty of manuals let go too). Vito's are glamour, but shit, possibly the worst of the bunch plus for your price range I don't think you would be looking at one of them anyway.

Out of the 90's generation vans I would definatly go a hiace anyday, in my opinon there the most reliable, easiest to work on/fix, get parts for, etc. There economical, and unlike the mitsubushi or the econovan they handle gas whereas the econo or mitshu will kill heads on gas.

Better yet, if you look and try really hard, you can get a hiace SBV. These are the semi-bonneted hiaces. I currently have two here at home and me and my father both swear by them. They handle much better than a flat front van, plus they have an engine bay that A) makes it easier to work on, and B) makes you safer in a head on collision.

don't get a mitsubushi though, you will find they are not tall enough to fit a motorcrosser in and you have to use a tie down from the bars to the bottom of the fork to lower the bike in order to get it in the back, lots of messing around.

My bet is a SBV, easily fit two bikes forward and one backwards in them, or if your not looking to spend that much (you can get them for $6000, but thats pushint it) just got for a cheaper normal hiace.

[HachiRoku]

Kombi's are fair radical, but unfortunately 6k hardly buys a decent one anymore.

My friend had a diesel Hiace once, and it was dead-nuts reliable as others have already said.

But if I could have any van, it would be a 70's Ford Tranist. Top-Gear convinced me on that one. So having said that, maybe you could also consider a 90's model Transit for 3-6k.

[floody31]

Hiace SBV if you can get one. We had a mid wheelbase petrol one, had done almost 300,000kms in 3 years when we got it but was like new thanks to regular servicing, previous use often included towing up to 1800kg of stuff from Ballarat to Melbourne on a regular basis, and typically 400+km a day 5 days a week.
Faultlessly reliable in our hands, great moto hauler (was our main vehicle for a motorcycle shop). It had heavier than stock springs in the back and was on gas, typical use was stuff like 2-3 bikes for pickup or delivery in the back, or to and from Melbourne with say a crated bike in the back and 2-3 on a tandem trailer. Sold it for more than we paid for it.

Great van. Regular Hiaces will be quite similar.

Vito...One of my old workplaces had a non-turbo diesel one..suffice to say with 3 people and a tandem bicycle in the back it was back to 2nd gear on long highway climbs...erm, FAIL.
Not to mention some of the WORST ergonomics ever..mix of floor and firewall hinged pedals, offset steering wheel, dash mounted shifter devoid of shift feel...
Nice cars, shit vans.

Transits are heaps of shit, absolute stinking, steaming, filthy mounds of cheesey British poo or perverted German schizer. Modern ones are extremely gutless and unrefined, yet not even reliable or cheap. Recently saw one get 4 new rotors at close to $2k fitted. Ahh..no thanks. Old transits from the 70s will drive you insane as they are frighteningly underpowered, underbraked, don't handle, can't haul anything and will cost a mint to fix/source parts for.

Kombis are gutless, useless old snotbags. Might as well buy a Tarago, and unplug two dizzy leads.

[riojin]

go toyota, buy a tarago

[HachiRoku]

But they're still radical. Can't say Kombis aren't radical.

My opinion on Transits is based almost entirely on that one episode of Top-Gear, so I'll take your word for it that they're essentially, shit.