Anyone here got a day-van for bikes?

Bear in mind that vans can sometimes be expensive to insure as statistically the majority are used for commercial purposes which skews the cost because of high accident rates and theft of items from them. Modify it to be a day van and it will more than likely get an additional premium loading as a non standard vehicke. I'd get some quotes before making a decision.

Having said that, people carriers arn't exactly cheap to insure because of the amount of people they can carry and the potential for personal injury claims. When I changed from a four litre Jeep to the Espace my insurance went up by £60.

Cheers, that's what's swaying me towards MPV also. Few years back I looked into similar, and my 200sx fully modified was £700 a year... A pov-spec 1700 non turbo combo van was £1500 a year.

The Espace has merits. I'd not modify it overly. Simply remove all 5 rear seats, fashion some form of floor mounted bike rack and have a mate who can, tint the back windows (lightly) to reduce visibility of bikes etc.

If the front seats weren't great for my wife's back, I'd then find 2x mega comfy seats from something else, and have them fitted.

So insurance wise, it'd be a standard Espace.

Doblo MPV I think is a no-go, as I've used a couple and found the seats awful. At 6ft6 I ain't gonna want to do 300+ mile runs in one of those.

If you can find some scrap Espace seats then you could use their locking mechanism to hold bike rack to the floor.

How about this
www.bumblecampers.com/sales.html
For some ideas
Ttfn Glenn

If you want any measurements or pics for the lwb let me know and I'll get them for you

Cheers for the input folks. To summarise;

Bumble Campers - been eying them for a while. Look good, lot of 2.4 automatic petrol engined Toyota. But their ideas could be applied to an Espace I feel.

Big vans - I'm cool ta, have access to a good variety at work, so can try a bike in them etc there.

Decision wise, I'm in no rush as currently got wife's Celica being sorted and my Austin 1300 off the road.

However, done another 2.5hour run in the Saab tonight with rack & 1 bike on, yet more rear bumper warping. Joy.

Looks like we've got another full week touring Scotland with bikes in back in August, so that'll be another 1200+ miles, no doubt damage a plenty. Even if I do get 46-47mpg.

Van comfort - not 100% convinced. I'm 6ft6 and 16st. Transits etc at work, I'm hunched over the wheel, legs bent. Bulkhead are the enemy.

Vivaros I'm OK for a couple of hours. Transit, bulkhead is awful. Crew cabs I'm much better in. Can do couple of hours.

Corsa combo, weirdly, are fairly good if sans bulkhead.... Spent most of a week in one recently.

Bikes, not that much. I've had about 9 over the last 3 years. The last three that we took Scotland were; wife's cuber 29er at 11kg ish, my kona 22" on nobblies at 12kg ish, and my single speed... Which weighs about 8kg.

So well within limits of the racks I've tried.


Like I said originally, I've been doing this 10+ years, on all manner of cars without fault. But they were all hatchback or estate or 4x4.

The Saab bootlid and boot are very flexible, and light. Suspect this is where the issue lies.

The 2 hatchback in the household are a Celica and a Rover 220 GTI. Both with OEM boot spoilers and rear wipers that prohibit bike rack duties.

Suspect too that whilst the Celica is comfy, its gutless engine may suffer with 3 on a hi-riser rack.

I've got a trailer, gave it yo my dad as no tow car any more after the Mondeo died.

Tow bar, only swan neck detachable, otherwise gotta cut the bumper heavily.

Combo, about 2007 at a guess, but they're depleted and on red. 1300 cdti is a giggle too, wheelspins and skates about.

The new combo, 2015 are utter kak. Hateful, cheap, awful nasty heaps.

I've no qualms with swan neck, but they hold their money. £200+ second hand, then fitting. But keeping my eyes open.

To be fair a boot lid and bumper in the right colour is about the same money.

Combo, there's 3 engines ain't there?

1300 cdti which is 75bhp
1700di which is about 8bhp
1700cdti which is 110bhp capable I seem to remember.

We have the 1300s for site use. 2008 with 12k on the clock, and abused hard.