whats the best cheap mid-to-large van out there?

Hi-I've a 1996 transit semi high roof lwb van-if you need a work/camper van then you'd probably need something lwb.Use the back part after the inner wheel arches(to the doors) as working space and the rest as a camper.My shr is less than 6' high inside,it can be tiring if you are standing in the back for long.The lwb is about 10' long inside.Transit's are good as you say due to their simplicity,I think the newer-post 2000 type suffer with the same dual mass flywheel/clutch trouble as the mondeos.The older type like mine have rust issues-wheelarches and sills etc.If you look on ebay for rally service vans or motorsport support vans you might get ideas.If you do get a van that hasn't been pannelled inside,use insulation foam between it and the panelling-keeps cold and drips to a minimum.Also if you can get one with the bosch pump you could run it on biodiesel.Or vegetable oil if you can get it cheap enough.

Cant think of any reason not to use a transit, although i guess that depends on your plans for it, if you want one with some go in it they did make some petrol ones with the same twincam lump in that i'm fitting in my mk2 or the 2.9 V6 version, i dunno if they are low compression but even if they are its not hard to swop to a car engine, they don't have the scene tax VW or japanese vans have on them, although mk1's and 2's are dearer these days.

the transits are slow as death with the 2.5 NA diesel, i would only buy another if it was turbo !

One van I'd say avoid is an LDV despite being cheap. I had one and not a patch on the previous Transit it replaced.
Anyway Transit gets my vote. Don't automatically dismiss petrol versions as an LPG conversion is easy to do on the good old Pinto.

Paul H

Back in 2004 I went out and bought a1991 Renault Trafic LWB Hightop to move as much of my home as possible from Norfolk to Mallorca. It had done over 150,000mils was solid and utterly bullet proof. It wasnt fast but i drove that baby, loaded to the roof and every gap filled, 3 up, with my foot to the floor all the way from the Port of Caan in France to the Port of Barcelona. It did not miss a beat. Three weeks after moving to Mallorca some cockspanner t boned us on a junction and wrote her off. Gutted was an understatement.
The point? I think they are far superior to Transits ( Ive had many from new on BT ) they have the internal dimensions born to be converted to a camper, workshop or a combination of both, the engines are tough and durable and spares are not the nightmare that people assume them to be as they made plenty of them and loads ended up over here.
As an all rounder its no contest.
Oh, MK2 Fiesta Ghia seats easily fit too...

dungbung-
thats what I'm thinking, theres no 'scene tax' on transits. i mean, a t25 is gunna cost a grand when a transit thats a bit bigger and does the job better, is more powerful and has better economy is half the price?! good job theres no such thing as 'traveller-tax', lol!

ruishy-
speed is all about gearing in relation to torque. as id be changing the wheels/tyres id have to change the rear axle too, so that can easily be corrected. turbo models are no more than n/a versions really though so id plump for one anyway.

rob, is that the old blue one on the farm?

compo- yeah i know about LDVs, its a joke how technologically un-advanced they are. beam axle on leafs on 2000's models!! theyve always had a rep for being pretty curse word tbh.


mattblack-
a integral chassis doesnt mean you cant 'channel' it. i believe the septic minitruck yoof call it 'bodydropping'
transits are so basic they essentially do have a seperate ladder chassis- its just welded to the floor!

zeb- you wont convince me, 2 of the guys on site have them, and theyve been nothing but headaches. the 2.2 was ok but underpowered, and was prone to bits randomly falling off every week (doors, exhaust, PAS pump, lights- yes really!) even with relatively light use moving new furniture. the 2.8 was a pita, the cambelt went 40k before it was due and it would have been cheaper to go buy another van with what the bill for parts alone came to!!


so i recon, that i will be needing a 2.5 turbo swb low roof mk4 or mk5 that isnt ballbagged should do the job.

i don't know about that^^^^

but you could just use adapters... the vw scene's best friend... apart from the grinder that is. there's a few transits about using adapters

Transits can be good, and if your starting from ground up rust wont be such an issue.

i think the pre 90 transits mk3s can be lowered easier as leaf sprung, but handling is more dubious.

I'd avoid the 3tonne vans unless you need the weight abilty as wheels wont be as common as the 5 stud wheels.

if your after a low roof you'll almost certainly get a 5 studded one anyway. generally the petrol ones seem to be better looked after, plus as already mentioned the na di is very slow. 50 on flat little bit more downhill make sure you blank of egr as it will some like a paddle steamer.

Ambulances should really only be considered as a donor van, as the fiberglass body causes issue with the rear chassis as it for some reason rots out the top of it, and only solution is to remove the body, which is bonded onto the cab section. but it will give up a nice v6 with normally a autobox on it. i have a mk3 donor on the farm atm. 5th one i've had from surrey ambulance service.

I've only put wheels on the latter transit 5 studs, but they are 5x 160mm.

i think the newer shape mk7s are a smaller pcd, possibly 5x 130 as i've seen some on cayenne wheels.

there are probably still some old wellers around somewhere.

tbh if i was after a cool van the only answer has to be a bedford CF. (mine)

Turbo mk5's are costly to repair, fly by wire accelerator and expensive for pumps, it was cheaper to supply a fit non turbo engine than it was to supply a fit a turbo pump.
As for speed they may take a bit more getting going but my last half dozen or so mk4/5's have all been good for 80mph, but i had blanked off the air recirculation from the exhaust to the inlet manifold.

Bryan