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transport

Stuart Prescott

Stuart Prescott

Senior Member
not strictly barbel talk , so not sure if this is in the correct forum ........

but im toying with the idea of buying a small cheap van just to go fishing

being river anglers we sometimes park in remote / deserted areas or end up down pot hole ridden tracks

i wouldnt mind driving down bumpy tracks or through cow cr*p upto the sills in a van , im not overly keen doing it the car anymore

im seeing the likes of citroen berlingo diesels from 500 -£1000 , as long as they are mechanically sound thats good enough for me

is there anything else i could consider ??? do you have any tips ???
 
I looked at the Ford Transit Connect a few months ago, the LWB versions are big enough to sleep in. I'm led to believe that they're pretty sound mechanically.

Opted to spend a bit more money in the end and bought a VW Caddy Maxi. Get 50mpg out of it and 7'2" from bulkhead to back doors. Barbel rods fit in the back next to my bunk very easily.
 
Hello Stu, if its any help, i remember the Berlingo getting rave reviews on Top Gear, especially about its spacious interior. I know what you mean about parking in isolated areas, i use my hackney cab to go fishing, the scally,s automatically think its going to have money in it, as if i would. Ive had a couple of door locks popped with a screw driver. :mad: now i just leave them unlocked. As a fishing bus, there's nothing better, 6ft rods not a problem, loads of room for all your gear, great at getting across muddy fields. Mine,s got over 600,000 on the clock, ( nissan 2.7 diesel engine ). You can pick a decent second hand one up for the same price as the Berlingo, £500 - £1000. :) AND YOU CAN USE THE BUS LANES. :D
 
Hi
I looked at this sometime ago and wait till you try and get insurance if this is going to be your second vehicle and a commercial vehicle I am 51 and was quoted £1300 as you use your no claims on the other vehicle.
 
I recently blew up my Vauxhall Combo in a field near Stratford on Avon, after unlocking the gate to the fishery climbing back into the van I stamped on the accelerator pedal and 'red lined' the thing:eek: Steam everywhere luckily Joe was there to get me home, two days later it was taken away by the local scrapper:( very emotional...

Vans are ideal for throwing all your gear in but not so clever if there is a slight incline or a bit or wet grass to negotiate, so considering what we use them for not the best choice I guess. There is the occasional 4x4 van that comes on the market which should be fine.

I want a Discovery with the full Expedition Kit c/w with snorkel and a huge roof rack for all my gear, I have tried to explain to the other half that would be ideal for weekends, shopping and when it snows, but she ain't buying it :)
 
John Young said:
Hi
I looked at this sometime ago and wait till you try and get insurance if this is going to be your second vehicle and a commercial vehicle I am 51 and was quoted £1300 as you use your no claims on the other vehicle.
Click to expand...

hi john

thats why it would be registered and insured in the wifes name
 
Got myself a 2008 Vauxhall combo van, with 350,000 mile on the clock for £600, I had one of our mechanics from work look over it before committing, best idea Ive ever had to be honest, the family car stays clean and doesn't stink of wet nets and bait, and also keeps the mileage down on the main motor.

Its also ideal for trips to the tip etc, the amount of cr*p thats gone to the tip since Ive had it is incredible, it was always to much trouble before.
 
With a few simple changes you can fit a bed, table, stove and water tank and get it re-registered by the dvla as a campervan. The insurance on my transit dropped from over 700quid to just over 200! There's no reason you couldn't do the same on a smaller van just need to be clever with the design. There's a website, van2camper or something, that lists the criteria and process for changing it....... deffo worth looking into.
 
I went down this route a few years ago and bought a Bedford Rascal. It was brilliant for a while as I used to keep my kit in the back of it and fish at the drop of a hat.

I decided to get rid of it after getting stuck in a field at Kellaways near Chippenham one afternoon when I should have been at work (I was checking and replying to emails on the river bank...!). It was so light it wouldn't get any traction in the slightest of damp conditions. Thankfully, being so light meant I could push it up the field on my own!

So, don't buy a Rascal :)
 
Ref insurance. Agreed you have to start again with a new policy if it is a second vehicle unless you have multi car insurance. But, when I did mine through Go Compare I was asked if I had use of another vehicle, answer 'yes own another', then asked for years no claims on that (15 years) brought my premium down to £200.
 
stuart, after having a berlingo and two space cruises i would never get another
citroen mate, much too dear on spares and repairs, a good old volvo estate can be picked up cheap, a bit juicy but tough as old boots and run reliably forever mate and loadsa room inside:)
 
I decided to get rid of it after getting stuck in a field at Kellaways near Chippenham one afternoon when I should have been at work :)[/QUOTE Andy Frances]
That made me laugh, i got stuck probably in the same field up near Kellaways about 25 years ago in a company Astra,managed to jump it out of the mud using the starter and in gear and two of us pushed it until we got to hard ground.Funny how all these years on, the area is still bad,sadly Andy, the barbel that were numerous have now nearly all gone.
 
I've just bought a Rover 75 tourer as a fishing vechicle. Plenty of boot space, enough to sleep in on the rare over nighters I do. It will do for now, but I want to get a Land Rover 110 really at some point next year.
 
I'd definitely recommend the Berlingo/Partner, the 2.0 HDI is the one to go for, they are practically everlasting with many instances of 300,000+ miles without problems, if serviced regularly. The earlier ones without DPF and the other associated anti pollution nonsense are the best choice.
DO NOT GET A 1.6HDI, this was a development too far and are best avoided, unless you like replacing turbos and engines on a regular basis.
Friendly help and advice is always available from the French car forum.
Having all your gear ready to go is wonderful, especially on those short Winter days, best of luck with it.
 
yeah citroen charged me over £180 for a new key and all it had was on/ off buttons and had to wait a week for it, i would never buy a french car again
 
Just got rid of my 2005 Citroen Xsara Picasso. Going by the pitiful amount I got in PX you should be able to pick one up cheaply. 2.0 HDi is the one not the newer 1.6 as mentioned elsewhere. All three back seats are separate and can be folded or removed in any combination. Despite the stories you hear I only ever had to replace service items. Had 98k on the clock and definitely good for plenty more but it needed service, mot, tax, two tyres, tracking check which combined would have equalled the value hence time to trade in.
 
If your not to worried about fuel consumption then a subaru forester is a beast of a motor and built to last with a engine that just never let's you down. Can't beat a good old jap engine
 
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