18 replies to this topic

[HUBBA.HUBBA]

I have been pondering for years if I could get away with having a mini van as a work van. I have a t5 kombi at the moment so only use the rear 1/3 for work.
Wondered if the mini van or pickup that is larger than standard ( but not quite a mini ice cream van sized)

[unburntfuelinthemorning]

Mini vans must have been the best work vans as long as you didn't need too much space.

 

It'll work if it has the room you need.  The trick will be getting suitable insurance.

[Spider]

I did have one for work for many years.

 

Two things that spring to mind that was annoying about it;-

 

1 - The rear doors only open to (roughly) 90⁰ and they are not far apart, so loading and unloading some items was a real pain in the backside. They really needed to go back and 45⁰ each as a minimum, or preferably, fold right back. This is quite doable, but something I never had time to do.

 

2 - The rear wheel arches really did take up too much real estate. To some degree, I worked around one of the by building a double shelf over it, which was very handy, however in some ways, that made the wheel arch on the other side 'worse'.

 

Otherwise, for me at the time, it was perfect.

[sansamn]

I'm always surprised at how much space there is in the back of my estate. I used my estate for our summer holiday a couple years ago and fitted a roof rack so I would have extra storage. Apart for a few longer items like beach umbrella and windbreaks I didn't really need it. Everything we needed fitted in the back and that was with the rear seats still up. I couldn't fit the same amount in the back of my VW Polo

 

On occasions I do drop the rear seats and put larger thing in (providing they are nice and clean).

 

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[r3k1355]

If it's a work vehicle you probably want one of the Japanese micro-vans, mainly because you want something properly reliable and an old Mini van will struggle in that department.

The Suzuki carry used to be King, it was very small and easy to move around tight spaces, but you got decent load space and could have it as a pick-up if you needed.

 

It's a JDM model now, so you'd need to import (which is easy enough).

[nicklouse]

If it's a work vehicle you probably want one of the Japanese micro-vans, mainly because you want something properly reliable and an old Mini van will struggle in that department.

The Suzuki carry used to be King, it was very small and easy to move around tight spaces, but you got decent load space and could have it as a pick-up if you needed.

 

It's a JDM model now, so you'd need to import (which is easy enough).

I when I used to sell cars I would have been pushing the Subaru Sumo, wicked little AWD vans.

[HUBBA.HUBBA]

The only thing that would move me from my 4motion DSG t5 would be a mini van, because it's a mini. No other type of micro van is of interest.

[r3k1355]

 

 

 

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[unburntfuelinthemorning]

 

 

 

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That's certainly not a microvan, it's barely in the up to 3.5 tonne class.

[r3k1355]

Can't please some people........

[hhhh]

Those rear doors look really stupid to me the way they open over the taillights.

[HUBBA.HUBBA]

 

 
 
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Absolutely no

[surfblue]

I always thought a minivan would make a fantastic advertising tool for the right buisness, obviously not for transporting wardrobes or anything big or heavy, or messy but but if you needed something to throw a few boxes to deliver into.

A nicely restored and painted van with decent signwriting has got to be great advertising for any business, even if you never actually use it for moving stuff, plenty of people will take note as you drive about, or parked up outside your premises as static advertising.

If I didnt work in the public sector and had my own little business I know exactly what Id use to advertise it.

[HUBBA.HUBBA]

I always thought a minivan would make a fantastic advertising tool for the right buisness, obviously not for transporting wardrobes or anything big or heavy, or messy but but if you needed something to throw a few boxes to deliver into.

A nicely restored and painted van with decent signwriting has got to be great advertising for any business, even if you never actually use it for moving stuff, plenty of people will take note as you drive about, or parked up outside your premises as static advertising.

If I didnt work in the public sector and had my own little business I know exactly what Id use to advertise it.

exactly

[Curley]

Had my 2013 Clubvan from new. Love it.