Car or Van

[philfridge]

:) Hi guys just wondered how many of you have a car or van as your service vehicle and what you think is best to have ?

[airconadam]

I have a van but would love a car:cool: but then again its not enough room for the tools,suppose it depends on what you do exaclty (installs/service)

[The Viking]

Van,
Definitely a van.

The tax on company cars are just ridiculous.

[superswill]

Van as much as id like a car i just couldnt see me being to do my job without it,and great for the fishing kit too

[Brian_UK]

It's got to be a van every time, less tax, more room, safe carriage of 'things' and, as previously mentioned, somewhere to hide the fishing gear.;)

[jjthefridge]

Hi guys,

Never had a car, but had a small van, hopeless, got transit now, can climb around in the back, get to the racking ok, plus three decent seats, so got comfort of a car and space of van. Can live with van tax, good news allround.

j.j.

[Chunk]

Had a car for 5 years,only carried hand tools and welding gear and had no problems doing the job.

The company i`m with now,i`m still doing the same job,but have had a van for 5 years.I`ve got so much gear in the back that i will never use and it`s too big to park outside my house.

So i would prefer a car as i dont own one personally,and there is less tools to nick if someone breaks in.Plus my neighbours might start talking to me again.

[philfridge]

Had a car for the last ten years and do manage to cope fine. I think all you guys with vans are just jealous :D:D:D

[leegally1983]

I had a estate car i did my job fine plenty of room, now ive got a vivaro and i just carry all sorts of stuff i will never use. When you have a car it makes the job alot better especially if you do alot of milage
What type of car do you reckon is best for the job

[paul_h]

Best of both world = utilty, aka ute.
Stick a canopy on the back and you're golden. Separates the gases from the cabin better than a car or van, carries more than a car, drives like a car.
Road noise used to bother me with a van, carry space is too low with a car/wagon.

[marc5180]

I've got a van as well, i couldn't fit all of my tools into a car so i guess i dont have a choice:(

[Springbok]

I have a car,correct on the car tax,its a bit steep,but all my tools fit nicely in the back and its great...just pop it out,and away on holiday you go!...Depending if the missus has her own wheels too...:p

[Chunk]

I have a car,correct on the car tax,its a bit steep,but all my tools fit nicely in the back and its great...just pop it out,and away on holiday you go!...Depending if the missus has her own wheels too...:p

I agree,but having only me,my missus and one son,we all fit in my van and my company hasnt started charging me for fuel yet.I just throw our luggage on top of all my gear and away we go.

She has her own car but i dont trust it and as i`m not insured she would have to do all the driving.That would ruin anyones holiday:eek:.

[bernard]

Hi

Got to be a van,I,ve worked with guys who have cars and they spend more time running back and forward to suppliers,plus they have a lot of calls left to clear up on a Monday morning,first fix rate very low.

Regards Bernard

[750 Valve]

I have a ute with a canopy too, you can't get into most carparks with a van fitted with roof racks so being in the supermarket game we need something to get in there and a ute is as tall as a car with roof racks and is really comfy compared to a van. It can get tedious crawling into the back all the time so we fit sliding drawers to put most of our gear in.

[Karl Hofmann]

I'm a van man... Lets face it, unless you drive an LDV then a van is as comfortable as a car and many are as quick as a car. I tried working out of the back of an estate car once but dragging refrigerant bottles and Nitrogen bottles out over other tools, kit and spares was no fun at all. Plus with all this kit in the back, what would happen to the driver in the event of a shunt :eek:

[paul_h]

I'm a van man... Lets face it, unless you drive an LDV then a van is as comfortable as a car and many are as quick as a car. I tried working out of the back of an estate car once but dragging refrigerant bottles and Nitrogen bottles out over other tools, kit and spares was no fun at all. Plus with all this kit in the back, what would happen to the driver in the event of a shunt :eek:
Are utes not common there? Get a turbo diesel ute like a ford or a hilux and have the best of both worlds. Plenty of power to tow a trailer if you are bringing a 20kw unit to install, unlike most vans I've driven, and large units won't fit in a fully loaded van anyway.
Utes became pretty common down here when laws came out regarding oxy-acet and other gases not being legal to be in a passenger compartment. Most vans weren't contained enough unless the gas was in an airtight box, like a safe-like box.
Plus I used to drive a van with roof racks in the city, and like 750 posted, vans can't fit into most multilevel or underground parking buildings.
edit: I bought a freestyle ute, made by mazda/ford. It's like a dual cab, but bigger tray, suicide rear doors like the mazda rx8, no proper seats in the back, heaps of flat space to put my most used gear in crates. The tray is not so far to reach into, as it is shorter than a single cab, side openings on the canopy make it easy to access things in the back. The space in the main cab keeps my most used gear and electronic equipment.
Here it is when I first started, not much gear yet, and my dirty old tool bag :)

[leegally1983]

dont what to sound thick but what the hey whats a ute is it a pickup like a mitsubishi warrior or ford carryman

[The Viking]

2107This is what the aussies calls a Ute (Utility vehicle).

[Chunk]

I had one of them.A Ford Ranger.They are classed a cars now so you have to pay the higher tax.

[The Viking]

I had one of them.A Ford Ranger.They are classed a cars now so you have to pay the higher tax.


Errrrmm,

No actually.
The taxman has the right to classify them as cars but to do so they have to take in to account the usage and any after market alterations.
(In my case there is a tool safe permanently fitted across the rear seats and it is therefore "more suitable to carry load than passengers")

:cool:

[Chunk]

Errrrmm,

No actually.
The taxman has the right to classify them as cars but to do so they have to take in to account the usage and any after market alterations.
(In my case there is a tool safe permanently fitted across the rear seats and it is therefore "more suitable to carry load than passengers")

:cool:

Yeah,we had a fleet of them and because they had a crew cab and the company put us all in for the private usage,the taxman told us they were classed as cars.

We sent them all back and got vans instead.

[philfridge]

A few years ago everyone was getting these pick ups with the double cabs because they were then tax exempt like company vans. Now they suffer the same fate as cars so they are no longer desirable to us engineers who are always looking to save a few quid ;)

[The Viking]

It follows from the above that it is not possible to come up with a single categorisation for all double cab pick-ups. Nor is it possible to give a blanket ruling on any particular makes, as the standard vehicle may have been adapted in the factory, by the dealer, or once acquired. So each case will depend on the facts and the exact specification during the period when the vehicle is made available for private use.For the full document see http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/manuals/eimanual/EIM23045.htm
;)

(and they are more than welcome to come and inspect mine)

[absolute-zero]

A van for me. Its ideal for the cargo room, that I sometimes need. carry my golf bag and tools where ever I go.:D

[gloucesterfridg]

A Zafira seems the perfect vehicle. Small but high, big boot and seats which slide. The TD is pretty good for 500 miles per tank, which helps these days....

[WINJA]

I like vans because they are more comfy to sleep in

[tooltemp]

I've actually got a VW Touran, space of a mid sized van, comfort of a car. And plenty of room for all my camping gear when we go away.

[airconwarehouse]

I'm a van man... Lets face it, unless you drive an LDV then a van is as comfortable as a car and many are as quick as a car. I tried working out of the back of an estate car once but dragging refrigerant bottles and Nitrogen bottles out over other tools, kit and spares was no fun at all. Plus with all this kit in the back, what would happen to the driver in the event of a shunt :eek:
On the subject of shunts, you won't ever see a van with five star crash rating............... but lots of cars do have this - just a thought.

[Voyager]

I've got a car and a van - all in one.

'97 Chrysler Grand Voyager.

Even with the rear bench seat folded down to accommodate my car A/C equipment, there are still 4 very comfortable armchairs for passengers.
My gear is all seperate - Wigam gauges/manifold/recovery cylinder/vac pump in a portable frame with wheels, CPS CR400e recovery unit, oils/dyes/sniffer/UV light/hand tools/spares kit etc all packed in a wheeled toolbox, refrigerant cylinders securely strapped into plywood 'pigeon holes'. With an 800w DC inverter connected to the car battery I can run a 50 metre extension and operate in the middle of a field.

[Colin G]

I prefer a van as the first thing i do is shelve it out and get every thing as i want it so i know where everything is, all the service guys at our firm have cars, not much use when you have to try and fit say a condenser fan and cowling in the back seat.

[malik55]

Van is better then a Car,
Keep a lot and no need for to re visit for parts or tools.

[Colin G]

did someone edit my last post sure there was more and i havnt been drinking?

[Andy]

did someone edit my last post sure there was more and i havnt been drinking?

Hi Colin G

If they did it would be shown along the bottom much like your post above.

Kind Regards Andy :)

[Bruce K]

Definately a van , for me , just upgraded from a Transit to a new Vito , not sure yet , on t he vito , the previous driver set it up to carry his kids so its got the rear bench seat .

But there is plenty of room in the rear section for tools and spares , plus the middle section carrys my waeco fridge and archery equipment out of the way

[Silhouette]

I suppose it all depends on what type of work you do. If you are on the service or install side then a van is the tool for the job. For the guy's on the technical/commissioning side then an estate car is adequate, bearing in mind that if you carry refrigerant or other compressed gases then there are regulations regarding ventilation of the vehicle.:)

[Scramjetman]

I have a 6 litre V8 car (wagon) for a service truck and use a van for bigger stuff. (The car is amazing - does 10litres per 100km on the highway - way better than a 6 cyl, quieter and can carry some serious weight)

[psycho]

i've had a car for the last seven months,(vectra) totaly impracticle,usually a days delay on site if requiring recovery bottles etc,expecting delivery off a nirvara (described by a well known motoring journalist as stearing a boulder down a hill(clarkson) end off jan, me was thinking that i saved on tax but mbe not so after all Dont care really,its got a big front grill and makes you look really hard!! noisy as well to scare old age pedestrians.no sign writing so i can tell the neibours that i brought it.plus room in the back 4 a deck chair!bird puller.no really i want a scruffy van.not.

[jelectric]

Van all the way! & a nice one looks are number 1 in residential in the usa if you don't look good than your a hack! ( not my personal view just the way u.s is):D

[robin r33 gtr]

I think it depends on what you work on or how big the company is.

I have a van and work for a small company working all over the country so carry lots of tools to carry out any job.

My friend has a car and works local for a big company and would get a day to change a condensate pump.

[Eng. AG]

Van would be better. Better use of your garage space. (lol):D

[frank]

My friend has a car and works local for a big company and would get a day to change a condensate pump.
It amazes me how these big companies with huge overheads (Directors, Secretary's, Office Staff etc. all with company cars ) can make any money when they allow a full 8 hours engineers pay to change a condensate pump??

How does the customer not question the obvious rip off?

I must be doing something wrong. :(

[Magoo]

OK Frank several months late but, the secret is the client is blinded by the the hype and " we are looking after you " factor. Shyte is my reaction.
You or I would be in and out in a flash , sign here and go to next call. And wait 90 days to get paid.
What are we doing wrong?.

[lowcool]

to true magoo

[Magoo]

Hi Lowcool.
way back on this post you said you drove a'" ute ". Totally local term in our part of the planet. Man they are so versitile, I run currently an XR6 with canopy. Very economical on 91. Drive with right leg up it not so economical, fun though. Average 35k per year so wear them out quickley. Usually had wagons, and have been reported driving with head out window due to ammonia inside. Bit hard to explain to officer, until he stikes his head inside. All good fun though.
magoo

[S_Line]

There's a company local to me using cars as vans, they look unprofessional to me.

[crit71]

I use an estate car and have been for 10 years. Obviously if I was installing on a rgular basis this would be difficult, but is possible.
I'm an HVAC service engineer and tbh, I find it extremely difficult for parking in cities and towns in a transit (which is what our install teams use) my current car is an Alfa 159 sw ti and is extremely comfortable on those long journey's and has plenty of boot space for the tools and even my fold up ladders.

[Paultighe]

Car is better. big van you just carry more crap

[philfridge]

Car is better. big van you just carry more crap

Couldn't agree more had all types of vans in the past and don't like them noisy , slow and smelly, crap for parking useless for underground parking and most of all carrying all that crap in the back that you never use but hang on to it anyway thinking one day I'll use it. I've had estate cars for the twelve years and manage fine.

[kev99]

give me a car every time, in a van you carry to much rubish ,uncomftable and if you have things on roof unable to park in underground car parks.builders drive vans not highly skilled engineers;)

[S_Line]

yes but in that van of rubbish you will alwys find that most inportant thing you need for a reapir ;)

Well thats what they tell me :lol: with thier vans full of crap :lol:

[still learning]

car, can park in car parks , also tie loads better on roof rack as can reach.
just have to plan better what you are doing in the day, nowhere to park a van on the streets

[paul thompson]

i use a merc vito van . its the dogs b*&****ks.