Buying ex-fleet vans? (for camper conversion)

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 Kemics 20 May 2018

I'm looking at various vans to buy so I can convert to a camper. There's a few options at the moment of ex-fleet vehicles (British gas vans mostly). Does anyone have any experience or advice with buying fleet vehicles?

Pro: will have been fully serviced/maintained by professional mechanic.

Con: probably driven carelessly. I've driven fleet vehicles in a mis-spent youth and have *ahem* attempted to get air on speed bumps. 

The seem a bit cheaper... is it a good option? 

 deepsoup 20 May 2018
In reply to Kemics:

I've had a couple of ex Royal Mail vans (cheap/cheerful/rubbish LDV Pilots), and currently have an ex-AA Renault Trafic.  I wasn't brave/organised enough to get them at auction, but bought them from dealers who had.  You pay a bit more that way but can at least have a test drive before you commit, get a bit of a warranty and wotnot.  (Though what that is worth depends on the integrity of the dealer I suppose.)

I gather the state of the electrics with ex-AA vans can be pot luck.  They take the light bar off the roof before the van goes to auction and apparently the care that goes into that job can vary a lot.  I've spoken to people with similar vans who had to do a fair bit of work to make good the damage from a careless job.  I got lucky in that it was neatly done leaving the rest of the extra gubbins the AA put in still there and working perfectly.  (Some additional lights, sockets for jumpleads, etc.)

I wasn't so lucky to get one with a gearbox that gave up the ghost in the first year I had it.  Expensive.  Trafic gearboxes aren't the best anyway, this was probably down to ham-fisted towing rather than careless driving as such.

If you get a vehicle from a large fleet like British Gas or the AA, it will probably have a speed limiter fitted.  It's usually fairly straightforward to get it removed, but doesn't always work apparently.  (Mine was a software thing in the ECU, after checking that I didn't want the van speed-limited the dealer who sold me mine had it taken off by someone they use who specialises in remaps and such.)

My current van has a tailgate on the back, the previous one had barn doors.  The tailgate is brilliant - instant shelter from the rain whilst changing etc. at the back of the van.  Wouldn't be without it now.

Good luck!

Post edited at 11:56
 Big Ger 20 May 2018
In reply to Kemics:

Vans used by British Gas will have had mainly urban driving, not good for the engine. Delivery vans, if you are lucky, may have clocked up mainly motorway miles.

The van I'm living in at the moment is one such.

OP Kemics 20 May 2018
In reply to Big Ger:

that's a good point I hadn't considered. Same probably goes for AA - lots of motorway miles 

 Timmd 20 May 2018
In reply to Kemics:

https://www.forcevans.co.uk/used-vans/vauxhall-vivaro-didcot-20180414554254...

I dunno what your budget is, but this caught my eye.

 rj_townsend 20 May 2018
In reply to Kemics:

I think you’re being over-optimistic in thinking that fleet vans will have been well maintained by professional mechanics. They’ll have been maintained at lowest-cost, being regarded as a fixed-life asset. A privately owned van is more likely to be well maintained with a “price no object” approach.

 Timmd 20 May 2018
In reply to rj_townsend:

> I think you’re being over-optimistic in thinking that fleet vans will have been well maintained by professional mechanics. They’ll have been maintained at lowest-cost...

Except for ex police vans perhaps?

 

1
In reply to rj_townsend:

I second this. If you are only planning on keeping a van for 3 years, and it's a on lease, and the drivers who drive them don't care...they will have been ragged! 

T4 AA vans were reasonably well regarded, so maybe the new AA vans could be ok?

 

 CragRat11 20 May 2018
In reply to Kemics:

I’ve had an ex fleet Dyson Electricals Peugeot Expert for a couple of years. It’s been amazing.

Andrew Kin 21 May 2018
In reply to Kemics:

Worked in the motor trade buying and selling commercial vehicles (vans) for over 20yrs.  One thing I am sure of is that you are just as likely to buy a complete dog of a van from ex fleet/police/blue light/etc etc as you are from private sales and dealership sales. 

Vans with low miles can be complete dogs because they have been something like a milk van and been stop start all their lives going up and down gearbox, using suspension and steering 100x more than the 300,000mls van which is ex TNT.

I have had amazing vans through my hands at 200,000mls and had horrible vans at 50,000mls.  Its down to the particular van and how it looks like its been treated.  I can almost tell by sitting in a van these days how its been treated.  Alongside a service history and a knowledgeable mechanic check that's as good a way of checking a van as any.  No method is fool proof and if you are buying certain vans you will be prone to certain problems, regardless of how it been treated.

Ex fleet is usually serviced the minimum required to maintain warranty conditions of manufacturer and if possible pushed to the Nth degree to save a few quid.  Alongside being treated like crap by original owner, its not the best basis to invest a load of money on a conversion.

 

I waited 2yrs to buy my base van for conversion.  I sold it new, kept track of its servicing and when he came to change it came to a deal.  I know that's not possible for others but it highlights how even when I see vans daily that if you have a budget (Ie not new) its a minefield.

OP Kemics 21 May 2018
In reply to Andrew Kin:

Thank you, thats really helpful! Im buying with my girlfriend and shes absolutely adamant it must have less than 50k miles. So hopefully i can show her your post and change our searching approach 

 Mike Highbury 21 May 2018
In reply to Timmd:

> Except for ex police vans perhaps?

Which have never been out of second gear or is that just the Met?

Andrew Kin 21 May 2018
In reply to Kemics:

There are hundreds of things to consider.  Given the choice between a very clean (I don't just mean been professionally valeted) mid-high mileage 75,000 - 150,000mls and a rough low mileage I would probably go higher mileage.

However there are loads of ways of covering up mileage and abuse on a van because essentially, as long as they are plylined from new and a set of seat covers put on, after a good valet they can be made to look very clean.  There is a reason travelling folk put steering wheel covers on all their motors.

Service history you can actually sit and read, not just stamps in a book.  Most dealerships issue an invoice with a service and detail whats been done.  How difficult is it for a carefull owner to put a copy in the books.  I have everything for mine.  Even the tyres, mileages and wiper blades.  Regardless of whats been done, it shows the person actually cared.  Look at the tyres.  Matched tyres shows the person didn't just go budget every time.  I know its not the be all but its a good signal.  Fresh plylining is bad.  Its usually done to hide all manner of issues.  If the lining is there and ok condition that's better than fresh in my eyes.  Gives a good indication of what its been carrying, how its beein loaded and how it was used.  If the rear bumper is bashed to pieces then it can usually indicate (Depending on van) that its been forklift loaded.  Or it could be a builders van with old concrete spillages etc in the door runners etc.

 

It all comes down to having a genuine look around the vehicle and feeling comfortable.  If a salesman or even a private sale wont give you an hour (Without the key) with an open van in private for you to just chat to your friend and have a good look about I would move on.  After that its down to the mechanical condition.  I would suggest you do some homework on the models you fancy.  Most models will have a facebook group and there is nothing better than owners to tell you what can go wrong with something.  They will fill you with a list of what to look for and if you still need help after that, find one you really like, do the above and then pay for a garage to spend an hour doing a check.  Might be the best £50-100 you spend.

 

Hope this helps


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