New van time!

[windyjools]

It's time for another self-build project, the pain and hassle of the last conversion has faded enough for me to consider another van to convert.
I have narrowed it down to a Sprinter/VW LT, around 10 years old, or a Renault Master around 8 years old. Either van would be the MWB model.
Has anyone had any of these vans? Are the German vans worth the extra price? Is the LT better (or worse) than the same sized Sprinter?
Any feedback would be appreciated.
Thanks.

 

[mark61]

Is there much difference in price at that age?
I'd go for whatever looked in best condition service history etc.

 

[windyjools]

Is there much difference in price at that age?
I'd go for whatever looked in best condition service history etc.

Not much difference, you get a newer Renault than the German vans for a similar price, it's the overall build quality and (hopefully) the reliability that I'm trying to find out about.

 

[Sactapper]

I have an 04 master in the last year
Driveshaft £120
Crankshaft oil seal £20
Power steering assembly hose £180
Fan belt tensioner£100
Only 80000 on the van when I bought it and it has not done any hard work so the next time anything goes wrong its going up the road

 

[master]

We have an 06 master with 130K on the clock which has been great. had a new clutch at 120 K but nothing else . It is the LWB hi top but runs well onthe moterway and does about 28 to the gallown
JUliana

 

[hextal]

I've got a movano which is just a master with a vx badge. Seems good. We went round lots of dealers looking at older versions of vans to see how well they aged. The movano seemed good but a lot of it is down how its been treated. Id just find a good condition van of any type

 

[AuldTam]

I have a 2000 SWB master I converted a while back...last July a bought a 55 plate Movano MWB, I started to convert the Movano but decided to go back to the old master van... They may look the same but in my opinion the old Master is a far superior van to the Movano...

If your looking for a 55 plate MWB Movano get in touch...

 

[phillybarbour]

At that age it's all about what the van has been doing in its former life, unlike cars commercials experience a far wider range of uses. If you find a tidy one with service history that would be the one for me regardless of the brand unless you have a personal choice.

 

[hextal]

I have a 2000 SWB master I converted a while back...l

ast July a bought a 55 plate Movano MWB, I started to convert the Movano but decided to go back to the old master van... They may look the same but in my opinion the old Master is a far superior van to the Movano...

If your looking for a 55 plate MWB Movano get in touch...

Its exactly the same van apart from the badge. they both had a face lift in '05ish which may be the difference.

2 things to watch for.. The bumper trim along the sides of the van covers the bodywork seam where the upper/lower panels are joined.it is a perfect water trap so id pop them off before doing any work and just check the condition and possibly paint and seal them if needed as if they go they will allow water to seep in, as well as corrosion.

There is a gap next to the filler cap housing which allows rainwater to run straight into the sill so seal it up.

The bodywork is galvanized which is a big plus and seems to age better than some vans.i believe that older mercs and vw vans were galvanized but the newer ones ain't so chips in the paint are more of an issue

But you will see very good and very bad examples of all.

Also remember that each van will have several engine types so make sure you compare apples with apples. ie don't test drive an 80hp transit against a 120hp master and think "transit are slow".

We went with the mov as it has a shorter nose so you got more internal room for less external length.

And yes we got our specific van cos our lass liked the colour. Bright blue.

Definitely take a bunch for test drives. Our lass is a wee bit of a thing so we didn't want to get anything that she might struggle with. As it turns out she prefers the van to her car.

 

[windyjools]

Its exactly the same van apart from the badge. they both had a face lift in '05ish which may be the difference.

2 things to watch for.. The bumper trim along the sides of the van covers the bodywork seam where the upper/lower panels are joined.it is a perfect water trap so id pop them off before doing any work and just check the condition and possibly paint and seal them if needed as if they go they will allow water to seep in, as well as corrosion.

There is a gap next to the filler cap housing which allows rainwater to run straight into the sill so seal it up.

That's really helpful thanks, I too prefer the low floor/roof of the FWD Master range, but tips like this are worth their weight in gold. I like the idea of the Merc/VW models, as I think the build quality is better, but, for my budget, I reckon a newer Master/Movano is going to be the answer.
Any other particular weaknesses that you know of?

 

[jogguk]

Don't know about Master/Movano (someone fill in the blank), but the Sprinter/ LT being rear wheel drive have really fantastic tight turning circle. Makes parking and manouvering easier.


Also not having the low floor has advantages when fitting gas/water/waste tanks underneath.

John

 

[hextal]

That's really helpful thanks, I too prefer the low floor/roof of the FWD Master range, but tips like this are worth their weight in gold. I like the idea of the Merc/VW models, as I think the build quality is better, but, for my budget, I reckon a newer Master/Movano is going to be the answer.
Any other particular weaknesses that you know of?

The standard radio is pretty naff (not sure what they are like in other vans) but an after market one sorts that out.

You can tell the engine type from the 7th digit of the VIN (there are 5 engine types from memory), I say that, cos it's not really obvious, so you don't know if what you are being told is necessarily correct.

Other than that the pros/cons are as with any other van.