Best car / van for business start up

highrisklowreturn

Hi all


Was looking advice as to what car or van would be good to start up a tree felling / surgery business?

I was initially thinking Citroen Berlingo would be best but could I get away with an estate car with roof rack for ladders? And would I have to pull the back seats out (is this even legal)?

zipady_do

I'd go for a Transit connect, since we got one we've all but got rid of our full Transit, can take pallets & has a decent length. MPG is also quite good and they're surprisingly nippy. Negatives mean you do have to give way at roundabouts where previously in a Transit you'd have been fine

MX5huggy

How are you going to move the logs and or chippings you produce?

Trailer, but then how are you towing your chipper?

I would go for a flat bed tipper transit.

chalkie99

I know a couple of guys dong this and they both have Transit size chassis cabs with tipper bodies and removable cage sides. They tow a chipper on the rear.

The waste you have to clear is bulkier than you might imagine so you need plenty of space.

highrisklowreturn

Don't need a wood chip - intend to fell tree and bag up debris waste separetely from wood which can be stored or burnt.

MX5huggy

Even a small tree produces a huge quantity of small branches, as a client I would want you to take it all, only possibly leaving 2 inch plus stuff suitably sized for a wood burner, if I had one.

RichGold

A good friend of mine does this for a living. You'll need a flat bed transit or similar equipped with a tow bar, and a chipper.

And as for leaving the logs behind, I doubt many of your paying customers would go for that.

crazyguy

highrisklowreturn

I'll be taking the lot with me - what I mean is I can divide up branches/leaves etc from wood which is suitable for burning - which is much easier to pile up when sawed according to the size of the van.

RichGold

highrisklowreturn wrote: »

I'll be taking the lot with me - what I mean is I can divide up branches/leaves etc from wood which is suitable for burning - which is much easier to pile up when sawed according to the size of the van.

How would you take the lot with you, in say, an estate car with a roof rack as you suggested?

Are you planning on being the worlds first Bonsai tree surgeon?

highrisklowreturn

Dump the excess down the road, then come back for the remains.