rear windowed transit connect/caddy/kangoo etc

Norman_Castle

londonTiger wrote: »

-Can I not use the NCB from my golf (insured for business use) to transfer onto my van insurance?

Also I'm not doing any deliveries or trades use with the van. Just moving my own AV equipment to set up meetings and presentations. Can I just use class 1 business use insurance for that or will I need commercial van insurance?

Van insurers will probably accept your car ncb but if you move back to a car insurers may not accept van ncb for car insurance. No idea why.
If you buy a van and add seats it will be modified and have extra passengers so is likely to have higher than standard premiums.

londonTiger wrote: »

The problem with these is that they are people carrier derived from a van and they have full 360 windows which means security risk. I would't feel comfortable leaving my car parked at the services while I take a dump in the welcme break toilets.

A friend who runs shows all over the uk has used various estate cars for years without a problem. If you tint the windows and cover everything with a black cloth its impossible to see whats inside. Add a decent alarm and possibly flight cases locked to the inside of the car for smaller expensive items.

londonTiger

Norman_Castle wrote: »

A friend who runs shows all over the uk has used various estate cars for years without a problem. If you tint the windows and cover everything with a black cloth its impossible to see whats inside. Add a decent alarm and possibly flight cases locked to the inside of the car for smaller expensive items.

I have seen one contractor use an audi A4 estate and towed a MASSIVE trailer. Had a chat with him outside Olympia. He seems to find it OK. I would be very concerned about parking, parking a car with a trailer in London is not my idea of fun.

Capacity wise I do drive a golf and can just about cope, I'm based in London and on a few occasions had to break up jobs and return to base to restock and go for my next job.

An estate would definitely give me more space than what I have now. But I'm looking ahead and expecting growth and also supplying larger items like 100" screens (made from putting 4 50" together) so and estate is going to be a stopgap.

Part of the reason why Ive held onto the golf for so long is I hate the buying and selling process. I know if I get an estate it will soon be inadequte for my needs and be reluctant to buy a bigger vehicle. A small vehicle will make me like a fish in a confined "fish bowl", not growing because I feel my vehicle is not going to allow me to do bigger jobs.

Herzlos

What are your actual requirements? How much stuff / how many passengers?

I doubt you have anything to worry about leaving stuff in an estate car whilst you use the facilities. Throw a sheet over it or tint the windows and no-one will be able to see what's in there. They'd be more likely to try and pop open a van in search of tools.

Unless you're needing cubic meters of stuff or huge weights, you're probably better off with something car shaped rather than van shaped. Even if you go for an SUV (space in a Jeep Grand Cherokee is incredible, for instance).

forgotmyname

Dads got a Transit Connect and he is amazed that he can unload it it my Mondeo estate and i still have room to spare even though his van was full.

Herzlos

Transit connect is taller though? As in you could get a sofa or a pallet in there that would never fit in the Mondeo?

vansboy

Not sure of the budget you have set, or age of vehicle, but value for money, an estate or people carrier would represent a more moneysaving option, if only regarding the VAT implications, assuming you are not VAT registered.

If you buy an older van, without VAT, then the chances are, it will be older and will have had most of the useful life already passed.

Going for an estate, it may well be old, but VAT implications won't be a worry and may well have had an easier life. If it is a later vehicle, buying from an owner who ran a business, or from a dealer it may be worth asking if it is VAT Qualifying ...which means you could claim the VAT element back.

VB

londonTiger

business is vat registered but i will most likely buy it personally and claim mileage from the business because if it were to be purchased for the business then id have to be taxed for £3000 a year benefit in kind. £3000 taxed at the income tax rate

londonTiger

Herzlos wrote: »

Transit connect is taller though? As in you could get a sofa or a pallet in there that would never fit in the Mondeo?

this estate isn't going to cut it. My equipment is getting bigger and bigger and I will outgrow an estate fast. I will need to use up all the space inside a transit connect which would mean I pile flight cases on top of each other all the way to the roof.

Plus most new estated have angled hatch instead of a boxy one like the old volvo v70 or mondeo estates. I actually smashed the rear window on my car once really stupidly.

I knew that I couldn't pile items on top of each other, due to the hatch window angle. So I build a wooden spacer to push the boxes deeper into the boot and prevent it from making contact with the window. One day after a really long day. after I loaded the car up. I was looking forward to going for a drink after I drop the equipment back into my self storage unit. Completely dropped the ball, forgot about the spacer, slammed the hatch shut broke the window.

I had a really long drive of shame that day, clients got to see my cockup outside their premisis and laughed about it. They were kind enough to lend me a shovel and broom to clear up all the broken glass.

Luckily I found an indie windscreen repairer who repalced the entire window for £130. Which was just £60 more than the excess my insurance would have charged and would have toi be declared as a claim for the next 5 years.

Herzlos

Sounds like you're going to outgrow a transit connect too then.

So you're either looking at a regular SWB transit, or an SUV/Pickup of some flavour.