Looking to buy a new van for fishing. Nothing flashy but wanted people's recommendations for which model and also realistically which one is cheap to fix.

Depends what your budget is and what else you'll use it for. I've got a 60 plate berlingo cost me 3k 2 years ago with 130k miles on the clock.

For me it's perfect. I can get mine and my mates gear in it, cheap to run and maintain, drives well and can still shift fully loaded.

In reply to Post #2
About 2-3k.

Personally I'd go for a berlingo again without hesitation

I bought a nice car in summer to replace my old X-Trail, didn't really think about scratching it, getting muddy etc, but I haven't enjoyed using it for fishing!

Decided to get a cheap van, did loads of research, although I haven't spent as much as you want to, the Berlingo / partner seemed to come out all round.

I used to have a Peugeot Partner which is exactly the same van as the Berlingo and I believe the Vauxhal Combo and it was the perfect small van for fishing IMO. Big enough that I used to be able to wheel a power porter in the back and it also had the passenger seat that folded into the floor so the rods could go in straight if needs be, they would fit diagonally though as well and that's with the bulk head fitted

In reply to Post #6
Yep i have one and thats a good description

In reply to Post #7
I've had my berlingo enterprise for 6 yrs so far with no problems. Up to 60mpg on a run quiet, lots of gadgets and fits all my gear in easily. Also, its classed as a car based van for overseas trips thus don't pay stupid ferry costs.

In reply to Post #1
Can't comment on others but I've had a Berlingo from new in 2006 and its still going strong.
Parts are plentyful and cheap, as has been said its the same as other makes.

1 thing to watch out for is service history on the older models with the DV6 diesel engine, very important they have had regular oil servicing as they are notorious for turbo issues * if not well maintained. The DV6 engine is in a lot of other makes and models too so worth thinking about if req.

* bad design of turbo oil pick up/filter, gets blocked by crap/sludge, destroys turbo.

In reply to Post #6
. . .excuse my ignorance but is the insurance on vans more expensive than on car variants?

I'm going to be looking at a Peugeot Partner in the spring (dedicated fishing wagon) but was leaning towards the car variants / WAV (wheelchair vehicles) based on the readily integrated ramp / no bulkhead etc . .was planning to add black out film to the exposed windows etc . . .

In reply to Post #10
Not that i found

Im 44 and i didnt have any no claims bonus as i was named driver on wifes car, costs me 250-300 a year to insure my van fully comp

In reply to Post #10
admittedly i'm 50 but fully comp on my van which is not used for any trade as I'm a teacher and the insurance company know this, is approx £270 per year with me and the wife as named drivers. The van is 7yrs old, so i do not think that is a great deal to pay. The road tax is more than a car though.

In reply to Post #12
i use a mk 1 fiat scudo
for me the larger size but not too big and extra seat is great
also wheel carp porter straight in back

In reply to Post #10
Insurance depends on where you live as stated road tax is dearer , my insurance was £255 a year in lancs since moving to scotland its £165 fully comp.

In reply to Post #1
If you have your barrow already loaded at home, then you will want a

Renault Trafic / Vauxhall Vivaro / Nissan Primastar.

Get a ramp and wheel it in.

In reply to Post #10
You can get insurance as SDP not business related
I have it on my van

Be careful though
No claims bonus earned on a car cannot be transferred to a van
I had to open another one for my van but as I had over 20 years no claims bonus they set me up with some to get the business.

In reply to Post #15
No, you really don't... Having been a Renault technician in the past, and now using the vauxhall version for my current job for the last decade or so I can say these vans are great if all is well, but they can be absolute money pits when they aren't. And with some of them the various issues come up quite regularly. The reason there are a lot about is because they are so cheap, not because of the good quality of them

In reply to Post #17
Mmm mate has a vivaro he says it does,nt matter what goes wrong its nearly a grand everytime !

In reply to Post #18
believe me it is! Just spend 1k and now have turbo making siren sounds so just hoping it will last 2 more months till I get new Berlingo.

In reply to Post #19
I've a 03 plate vivaro.......genuine 57000 miles...and it's only used for fishing/shooting,had it since 6000
Miles,👍

In reply to Post #16
transferred mine ok

In reply to Post #18
He's doing well if it's only a grand mate! Wait until he has a real issue lol. Electrical probs are the usual, but gearbox and engine probs are aplenty too

Glad I have a Hilux, good enough for the Taliban...

In reply to Post #1
I have a LWB 6 door Toyota Proace on a 14 plate 2.0TDI and it is by far the best fishing van I have ever had and that includes a flashy VW T% that I used to own.
Brilliant on fuel, 90mph all day long , not had to do anything to it and it swallows the gear up and has 3 seats.

In reply to Post #22
. . had a Renault Grand Espace when the kids were little - top of the range - fully loaded - panoramic roof that the kids used to love when standing up and waving their arms at strangers in some remote Cornish Village . . . .also brilliant for French fishing trips with the seats removed - as big as a transit, could swallow 2-3 sets of gear and silly quants of bait no probs . . .

However . . .after 6months I had a £500 bill every 4-6 months . . .electrics / electrical looms / turbo / clutch / key fobs / the entire not so clever full digi dashboard had to be replaced at one stage. . .the day it was replaced with a VW Touran (still going strong now) was a very good day . . .

In reply to Post #24
Best van ever.

In reply to Post #10
easy with a wc ramp, i have a 1.4 petrol kangoo and its been a proper little warrior and workhorse for 3.5 years now

In reply to Post #21
You were lucky lol

I have had 4 vivaros since 2002 each brand new though until last year never had a problem apart from a power steering hose failure and a slave cylinder go each on different van
Before that I had a despatch never had a problem
Last van was a combo brand new
What a Piece of sh1t that was, really uncomfortable
I could only drive it for half hour at a time before I haves to get out of it

I now own a transit custom which is only used for fishing

In reply to Post #24
My mobile mechanic mate drives this exact van for work, says its the best ever van he has owned, and will put 30k milage on it every year. He said he'd have a berlingo if he didn't have the Toyota. I trust him about motors.

What berlingos are people rating? The bullet proof 1.9d or turbo models

I've had

Escort 55 ex BT van (bombproof)
Citroen Dispatch (I wouldn't give you the steam off my piss for one of these)
Mk7 transit trend (decent van)
Mercedes Vito (only for a couple of months)
Mk7 Transit limited (van perfection, quick, torquey, super reliable, comfortable, well spec'd, brilliant)
Transit Connect lwb. (Ok but boring)

The Citroen was an absolute bag of ****. Never again. I'd rather walk. Hopelessly unreliable. I returned it that many times to the dealer that I was on first name terms with the service manager. After literally about the tenth return for a fault I told him I'd never own another one, and he said “between me and you, you haven't even got a bad one”
I hated the Vito. It was gutless, loud and massively overpriced for the pitiful spec, with a stupid dash mounted handbrake lever.
My second transit was the best vehicle I've ever owned. Bar none, including all my cars.
The transit connect is ok, functional but dull.

Love my Caddy Van , 2010 with the 1.9tdi engine. 3 years now and it's never gone wrong bar a number plate bulb. Use a aluminium ramp on the rear to put the barrow in. Just requires the rods being removed.

In reply to Post #31
I've got a limited spec custom and that's a beaut too
If it's financially feasible I'd have a transit/Vito/transporter size or bigger over the small vans, or a big car

In reply to Post #33
VW CADDY - close thread 😁

In reply to Post #34
Got rid of my LWB Caddy as not quite big enough for 2 lots of gear and bait, boat, motor etc for European adventures and replaced it with the aforementioned Toyota Proace.

In reply to Post #32
Another vote for the caddy had a load of vans over the years this is nicest to drive by far I had a Vauxhall combo before that was a good van bit cheaper to buy as well but plenty good enough

In reply to Post #36
Bought a new Berlingo van during July last year. Best fishing investment I have made. Power porter goes in fully loaded, just need to remove the front bag and shorten the handles.
1.2 lit petrol, drives like a car, smooth, quiet and well equipped.

In reply to Post #16
That's not always true, I've changed over no claims for cars to vans back to cars nearly every year.

Stay away from the Citroen, Renault, Peugeot Crap.

Recently helped my son buy a brand new ford custom transit with a few extras....oh my god im now jealous of my own son...its pure luxuary...drives like a dream and the space... lovely but 10k over priced for me when i can get a people carrier for 15k.... i did ask my boy to swap....his answer was xxxx xxx lol

The old focus has nearly served its time do looking for something to replace it. Like the look of the Astra van 1.7. Anyone use these? Would prefer a more car derived van and the Astra looks a good shout

In reply to Post #41
I had an Astra van, it was ok but awkward getting the barrow in as had to unload it all and didn't like the glass back window as you could see any gear left in there. Had a berlingo for 5 years now and it's bang on, got the 1.6 diesel, great on mileage and service costs and intervals are reasonable. Loads of room in the back and nice to have a side sliding door

In reply to Post #39
VW snob by any chance?

In reply to Post #43
https://www.reliabilityindex.com/


https://www.reliabilityindex.com/manufacturer

I think that people should look at the actual reliability record before making sweeping statements...

No German manufacturer home brands are in the top 25 ( of a list of 40 car manufacurers) of most reliable brand and this is based on actual claims from a warranty supplier...

In reply to Post #44
7 of the top 10 Japanese/Chinese (Rover)

I'll stick with my Hilux.....

In reply to Post #30
The 1.9 is functional but slow.
The 1.6 turbo has better performance and is much more economical.

I've got a 2014 transit connect trend and drives like a car really nice handling and comfort, however... Slowest van I've ever driven, and gets quite bad condensation in the back especially with wet fishing gear, a lot of vans do I know but this is more so than others I've driven. Tax is expensive at around 25 quid a month, insurance isn't horrendous about 600 quid (I'm 26) but really is dangerously slow, couldn't get a car porter loaded into the back either if that's what you want. Fuel is OK at around high 30s.

I've also had a Peugeot partner as a work van which handled like dogshi7 and had a few things go wrong for a relatively new van, was quite quick though and roughly same size... Defo could tell you were in a van though.

Also drove a basic 2009 transporter for 18 months and that was OK, turbo went on it though and interior was very basic, harlsy any legroom and I'm not tall.

My dad had an old Vito I drove and lovely van very quick and spacious but lacking in the tech department!

Incase anyone didn't know, 99 percent of vans don't come with passenger airbags unless they were put in as an option when purchased!...i think only the newer 2016 onwards caddies come with them as standard now and possibly the transporters

In reply to Post #47
All commercials are £265 / year to tax.....

In reply to Post #48
Yeah I was comparing it to say a car derived van...

In reply to Post #49
They tend to be more expensive to buy and insure 🤷🏻‍♀️

Swings, roundabouts......

In reply to Post #50
Like a few things van prices have gone mad in the last 12 months, 30% increase I was told. Lots of on line shopping and white van men.

In reply to Post #51
one of the reasons for the rise in van prices, especially in london and the surrounding areas
and for people/ trades that drive into london for work, is the new ULEZ coming into force this year ,
so you need a euro 6 engine, otherwise it will cost you £15 per day, and in central london and the congestion charge, that will cost you £30 a day, just to drive in,
so sellers are upping the prices in my view i upgraded to a euro 6 last summer, as i live the coming new ULEZ

In reply to Post #52
Mate of mine who I work with lives in London had to upgrade his van , 13 grand I think for a new one just to leave his driveway, had no choice

In reply to Post #53
Bought a Combi in the end.

In reply to Post #34
Absolute piece of **** along with the transporter, You must be lucky!.

SWB Transit Connect. Can't go wrong.

In reply to Post #56
I have had my Transporter Highline for over 3 years and done 70k in it 7 speed DSG box drives like a car great bit of kit only costly part was a high pressure fuel pump the other week at 2k but apart from that great van, had a Transit Sport before that and was another belter of a van

Only 1 van il ever own now mk7 transit (not a rusty **** piece)... or a mk 5 transit if i win the euro millions... il have a m5 powered mk5 transit just to piss people off hahaa

Im in the hunt for a fishing wagon in the £2000-£3000 range, in my area for sale at the moment its looking between a Ford Transit Connect or a Citroen Berlingo, the Berlingo Multispace looks ideal, I'd black out the windows though, anybody had or driven both, if so what did you reckon?

How far are we allowed to travel if buying a vehicle, how far is local?

In reply to Post #59
Depends - if its your only vehicle and you need it for shopping, work, etc its at the discretion of the police.

If its a fishing wagon, about 50yds

In reply to Post #57
Your great van that's only 3 years old just cost you £2k for a fuel pump replacement....

I'd not call a van that just cost you £2k in unexpected repairs great at all.

This is however typical of German vehicles, you buy them at considerable expense and as your so invested into the vehicle your bent over to keep spending money on keeping the bloomin thing just running. I'm not saying other vehicles are perfect at all but it's a fact that's reflected in reliability records that German brands are some of the most unreliable that you can spend your money on.

In reply to Post #59
Why don't you check out what's available locally, FB marketplace is also work checking out as dealers and private sellers are on there.

A post 2007 Berlingo (new shape) has an updated 1.6hdi engine You can also get internal roof bars as well to lay the rods on in the roof space area. Pretty much ideal for fishing but not a great looking vehicle.

Does anyone know if the Citroen Berlingo van or Multispace, (with rear seats removed), will take a barrow fully loaded as is? I assume the rods would need to come off and go diagonal, but that's easy. Just wondering on the rest of the barrow?

Many thanks.

In reply to Post #63
My barrow fits in my Partner (same van) with handles and rods removed.

In reply to Post #64
Thanks very much, great to know. Been thinking about changing cars during lockdown, but not easy to see anything when you can't leave the house lol. You have a standard type barrow i assume, carpporter etc?

thanks again, much appreciated

In reply to Post #65
Look at post #6

In reply to Post #66
I thought i had read all the posts properly ... apparently i was wrong lol. tyvm sir.

2 years ago I got the perfect leisure vehicle for me. I didn't want to spend too much as we already have a car
and I do not need a van for work. I wanted a lot of space but also one or two rear seats for my son and if one of his mates comes along. Due to lockdown, I have since removed one rear chair.

No VAT. windows in the back so the kid doesn't get nausea. room in front for three if needed. The ramp is an added bonus
for the bikes and power porter. It takes up hardly any space.

It is called a Peugeot Expert Tepee. Also put in 'wheelchair van' on an ebay search for ideas. often much cheaper and low mileage than normal vans. and lots more fishing space than a people carrier.

In reply to Post #68
Had a few vans over the years , just found them a bit rickety, noisey and slow , so my latest fishing wagon is this one, plenty big enough , took back seats out as only use for fishing + paid £995 and it flys for a 7 seater.

In reply to Post #68
Looks pretty perfect

In reply to Post #70
I managed to get 3 people and their fishing kit for a 5-day trip and a mountain bike in there.

LWB Transporter, although my SWB is also big enough to use as a bivvy at the river during the summer months.

Got the LWB sorted with some racks, and then lockdown hit again and I've not been out (which is why things are looking neat and not covered in mud...)

SWB as a bivvy...

In reply to Post #73
I had a Citroen Picasso C4 7 seater, it had 151.000 miles on the clock but I could have drove it anywhere, I sold it because it had an oil leak and was making a real mess of our block paved drive, I took it to a mates garage and he said it was a very expensive repair so I sold it to a guy who was on our syndicate, he has still got it and he has been to France numerous times plus Cassien and it still has the oil leak, he does not care as he parks it at the side of his house on waste land

In reply to Post #74
Enjoying reading through this thread. I was torn between a small van or another 4x4 at the end of last year. I have a work van that I am allowed to use for fishing, and it is so handy just barrowing the gear in the back and away. However, my venue is like the somme at this time of year, I could park near the gate however leaving any van on display to the road, never mind one that clearly has a lot of expensive tools in it just isn't viable, so I decided on another 4x4. Over the last twenty years I've had about 13 different Land Rovers from winch challenge spec Defenders, to Discovery ES, a couple of Freelander 1s and some random ones in between. The most practical I had was a Discovery commercial 300tdi, nowadays though they're hard to find without loads of rust.
I decided on a Freelander 2 this time... Loads of room with the seats down, comfy, practical, about as reliable as a Land Rover can get, reasonable on fuel and it has even surprised me in the mud with the all terrains on!
I almost brought another Rav4 as I had one a few years ago however I don't like the side opening door and it's restricted with the spare wheel too to about 60 degrees and it's just a faff, the Fl2 has a proper lift up door which is great for ducking under in the rain too to get waterproofs and stuff on.
If my venues were hardstanding and flat I'd have a Caddy every day of the week but the 4x4 wins for me.

I've got a caddy maxi (lwb) and it's perfect for me and the wife. I do all sorts of fishing and have racks for all different rod bags and kit so all I've got to do is chuck some bait in and go. Barrow comes out first, then take out what I need and the rest stays behind.

Would never fish without a van now.