Van vs estate & trailer.

[Irezumi aka Reuben]

Random bored Friday night question as I'll be looking to change vehicle at some point and for various reasons I'm transporting motorbikes, pushbikes and various other stuff more often.

To this end I'm looking to get a new vehicle, this will likely be my only 4 wheeled transport. So what are the pros & cons of a van vs estate with trailer?
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Pictorgraphicalfantastical

[Riejufixing]

[weasley]

Van is a van all the time and won’t fit in some car parks.
Trailer needs somewhere to be kept and is easily nicked.
Most vans are subject to lower speed limits, as are cars pulling a trailer (who also can’t use the right hand lane of 3-or-more-lanes highways).
Check out insurance differences too. And tax.
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Yamaha XJ600 | Yamaha YZF600R Thundercat | KTM 990 SMT | BMW F900XR TE

[Riejufixing]

[Shaft]

I've never been able to square this circle.

A few years ago, I was moving home, needed something to transport lots of gear about and didn't really care what I was driving, so when a LWB hi-top Trafic fell into my lap, I was quite prepared to use it as a daily.

Easily accommodated 4 bikes (which you could ride in, no awkward pushing required) acceptable fuel consumption, quite a nice thing to drive, as vans go, it was all good for a while, as long as load carrying was a priority.

Only problem was, you couldn't park it anywhere; it was much bigger than any standard marked parking space, so even in supermarket car parks, you were forced to go into the empty areas, a long way from the door and forget popping down to the corner shop for fags/milk, there was no chance of stopping there.

As soon as my requirement for carrying big stuff was over, the van went, it just wasn't practical

You can rent trailers, it doesn't even cost that much to employ a one man band bike mover, so how often are you doing this stuff to justify being able to be self sufficient?
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[Easy-X]

Statistics... statistically vans don't get into as many accidents as cars so don't cost what you think they should!

I dare say you could respray a red car blue and lower the insurance!
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Royal Enfield Continental GT 535, Husqvarna Vitpilen 401, Yamaha XSR700, Honda Rebel, Yamaha DT175, Suzuki SV650 (loan) Fazer 600, Keeway Superlight 125, 50cc turd scooter

[MarJay]

I have a trailer and an estate car. I have them because I live in an estate where you are not allowed a van due to the restrictive covenant on the area.

I'd rather have a SWB low top transit or similar. They are basically not much bigger than car sized, and you can sleep in them easier. They are easier to maneuvre and easier to park. The trailer itself is a massive faff. I keep it in the back garden and have to drag it through my garage when I want to use it, which requires me to move all of my bikes. This is the only way to ensure it doesn't get nicked.

I'd even put up with a transit connect because I reckon I could remove the passenger seat and get a bike in for trackdays no problem and it would be easier to drive.

The Estate car on it's own (VW Passat, pre facelift 2005) is actually really lovely to drive. It has cruise control and the seats are mega comfy. It's a weird car where you're actually OK to drive it slowly and not worry about it. It doesn't encourage fast driving and just does a great job. I fell for it a bit from the first time I drove it. But with a trailer there is that constant anxiety of getting backed into a place you can't maneuvre out of (I'm terrible at reversing with it) and also the constant slightly less bad anxiety of worrying if the bike is fully strapped down.
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British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F; Cheap project: CBR900RR FireBlade
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

[Ste]

[MarJay]

[Ste]

If one of your neighbours got a van and you didn't like it, who could you report it to?

[MarJay]

[leolion]

Would a berlingo/partner/kangoo car version ( with windows be big enough to get a bike in to, you can pick up the wheelchair converted carrying ones quite cheap now and it would pass the no van rule on modern housing estates

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Citroen-Berlingo-1-6HDi-Plus-WHEELCHAIR-ACCESSIBLE-VEHICLE-WAV-DISABLED/143195595763?hash=item21571f63f3:g:~oIAAOSwlLdcoQNW

[MarJay]

[leolion]

[Nobby the Bastard]

[MarJay]

[Riejufixing]

This is like the one I've got (edit: except that mine hasn't had a ramp installed and the middle sesats are a single unit bench):

https://www.autovolo.co.uk/advertdetail/fiat/scudo/8378955/

I've never been told "It's a van", ppl call it an MPV...

This is the newer (current) version:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201812012914239?model=SCUDO&onesearchad=Used&onesearchad=Nearly%20New&onesearchad=New&radius=1500&make=FIAT&postcode=sg29lz&advertising-location=at_vans&sort=sponsored-supplied&page=1

[Nobby the Bastard]

[Riejufixing]

[MarJay]

[Copycat73]

i bought a 3.5t LWB MR transit .. does exactly what it says on the box.. insurance is around £300 pa .. but is dropping every year .. 30mpg .. and will pull 99 mph on the autobahn .. i use it as i would a car ..just watching where and when i park.. she has an i10 so that gets used otherwise ..

used it for foreign trips wit the bike in the back .. alps , Germany ,poland and been as far as Venice .. she likes to take 2 airport style suitcases and i have one too .. bringin back booz is made easier too wit the van..

i`ve done the trailer thing but the van is easier .. more convenient .. but wit a premium ..
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