Si B

iTrader: (59)

So how well do your vans go and how much fuel do they use?

Reason for asking is a couple weekends ago I borrowed a VW Crafter van, 58 reg with 5000 miles on the clock. Lovely thing to drive, comfy and well specced, but I found it slow and thirsty It was a LWB model and high roofed to boot, but still.... I expected more TBH.

It has TDI on the back with the DI part red coloured which I gathered meant it was more poweful than one with just a red I. God help people with just the red I

I drove 580 odd miles in the day, and the van did around 20mpg doing 75-80 odd no traffic at all on the way up empty and the same 20 mpg back doing 70 odd in heavy traffic and mildly loaded (guess the quad is around 400 kgs)

It seemed to do 70mph comfortably, but at 75+ you could tell it needed a lot of throttle, and I doubt it would do more than 90-95 tops. At 80 mph on the clock the 10 fuel lights were going off 1 every 25/ 30 miles

Years ago when they first came out I drove a LWB Sprinter and it did 107mph on the GPS relatively easily. Was like driving a car, and went really well as far as I can remember, not at all like this van.

My old petrol transit van, with 2.0 carbed pinto did around 25mpg at 65 mph.

So was the van I borrowed pants / buggered, or is that normal?

I picked up a Quad bike - a nice wee 500cc Honda Foreman with road kit - damn nice wee machine, you can see it in the pics below, it was a bit lost in the back of a LWB and high roof van







Si

DazC

iTrader: (1)

No, it probably wasn't broken. The new Sphyncters are horrorbly guttless with anything less than a 315 and even that didn't seem to be particularly lively. 313s are awfull so the 311 must be bringing the drivers to tears.

The 313 doesn't seem particularly good on fuel either.

Si B

iTrader: (59)

Cheers Daz.

Not sure what power output the Sprinter was back then, went well that's for sure.

Anyone any idea what power the Crafter I drove was?

TDI on the back = 88,109,136 and 163ps?

Si

DazC

iTrader: (1)

I'm not to sure about the engines in the Crafters to be honest, but the weight of them really doesn't help.

From what you was saying about the performance and comparing it to the Sprinters I have driven, I'd say you was driving a 136 model.

STUCOS

iTrader: (8)

Got a crafter at work for a service van,comfy drive,but as you say,very under powered and bad on fuel,our old lt was a far better van

cheeRS stu

rst in breaking

iTrader: (2)

a have a 51 plate transit with 50k swb low top and get around 50-60 miles to £10

Csm

Id maybe say it would be the 136 model ??

My bora is a TDI and is 130 model

Seems that way in the dub cars anyway faster they are the more red in the badging unless someone has put any old badge on

biggiejody

iTrader: (3)

i drive a 07plate crafter and its gutless and bad on fuel, its got something to do with how they stopped the emissions getting bad on them i was told.

if you leaev the van running for 10 mins and then drive it you get plumes of smoke coming from it as the exaust holds it all back 'saving the enviroment'

very nice to drive but i wouldnt wanna pay for the fuel

Cragrat

iTrader: (4)

got 07 transit swb low roof

get 25-35mpg,various speeds

generally 35mpg at 70mph

dojj

iTrader: (3)

after driving a 58 lwb sprinter, that seemed very slow at the start but on the move it seemed to get going but still only did 400 miles on a tank, and my regular transit 85/280, that does around 500 miles to 70 litres of fuel with the fridge constantly running (let the techies work that out) and a smaller vw camper type van on a 55, that did around 300 miles to the first 1/3 of a tank, i'd suggest that the smaller vans tend to use less fuel

for what it's worth though, the dispatches we used to drive did around 600 miles to a tank ffairly easily, but were shit to drive

almost forgot the vito 111 i had, i could get 60 mpg fairly easily if i was careful with it on the motorway, but that was with the fridge on the top like all the other vans i've used

Si B

iTrader: (59)

Sounds like the one I was in then

Glad the customer who bought the quad was paying for the fuel then....


If ever I upgrade my Escort van to a Sprinter or similar it will deffo be one of the higher power models.

I also drive at work a Transit SWB Box van, with 85 bhp

Deffo need to find better vans!

DangerousBryan

my van is an old m reg swb transit non turbo. will do 85 max and sit at 80 all day. do's 32mpg on mixed driving. the one before it was a lwb transit and that did 30mpg. all the new stuff is wank because of all the emission laws etc.
did get passed yesteday doing a steady 90 in a car by a 140ps transit,looked like he was doing an easy ton.

Si B

iTrader: (59)

That was what I was expecting to be honest - I've been passed by vans that must be doing 90 mph plus on plenty of occasions

Touring Car Spares

iTrader: (6)

Cant comment on the modern vans but ive a 2001 transit 90 hp 350 rwd lwb , gutless until you get it going .
By the way the is the quad for sale , need one for the pitlane .

DazC

iTrader: (1)

The 140ps transits are a suprisingly good van to drive. They're really responsive and drive quite well. Any increase in throttle usually ends up with immediate acceleration on the motorway. No waiting for something to happen.

I can only begin to imagine what the 200ps transit is like to drive!

Si B

iTrader: (59)

Sounds like my work's transit then. 65mph on the flat, you have to overtake lorries down hill, as if you try it on the flat it doesn't have the power to break through the wind stream at the front of the truck

Sorry, quad isn't for sale - I was delivering it for one of my customer's as a weekend job, he just bought it on Ebay for £3500. Goes nicely with the decent sized 500 motor.

I must try and get a drive of one! Andy G's van with the remapped ECU must really fly. I do like the torque delivery of modern diesels, I have a 1.6 TDi Pug 207 Courtesy car, and that goes well in the right rev range.

Need to grab a drive of a newer powerful van and something like a 335D Beemer.

dakar

iTrader: (1)

We,ve just got a 200ps transit at work and goes like fook,not sure what its like on juice just yet but i think its gonna be shite but i dont think my gaffer gives a fuck about that as long as it goes well.My van is a 135ps short base and not a lot of vans get past me

Dave Parker

ive just got a new 140 swb transit limited and trip computer reads 35 mpg and 600 miles on a tank full only done 1200 miles but feels very quick once in second and third

Rich_bloor

had a gr8 vivaro on a 53 with 18's on it. fully loaded with aerial fitting kit and loadsa stuff i didn't need but insisted on carrying anyway and 2 sets of ladders on the roof, and i'd still get 40 mpg. i miss it, bloody credit crunch!

T3ORA

iTrader: (1)

my mate got one of them,went round the ring last year in it,and done a 10.30 sec lap,it did have a escort gearbox,3 sets of wheels and 10 boxs of spares in it

hes had it chipped now by superchips and it fookin flys,but its limited to 103 mph,cous the tyres am not rated for any faster

andyt

iTrader: (1)

My old transit 05 plate was a 350 jumbo 135 and nothing would pass it, i now have a 58 plate jumbo 115 it was so guttless i got a bluefin and its improved it alot tbh, keep away from the new merc there not worth a carrot and the crafter sounds like the 136 model 5 cylinder im sure total pants imo again, stick to ford in the van department mate been on the go alot lot longer at vans than merc and VW .....