Originally Posted by Thrush

If they're anything like our (fleet) Transits, they get raped everywhere, infrequent servicing and repairs, and generally not looked after or loved. I'd NEVER buy an ex-fleet van!

Plus trust me, the one piece rear door is an absolute cunt. I'd much MUCH rather have a twin rear door!

(also, nearly all fleet Transits are FWD, not RWD, now. All ours are, and I'd suspect the RAC are the same)

Originally Posted by furry

The garage i ran maintained the RAC in my area for years, they were all standard vans ( no up rated axles etc) and were front wheel drive. The patrols are not allowed to do anything on their on vans. They want for nothing whilst in service and serviced above the routine service schedule.

Originally Posted by Chip

The ones I am looking at are around a 57-58 plate and are RWD 2.4 330s

No idea what they have now though so they might have changed since.

Originally Posted by jameswrx

Same as me Chip, that's what I do. I've worked on dozens (probably hundreds) of each. As you say, they all have their problems but overal I'd take the Transit above anything else. Aside from mechanics the transit feels a better drive too. I actually had a sport vivaro new in 2010 & thought I loved it at first. It was only after a while I started to hate it, back ache, really crap brakes, naff handling. Got back in a transit and it just felt right.

I've changed loads of clutches and dmf's on transits but that's only because the road gangs would fill them with Tarmac and tools then tow a mini digger!. Saw a lot with EGR faults but that's down to people pottering around town in them. My last one had done 100k and I thrashed it about & never had EGR faults. I can't really think of too much you'll have a problem with on the year you're looking at. Obviously DMF will be noticeable, EGR faults can usually be sorted with a clean up (bit fiddley the first time rwd) vacuum pump oil leak, rear hub seals leaking, strange probs with instrument clusters (I found this to be a fuse that corrodes for some reason) seen this a load of times, discs are more time consuming to change than most vans so bare in mind of discs are needed. 5 speed gearboxes I've replaced due to bearing noises.

Originally Posted by James

All Rac vans I've seen have been swb rear wheel drive and have been well maintained, but the bodywork has always been a bit iffy. Mismatched paintwork, etc surely you could load a pallet through the sliding door?

Originally Posted by B19 JUB

being an rac patrol I know when the vans are decommissioned they are tidied up,repaired as necc and sold on.tbh think they a good option as they come with a twin battery system,bigger 16 inch wheels and tyres,plus I believe all the box sections are left in the vans

Originally Posted by B19 JUB

99% of rac transits are swb rwd.we have a few 4wd ones but mainly for bad ground areas in winter.

most vans going over to fwd vw transporters now.prefer transit tbh

Originally Posted by Chip

Twin battery setup sounds good if I end up with issues and want to be cranking a car over and over testing something while trying to fix a fault etc.

Originally Posted by B19 JUB

yeah exactly.i do believe the jump point in the grill is even left in too.

Originally Posted by B19 JUB

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ford-Trans...item2ec99c966d


look under number plate towards nearside.looks like its still there plus doing a quick search shows most still come with racking