Ex RAC Transits, any reason not to buy?
#1
Ex RAC Transits, any reason not to buy?
Thinking of getting myself a van as not had one for a while since I got rid of my astra van and it is something I could do with really for lugging engines about etc.
So was thinking about going a bit bigger this time and getting a RWD transit so its a decent tow vehicle as well as being useful for carrrying stuff.
Noticed there are a lot of EX RAC vans knocking about on a 57-58 plate sort of age, normally for about 3-4K + VAT
Typically the 3K+VAT ones are about 150K miles, and the 4K+VAT ones nearer to 100K miles.
I'll probably do about 50K miles in it over a couple of years period while I own it so seems worth paying the extra 1K to get a lower miles?
The RAC all seem to have aircon which seems pretty important after the recent heat wave, and they seem to always be in pretty decent condition.
Plus being orange isnt a bad secondbest to my preference of yellow, lol.
Any downside to the RAC ones that I should be aware of though?
So was thinking about going a bit bigger this time and getting a RWD transit so its a decent tow vehicle as well as being useful for carrrying stuff.
Noticed there are a lot of EX RAC vans knocking about on a 57-58 plate sort of age, normally for about 3-4K + VAT
Typically the 3K+VAT ones are about 150K miles, and the 4K+VAT ones nearer to 100K miles.
I'll probably do about 50K miles in it over a couple of years period while I own it so seems worth paying the extra 1K to get a lower miles?
The RAC all seem to have aircon which seems pretty important after the recent heat wave, and they seem to always be in pretty decent condition.
Plus being orange isnt a bad secondbest to my preference of yellow, lol.
Any downside to the RAC ones that I should be aware of though?
#3
TBH I prefer that cause at a trackday if you need to do some work on your car you can pull up close and use it as a bit of a shelter to work under, plus if you sorting stuff out near the back of the van same thing applies.
Likewide for sitting on the lip getting changed if I ever do moto-x again etc.
How come you dont like it?
Likewide for sitting on the lip getting changed if I ever do moto-x again etc.
How come you dont like it?
Last edited by Chip; 17-08-2013 at 08:48 AM.
#5
PassionFord Post Whore!!
You'd like to hope they've been maintained properly lol.
Mate bought his T5 when he was made redundant from the VAG breakdown side - was all part of RAC. He's quite switched on, so must have been a good deal.
Mate bought his T5 when he was made redundant from the VAG breakdown side - was all part of RAC. He's quite switched on, so must have been a good deal.
#7
10K+ Poster!!
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my traffic is ex aa van and it has been perfect.
its a 2006 model we bought it in 2010 for Ł6000 with fully fitted tool box, air con, control box for ambers etc. 33000 miles on the clock.
most are high mileage the reason mine was low is it was the spare van that was used while drivers own vehicles were being repaired/maintained hence the low mileage. has a few dents as I guess got handed around to everyone and not treated the best but I bought on the mileage and its been perfect touch wood.
its a 2006 model we bought it in 2010 for Ł6000 with fully fitted tool box, air con, control box for ambers etc. 33000 miles on the clock.
most are high mileage the reason mine was low is it was the spare van that was used while drivers own vehicles were being repaired/maintained hence the low mileage. has a few dents as I guess got handed around to everyone and not treated the best but I bought on the mileage and its been perfect touch wood.
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#11
PassionFord Post Whore!!
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The only bad thing about having a one piece back door is you can't load anything by forklift. I had a caddy for 4 years with a single back door and loved it for pretty much all the reasons Chip has stated lol.
#12
st170 breaking
Beware the diffs
They have a really low gear to aid towing but rev their tits off at 70mph
I think its all of them but may e not
Check the transit forum
Those guys know everything about every transit even down to spotting incorrect trim or badging
They have a really low gear to aid towing but rev their tits off at 70mph
I think its all of them but may e not
Check the transit forum
Those guys know everything about every transit even down to spotting incorrect trim or badging
#16
#18
PassionFord Post Whore!!
Mine cruises at 70 no probs so possibly not?
#19
PassionFord Post Whore!!
Yeh, seems pretty busy, in the tech section there seems to one particular poster who answers 'prv' for any running fault on the later 2006> Transits.
(prv is the pressure relief valve on the end of the fuel rail that can fail and cause low fuel pressure)
(prv is the pressure relief valve on the end of the fuel rail that can fail and cause low fuel pressure)
#20
Main reason for wanting a transit as opposed to its competitors is my mate who used to maintain a lot of vans for a van hire company reckoned the transits are a lot simpler to maintain and generally are reliable in the first place.
The movano etc look good for the money, but personally I'd just sooner have the transit.
Interesting about diffs, I would have thought the engines were torquey enough without needing to be geared down plus you could just be in a gear lower while towing if not?
And surely a low geared diff would ruin economy which is likely to matter a lot to the RAC?
Not the end of the world to swap a diff though im sure.
The movano etc look good for the money, but personally I'd just sooner have the transit.
Interesting about diffs, I would have thought the engines were torquey enough without needing to be geared down plus you could just be in a gear lower while towing if not?
And surely a low geared diff would ruin economy which is likely to matter a lot to the RAC?
Not the end of the world to swap a diff though im sure.
#21
PassionFord Post Whore!!
I'd guess an RAC van would have heavy duty 'Dana' axle and IIRC you need a tool to spread the axle casing to change the diff. You can get the axle ratio code off the vin plate, or if you know the reg, Ford ETIS if you know someone with a log-in.
Only thing I don't like about Movanos is..they're French. Mate had a Movano that the injectors failed and they were seized in the head, think he scrapped it in the end as it would have needed another engine.
Transit's aren't without their faults but the later 2006> don't have as many fuel pump/injector issues as the older ones.
I do have one in bits at work at the minute, 2011 2.2 fwd with no oil pressure, the oil pump drive/chain/guide etc lay in the bottom of the sump, only 48k miles! New engine and turbo (turbo seized and the securing nut for the shaft was in the intake pipe).
Only thing I don't like about Movanos is..they're French. Mate had a Movano that the injectors failed and they were seized in the head, think he scrapped it in the end as it would have needed another engine.
Transit's aren't without their faults but the later 2006> don't have as many fuel pump/injector issues as the older ones.
I do have one in bits at work at the minute, 2011 2.2 fwd with no oil pressure, the oil pump drive/chain/guide etc lay in the bottom of the sump, only 48k miles! New engine and turbo (turbo seized and the securing nut for the shaft was in the intake pipe).
Last edited by GVK.; 17-08-2013 at 03:54 PM.
#23
Thats interesting about the axle ratio being on the VIN plate, cheers for the tip.
Im sure they still go wrong, as ALL vans do, but Mike's argument was that when they do go wrong, transits are easier to work on and the bits are readily available.
Im sure they still go wrong, as ALL vans do, but Mike's argument was that when they do go wrong, transits are easier to work on and the bits are readily available.
Last edited by Chip; 17-08-2013 at 04:18 PM.
#24
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)
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)
#27
PassionFord Post Whore!!
Seen BT ones 4wd before, not many though.
When I worked at Brooklyn Ford in Worcester, their Malvern branch had the job of kitting out a fleet of RAC vans, I think they were rwd, swb, but not sure tbh.
When I worked at Brooklyn Ford in Worcester, their Malvern branch had the job of kitting out a fleet of RAC vans, I think they were rwd, swb, but not sure tbh.
Last edited by GVK.; 17-08-2013 at 04:41 PM.
#29
Glennvestite
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Get one bought chip we have a fleet of trannyd where I work and tbh we hardly do anything to them.The mk5 trannys are a bit rusty now.We have welded a few of them up now lol.I live the way the mk6 trannys drive. There so comfy and handle well.
Last edited by Glenn_; 17-08-2013 at 08:32 PM.
#31
PassionFord Regular
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)
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)
Auld
#32
DECODING JIBBA JABBA!!
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.
#33
zetec turbo
iTrader: (4)
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.
(only know this due to my old man being a patrol for 35 years with the rac)
#34
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.
#36
Advanced PassionFord User
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
#39
Too many posts.. I need a life!!
i looked into getting a mk6 ex rac van, but have heard some many horror stories regarding, pumps, timing chains, diffs on the mk6 2.4, so i hunted high and low and found a mk5 'x' plate tdi one, been a brillant van, abit on the arches, but thats just a usual tranny issue
#40
PassionFord Post Whore!!
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?