Let’s buy a Van - Problem with rear viewer
Discussion
Hi,
I’m on the way to buy a Van for leisure, still deciding if new or used, but it’s gonna be a Ford Transit Connect (longer version) for sure.
I have a problem with the fact that the rear viewer can’t be there, I should install a videocamera which takes a lot from the battery, or at least it takes energy every time I start it, unless I mess up around with a switch etc…
Reason why I really need it is because I avoided many accidents looking at what some impatience driver was doing behind me, my current car sucks but here they all play F1 on the road ??. I know I should look forward
, but really, I avoided accidents with that…
I can’t imagine to drive a vehicle without the rear viewer, what’s the best solution for that?
For clarity, I’m not talking about the rear parking camera, that’s a different thing and it will be included if I purchase it new.
Coming back to the Van itself, it’s almost impossible to find an used Van in good conditions, they all come from companies and are totally abused.
So I’m thinking to buy it new, it’s such a burden though, it will be almost 24500 with all the perks I want, 8k deposit and something like 250 per month with finance 0 APR for 5 years.
Two things, this will put down my credit score, not that I need it anytime soon but it’s good to remember, if I can, I’ll close the finance the next year to appear in a better shape on my credit history, you know, as soon as you get credit, it’s good if you pay it in time but this means that you hadn’t the money to pay, which looks bad in the end.
Last thing, the Van will lose 20% value as soon as I get it, it doesn’t my make me feel comfortable but I can’t find decent used Vans.
This will be my only vehicle because maintaining 2 vehicles will be more expensive in the end, it looks cheaper initially but maintaining 2 vehicles makes the expense X2
I’m on the way to buy a Van for leisure, still deciding if new or used, but it’s gonna be a Ford Transit Connect (longer version) for sure.
I have a problem with the fact that the rear viewer can’t be there, I should install a videocamera which takes a lot from the battery, or at least it takes energy every time I start it, unless I mess up around with a switch etc…
Reason why I really need it is because I avoided many accidents looking at what some impatience driver was doing behind me, my current car sucks but here they all play F1 on the road ??. I know I should look forward
, but really, I avoided accidents with that…I can’t imagine to drive a vehicle without the rear viewer, what’s the best solution for that?
For clarity, I’m not talking about the rear parking camera, that’s a different thing and it will be included if I purchase it new.
Coming back to the Van itself, it’s almost impossible to find an used Van in good conditions, they all come from companies and are totally abused.
So I’m thinking to buy it new, it’s such a burden though, it will be almost 24500 with all the perks I want, 8k deposit and something like 250 per month with finance 0 APR for 5 years.
Two things, this will put down my credit score, not that I need it anytime soon but it’s good to remember, if I can, I’ll close the finance the next year to appear in a better shape on my credit history, you know, as soon as you get credit, it’s good if you pay it in time but this means that you hadn’t the money to pay, which looks bad in the end.
Last thing, the Van will lose 20% value as soon as I get it, it doesn’t my make me feel comfortable but I can’t find decent used Vans.
This will be my only vehicle because maintaining 2 vehicles will be more expensive in the end, it looks cheaper initially but maintaining 2 vehicles makes the expense X2
Edited by HJ89 on Sunday 28th November 14:23
Right now the van will probably gain 20%, mines worth more than I paid for it nearly 3 years ago. But generally vans don't depreciate like cars as they're tools rather than status symbols for most. And yeah they generally get abused, which is why I only get new vans now.
Wouldn't stress too much about rear view mirror, most vans have very good side mirrors and once you get used to it you don't miss it. It's the blind spots either side that are your biggest worry.
Wouldn't stress too much about rear view mirror, most vans have very good side mirrors and once you get used to it you don't miss it. It's the blind spots either side that are your biggest worry.
What’s the blind spot guys? I mean where is it in the Ford Transit Connect? It’s not the Ford Transit…
Yes, I was referring to the VAT, plus common usage.
I also think of getting custom rims, but the metal ones are very expensive, I was thinking to get the basic rims and then buy the plastic cover, what do you think?
Regarding maintenance, I know it can get expensive, but I’ll do something like 600 miles per month max, nothing stressful, 80% on the highway 60 mph. The Van should stay with me for 14y or until it breaks badly.
Is it correct to estimate the cost of the Van for 10y at 1.5 times, and 1.7 for 14y?
Yes, I was referring to the VAT, plus common usage.
I also think of getting custom rims, but the metal ones are very expensive, I was thinking to get the basic rims and then buy the plastic cover, what do you think?
Regarding maintenance, I know it can get expensive, but I’ll do something like 600 miles per month max, nothing stressful, 80% on the highway 60 mph. The Van should stay with me for 14y or until it breaks badly.
Is it correct to estimate the cost of the Van for 10y at 1.5 times, and 1.7 for 14y?
Regarding the lack of rear view mirror, you just get used to it.
I’m currently driving a pickup with a canopy on the back so looking through two layers of tinted glass. Rear view is extremely limited at best, also even without the canopy of a car is driving close behind you they drop out of view behind the tailgate.
The van I drive at work doesn’t have rear windows, again you just get used to it. Getting into the habit of using your side mirrors while going round corners (so you can actually see what’s behind you) is effective.
To be honest the worst things about vans are lower speed limits and the lack of corrosion protection compared to cars.
Buying good used vans can be difficult due to the way they get used and abused, if you can manage a new one it’s usually a much better option.
I’m currently driving a pickup with a canopy on the back so looking through two layers of tinted glass. Rear view is extremely limited at best, also even without the canopy of a car is driving close behind you they drop out of view behind the tailgate.
The van I drive at work doesn’t have rear windows, again you just get used to it. Getting into the habit of using your side mirrors while going round corners (so you can actually see what’s behind you) is effective.
To be honest the worst things about vans are lower speed limits and the lack of corrosion protection compared to cars.
Buying good used vans can be difficult due to the way they get used and abused, if you can manage a new one it’s usually a much better option.
Thanks for the insights.
OOOMMMGG, no corrosion protection, are you joking? In UK the rust will eat up the Van
, until doesn’t reach me.
Fitting a videocamera is not that easy, it needs drilling here and there, plus is quite an expense, but thanks for the confirmation.
The main issue with the side mirrors is that the view is not that great, many times I rely on what’s close to me, and the mirrors don’t show anything, for example, that’s the case when someone is near me in the side of the highway, in order to see them, I need to look more than 90•, which means that I rely on the back windows to be able to see a vehicle with the current car.
I know it’s hilarious, but I’m not the only one, before coming in UK I never faced such issue, there must be something about regulations of the angle of such mirrors.
On the other side, for that price I get the change lane protection (if I fall asleep or if I don’t use the arrow), plus the proximity object detention, it should help but I’m very concerned about the visibility, just in case such devices won’t work.
Speed limit is not an issue, that Van can easily drive at 70 mph and I won’t load much, max 200 kg and it must be an exception, plus my fat ass
OOOMMMGG, no corrosion protection, are you joking? In UK the rust will eat up the Van
, until doesn’t reach me.Fitting a videocamera is not that easy, it needs drilling here and there, plus is quite an expense, but thanks for the confirmation.
The main issue with the side mirrors is that the view is not that great, many times I rely on what’s close to me, and the mirrors don’t show anything, for example, that’s the case when someone is near me in the side of the highway, in order to see them, I need to look more than 90•, which means that I rely on the back windows to be able to see a vehicle with the current car.
I know it’s hilarious, but I’m not the only one, before coming in UK I never faced such issue, there must be something about regulations of the angle of such mirrors.
On the other side, for that price I get the change lane protection (if I fall asleep or if I don’t use the arrow), plus the proximity object detention, it should help but I’m very concerned about the visibility, just in case such devices won’t work.
Speed limit is not an issue, that Van can easily drive at 70 mph and I won’t load much, max 200 kg and it must be an exception, plus my fat ass
Dare I say that you’re not the most confident driver and it might be worth practicing in a van without rear view mirrors? I only drive cars day to day, but on the rare occasion I have to drive a rental Luton (3.5t) for work, I’ve no issue adjusting to its dimensions and reduced visibility.
You really should just get used to using whatever information is available to you, but I do think it’s down to confidence - it’s like people who ‘need’ a small car because larger cars are ‘difficult to park’… it’s really about openly approaching a new situation.
You really should just get used to using whatever information is available to you, but I do think it’s down to confidence - it’s like people who ‘need’ a small car because larger cars are ‘difficult to park’… it’s really about openly approaching a new situation.
Will you have a bulkhead? If not get windows fitted in the rear barn doors/tailgate and fit the oem rear view mirror from the tourneo.
Did the same with my VW camper after removing bulkhead. Also have a wireless rear view camera. Solar camera and monitor plugs in to cig socket. About £100 off EBay.
Did the same with my VW camper after removing bulkhead. Also have a wireless rear view camera. Solar camera and monitor plugs in to cig socket. About £100 off EBay.
HJ89 said:
Thanks for the insights.
OOOMMMGG, no corrosion protection, are you joking? In UK the rust will eat up the Van , until doesn’t reach me.
Fitting a videocamera is not that easy, it needs drilling here and there, plus is quite an expense, but thanks for the confirmation.
The main issue with the side mirrors is that the view is not that great, many times I rely on what’s close to me, and the mirrors don’t show anything, for example, that’s the case when someone is near me in the side of the highway, in order to see them, I need to look more than 90•, which means that I rely on the back windows to be able to see a vehicle with the current car.
I know it’s hilarious, but I’m not the only one, before coming in UK I never faced such issue, there must be something about regulations of the angle of such mirrors.
On the other side, for that price I get the change lane protection (if I fall asleep or if I don’t use the arrow), plus the proximity object detention, it should help but I’m very concerned about the visibility, just in case such devices won’t work.
Speed limit is not an issue, that Van can easily drive at 70 mph and I won’t load much, max 200 kg and it must be an exception, plus my fat ass
Do you mean the back side windows rather than the windows in the rear doors? OOOMMMGG, no corrosion protection, are you joking? In UK the rust will eat up the Van
, until doesn’t reach me.Fitting a videocamera is not that easy, it needs drilling here and there, plus is quite an expense, but thanks for the confirmation.
The main issue with the side mirrors is that the view is not that great, many times I rely on what’s close to me, and the mirrors don’t show anything, for example, that’s the case when someone is near me in the side of the highway, in order to see them, I need to look more than 90•, which means that I rely on the back windows to be able to see a vehicle with the current car.
I know it’s hilarious, but I’m not the only one, before coming in UK I never faced such issue, there must be something about regulations of the angle of such mirrors.
On the other side, for that price I get the change lane protection (if I fall asleep or if I don’t use the arrow), plus the proximity object detention, it should help but I’m very concerned about the visibility, just in case such devices won’t work.
Speed limit is not an issue, that Van can easily drive at 70 mph and I won’t load much, max 200 kg and it must be an exception, plus my fat ass
With something like a transit connect you get versions with windows fitted there.
You also get blind spot mirrors to increase your angle of view,
Or you can do what the rest of us do and look in the mirrors more often!
Vans have lower speed limits than cars, so 60 on dual carriageways, 50 on A roads. Not that many people pay much attention to them but you need to be aware as I know quite a few people that got caught out over the years.
They also have less corrosion protection (and usually worse paint) than cars, not none because they’d last two winters but less.
Small video cameras can be bought cheaply, they’re not complicated to install in a van because there’s much less stuff like trim to bother with.
One on the rear is likely to get dirty pretty quickly in winter though due to van aerodynamics.
speedyguy said:
Make sure if you're anywhere near the Greater Manchester area (or passing thru except on Motorways) it is at least Euro6 compliant or you'll get a lovely daily charge of £10 
The most recent Vans are with the ADblue, therefore euro 6D, thanks for the heads up in case I buy it used.I don’t know what’s gonna happen in the future though, quite scary because electric vans won’t be an option for leisure for 10y at least.
Kilkerran said:
Will you have a bulkhead? If not get windows fitted in the rear barn doors/tailgate and fit the oem rear view mirror from the tourneo.
Did the same with my VW camper after removing bulkhead. Also have a wireless rear view camera. Solar camera and monitor plugs in to cig socket. About £100 off EBay.
The problem with the back windows is that I should cover them if I stop anywhere when I carry motorbikes etc, they wouldn’t last at the first mistake.Did the same with my VW camper after removing bulkhead. Also have a wireless rear view camera. Solar camera and monitor plugs in to cig socket. About £100 off EBay.
That’s one of the biggest issue I’ve seen, really every Van gets robbed, or the content inside.
It won’t be bulkhead, just the longer version.
Wireless looks a good idea, but I wonder about the battery…
HJ89 said:
Kilkerran said:
Will you have a bulkhead? If not get windows fitted in the rear barn doors/tailgate and fit the oem rear view mirror from the tourneo.
Did the same with my VW camper after removing bulkhead. Also have a wireless rear view camera. Solar camera and monitor plugs in to cig socket. About £100 off EBay.
The problem with the back windows is that I should cover them if I stop anywhere when I carry motorbikes etc, they wouldn’t last at the first mistake.Did the same with my VW camper after removing bulkhead. Also have a wireless rear view camera. Solar camera and monitor plugs in to cig socket. About £100 off EBay.
That’s one of the biggest issue I’ve seen, really every Van gets robbed, or the content inside.
It won’t be bulkhead, just the longer version.
Wireless looks a good idea, but I wonder about the battery…
Speed addicted said:
HJ89 said:
Thanks for the insights.
OOOMMMGG, no corrosion protection, are you joking? In UK the rust will eat up the Van , until doesn’t reach me.
Fitting a videocamera is not that easy, it needs drilling here and there, plus is quite an expense, but thanks for the confirmation.
The main issue with the side mirrors is that the view is not that great, many times I rely on what’s close to me, and the mirrors don’t show anything, for example, that’s the case when someone is near me in the side of the highway, in order to see them, I need to look more than 90•, which means that I rely on the back windows to be able to see a vehicle with the current car.
I know it’s hilarious, but I’m not the only one, before coming in UK I never faced such issue, there must be something about regulations of the angle of such mirrors.
On the other side, for that price I get the change lane protection (if I fall asleep or if I don’t use the arrow), plus the proximity object detention, it should help but I’m very concerned about the visibility, just in case such devices won’t work.
Speed limit is not an issue, that Van can easily drive at 70 mph and I won’t load much, max 200 kg and it must be an exception, plus my fat ass
Do you mean the back side windows rather than the windows in the rear doors? OOOMMMGG, no corrosion protection, are you joking? In UK the rust will eat up the Van
, until doesn’t reach me.Fitting a videocamera is not that easy, it needs drilling here and there, plus is quite an expense, but thanks for the confirmation.
The main issue with the side mirrors is that the view is not that great, many times I rely on what’s close to me, and the mirrors don’t show anything, for example, that’s the case when someone is near me in the side of the highway, in order to see them, I need to look more than 90•, which means that I rely on the back windows to be able to see a vehicle with the current car.
I know it’s hilarious, but I’m not the only one, before coming in UK I never faced such issue, there must be something about regulations of the angle of such mirrors.
On the other side, for that price I get the change lane protection (if I fall asleep or if I don’t use the arrow), plus the proximity object detention, it should help but I’m very concerned about the visibility, just in case such devices won’t work.
Speed limit is not an issue, that Van can easily drive at 70 mph and I won’t load much, max 200 kg and it must be an exception, plus my fat ass
With something like a transit connect you get versions with windows fitted there.
You also get blind spot mirrors to increase your angle of view,
Or you can do what the rest of us do and look in the mirrors more often!
Vans have lower speed limits than cars, so 60 on dual carriageways, 50 on A roads. Not that many people pay much attention to them but you need to be aware as I know quite a few people that got caught out over the years.
They also have less corrosion protection (and usually worse paint) than cars, not none because they’d last two winters but less.
Small video cameras can be bought cheaply, they’re not complicated to install in a van because there’s much less stuff like trim to bother with.
One on the rear is likely to get dirty pretty quickly in winter though due to van aerodynamics.
It’s possible to fit them but as mentioned previously, it’s a security pain in … when travelling with motorbikes etc.
Omg, I didn’t know about the limits, really not
, are they also if I travel with an empty Van?I wonder why less corrosion protection, they are supposed to be abused by employees…
Oh damn, dirty camera, I was only waiting that
, thanks for the notification.Kilkerran said:
HJ89 said:
Kilkerran said:
Will you have a bulkhead? If not get windows fitted in the rear barn doors/tailgate and fit the oem rear view mirror from the tourneo.
Did the same with my VW camper after removing bulkhead. Also have a wireless rear view camera. Solar camera and monitor plugs in to cig socket. About £100 off EBay.
The problem with the back windows is that I should cover them if I stop anywhere when I carry motorbikes etc, they wouldn’t last at the first mistake.Did the same with my VW camper after removing bulkhead. Also have a wireless rear view camera. Solar camera and monitor plugs in to cig socket. About £100 off EBay.
That’s one of the biggest issue I’ve seen, really every Van gets robbed, or the content inside.
It won’t be bulkhead, just the longer version.
Wireless looks a good idea, but I wonder about the battery…
I’ll search better online.
You don't have to drill to fit a camera. You can just replace the rear brake light with a brake light with integrated camera. That's what I've done and ran the cable up the side of the van with the other cables and then down the a pillar. It took less than an hour and didn't even need tools.
Have a look here for a camera and brake light that fits your van.
https://www.reversingcamerasuk.com/brake-light-rev...
Have a look here for a camera and brake light that fits your van.
https://www.reversingcamerasuk.com/brake-light-rev...
How about buying a car version of a van?
I had a berlingo for a couple of years as a mountain bike bus/dog van.
I went for the car version with rear seats because they seemed to be in much better condition at the same age (less abused) and much the same money.
The seats just unbolted making it into a van with better vision all round.
The speed limits are the same as cars because it’s not a commercial vehicle.
They may also be less of a theft target because it’s not something that’ll obviously have tools in it.
Just a thought.
Also if you’re intending to put motorbikes in a van you better check just how much room they take up and the length of the load space!
Even my old 600 sports bike is surprisingly big when you try and load it into things.
I had a berlingo for a couple of years as a mountain bike bus/dog van.
I went for the car version with rear seats because they seemed to be in much better condition at the same age (less abused) and much the same money.
The seats just unbolted making it into a van with better vision all round.
The speed limits are the same as cars because it’s not a commercial vehicle.
They may also be less of a theft target because it’s not something that’ll obviously have tools in it.
Just a thought.
Also if you’re intending to put motorbikes in a van you better check just how much room they take up and the length of the load space!
Even my old 600 sports bike is surprisingly big when you try and load it into things.
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