Low Cost Vans

Happy Friday! And isn't it a lovely one at that today? With the latest news forecast saying it's going to be summerlike weather this weekend, it's time to pop down the convertible top, load the van with all your fishing gear and water toys, or simply plan a relaxing drive in the country. For those that are lucky enough to be driving while travelling abroad this week, road safety charity, the IAM have released some pretty handy tips on how to avoid any mishaps and the stresses that can come along with that. Here are this week's motoring tips from Britain’s top advanced driver, Peter Rodger. When in roam Prepare your car beforehand. An easy way to do this is by taking your car in for a service, if it’s due. There are also checks you can make yourself, like checking tyre pressures and tread, as well as topping up oil and coolant. Going on a touring holiday consequently means that you will be using your vehicle for long periods of time, increasing wear and tear, as wel...

When looking for a fleet of vans that can provide reliability, great fuel economy, plus superb residual values, do you consider buying Volkswagen Crafter vans? That’s just what NCH (UK), a provider of industrial maintenance solutions, chose when selecting a fleet of new vehicles for its Pure Solve division. VW's latest press release announced that the West Midlands Company, whose products include chemical specialties, fasteners, welding alloys and plumbing parts as well as maintenance supply products, placed an order for 10 Crafter Luton-bodied vans. The Volkswagen Crafter was a fitting choice because it’s a solid well performing van with an economical 2.0-litre TDI engine and benefits from the custom built Crafter Luton conversion option in Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles  ‘Engineered for you’ programme. The Crafter range also includes panel vans with load volumes of up to 17m 3 and window vans with up to eight passenger seats, offering some of the best value vans. Talking about ...

The latest Euro NCAP results are in and its very good news for Renault . To help motorists choose the safest model when buying a new car or van, Euro NCAP organizes crash-tests then provides a realistic and independent assessment of the safety performance of many popular vehicles in Europe. The criteria for the overall safety rating are composed of scores in four areas: adult protection, child protection, pedestrian protection and safety assist. The Renault Captur which is classed as a supermini, has been awarded a five-star rating and obtained an overall score of 80.5%  becoming the impressive 15 th Renault model to secure Euro NCAP’s maximum five-star passive safety rating. The Captur derived from the New Clio platform; has the styling of an SUV, the spaciousness of an MPV, and the ease and driving pleasure of a hatchback. In their latest press release, Renault say their safety solutions take an holistic approach for optimal protection of all occupants and safety performance is foun...

  I just read an interesting article published on What Van? website regarding the European Parliament’s Environment Committees proposed measure to electronically limit vans’ top speeds to 120km/h (74mph). The post titled, " European Parliament votes to limit van speeds ", published on the latest news section of Britain's biggest van buyers guide, says the committee has voted in favour of said proposal and  will also introduce stricter new targets for van fuel economy and CO2 emissions in 2025. So why do they want to limit the speed? Well, as vans are the only commercial vehicles that are not yet speed-limited, the MEP’s hope that the restriction in van speed will encourage supply of smaller engines, reducing average van fuel consumption and emissions by at least 6%. Obviously this will create some controversy for van drivers in many of the EU states. I understand the reasons behind it, but surely simply reducing the speed of a van is not enough. Apparently, consumer surv...

French manufacturer Renault has recently announced that they will be unveiling a whole new truck range with the support of the Volvo Group. Renault Trucks have set a date of June 11, 2013 to reveal all. What can we expect to see in about two weeks’ time? Renault Trucks aren't giving away a whole lot yet, but they did say these new trucks, which have been in development for the last seven years, will include Euro 6 engines and an even more efficient design allowing customers more cost control, especially in terms of fuel efficiency. The rigorous testing included computer assisted simulation, test benches (5 million hours!), track trials, pilot customers and the installation of new manufacturing resources. After being put through the paces plus exhaustive quality testing, the new range, which has 500 vehicles already manufactured, is ready for its debut next month. Renault Trucks have invested many years, hours, manpower, and Euros to bring this new range of long distance, constructi...

I wish I were in a band. But seeing as how I don’t know how to play any instrument (at all) and my friends all say I sound like a drowning animal when I sing, I suppose that dream will never come to fruition. Hmm, but if I was to be asked to be in a band and er uh could sing or play, I would most definitely want to be in one in the USA. I just read an article in the San Francisco Chronicle online about how a Phoenix, Arizona USA based van rental company, ROCKIN VANS , recently introduced two new custom built Mercedes Benz Sprinter Vans for touring musicians to rent. The van rental founder Luke Van Whye knows exactly what bands need in terms of what is important to include in a touring van, since he spent years on the road as an entertainer coach driver for likes of Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez, and hundreds of other cool artists/bands. Ok, so say you were a musician touring all over the world, what would it take to make your ride the ultimate band van? According to Mr. Van Whye, the ...

Again this year, Ford vehicles have been announced as winners of further prestigious awards. Just this last November the Continental Irish Van of the Year awards 2013, presented with endorsement of the Irish Motoring Writers’ Association, had proclaimed the Ford Transit Custom van as its ultimate winner. Coming top of the class, out from eight contenders for this annual award, the Ford Transit van placed ahead of the new Citroen Berlingo Airstream which came in second place and the new Peugeot Partner in third. To make this a hat trick for Ford in the Irish market, the Fiesta van and Ranger pick-up also picked up award nods in their respective categories just this past week from the judges of the Continental Irish Van of the Year awards. The judges assessed and picked their winners based on load capacity, reliability, overall versatility, cost of ownership and drive comfort. From what we’ve seen and heard about Ford’s new Fiesta van, it’s not a surprise that our Celtic cousins rate it...