VEHICLES

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CreativePhotographer
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VEHICLES

Post by CreativePhotographer »

Good morning! :D

My present vehicle is a car (Mazda CX-3 Sport) which I love but it's become apparent to me I need to sell and buy AN vehicle which will accommodate my framed work (shows/markets). Gone are the days when I could drive some huge car - am thinking more small van or similar car - Citroen Berlingo-esque? Maybe this is too small (some of my work is 85cm) in size. The vehicle I get would also be used for personal use so would not go through books etc. Mouldings etc would be delivered to studio so a particularly long vehicle is not necessary.

I would welcome any suggestions. My budget is around £11.5/12K
Thank you!
JonathanB
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Re: VEHICLES

Post by JonathanB »

I use a short wheel based Peugeot Partner for collections and deliveries. The vehicle is great, but I would suggest you need to be careful about the load space figures quoted in the literature. They quote 1.81 metres, but this is flat load and doesn’t allow for a sloping bulkhead between driver and rear load area. As a result, a larger picture loaded upright can be a bit of an issue. For the vast majority of the time this isn’t an issue, but if I had my time again I would go for something a little larger to give a bit more flexibility. Nissan make the NV200, which is a bit like a small Transit, but there are lots of medium vans available. Good luck!
Jonathan Birch GCF (APF)
Hali
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Re: VEHICLES

Post by Hali »

Based on your budget of £11.5/12K, you might consider looking at small vans like the Citroen Berlingo or similar models. These types of vehicles can offer a good balance of space and maneuverability, which could be ideal for your needs.

As you mentioned that some of your work is 85cm in size, so it's worth considering the dimensions of any vehicle you're interested in to make sure it can accommodate your largest pieces.

Another option to consider is a hatchback or estate car with foldable rear seats, which can provide a surprising amount of cargo space when needed. Some models that might be worth looking at include the Skoda Octavia Estate, Volkswagen Golf Estate, or Ford Focus Estate.
Justintime
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Re: VEHICLES

Post by Justintime »

I had a Nissan Xtrail for a while, it was cavernous. I fitted a Hotpress 260 in the back, it was around 102cms between the wheel arches! Not something that I am likely to need to do very often. But 4x4's come with the added expense of more expensive maintenance.
My friend has just bought a Berlingo Multispace and that is big. You'd have to check the between the wheel arches measurements, I think it is about 85cms and the length is long enough to sleep in with the back seats down. They have improved greatly in the last few generations and may actually be a good buy these days. Having had a few VW, Audi and SEATs, personally I try to stick to German made for their reliability and engine longevity. (The Nissan was my only exception and I regretted it in the end, annual suspension parts and unreliable DPF's proved costly.) As the designated vehicle finder for my friends, I would recommend reading the reviews from Honest John and Parkers websites to familiarise yourself with potential future issues with any models you like. Forewarned is forearmed! Saying that, most serious issues don't start appearing until around 100,000 miles and with your budget you should be able to find something with much lower mileage than that. Imo the major difference between brands like Citroen Renault etc and VW Audi etc is that parts are much more expensive for German cars but are required a lot less often.
Justin George GCF(APF)
Insta: georgetheframer
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