First arb vehicle - van or truck? New or used? Buy or lease?

[Shipwrecked Bones]

I'm sure you've seen this type of thread before, so please accept my apologies.

 

Anyway, I am just attempting to start up by myself, and I am in need of a vehicle, as a Vauxhall Corsa ain't gonna cut it. I can put about £4000 down (which isn't much I know!), and can afford monthly payments to pay the rest.

 

My question is, is a small van (i.e. Transit Connect, Berlingo etc.) worth having? Is it better to spend a bit more and get something like a Ranger?

 

Also, would leasing be a better option than buying used? This obviously depends on the vehicle, how long I'll be needing it for etc, but I feel like I'm going around in circles looking at all these vans/trucks. I would really appreciate some advice based on your experience, if you've been in a similar situation. Thanks very much!

 

TL;DR - I need a van or truck, which is best? Also, should I buy or lease?

[doobin]

I'd not spend even the 4k you have on a van starting out, that's a fool's way to loose money quickly. I've seen it multiple times, young lads with a nice shiny truck but no tools to earn with. That truck quickly gets downgraded, and 90% of the time they end up back working for someone.

 

A 2k van or pickup depending upon what type of work you do is sufficient. That leaves you much more for decent tools, which are what actually earns you the money. You're just as likely to need to spend on a 4k van as a 2k one, and most likely it'll be more expensive to repair being newer.

 

A Vauxuall Corsa will cut it just fine, I had no trouble making £150/day profit with a small car and trailer full of Stihl tools at age 19.

 

I've got everything from a chainsaw to a milling machine to a digger to a cement mixer to a mower to a tractor to a plasma cutter to a planer thicknesser. There's not a day goes by that I couldn't go out within 5 miles of base and make a good wage with one of them. A truck just gets you from A-B.

 

Buy quality tools at the right money and it's as good as money in the bank. A newer truck will loose you a lot in depreciation. My digger is worth the same or more than I paid for it and it'll earn me an extra £80 on a job no trouble at all. Same with machine tools, the milling machine won't drop any more in value and it'll save me money in repair costs.

 

That said, I'd love a newer truck. But I'd never swap 8k of my tools for an 8k truck.

 

Give us an overview of the work you do? I run a Berlingo and an LDV doublecab, both have pros and cons. Do you really need 4WD?

Edited November 19, 2014 by doobin

[Shipwrecked Bones]

With me just starting out, I don't have work every day just yet. Typically, I do tree work, including climbing, also the odd hedge cutting job. I don't really need a 4x4 you are right, not yet at least! Just wondered what would be best in the long run.

 

So, is it fair to say that your suggestion would be to get a small used van for 2-3k, and leave it at that until I have "out-grown" it and need to get something like a pickup or tipper as well?

 

Thanks for your advice by the way!

[doobin]

With me just starting out, I don't have work every day just yet. Typically, I do tree work, including climbing, also the odd hedge cutting job. I don't really need a 4x4 you are right, not yet at least! Just wondered what would be best in the long run.

 

So, is it fair to say that your suggestion would be to get a small used van for 2-3k, and leave it at that until I have "out-grown" it and need to get something like a pickup or tipper as well?

 

Thanks for your advice by the way!

 

I'd be tempted to wing it with an even cheaper van. Berlingo with years MOT for £600-£800. Are you subbing on the tree climbing? Spend some of your extra money on decent saws and rigging gear, allowing you to increase your day rate. The most profit I should think will come from quoted hedgecutting jobs- have yourself a nice new hedgecutter and maybe even an easy lift harness.

 

A decent trailer bought second hand will always be worth what you paid for it, and will allow you to remove arisings etc.

[harvey b davison]

As doobin says, a cheap berlingo and trailer and you carnt go far wrong.

[benedmonds]

If you are doing your own jobs get a tipper truck. If you are freelancing get a van..

[onyx landscaping/fencing]

movano tipper I would go for! with a bit of shopping around you will get an older decent one for just over £2k and they go on for ever (un like transits)

[Minotaur]

Go for a Transit Tipper, plenty out there and easy to find spares

[Goaty]

Another for berlingo. I've always had ford escort vans. Keep em when they die as parts for next one.

I did drive a berlingo for a firm I worked for and preferred it by miles to the landrover.

Plus if you turn up in a bling mobile dripping in chrome, it will affect people's perception of you. If it comes to the point were you need towing capability later you will have to upgrade. I'm almost at that point really now.

Use the power of arbtalk to get rid of logs on bigger jobs. Someone else will take em. Work smart with a trailer. Get what you van and driving licence allows. I can get more brash on a 8x6 plant trailer than a lot of people get on a tractor trailer with good stacking technique. Not bragging just an example of how to be economically efficient.

[64treefrog]

I,m with goaty, on my second Partner (berlingo in disguise) , use it for small jobs, towing grinder, jobs where I only need tools, pricing etc. Also have a tipper transit but little van is sound.

Started out with astramax and trailer and its true, with practice you can get a serious amount on a 8' trailer. Personaly I dont like mesh sides, instead I had alloy scaff poles x3 on either side, makes loading easier amd lift poles out to roll load of the side.

 

hook a couple of ropes on to the tie hooks on one side, lay ropes over trailer bed, load trailer and leave rest of rope on top of load.

At tip take poles out one side where the ropes are hooked on , get hold of ropes and pull. load rolls over the side.