Ldv

[simonm]

are ldv's really that bad? ive been looking for my first chip truck and ive mostly been looking at fords but after hearing lots of bad things about them and the second hand prices are really expensive for what they are! ldv seems a basic cheap alternative. also is 90bhp going to be ok pulling chipper tools etc or will it tow its rocks off? anyone with any good/bad experiences with them?

[High Scale]

I have a dog of an LDV, Transit engine, under powered, brakes are vague but damn it's done some work.

[simonm]

as something cheap just to get me going wud u reccomend 1?

[High Scale]

Yeah, you gotta start somewhere.

[simonm]

what bhp is the 1 u got? is the 90 the biggest one they do?

[swinny]

i have one

 

mine has the transit di turbo engine in, but ecu failed so had to go back to std injector pump so probs around 90hp...... i weighed min before xmas and it weighed 4.2 ton lol and i had the chipper on the back the day before and it still pulled ok

 

nice cheap and simple truck, they do rust but.... for the price of a smiley rust riddled transit you could have like a y reg ldv......

[Tom D]

They are guttless and slow but they get you there, 90hp is low but should be fine for a 6" chipper and a full box. They are lower geared than a transit so will pull better for equivalent Hp, the downside being that it will be screaming on the motorway.

 

I ran 1 for years, nothing wrong with them and as you say you will get a newer and lower milage one for the same money when compared to a transit.

 

God they are slow though.

[simonm]

yeah thats my thinking can get a newer one 4 same as a crappy battered transit u had ne problems with it?

[Rupe]

The only ones bigger than 90 are the occasional ambulances/polic vans that come up for sale but not tippers as far as I know. A 90bhp will easily pull a 750kg chipper and a "legal" load of chips. i.e. Truck at 3500kgs total. If you overlaod it it will struggle a bit on hills.

 

 

I think they are fine, all the important stuff is transit anyway. They have a bad name which makes them cheap, but they are so cheap that they are a bargain. I had a '95 that was hanging and lasted another 6 years after I bought it in 2003.

 

Then my latest is a '52 and its great. Only got 42K on the clock so not had a tough life.

 

MY advice would be to not go older than '01/51 and as much newer than that as you can afford.

Then ask if they have "dual mass" clutch fitted. If yes, then you will have starter motor/clutch problems at some point but as long as you fit a standard clutch instead when the time comes (cheaper than a dual mass anyway) then the problem will be solved.

[Rupe]

I got 70mph out of mine the other day, empty, not towing. Thats plenty fast enough for me!