Van as family car?

[MsMiaWallace]

Does anyone own a van as their main family car? If so what do you have?

We are looking at getting a van to help with DH's business. I quite like the idea of the space for days out etc so looking at crew vans.

Ok next question. A few have mentioned specific insurance requirements, but we are finding insurance based just on the number plate easily on the normal comparison websites. Should it be harder than this?

I wouldn't have thought so. You're usually asked your occupation and whether you want to include business use, even if insuring a small hatchback. We tend to distinguish vans as a big step up from cars, but most of them are no longer or wider than a lot of bigger family cars - they're just higher up and the available space maximised at the expense of prettier looks.

I have a Ford transit. 6 seats, twin cab separate boot. It's the best thing I have ever done. Don't think I could go back to a car now.
PP is right you have to get van insurance as car insurance doesn't cover it. Also you will no longer be insured third party on any other vehicle unless you take out a different insurance policy.

Two different answers!

@WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll we don't have it yet but the one we are looking at is 116bhp and a 2.1 diesel engine and we've been assured it will pull our 6 berth no issues... I might re-review that though tonight.

What is your budget and what are you looking for?

So sorry, tinseloatcake - real life has been a bit busy and, in MN-world, I've been drawn into some rather pointless but oddly irritating debates!

On the Caravan Club website (I think it was), they advised to have a minimum of 40BHP per 1,000kg of 'train' - so likely to be approaching 3,000kg combined for a largish MPV/SUV/van plus a medium-large single-axle caravan, so as not to hold up traffic unnecessarily and for starts and stops at roundabouts, traffic lights, hills, through towns and such to not take forever to get going.

I suppose it's the dichotomy between a heavier vehicle being better for towing, but then also requiring extra oomph to shift its own weight!

We're definitely not 'new car' people. We want something nice to travel in and reliable that will last us for a good few years. Probably looking at up to about £7-8K, but might be able to push a little extra for something perfect. Ideally 10 years old or newer.

We want a vehicle where the middle row (if a 7-seater) is comfy and has plenty of legroom - the Sharan/Alhambra has middle seats that can go forward and back on rails and also recline, as well as built-in tables; a potential 7-seater would be handy, but we don't really need a third row, if that doesn't work out. Definitely something where the seats fold down easily, as it seems such a faff to have to remove them and store them somewhere. Again, the Sharan can be used with 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 seats in place and the rest flat to the floor. Loads of space when carrying three people is essential.

We're fans of the more modest VW-group cars - so VW/Seat/Skoda. Our last one was a (rather old) Audi A6 estate, that was ridiculously low to the ground (bought years before we thought of getting a caravan) and just had extra unnecessary, silly stuff that's more to go wrong. We don't care about prestige: just reliability, quality and practicality.

Nothing with silly high tax rates (ideally no more than £250 or so max) or unnecessarily expensive parts, and a decent mpg. Has to be automatic.

I've probably forgotten something, but any suggestions are very welcome! I kind of think that a Sharan/Alhambra pretty much ticks every box that we have, but a small part of me keeps seeing vans/van-based MPVs and envying the even-more space available!

It's late so I might come back to this tomorrow but my initial view is this:

We have had a galaxy and then a couple of Sorrento's to pull our caravan - both 5/6 berth single axles. We are a family of 5. The galaxy was ok at towing, I wouldn't recommend the auto. The Sorrento pulls it like a train. It is a fab towcar. The reason we are getting into a van is to load 5 bikes in. We haven't bought it yet, let alone towed. However - the van is a real contender for a family vehicle. It is practical, spacious and will just sort the luggage whatever it is.

Ill come back to you in the morning - a child is awake

Remember also that the National speed limit for cars is different to that of vans. (ie the white round sign with diagonal black line, as opposed to a sign with a number on it)

EG on a single road car National speed limit is 60mph, van is 50mph.

Thanks very much, tinseloatcake - that's greatly appreciated, whenever you have time. Really interesting to hear your experiences of towing so that we can maybe ride on your coat-tails and skip any less-desirable outcomes!

Just out of interest, do you happen to know what BHP the Galaxy had? Looking at reviews for the Sharan/Alhambra, there are mixed reviews from experts and owners, but they vary from 115 to 184, so I'm thinking that could make a very big difference.

Also, I can manage manual fine, but a health condition would make an auto much easier (especially on 'bad days'). Also, we've experienced 'clutch burn' when towing with a manual and a friend who has decades of experience towing caravans almost begged me not to get a manual, which kind of sealed the deal!

Remember also that the National speed limit for cars is different to that of vans. (ie the white round sign with diagonal black line, as opposed to a sign with a number on it)

EG on a single road car National speed limit is 60mph, van is 50mph.

Wow. I was about to say that you must be mistaken, but I've checked the government info online and I see that you're absolutely right! There's some slightly confusing info relating to dual-purpose vehicles, which (I think) I understand to be referring to vans that have seats and windows (such as Transporter minibuses).

They also cover car-derived vans, which I would have assumed to be things like Astras with only two seats and no back windows - not that you seem to see many of those these days - but where would that put something like a Caddy (Maxi) Life, which is (as they state) not really any different in size to a lot of bigger cars? Is it a car-derived-van-derived-car - and where does it stand for the speed limit, if so?!?!

Obviously, we don't care about a slower limit when towing - that's par for the course and we don't to watch the fuel gauge visibly descending - but most use of the vehicle would, of course, be when we're not towing. A bit (but not a huge amount) more loading space coming at the cost of 10mph fewer in all everyday use does rather sour the pill somewhat.

I ferry the kids around in my van despite having a car, as I often pick them up from school to take them straight to an activity and don't have time to pop home first. I also often need to pick up materials after school with them in tow, which is easier in the van. They absolutely love riding in it, especially when I had my Transit and they were right at the front. Cons are:
It's always full of dust and sharp things.
We couldn't fit DH in too (3 seater) in the old Transit.
My current works vehicle has a crew van-type set up (5 seats) but this means I am now struggling for space for materials and tools. At best it's an inconvenience, at worst it means paying to have the builders' merchant deliver materials due to lack of space or crap weather (meaning I can't strap it to the roof). I'm really missing the space! If your business needs don't include sheet materials and/or lengths of timber/pipes etc then this would be less of a problem, obviously.
When DCs were small the Transit van seats were totally unsuited to many car seats. ERF seats were a complete 'no', as they totally obscured my view of the wing mirror, so DCs were front facing much sooner than I'd like. It was even tricky to find compatible FF seats as many didn't suit the upright position on the seats so overhung. The buckle placement in Transits also meant some of the seats we tried suffered buckle crunch. The seat belts also seem shorter than a car's, and the belt only just fit around DCs' infant carrier.
They don't fit under the height restrictions in a lot of ground level car parks, and multi storey car parks are totally out.
Unloading/reloading for weekend trips out is a PITA, but necessary unless you are willing to pay a fortune in fuel or risk your tools getting nicked if the van is broken into whilst parked up during a nice country walk. I park on our drive where the cargo doors are inaccessible, so don't need to empty it each night (thankfully!). Unloading is a dirty job too, so not something to be done in your weekend clothes after a spur of the moment decision to visit the seaside (although it will probably make little difference if you are about to climb into the dusty van's dusty seats).

Yep, speed limit issue is one to bear in mind with a van. We found a few who would insure us, but you do need to hunt around. Nice to see the thread gathering momentum 🙂

I think we're covering two different scenarios in one, though, aren't we? Vans that people need daily for 'trades'-style work and also use for family transport vs vans/minibuses that people don't need for work, but keep primarily to transport bigger families and/or bulky hobby gear and holiday luggage.

There's a lot of blurring the lines, though, and (as has already been covered on another recent thread), it's unfair that a wily trader could visit the tip every single day in a Transporter minibus with disguised/covert trade waste whereas a plumber with a Fiesta van would be turned away if they went just once in January with some of their kids' old broken toys and the packaging from their new presents.

Some of the rules do seem quite arbitrary - and discriminatory to less well-off families who can't afford to buy and run multiple vehicles.