Buying a van for diving

Your comments and help are requested...

Sick of trashing vehicles, I'm looking to get a van for
lugging dive kit around. It strikes me there could be
some weight issues. I'll be carrying the following;

1 x 47L 'J' of O2 70Kg
1 x 47L 'J' of He 70Kg

1 x twin 12L 30kg
2 x twin 10L 45Kg
1 x twin 7L 15Kg
4 x 7L 40Kg

2 sets of kit 50Kg
Lead 20Kg

Do my weight estimates seem reasonable? esp the 'J'
cylinders - they're labelled as about 150Lbs each
but that is probable empty..not sure...

On the van side, what would good for carting 340Kg
gear around - call it a round 400Kg!!!!

Obviously want something compact if poss but
capable of pulling this load plus 2 of us.

Googling for "scuba" and "van" simply reveals how
many Dutch friends we have in the diving community!

TIA,

Steve

--
----------------------------------------------------------
Steve Chaplin
usenet3@codekey.co.uk

....
>
> Sick of trashing vehicles, I'm looking to get a van for
> lugging dive kit around. It strikes me there could be
> some weight issues. I'll be carrying the following;
>

Hi!

We had similar issues! We went for a 3.0L TD Isuzu Trooper Commercial - it
has a towing capacity of 2.5tonne - so we tow the 7.4m rib on it also. Its
a workhorse and has taken everything thrown at it. A 00 one (year 2000)
should be about 24000Euro.

HTH

Ka

--
Learn and Explore
www.diveology.com



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> On the van side, what would good for carting 340Kg
> gear around - call it a round 400Kg!!!!
>
> Obviously want something compact if poss but
> capable of pulling this load plus 2 of us.
>
> Googling for "scuba" and "van" simply reveals how
> many Dutch friends we have in the diving community!

Have a look at http://www.whatvan.co.uk/search.asp

Steve,

I was in the similar position, didn't want to wreck the car, plus I wanted
the ability of being able to doss down in the back and get a resonable
nights sleep if I had to while having my dive gear in the back with me. I
could have gone for some form of camper van, but didn't want to commit the
space within the van to fridges and cookers etc..

In the end I went for a fiat scudo (smaller than a transit, but larger than
and astravan/escort van) - where I can get all my gear in and sleep in it
outstretched.. It does everything I ask of it.. it is rated as having a load
of 900Kg, which even with me in it (no comments please!) doesn't come
close.. I bought private, as I found out the all businesses selling second
hand vans, will normally add on the VAT on top of the sale price..

Cheers

Wilbo



"Steve Chaplin" <usenet3@codekey.co.uk> wrote in message
news:7yNSb.2390$SM7.22823131@news-text.cableinet.net...
> Your comments and help are requested...
>
> Sick of trashing vehicles, I'm looking to get a van for
> lugging dive kit around. It strikes me there could be
> some weight issues. I'll be carrying the following;
>
> 1 x 47L 'J' of O2 70Kg
> 1 x 47L 'J' of He 70Kg
>
> 1 x twin 12L 30kg
> 2 x twin 10L 45Kg
> 1 x twin 7L 15Kg
> 4 x 7L 40Kg
>
> 2 sets of kit 50Kg
> Lead 20Kg
>
> Do my weight estimates seem reasonable? esp the 'J'
> cylinders - they're labelled as about 150Lbs each
> but that is probable empty..not sure...
>
> On the van side, what would good for carting 340Kg
> gear around - call it a round 400Kg!!!!
>
> Obviously want something compact if poss but
> capable of pulling this load plus 2 of us.
>
> Googling for "scuba" and "van" simply reveals how
> many Dutch friends we have in the diving community!
>
> TIA,
>
> Steve
>
> --
> ----------------------------------------------------------
> Steve Chaplin
> usenet3@codekey.co.uk

Wilbo,

You said the following on 01/31/04 17:24:
> I was in the similar position, didn't want to wreck the car, plus I wanted
> the ability of being able to doss down in the back and get a resonable
> nights
The thought had crossed my mind.

> In the end I went for a fiat scudo (smaller than a transit, but larger than
> and astravan/escort van) - where I can get all my gear in and sleep in it
Have you ever wished you'd gone for something more compact? I'm toying
with the idea of the Escort but I think it'll be touch 'n' go on the
weight limit with a 55. I'm thinking about trying to find places to park
and manouveuring around etc..

So would you recommend the Scudo? How is it on long trips and well
laden?

Cheers,

Steve

--
----------------------------------------------------------
Steve Chaplin
usenet4@codekey.co.uk

"Ka" <ka__kathie@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:bvge2e$6lh$1@dorito.esatclear.ie...
> ...
> >
> > Sick of trashing vehicles, I'm looking to get a van for
> > lugging dive kit around. It strikes me there could be
> > some weight issues. I'll be carrying the following;
> >
>
> Hi!
>
> We had similar issues! We went for a 3.0L TD Isuzu Trooper Commercial -
it
> has a towing capacity of 2.5tonne - so we tow the 7.4m rib on it also.
Its
> a workhorse and has taken everything thrown at it. A 00 one (year 2000)
> should be about 24000Euro.
>
> HTH
>
> Ka

Troopers ROCK! I have a '88 2.8TD Bighorn/trooper LWB. taken the entire
dive schools weightbelts in the back to allow a couple more divers in the
school vand and it didn't notice them during the 5 hour drive north to the
marina. about 30 belts with about 10Kg each, plus my camping kit to stay
overnight at the campgrouds up there.

Another occasion it towed the clubs entire stock of cylinders on a trailer
as we headed east to the lake for our rescue courses... 48 full 11.2 (80ish
CuFt) alu cylinders.. no problems... and didn't notice much change in fuel
consumption.

wonderful workhorses and the 3.0 has more power and more efficiency than the
2.8.

rhys

> > Hi!
> >
> > We had similar issues! We went for a 3.0L TD Isuzu Trooper Commercial -
> it
> > has a towing capacity of 2.5tonne - so we tow the 7.4m rib on it also.
> Its
> > a workhorse and has taken everything thrown at it. A 00 one (year 2000)
> > should be about 24000Euro.
> >
> > HTH
> >
> > Ka
>
> Troopers ROCK! I have a '88 2.8TD Bighorn/trooper LWB. taken the entire
> dive schools weightbelts in the back to allow a couple more divers in the
> school vand and it didn't notice them during the 5 hour drive north to the
> marina. about 30 belts with about 10Kg each, plus my camping kit to stay
> overnight at the campgrouds up there.
>
> Another occasion it towed the clubs entire stock of cylinders on a trailer
> as we headed east to the lake for our rescue courses... 48 full 11.2
(80ish
> CuFt) alu cylinders.. no problems... and didn't notice much change in fuel
> consumption.
>
> wonderful workhorses and the 3.0 has more power and more efficiency than
the
> 2.8.
>

But you can't play White Van Man in a Trooper.

Steve

Steve,

I looked at the Astravan and Escort 55 and flet they were too small for my
needs.. both in length (for sleeping - I'm 6'1" ), width (for getting me and
my dive gear in their crates in side by side) and height (for donning suits
inside the van, when its raining).

As someone said earlier, a good place to start is www.whatvan.co.uk - as
they have the internal dimensions of the load area.. Once I had chosen a few
vans, I went along to the van sales centres and got in the load area and
simply lied down outstretched! Got a few weird looks I can tell you!

All the best

Wilbo


"Steve Chaplin" <usenet4@codekey.co.uk> wrote in message
news:TGSSb.2720$gz2.25443479@news-text.cableinet.net...
> Wilbo,
>
> You said the following on 01/31/04 17:24:
> > I was in the similar position, didn't want to wreck the car, plus I
wanted
> > the ability of being able to doss down in the back and get a resonable
> > nights
> The thought had crossed my mind.
>
> > In the end I went for a fiat scudo (smaller than a transit, but larger
than
> > and astravan/escort van) - where I can get all my gear in and sleep in
it
> Have you ever wished you'd gone for something more compact? I'm toying
> with the idea of the Escort but I think it'll be touch 'n' go on the
> weight limit with a 55. I'm thinking about trying to find places to park
> and manouveuring around etc..
>
> So would you recommend the Scudo? How is it on long trips and well
> laden?
>
> Cheers,
>
> Steve
>
> --
> ----------------------------------------------------------
> Steve Chaplin
> usenet4@codekey.co.uk

Easy awnser - Transit.

You cant get better than this tried and tested workhorse.
Go for short wheelbase semi-hi topped 2.5 diesel.

Transit 2.5D SWB SH 120 or 150.

Reasons.
Short wheel means easy parking (has a car footprint) and
still loads of space. Plus you arent tempted to add too much kit.
Side loading door means easy access to stuff normally
buried at the back of smaller vans.
Semi-hi saves your cricked neck and gives you more
storage space.
2.5 Diesel - Cheap to run and all that torque for towing.

Best buys are three year old smileys (Mk4). These are the
ones just before the new shape came out. Go private
and you save the Vat.
Go commercial on Insurance and put a sub £5000 value on it
to go third party.

Watch the model.
The weight is in the title. SWB come in 4x varaints.
80, 100, 120, 150 - Numbers apply to the carrying capacity.
800kg - 1500kg. So a 150 SWB is the dogs danglies for
weight carrying.

Watch out for the new trannies the SWB are all (apart from
a few special order) front wheel drive 80's.

TerryH