Using the van as a daily - pro's and cons please.

as said im not worried about heat. propex and exchangers in shed. besides i used it last december with no heating so i'm well 'ard innit.

 

i didnt mean harder to park just that i'd worry about it in a railway carpark

 

Cons: More fuel, breaking down, parking dents (in any decent car, I park at the far side of the station car park somewhere on the end of a row where I can leave a gap to the next car).
Pros: More fun, after regular use and a few breakdowns your van will be super reliable and you will be an expert at roadside fixes, women will find you irresisible, big savings on taxing and insuring another daily, valid excuses for spending money on upgrades / bling (sorry, I meant to say "essential maintenance").

For the winter, spend the money on waxoyl / ACF50 instead of a shed.

 

To use your van it has to be in one piece...not a pile of spares

 

any back up is better than none.... although if my van doesn't start when i go down to 1 vehicle it may encourage me to ring in sick....

 

I use mine daily for work(14miles) , I take my time usually 50-60 mph and fuel consumption is ok about 40 quid in a week as well as running kids to school and clubs

The biggest con is modern car drivers overtaking and cutting you up as they assume that they have to get past the old vehicle

I love using her in all seasons and when you get the propex fitted in yours you will even enjoy using it in the winter

 

I use our van for commuting probably two or three days a week, and it means that you tend to notice things gradually getting worse so you fix them before they break.
Because it is used regularly and generally doesnt break down, it means we can trust it more on long runs without constantly fretting over breakdowns which seem to happen on the first run after a long break from use.


The commute is 20 miles each way (or a gallon of petrol) but there is a company car park at the far end with a lot of space in it. I wouldnt like leaving it in a station car park. Its nice to go out at lunch time and just luxuriate in the van rather than sitting in the office with the sandwiches.

Also that given the typical traffic speeds on the motorway to and from work, the van is always being held up by somebody slower in front. (progressive carb and twin quiet pack exhaust helps here)

If the weather looks like wet I leave it behind but I have driven it every month of the year and survived some total downpours and definitely started sliding on ice once or twice. I have made some magnetic engine vent covers that stop the worst of the rain filling up the battery trays. But they tend to blow off when its windy.

In heavy rain its nicer than a normal car because the spray doesnt go right over the top so you can still see where you are going.

I know in the end more use means mean more welding and spraying. But the smiles per mile are worth it.

And if it sat on the drive it would still suffer condensation, which gets cleared if you use it.

 

yeah i seem to notice things breaking more using my bus every day