MPG of a large "white van" (LWB Transit 350, Sprinter etc)

[DIYNotIan]

Hi all

I'll be moving house soon and am trying to work out the best (read cheapest) way to get my stuff from the east coast to Wales (around 300 miles each way). I'll have two van loads so will have to do the run twice. I'm looking at hiring and driving myself, but will also get some quotes from "man with van" type companies.

What I don't know is what kind of MPG I'm likely to get with a fully loaded LWB Transit 350, Sprinter etc. driving mainly on motorways. I need to factor in the diesel costs which I'm guessing won't be cheap.

I know it isn't technically a DIY question, but I figure a lot of people round here must drive large vans and so thought it would be a good place to ask.

Cheers

 

[scbk]

Should be about 20-30mpg for a panel van (not a luton).

Very roughly, the transit will cost £100 to fill the tank from the light on, and that will do 500-600 miles

 

[cdbe]

I managed only a little bit over 20 when i moved house but it was fully loaded and pulling my 1.5 ton trailer and driven "car" style. It was an LDV 350.

 

[HERTS P&D]

Should be about 20-30mpg for a panel van (not a luton).

Very roughly, the transit will cost £100 to fill the tank from the light on, and that will do 500-600 miles

No Way! I drive a MK7 long wheel base high top transit and for £100 I would be lucky to get 440 miles.

Andy

 

[blup]

Just hired a 68 plate Vivaro swb and got about 37 mpg for the unloaded (return) leg of the journey with a mixture of dual carriageways and rural roads, predominantly dual carriageway.

Blup

 

[foxhole]

My brother in law hired a 7.5 ton panel truck, did trip in one load, [would depend on how old you driving license is.]

 

[scbk]

No Way! I drive a MK7 long wheel base high top transit and for £100 I would be lucky to get 440 miles.

Andy

You do get different power outputs and axle ratios, and obviously how hard it's driven and loaded, but on a run mine will do 550 miles easy on a tank of diesel.

 

[HERTS P&D]

Mines the 140.

Andy

 

[DIYNotIan]

Thanks everyone for the useful and helpful replies. Much appreciated

 

[securespark]

A few years ago, I took some gear to a campsite and back. I hired a van for each journey. The first was a hi roof LWB Tranny and the second was a VW hi roof LWB Crafter.
I was surprised, the Crafter was better economy:

Well, I've done the deed. Went up to Windermere last week with the Transit and dropped off.

Went back this AM with a Crafter and did the pick-up. Both journeys were just over 200 miles.

The Crafter is more economical, using £34.56 worth of diesel, against £41.10 for the Tranny, but the Crafter is bigger and heavier. There's a surprise. On both journeys, I did not exceed 2500 rpm and let go of the right-hand pedal going downhill, trying to save a bit more.

The latter trick worked much better when the van was full!!

The Crafter is also longer. Our flagpole just fitted in the Tranny using the deadspace over the cab. In the Crafter, it fitted in fine with space to spare and there is no over-cab void in the Crafter.

The only thing that weed me off (and it would wee me off big time if I drove one full-time) is the handbrake. In vans like the old Transit, the handbrake was a stretch, but you only needed to release the handbrake and let go and it would drop to the floor and be fully off. In the Crafter, you drop the handbrake then move off. Immediately, there's a beeping noise. Looking down, you find the handbrake warning light on the dash is on: it needs to drop a little more to be fully off. Arrrghh!!

And while on site, neither van like reversing up slight gradients on loose gravelly tracks. I ended up turning round in a tight clearing. No mean feat in a van that length...

The Tranny has more cupholders, but seeing as I don't guzzle hot drinks, that don't bother me!

But all in all, the Crafter impressed more.

Thought this might be useful if anyone looks this up because they're thinking of hiring or buying one of these vans.