Viano as an everyday car and possible problems.

[curious]

The quick way to check it's genuinely a compact from the photo and not their erroneous descriptions is, the channel in which the sliding door runs goes all the way to the rear light. Have a look at pictures of all 3 length types and you'll see what I mean. They then they become easy to spot from a distance.

 

[M80]

The quick way to check it's genuinely a compact from the photo and not their erroneous descriptions is, the channel in which the sliding door runs goes all the way to the rear light. Have a look at pictures of all 3 length types and you'll see what I mean. They then they become easy to spot from a distance.

Good tip,
so far I've looked at panels in front of and at rear of rear wheel.

 

[M80]

With ours I made a fold up bed. It folds in 3 and can double as a table using 2 captain seats turned rearward, and of course a bed when unfolded.

We also have the Khyam Motordome tailgate awning. That can sleep a few but for us is for cooking breakfast and the potty at night.
With that you can unhook from the van, zip it up , and drive away. Leaving it reserving the pitch till return.

When roughing it our intention is to cook a simple breakfast,
enjoy sarnies or similar during the day,
out for food and booze in the evening.

 

[M80]

Little tip extra.
Take a torch and mat.
Lie under the rear and check the rear chassis, above and rear of the rear wheels, for rust. It can be pretty bad.
I treated mine with Dinitrol products to hopefully keep it away, inside and out of the hollow sections.

 

[Droverunner]

Curious in many ways you have a point re lower VED and manual gearboxes... and I reckon I could drop on a decent Vito not too far away from us for thousands less than a nice Viano. But... I so wanted this to be an easy "buy and use next day" type situation and there is a lot of work to line and trim out a Vito how I'd like it. Speed limits are an issue for us... Mrs D would also use it and the need to remember... say going all the way Cambridgeshire to Scotland on the A1/A1(M)... when you were allowed 70 and when 60... that could be a real hassle.

Self and wife for certain... twentysomething at home daughter would often need a proper seat for local runs... and we may collect other daughter and boyfriend along the way so 5 seats needed then... hence the ideal situation with Viano moveable seats. I'd wondered about squeezing between the second row captain seats but we could just have one in as a 3 seater or one middle plus two rear for 5 seater... as I say the flexibility seems amazing.

It is unlikely... but you never know... we'd want to go to sleeping in it but that tailgate tent sounds good. Going to Google now.

Good tip re the sliding door track length thanks.

 

[M80]

My understanding of the 60 / 70 limit is nothing to do with N1 / M1 tax class.
It was my understanding but BTB on't other side put me right.

Apparently it is to do with if there are rear seat in or not. So take 'em out you're a van and limited speedwise. APNR will still pick you up regardless and a fine may arrive due to N1 class, but could be defended.

The Traveliner 'Vito' would come fully lined and with floor rails.
The Dualiner may / may not have full floor rails. It may have limiting security in the floor for seats. It should be fully lined, mine was.
Vito's can have a host of extras, but many if not most will be more basic.
The Vito feels more noisy due to less insulation, and is designed as a load lugger and w/o rear air suspension tends to be a harsher ride. Load the Vito up and it rides better.

Then there is the power ratings that vary from 2.1 Vito to 2.1 Vito, and the differential that is fitted and may be as the Viano or may be higher ratio and so rev higher. That's less attractive on long m'way trips.
Some Vito's have barn doors rather than tailgate. The tailgate can be a nice umbrella.
Some Vito's don't have roof rails, fitting is cheap and easy but only on some Vito's
It's another subject really, but more info available on request.

 

[Droverunner]

>>>a fine may arrive due to N1 class, but could be defended.

I've spent the past hour looking at Vitos but I keep coming back to the speed thing. We are used to car limits and would prefer to keep to that. As I've read it the cameras will issue a fine if an N1 but as you say can be defended but then you are getting into meeting the regs of construction and use of an N1 vehicle converted to something else. Too much hassle for me.

Bear in mind too Mrs D will think this a big vehicle and add in any sign of van origins and she may not use it.

 

[curious]

Bear in mind too Mrs D will think this a big vehicle and add in any sign of van origins and she may not use it.

That makes me smile. My other half much prefers driving my van to my car (if her own is out of action). Nice and high up with big windscreen and big side mirrors that gives excellent rearview. (She thinks my car is like looking through a letter box.)

 

[Droverunner]

Yes that may come to be the case but she very much likes the interior ambience of her CLK so something near that would be a good start to wean her onto it.

 

[M80]

regs of construction and use of an N1 vehicle converted to something else.

My 1st 639 was an experiment in seeing how it might convert and be a useful camper ++
It was bought at 296k miles, it had some subtle vibes that got a bit annoying.
Anyway, ex taxi, but not clocked, a Traveliner with nine seats on the versatile 4 floor rails.
A little unusual but not unique, it was registered as an N1, so cheap tax. Had it been a few months older the tax (concession) would have been even cheaper.

Thing is removing the seats to use as a van isn't a conversion as it's designed with that flexibility. As I understand defending a ticket wouldn't have been difficult as occasionally we can be considered innocent until, by saying it had rear seats in at that time.

But I understand your apprehension.

This subject is biggering and biggering.

 

[Droverunner]

>>>This subject is biggering and biggering.

Indeed... but all the above chat has been so so useful. I am pursuing something tomorrow which I'll report on be it success or failure.

 

[M80]

Fingers crossed,
with luck we can be celebrating together remotely.

And then the fanaticism starts.

 

[JBell]

Would this do the job????

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202104181499466?onesearchad=New&onesearchad=Nearly%20New&onesearchad=Used&make=MERCEDES-BENZ&price-to=45000&radius=1500&model=R%20CLASS&postcode=tq12lr&sort=price-desc&advertising-location=at_cars&include-delivery-option=on&page=1

 

[Droverunner]

Love a cream leather interior and it would be great as a posh version of my Mondeo Estate... currently being great for what we do... but only to a point.

To explain...

Image attached is us having hauled our boat up the slipway and adj to the car (a lovely mint old series BMW 525 then) to pack it all away after a day on the sea. With the boat deflated it all just fitted into the loadspace... as it does with the Mondeo. Often it's late enough the cafes are closed or too remote for there to be any. Sometimes we're wet and need to change clothes. We just think it would be nice to come back to a vehicle with flat floor throughout where we could swivel the front seats round and stretch our legs out with dog on the floor while having a brew after perhaps changing into dry stuff for the run home.

I know a full high top motorhome would be even better for this one purpose but it would be rubbish for our day to day use. So the Viano is possibly an acceptable compromise and loads better than a standard car.

 

[Droverunner]

Well today's possible deal was a washout. I said above I'm not a good fit with dealers... should have been more honest that I hate them (most/many).

So I phone the place to sort a deal this am... over 100 vehicles up to £30k so a fair outfit. Two calls are cut off when I select sales. Third time guy answers and says I need to speak to a particular other guy who will phone back before I was due to go out 20mins later. He didn't so I call them. Cut off seconds after I say my name. I phone back again and get to speak to a guy who is snappy with his responses but tell him I'd like to check a couple of details (MOT length, number of keys, service history proof) then sort a provisional deal. My first question was it only had weeks MOT to run would they put a fresh 12mths on... nope he says and just stops talking.

That was my cheerio point never to try them again.

WTF.

 

[Droverunner]

More intensive looking online. Now I can easily tell the lengths apart I see so many listed are described as the wrong length. Have decided a long as well as a compact can be considered which broadens the choice. Still favour that rare manual but probably unlikely to find one so auto OK. Have had to 100% count out the Vito for all the reasons I've mentioned above.

In truth the older 646 engine vehicles aren't really suiting what we want so it's got to be a 651 gremlins and all. Have been very attracted to some with the 642 but I'm a nippy driver and often on rural speed up/slow for corner roads and I could see it dropping to low 20s.... on such runs we never get as high as 30mpg with wife's 646 engine CLK auto.

Realised for our use two captains seats in middle row will be essential so if not fitted with have to look to swap asap via and Ebay buy/sell.

Looking... looking... looking...

 

[curious]

More intensive looking online. Now I can easily tell the lengths apart I see so many listed are described as the wrong length. Have decided a long as well as a compact can be considered which broadens the choice. Still favour that rare manual but probably unlikely to find one. Have had to 100% count out the Vito for all the reasons I've mentioned above.

Looking... looking... looking...

The length thing was very frustrating when I was looking. A vast percentage used 'compact' in the description but were clearly 'long'.

In the end I got lucky with my Vito and got it off eBay of all places.
(That was 9 years ago when it was 5 years old. It was a decorators van for a building firm so had a light life and only 60,000 miles. Most others I looked at that age had circa 120,000 miles. It's only done 105,000 now. DIY oil change every 2 years and brakes & tyres as needed.)

 

[Droverunner]

Not going for it but for interest..... huge price for age but looks really smart and has the rear seat layout we'd like....

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But I have questions about another version that might suit which I overlooked initially with my obsession to find a compact. I've seen Vito long models with full set leather seats and a double front passenger seat so 9-seater called a Traveliner. They don't have alloys, roof bars, faux wood trim and some of the other Viano things but are usually manuals which is a big plus for me. Their engines are often the 113CDi with 136hp... I'm thinking 136hp on a 6spd manual may be as lively as a 150/163hp on an auto?? £315 VED and good fuel consumption too.

They come up as M1 (car) type on the Gov site so normal speed limits.

I've seen them with the rear seats both bolted to the floor and on the Viano style tracks.

I would want to convert to middle row captain type seats and lose the rearmost ones... I assume if no rails fitted that's not possible? Also the pass front seat would need changing from the twin to a single... wonder if it's a simple swap or the mountings might be different because there seems to be some sort of low load protector bar on some. Probably best to get a Viano complete 2+2 seat set actually with seat boxes and front swivels??

Any thoughts?

 

[Droverunner]

Well sometimes things move on quickly... no longer a need for info re Traveliners. Deal been done on a lowish miles Compact Viano post 2010 model 3lit auto with the leather captain seats and table arrangement at rear... in for a penny and all that. Forgive me for not linking the actual vehicle but I'm superstitious until it's here on the drive taxed and insured which should be by this weekend. Then I'll upload some pics and take it for a "thrash" on familiar roads which will tells you so much more than any salesman accompanied drive. I will report... the good and bad!

All previous thoughts appreciated as they led to refining my choice... even if going somewhat against some of them at least it's with my eyes open.

 

[sweeper]

I’ve had three, two Vitos and we have. Viano, Vitos we’re company dual liners, no real issues with either, had both for 6yrs, both well thrashed and only brake pads and normal servicing, had noisy steering on one which needed the inner joint on the column lubricating, the Viano is our own 2014 and bought cheap with 313000 miles, engine is all genuine, never been apart, has had water pump, alternator and a/c compressor, it is still giving good service, looks good, admittedly I done a bit of work when we first got it, a/c condenser and compressor and a few minor damaged bits, since I’ve had a dpf press differential sensor and 4 injectors, could do with front shocks as they are a bit noisy, uses no oil, no coolant and still gives up to 40mpg, really can’t complain