Cars for bikes

[quiksilver]

The only drawback is that everytime I use the Dartford Crossing I get hit for £2 to use it as thats the commercial vehicle charge. It frustrates me as my van is used for private use and I only use the crossing once a week. And my vehicle is quite small and light in weight. I can't quite see why I am paying 50p more than the bloke next to me in a 2 ton Landrover who use the bridge everyday. Or a 20 foot long limo ferrying people between Essex and Kent.

[Edwards]

I think that the difference between a car and a van is in the windows and seating. This goes back to the days when there was special car tax applied upon purchase, this was in force up to at least the 1970s. Vans did not have the tax so some people would purchase a van and add rear seats, the tax was due when windows were fitted to the fixed part of the vehicle.
So a van that has an opening side door with a window fitted is still a van, but if it has windows fitted to the solid structure is is then classed as a car.
Non of this is really relevant to the private purchaser but is relevant for companies and the self employed as company vans attract less personal tax.
The floor plan makes no difference what so ever.

I find the second row of seats in our Zafira to be a pain and removing them could be classed as a modification. So I am not sure about the insurance.

[Mick F]

The only drawback is that everytime I use the Dartford Crossing I get hit for £2 to use it as thats the commercial vehicle charge. It frustrates me as my van is used for private use and I only use the crossing once a week. And my vehicle is quite small and light in weight. I can't quite see why I am paying 50p more than the bloke next to me in a 2 ton Landrover who use the bridge everyday. Or a 20 foot long limo ferrying people between Essex and Kent.

This is the same problem as using our local recycling yards. These are for private/domestic use, and they state no trailers or vans!

[Edwards]

The only drawback is that everytime I use the Dartford Crossing I get hit for £2 to use it as thats the commercial vehicle charge

If you have 2 small side windows fitted in the back then you will not have to pay commercial rates. If you then have a bed and stove it would then be classed as a motor home.
But for both modifications you would need to inform four insurance company and it would probably cost more in increased premium than paying for the bridge.

[Guy951]

My Dad had a KIA Ceed estate. It was great. Put the back seats down and we could get two bikes in without removing the front wheels.

[quiksilver]

My local tip, St Day, now no longer allows me to take waste from home there in my van. I have been told that I have to apply for a contractors waste transfer licence if I want to. I personally wouldnt dump rubbish in the streets but when councils do things like this is it a wonder fly tipping is so prevalant.

[Ayesha]

Mine's a Ford Focus 3 door diesel.

Rear seats folded. Bike in back whole with no wheel removal. Throw thick blanket over bike and lighter bike goes in as well with front wheel out.

I got a bike in a Kia Picanto ( rental car ) once to go to Penzance for LEJOG.

[Nettled Shin]

Thanks for these recommendations. The Kia Cee'd estate sounds great for bikes, but they are still a bit pricey. The van/car thing is all determined by what the vehicle was registered as before conversion, so I don't think adding or removing windows or seats makes much difference. It is possible for two identical looking cars to be classified differently; as some of you have noticed, this can make quite a difference at road tolls or when visiting the tip.

[thirdcrank]

From a practical POV, I think the biggest difference, in terms of bike carrying, between an estate car and something like a Berlingo, is that an estate will usually have more overall length (so a bike can often be carried with the wheels in but possibly laid flat) where the Berlingo will have more heighth (to use a local expression) which means the front wheel may have to be removed - although Berlingo devotees put their bikes in diagonally, apparently.

On the tax position, before the change to VAT, a whacking amount of purchase tax could be avoided by buying a van, defined as having no side windows behind the driver. My first "car" was a van, for that reason. Any later addition of side windows had to be reported to the local tax office (pre DVLC) and purchase tax was payable on the residual value (although I've no idea how well that was enforced.) As I posted above, VAT, which cannot be avoided by an ordinary buyer means that when new, vans and their car derivatives with windows etc are priced to be broadly the same. So, no price advantage in buying a new van and an older one will only be cheaper because vans are usually run into the ground sooner than cars.

[bigjim]

Older Mondeo Estate for me, which is not going to the scrapyard. Wonderfully reliable with all the leather and gadgets. Huge interior. Bike slides in easily in one go plus plenty of room for camping gear etc. Also it's great to sleep in, can fit a double mattress in there on camping trips. Not that economical with a 2.0 litre engine but I don't do that much mileage so not a problem.

[Jonty]

I can get 2 mountain bikes with the front wheels off in the back of my Golf with the back seats down or one mountain bike with the front wheel on, or a touring bike with the front wheel off.
When I put two bikes in I put a rug over the first bike to stop both bikes getting scratched.
jonty

[madmole]

Land Rover Discovery 2

4 bikes inside with seats folded (all wheels on and no twisted handlebars)
5 bikes on roof
3 bikes on rear rack

Or normal combo of 7 cyclists inside with 7 bikes on outside