Thread: What to buy - a Ute or a Van? Which brand?

Just been fooling around synching the phone via Bluetooth. Works as you would hope in that if I have the DAP going (Digital Audio Player - like an MP3 player but full rez) a phone call will interrupt it.

I usually like to connect the DAP by 3.5mm cable because I found in the past that connecting by BT can be a giant PITA, especially if you are stop/starting like say on a faFFing around trip with photography. So I did connect it via BT and the volume is considerablt reduced, which is also no surprise. I'll be staying with the 3.5mm cable thank you.

The sound system is KICK ARRSS! It's not quite as good as I have had in the past, but it's waaaay better than standard supply. I quite enjoy feeling the bass drum in my lumbar

When I was inspecting it on Sunday I had the DAP with me so we did a test. He was fiddling around trying to get "AUX" happening and it didn't so he kept turning the volume up. I said "Don't do...." and BOOM Sting arrived front and centre after a slight delay! I had deliberately selected a track that was, shall we say, "present" in it's fullness of sound. Ha, he said "jaysus I've never heard it sound like THAT!".

Funny thing is that it was like talking to and hearing Bushmiller. Same Home Counties accent, very similar voice as well, and thoroughly polite! I pointed this out to him (that he sounded like someone I know) and he said "Well I've been here for 30 years". "So has he" I responded.

It’s a nice looking rig


Dave TTC
The Turning Cowboy

Turning Wood Into Art

Originally Posted by FenceFurniture

Funny thing is that it was like talking to and hearing Bushmiller. Same Home Counties accent, very similar voice as well, and thoroughly polite! I pointed this out to him (that he said like someone I know) and he said "Well I've been here for 30 years". "So has he" I responded.

Brett

That's not quite right.

It's thirty eight years: Much longer than I lived in the UK.

Regards
Paul

I've had a couple of vans, and the best one was a mitsubishi L400 which was the one with the bonnet.
It ran and drove like any other van, but you had more frontal protection with the engine in front of you, and with no engine in the way it could take 4 metre lengths of material with the tailgate closed.

Originally Posted by Bushmiller

The other aspect is that anything above the vehicle roof will seriously impact the fuel consumption. For short distances maybe neither of these are an issue, but for a long trip be prepared to frequent the fuel station more often.
None of that style of vehicle including my own Holden ute are fuel efficient. Mine does 10l/100km on a long trip, 12 -13l/100km around an easy town (no big traffic jams) and on one trip with a 400kg concrete mixer protruding well above the roof line 16.5l/100km on a 600Km trip.

bloody hell
on long trips my 1.7 tonne (unladen) 3.2l petrol SUV gets just under 8 l/100km laden which bumps to around 10.5 l/100km with the large roof box fitted.

Going to Camden last weekend I got 13.16 l/100km, which is about where I thought it would be.

Unfortunately
Most utes and vans are like a draft horses there work vehicles.Not race horses!
If you want an economy vehicle get a pushy [emoji849].

I know that’s hard,
I drive a 2014 Renault Traffic van , I regularly use $100 a week in diesel.

Cheers Matt,

but the key metric is how far you drive per week.

I put about $180 a week into my Canadian car, but it's doing around 1500 km/week

Yes true.
No idea how many kilometres I do a week feels like a million some weeks.
But it is around town driving some times with a full load of stuff.

Originally Posted by ian

but the key metric is how far you drive per week.
I put about $180 a week into my Canadian car, but it's doing around 1500 km/week

It sure is - average 168 km/week in the last 8 years.
Since I stopped being a pickup person for the mens shed I'm under 120 km/week.
If I got off my and walked instead of driving the dogs to the park it would be even less.
I fill up about once every 4-5 weeks.

SWMBO's vehicle has does about 400 km/week mainly because she has 25 km drive each way to her horse.
Her car also gets used when we go out together.

Originally Posted by BobL

SWMBO's vehicle has does about 400 km/week mainly because she has 25 km drive each way to her horse.

Ah yes, bad tempered Jeffrey. There's prolly a knackery closer than 25km isn't there Bob? Only one trip too......

Originally Posted by FenceFurniture

Ah yes, bad tempered Jeffrey. There's prolly a knackery closer than 25km isn't there Bob? Only one trip too......

Dunno, but they do pickup.

Originally Posted by FenceFurniture

Going to Camden last weekend I got 13.16 l/100km, which is about where I thought it would be.

That works out to 21.5 miles to the gallon in the old money. Oh, and it was down hill most of the way to Camden!

Very practical vehicle, one of the better ones for rear leg room and mechanically reliable.

Alan...

Originally Posted by ian

bloody hell
on long trips my 1.7 tonne (unladen) 3.2l petrol SUV gets just under 8 l/100km laden which bumps to around 10.5 l/100km with the large roof box fitted.

Ian

I have achieved under 9l/100km on occasions, but I don't regard that as typical. Also my vehicle is a 3.5l one tonner, although I think Holden should be taken to task over their load capacity, with a substantial checker plate floor: Quite heavy. And as a 2005 model not exactly state of the art. Significant improvements to fuel economy have been made in the years since my vehicle was produced.

However, the thrust of my post was the difference a change in the roof line made. You confirmed that with around a 30% increase in fuel with a roof box fitted on your vehicle.

Regards
Paul