Auction buying

I am thinking about getting a new small van. I would be looking getting a ford connect or a peugeot partner.

Max mileage for me would be about 40k.

Do you get good deals at these auctions ? Is it the place where you pick up ex fleet and rental stuff generally (if newish).

Any tips on working out what i need to be paying. Is it a case of doing lots of research, or is the parkers guide still the book to buy ?

It's a bit of a van minefield out there, Trevor.....register with BCA and you'll see what's available.
You have to bear in mind though, vans are in the auction for a reason.....often that means they have passed their best for one reason or another. Many are absolute dogs but look great on the forecourt.
Don't expect low mileage - vans are bought to work and they will have had numerous drivers and have been driven flat out for most of their lives (how do Transits and Sprinters go so fast?)
Visit van dealers and you'll be presented by many vehicles in sparkling condition.....funny how many of them have had a quick flash over with the spray gun!
Have a look at Autotrader, Gumtree or whatever and see what's out there......the likes of vanmonster.co.uk are proving popular.
For the Ford, expect corrosion, the Berlingo / Partner could be OK if it has a service history. The 1.6 DV6 motor is the usual engine.
The VW Caddy is one of the better built vans, if you are looking for something slightly bigger, consider the Nissan or Toyota.
Please don't buy in a hurry!
John

Ok John thanks. I will do some research. I am not in a hurry.

However, i do have a van which looks pretty crap and is old. Its a peugeot partner 600 lx hdi and now has 136K on the clock. I got it with 55K on it in 2013 for £2.5k from a dealer and it was an electrical contractors van who went bust.

It is a yellow van, but the front half has been covered over with a blue covering. So its yellow/blue and really not many peoples cup of tea. But i don't need looks and so i bought it. It has done really well and most years it passes its MOT as i go direct to a MOT station. The brakes seem to be the biggest issue over the years.

So looking at all the vans, it seems something with 50k on the clock today goes for a lot more than £2.5k. I would be happy with a partner again or a ford connect. The 1.8m length loading area is attractive for 6x3 plaster boards.

Not bothered about looks or brand, just want something which is cheaper and reliable.

My tax is £260 at the mo, and the clutch is heavy, but it still goes well, so really i don't need to change, BUT i wouldn't mind treating myself to something a little more modern. Hence starting to look.

Burnerman said:

You have to bear in mind though, vans are in the auction for a reason......

Click to expand...

This^^^.

People go to auctions to get a cheap bargain. My thoughts are if they were any good, the last place to sell them would be at an auction.

But I thought fleet vehicles were gotten rid of this way and they usually sell after only a few yrs service

Often, the good stuff is snapped up by the trade auctions, whilst we mere mortals have to sift through what's left.
Its always a bit of a minefield, with the commercial side being the biggest minefield of the lot......I've mentioned it before, but I bought a fab looking Iveco tipper truck on an 07 plate.
It turned out the bloody thing had been under water
Believe me, there was no trace - until I had to pop the door cards off for a central locking fault, to find the doors were caked with mud......that was just the start of it, an absolute pile of crap.
John

John, that really surprises me. I thought that such a situation would have to be made known to the bidders, especially as it would presumably have been written off.

Apologies, that last post of mine wasn’t very clear......the Iveco in question didn't come from an auction, rather a shady ‘dealer’ in Co. Durham. The truck wasn’t for me but rather for a pal who asked me to come along.
Anyway, the engine bay looked great, the engine was fine and it drove well. Inside the doors and under the dash revealed the ghastly mud mess.
Eventually the owner traded it in, got his money back and drove away with an ex Newcastle authority Transit tipper on a 12 plate- so I could breathe again!
After a while it was obvious why that truck was for sale, but at least its still going- although the tipper base is rotten.
It just shows what a minefield the commercial trade is.
John