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At the risk of sounding like CJ in Reggie Perrin ("I didn't get where I am today.........") I thought it would be interesting for any others to see what I have run since 1984. Any purchase can look better with the benefit of hindsight but a vehicle choice for an owner driver is an onerous task, get it wrong and you have no customers. Try to finish the vehicle's life with the finish of the work-no point in having a new vehicle and no work. All primary school stuff really but it is easy to be over capitalized!

LOB30X Ford Transit 190 petrol 2000cc2

1984.Bought seondhand ex Cotterills Bournheath, ex Bristol Street Motors Delivery van, good payload 37cwt as petrol engine lighter than the equivalent York diesel(the Transit Di only came in 1986). Typical mpg 23 on 4 star but just not enough floor space/volume. It got me started but as a generic "van" it did not give me something to make me different from anyone else. Best trip-Moving Victor Hugo his house contents and Velocette motorcycle from Swerford to Soudley. 1985 Traded in for B435XJO. I last saw it on Chipping Norton market on a Petfood stall. The DVLA website says that it was last MOTed in 1987.

B435XJO Freight Rover 350XLWB petrol 1997cc

1985 Bought New Ex Hartwells Banbury, Body ex Ingimex Telford, Wind deflector ex Hawkes Bromsgrove.
Started off on 2 star-not a good move, lots of pinking and mpg around 14, Hartwells tried and tried but it would run on when stopped. In the end my local village garage(The Forge in Brailes) cured it by altering the timing to run on 4 star. Much better now 19 mpg with that big body. A fair payload about 34cwt but after 4 years the wisadeck floor had delaminated and the final straw on my 25th birthday was a gear selector fork making it stay in 4th gear. I was just outside Cerne Abbas, The Forge said "wait until the evening and come back when there is no traffic" Good advice-I got it back, they repaired it and I sold it to Peter Seaton Van Sales in Buckingham. Never seen again, it was the "sum of the parts" a nice idea from the BL parts bin. DVLA website says last MOTed in 1997 so it had a life after me.

MWK127P Mercedes Benz 306D lwb dropside. 1986 Bought second hand on whim-foolish boy- just to see if it could be useful-it was a crock then. But it proved a point and was useful which lead to the next one. But you can't drive two at once. Average Mpg 30, top speed 55mph payload 1750 kgs. What finished it was Mr Betteridge at Partridges in Cassington saying(on a pre MOT appraisal) "I think you can do better than that!"Quite right- sold for £200 to West County Commercials, Fishponds Bristol. DVLA website says last MOTed 1990 goodness knows how.

G561XDD Mercedes Benz T1 308D 2404cc Diesel, Body ex Brade Leigh.Bought New Ex Mudie Bond Tewkesbury.

What a difference! Good build quality gives you confidence. The premium brand looks good on you and your customer. Payload about 1500kgs mpg 28. Compared to todays speeds it was a relaxed drive-57-60mph.Best trip leaving Hook van Holland for Hamburg via Dr Ludwig at Rinteln Nr Hanover on a Sunday morning. We got 2kg of cherries to eat from Rinteln to Hamburg-the stones were self seeded out of the window so I hope that some trees are growing now. By the end of it the first shape Sprinters were coming in. The Brade Leigh body was still perfect so I swapped the body on to the next N235EBW and traded the chassis. I last saw it with another body on near Wheathampstead. DVLA website says it was last MOTed in 1993.

N235 EBW Mercedes Benz 310D 2875cc Body on 2nd life

1995 Bought as chassis New ex Evenlode Trucks Cassington, Oxford. The extra cylinder made all the difference, 95hp as opposed to 80hp. It was a compromise to buy a new "old" model but the bodies for these little vans have never been cheap so it made sense (just) to use it. Payload around 1400kgs MPG about 25. Best trip a Saturday Chelsea Flowershow "Stock in" day. George and Karen came too. He was about 2 and every one enjoyed him shouting "Digger" when anything yellow went past-it didn't matter whether it was a forklift, dumper or cherry picker-when you are 2 the generic "digger" covers all. Traded in against LV02EYA. Never seen again but DVLA website says that it was last MOTed in 2010.

LV02EYA Mercedes Benz 311cdi Mwb. Body already fitted ex Peninsular Bodies Kent.

2003 bought secondhand Ex Mudie Bond Kidderminster as a nearly new, MPG 24/25/26 dependant on environment .
A much more modern thing, it worried me that I could stop things from moving inside a curtainsider but now have a selection of pallets with sides to pack on. Payload dropped to 1250kgs but a nice quiet thing. The body is steel with a pine floor, alloy is a nice idea but economy is still the watchword. The best trip was actually a "stop" outside Corby where I had a VERY sensible discussion with the Trust Dept of the Inland Revenue concerning my deceased fathers estate. They are human after all. Traded in for KG06ZCV never seen but DVLA website says it is SORNed at present.

KG06ZCV Mercedes Benz 311cdi mwb Chassis Cab

2009 bought secondhand as a Chassis ex Ciceley Bolton, 3 years old and a ex Eismann freezer box with 36k on the clock. Paul Heavens of Panelcraft in Shutford helped me refit the box off LV02EYA. This seems to be a trend in making a body do two chassis'. But if it isn't broke then don't fix it! It did give good service. By the end it was entirely serviceable but you have to try to exceed customer expectations-it didn’t matter how “bright shiny and new” I was ..............it was still a ten year old van....sold to a recycling firm in SE London( www. quantumwaste.com )-the right place for it to go-less miles and just to do a job of work.

2013 Renault Integral 125 c/w Trucksmith of Cullompton Loloader body.

2016 DN63UWJ Mr Micawber was right ”Something will turn up” But it took until 2016 for it to do so. A Mk3 Sprinter was getting a impossible thing to find as either a Chassis Cab as a nearly new or with either a Luton/Curtain body and with the payload penalty going from a Mk2 to a Mk3. A panel van option loomed in the distance –that would not make me different from any one else.......... This Renault was at a Car Supermarket in Thurrock and had been fitted as a mobile workshop. But the combination of payload and volume was a winner. The low load height is a plus but taking a pallet truck with me when I have cases a disadvantage. It is not easy to leave a brand that has given you good service (MB-26 years) but I need something that is competitive and contemporary with what others have.

2018 Renault Integral 125 c/Trucksmith of Cullompton Loloader body.

Assume nothing, keep trying, keep going. I/we were lucky the work continued through COVID....and the 2013 Loloader I had been unsure about was a good thing. Finding a replacement was a challenge especially as it needed to be Euro 6 to be compliant with the increasing ULEZ/CAZ areas. In the end it was Wheelers in Chipping Norton who had taken AY18BNV in with low mileage. Of course the deal was by now with the price/availability situation-“pay the price” so you just have to be grateful for the lack of nonsense and get on with it. DN63 UWJ was sold to a local removal firm near Witney for more than I thought I was going to get. Swings and roundabouts.

The point of all the above is that working for yourself is still possible! I have been lucky that The Pottery does have nice customers and as long as you are "Right place right time" it is a fun thing to do. I have also been very fortunate in the back up I have had at home from Karen-she has had to listen to all of the above nonsense without throttling me.

Overall I have met some great people and had an insight into some careful gardening. You might as well try to enjoy it as we all only have one life............................................You never know what you can do until you try so go on give it a go!

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