Old Vans

Nigel1505 · Post by **Nigel1505** » 14 Jan 2018, 15:22

We read in the Courier about new electric vans and I see newer vans around the country on my travels. At our DO we have two or three that are nearly ten years old and are falling apart. Isn't there a policy that these are replaced when they get to a certain age.

k979aaa · Post by **k979aaa** » 14 Jan 2018, 16:11

Nigel1505 wrote:We read in the Courier about new electric vans and I see newer vans around the country on my travels. At our DO we have two or three that are nearly ten years old and are falling apart. Isn't there a policy that these are replaced when they get to a certain age.

No they hope you will die at the wheel even if it was not your fault our the van's crash protection in these things is laughable unless you are in it by the way royalmail do life insurance took out of your pay don't no ware you stand if you die before your last and only payment though!

glenfiddich · Post by **glenfiddich** » 14 Jan 2018, 16:14

Yes the high performing offices get new vans while underperforming offices receive their old cast offs it's an incentive for you all to do better

deltaforce · Post by **deltaforce** » 14 Jan 2018, 18:02

Ive got a ten year old van and I prefer to the newer models, it doesn't keep talking to you about handbrake reminders every 5 mins. There is no filter clogging to worry about and the one I drive is in better Nick than most of the newer models

redneck · Post by **redneck** » 14 Jan 2018, 18:38

The old Vauxhall Combos are the most hateful vehicles ever to have been invented. You need a hoist to get you up and outside from the drivers seat, the screen is massive with a tiny (in comparison) sunshield to avoid being completely blinded, the back door hinges always bend meaning it acts like a twa**ing machine when positioned at the back in a reasonable wind, and the front doors blow off in a storm. Crap. Mind you, if you fancy not using the clutch if you're a bit tired you can change gear smoothlyn without it, the box is that worn.

rubberbond · Post by **rubberbond** » 14 Jan 2018, 19:41

redneck wrote:The old Vauxhall Combos are the most hateful vehicles ever to have been invented. You need a hoist to get you up and outside from the drivers seat, the screen is massive with a tiny (in comparison) sunshield to avoid being completely blinded, the back door hinges always bend meaning it acts like a twa**ing machine when positioned at the back in a reasonable wind, and the front doors blow off in a storm. Crap. Mind you, if you fancy not using the clutch if you're a bit tired you can change gear smoothlyn without it, the box is that worn.

And if you're a certain height you always catch your head on the lugs that poke out from the top of back doors, leaving you with a nasty injury. As for the Peugeot thing, you can't push the seat back far enough to get comfortable ,it's even worse when you're wearing a storm coat.

Nigel1505 · Post by **Nigel1505** » 15 Jan 2018, 16:21

Here Here to the last two posts. It is the crap Combo's that I was referring to.

Celgar · Post by **Celgar** » 15 Jan 2018, 16:59

My old van is a Peugeot Bipper. It seems to spend more time in the garage than out. It uses a lot of oil, sometimes stinks of diesal, and the gears freeze up when it gets really cold but I'd rather stay with the Bipper than get one of the new ones. Had to use one of the Fiat vans over Xmas while my Bipper was 'on holiday' in the garage yet again. I think the Fiat does, or needs to go through, one of those engine cleaning cycles periodically. Quite a few times while on delivery it seemed to do it itself and was pumping a horrendous amount of death-dealing blue smoke out of the exhaust. Probably the worst van to have though is the one with the tracker thingy that let's RM know you have picked your nose.

k979aaa · Post by **k979aaa** » 15 Jan 2018, 17:46

Celgar wrote:My old van is a Peugeot Bipper. It seems to spend more time in the garage than out. It uses a lot of oil, sometimes stinks of diesal, and the gears freeze up when it gets really cold but I'd rather stay with the Bipper than get one of the new ones. Had to use one of the Fiat vans over Xmas while my Bipper was 'on holiday' in the garage yet again. I think the Fiat does, or needs to go through, one of those engine cleaning cycles periodically. Quite a few times while on delivery it seemed to do it itself and was pumping a horrendous amount of death-dealing blue smoke out of the exhaust. Probably the worst van to have though is the one with the tracker thingy that let's RM know you have picked your nose.

I use it as a badge of honour how quick I can get it on the red and bleep every gear change that's how you drive a royalmail van!

rubberbond · Post by **rubberbond** » 15 Jan 2018, 18:19

k979aaa wrote:
Celgar wrote:My old van is a Peugeot Bipper. It seems to spend more time in the garage than out. It uses a lot of oil, sometimes stinks of diesal, and the gears freeze up when it gets really cold but I'd rather stay with the Bipper than get one of the new ones. Had to use one of the Fiat vans over Xmas while my Bipper was 'on holiday' in the garage yet again. I think the Fiat does, or needs to go through, one of those engine cleaning cycles periodically. Quite a few times while on delivery it seemed to do it itself and was pumping a horrendous amount of death-dealing blue smoke out of the exhaust. Probably the worst van to have though is the one with the tracker thingy that let's RM know you have picked your nose.
I use it as a badge of honour how quick I can get it on the red and bleep every gear change that's how you drive a royalmail van!

The fastest van in the world!

scoobymunster · Post by **scoobymunster** » 15 Jan 2018, 19:00

k979aaa wrote: I use it as a badge of honour how quick I can get it on the red and bleep every gear change that's how you drive a royalmail van!

We were told vans with trimble would be continually rotated through the office to ensure everyone is driving efficiently. Those who drive like mrs daisy are now stuck with them, the bosses were getting too much grief from up above about our office rally drivers.

Seymour Buts · Post by **Seymour Buts** » 15 Jan 2018, 21:54

The Fiats are the worst, heaps of s**t. I've never driven one without the engine management light on. The ones in our office do about 30 miles an hour flat out.

Celgar · Post by **Celgar** » 15 Jan 2018, 22:51

I always thought the acceleration on my Peugeot Bipper was bad until I had to endure that Fiat van for a couple of weeks. One day trying to get it up a hill the car behind me was honking his horn but I couldn't make it go any faster.

Post by **CPTNemoUK** » 16 Jan 2018, 07:15

Celgar wrote:I always thought the acceleration on my Peugeot Bipper was bad until I had to endure that Fiat van for a couple of weeks. One day trying to get it up a hill the car behind me was honking his horn but I couldn't make it go any faster.

We got one in our office. It Is awful. That bad someone crashed it and ripped the back wheel off. Everyone was hoping it was a right off but no it came back to haunt us

Your late today · Post by **Your late today** » 16 Jan 2018, 14:46

There was a time Royal Mail fleet was far better than the white van man who drove around in rust buckets now it’s Royal Mail who are the ones with an ageing fleet, it must cost them a lot more in maintaining them as they are out of warranty so have to pay for all parts and the resell value is just scrap value.