The latest addition to the company fleet arrived today. It’s a TGE according to the badge on the door. I had no idea MAN even did vans.
Is there a Volvo or Scania van in the pipeline?
The MAN thing is a rebadged new-shape VW Crafter. They’re both built in the same factory in Poland.
Maybe but I like the look of them, they look even better inside.
MAN said something about trying to make vans as reliable as trucks on top of that they have great afters sales support. No idea if MAN have actually tried to make these vans cope with the miles better then regular vans but if they have I’d be interested.
FYI I took my 56 transit in for repairs at least 6 times last year and it doesn’t even do more then 10000 miles a year. Never had an issue with the old transits but the new ones seem to be built to make service centres a ton of money.
This is their first foray into the van market. I think it looks good but I can’t help thinking that they really should have made it a Scania, the fan boys would go nuts
switchlogic:
This is their first foray into the van market. I think it looks good but I can’t help thinking that they really should have made it a Scania, the fan boys would go nuts
There has to be a whole custom after market built before a Scania can be released so appropriate tarting up can occur.
toonsy:
switchlogic:
This is their first foray into the van market. I think it looks good but I can’t help thinking that they really should have made it a Scania, the fan boys would go nutsThere has to be a whole custom after market built before a Scania can be released so appropriate tarting up can occur.
If Scania make a van that can be easily transformed into a camper, I’d probably go for it.
I had an old 1999 VW LT28 minibus for a couple of years; same bodyshell as a Sprinter. Being non-turbo it was a bit slow, but reliable, comfortable and pleasant to drive. Interesting thing was it didn’t suffer nearly as badly from tinworm as Sprinters of that age were wont to do.
After a blind idiot in a car pulled out on me and wrote the VW off, I replaced it with an Iveco Daily; very rugged and powerful but the ride quality is worse even than my old Series One Land-Rover, the missus hates it so it’s got to go. I’ve been looking about for a better van, and did consider a later VW Crafter but have been warned off by friends who’ve had them, reliability is not apparently what it was. Like our HGV’s, modern vans are infested with sensors and electronic gadgetry which seems to be responsible for most of the failures.
Son-in-law, a Ford master technician, tells me that despite early issues with a faulty batch of oil pumps (warranty recall) the latest Transits have few issues; the 2006 era ones with the Duratorq engines are well known to be dogs and are best avoided.
Captain Caveman 76:
toonsy:
switchlogic:
This is their first foray into the van market. I think it looks good but I can’t help thinking that they really should have made it a Scania, the fan boys would go nutsThere has to be a whole custom after market built before a Scania can be released so appropriate tarting up can occur.
If Scania make a van that can be easily transformed into a camper, I’d probably go for it.
Shouldn’t be too difficult, most of their lorries are camp enough anyway. 
Sidevalve:
Captain Caveman 76:
toonsy:
switchlogic:
This is their first foray into the van market. I think it looks good but I can’t help thinking that they really should have made it a Scania, the fan boys would go nutsThere has to be a whole custom after market built before a Scania can be released so appropriate tarting up can occur.
If Scania make a van that can be easily transformed into a camper, I’d probably go for it.
Shouldn’t be too difficult, most of their lorries are camp enough anyway.
Scania do make vans… they’re called VW’s!
Aren’t MAN owned by VW Group ?
Larger VW vans are the same shells as Mercs with different front panels .
Sent from my SM-G903F using Tapatalk
grumpyken52:
Aren’t MAN owned by VW Group ?
Larger VW vans are the same shells as Mercs with different front panels .Sent from my SM-G903F using Tapatalk
Yeah same family, as with scania too.
Anyone with half an eyesight can see its a crafter with a lion on the front.
switchlogic:
This is their first foray into the van market. I think it looks good but I can’t help thinking that they really should have made it a Scania, the fan boys would go nuts
.
O no not baby chickens, be light bars and big old thrush side-pipes, and furry dash boards, old skool van custom.
biggriffin:
switchlogic:
This is their first foray into the van market. I think it looks good but I can’t help thinking that they really should have made it a Scania, the fan boys would go nuts.
O no not baby chickens, be light bars and big old thrush side-pipes, and furry dash boards, old skool van custom.
Kelsa are probably already welding 2 bits of rusty steel together as we type this.
Win-Stone:
Scania do make vans… they’re called VW’s!
No, they’re VWs, the clue is in the name 
switchlogic:
Win-Stone:
Scania do make vans… they’re called VW’s!
No, they’re VWs, the clue is in the name
… or, alternately, it could have been a simple typo? (…and, yeah, should have double checked the typing before hitting submit!)
but I think you’ll find that the point is still valid.
You can get a Renault Kangoo with a Merc badge stuck on the front. Or is it a Bipper - who knows 
The UK van market is sooo limited for choice and this is another perfect example of manufacturers being lazy in design. This TGE is a VW Crafter is a VW Sprinter… A Fiat Ducato is a Peugeot Boxer is a Citroen Relay, A Renault Kangoo is a Merc Citan, A Renault Master is a Vauxhall Movano is a Nissan NV400, and the list goes on. Hardly any of them differ other than the badge on the front. In fact, Ford must be the only manufacturer that makes their own vans?!
The MAN van is not a badge-engineered Sprinter, that’s for sure.
Sidevalve:
I had an old 1999 VW LT28 minibus for a couple of years; same bodyshell as a Sprinter. Being non-turbo it was a bit slow, but reliable, comfortable and pleasant to drive. Interesting thing was it didn’t suffer nearly as badly from tinworm as Sprinters of that age were wont to do.After a blind idiot in a car pulled out on me and wrote the VW off, I replaced it with an Iveco Daily; very rugged and powerful but the ride quality is worse even than my old Series One Land-Rover, the missus hates it so it’s got to go. I’ve been looking about for a better van, and did consider a later VW Crafter but have been warned off by friends who’ve had them, reliability is not apparently what it was. Like our HGV’s, modern vans are infested with sensors and electronic gadgetry which seems to be responsible for most of the failures.
Son-in-law, a Ford master technician, tells me that despite early issues with a faulty batch of oil pumps (warranty recall) the latest Transits have few issues; the 2006 era ones with the Duratorq engines are well known to be dogs and are best avoided.
I’m guessing the 2006 era ones are the Mk7 between 2006 and 2013?
Surprises me though, we have a transit jumbo 2010… 140ps which was meant to be the most ‘unreliable’ yet ours has 203,000 on the clock, only ever had 4 injectors, clutch, propshaft and oil cooler!