Citroen Dispatch

[frontroomautos]

Hello All, Anyone know how The CItroen Dispatch faires up as trials transport for 2 bikes. If possible i dont want to go too big as I dont need a van for any other purpose so it would double as my regular vehicle. I cant stretch the

[svleigh]

I have a Peugeot Expert for every day use, it's the same body as the Citroen Dispatch. I easily get 2 bikes in the back and room for all mine and my mates gear plus tools etc. I could squeeze 3 in with some careful positioning. Great little van, and not too bad on fuel either. twin side doors make access easy too.

cheers

Leigh

[stevel]

Hi,

I ran the Peugeot equivalent of the Despatch for some years (as a second vehicle) in 2 seat format, and found it fine & reasonably comfortable. However decided to change it to 3 seats and regretted it almost immediately as the bench seat is no where near as comfortable as the single seat due to reduced padding and lack of adjustment

Personally I would not recommend it in this format as a first vehicle, purely from the point of view of passenger comfort. But to be fair, I would add that my Peugeot was a 2000 model and the comfort level may have improved since

As for the rack, loads of folk use them without problems (irrespective of the questionable legallity) and they have the benefit over a trailer of not being subject to a speed limit and they take no storing.

If you are worried about the legallity or the possible effect on your car of using a rack, then you are stuck with the trailer option and the shame of having to unhitch everytime you need to reverse

Hope this helps

Stevel

[betabonkers]

I have just bought an 03 Peugeot Expert with three seats, plenty of room for the mrs and kid,

its a lot more comfatable than my mrs clio sport and better on juice.

[frontroomautos]

Thanks for those inputs. Yes I think the trailer is a no go for the discrace it could bring in the event of holding up traffic & unhitching it in order to reverse it, & I take your point about the comfort factor for the passengers (afterall I do have to consider accomodating them equally to my bike, so I'll look into the comfort factor a bit more on the Dispatch/Exper/Scudo. They do seem good on economy. As I am due to change my car shortly I thought that the Peugeot 406 would be ok for all purposes as long as it could handle a rack & keep the bike high enough off the ground. It is a bigish vehicle so would either of you know?

I'm really not interested in cars as far as whats the point in buying any vehicle that is too nice when it sits in the street at the mercy of vandals etc; so if I go for the rack any suggestions on the best car to comfortably handle the rack & are the wheels of the bike held up high enough off the ground when going down bumpy roads as you sometimes do at a trial? I uppose a Land Rover Defender would be lovely for this but not at the cost of one to buy and run. Cheers

[frontroomautos]

Thats reasuring Betabonkers. so you have had no complaints from your Mrs & kid about the room in the Expert then? I know they are good on juice & if vandals scratch or key a van it seems to wear it better than a car.

[betabonkers]

Yeah i love it you cant get me out of it, Drives like a car, quiet if you have the bulkhead, wicked heaters,

and its only 300 quid to insure it.

[barfy]

I'd agree with Stevel comments about the three seat Dispatch. The bench seat isn't that comfortable especially on a long journey.

Otherwise the Dispatch is an excellent little wagon. It drives like a car, handles well and gives good fuel return. I'd recommend going for the 1.9TD or 2.0HDi as they both have a good balance of economy and performance.

You could do a lot worse than a Dispatch, Scudo or Expert.

[barrybaines]

After having a rack for a year I finally decided I neede a van and got me a 1.9 TD Dispatch, what a great van it is will easily get two bikes in and am told 3 is OK on the shorter journeys, after having to do a bit of work on the vehicle recently I can vouch for the ease of maintanance on this van to and better still you can play Citroen, Peugeot and Fiat off against each other for parts prices (Euro carparts or GSF seem best at the mo though) As for day to day use I will happily drive mine like a car for the shopping although you will have a major blind spot if reversing out of a parking space.

As for the Mrs and kid as long as the little 'un aint that big yet you should be fine for decent length journeys; I have literally just last week been ferrying my parents to and from Bristol airport with no bother although a little close. But that said I and they were happy enough for a 40 minute journey.

Major plus sides of the van over the rack are

1: getting changed in the dry

2: less compression of suspension on the bike = less stress on you and bike

3: go at your speed without looking in mirror every 2 seconds to check straps are holding

4: if properly prepared can hold all your kit and are very very easy to keep tidy

Now go out and buy a good one

[the addict]

although you will have a major blind spot if reversing out of a parking space.

Tell me about it Baz

1: getting changed in the dry

2: less compression of suspension on the bike = less stress on you and bike

3: go at your speed without looking in mirror every 2 seconds to check straps are holding

4: if properly prepared can hold all your kit and are very very easy to keep tidy

5: Comfortable/private and peacefull place to take a pre Trial dump

[benj]

what ever you do dont get the non turbo version. i had one as a works vehicle and it was uber slow and thus used more juice trying to make it move. the turbo one seems ok tho. if you use the sliding doors often you'll find the plastic aligning thingys wear down causing the door to slightly open above 67mph causing lots of noise and slows you down. also if you get a relay the clutch pedal usually snaps on the motorway at 90000 miles. every van has its problems of course. space wise you should be fine with 2 bikes. ive now got a vivaro and its spot on but ive no idea of the price differences.

[frontroomautos]

Thanks everyone for the input. I had explored all kinds of options. Also Most cars have a max of 80kg nose weight & unless the vehicle can adequately accomodate this weight it is a bit unerving and no disrespect to anyone that uses a rack on a car but i have seen some on cars clearly not up to the weight and it can look a bit pikey sticking out a foot either side of a ford fiesta or vauxhal nova (ho ho ho) sorry if you are one of these just kidding (no appologies to any of you pikeys though).

The trailer as you have put very well Barry has the obvious cons going against it as you say.

The best compromise therefore between car and van in one vehicle is the Scudo/Dispatch/Expert.

I can see me getting a deal at the end of the year on an 05/06 (last of the previous model before the new 07 ones). I should imagine a descent deal could be struck considering the new ones are well out now and probably better anyway. Also if i can hold out til near March when the new reg comes out, might even be another factor for a good deal on a low milage 06.

It dont really make sense to get a Landy Defender with a rack (not economically or practically) even though I would prefer it. The said van it probably is then. But one last question: is there any tie off points, I cant seem to see any in the pictures I have seen in various ads inside the back. Is it just a matter of screwing some into the floor sides?

[ralph]

Truble with racks and trailers is the salt on the roads in winter, if you do not wash it off that night it eats into the ally bits.

When i switched to a van a few years ago it was bliss to get change in the dry.

[frontroomautos]

I think thats a good point Ralph. I had thought of the salt & other corrosive elements on the road, thats a plus for the van. The other luses have all been mentioned like dry place to get changed, less worry for a number of reasons. Also it can be transported without theives seeing it & following you back to your garageto try & nick it later that night or whenever. Another big plus for me is when a car gets damaged it looks horrible but if someone damages a van when it is left in a car park as it will be, it wears the damage better, almost expect it on a van so to speak. I dont want to own a vehicle that i love as its going to get idiots damage it at some point, I just want a work horse that can ferry three people around. The dispatch is the perfect van for me i think. Not too big to use every day & quite comfortable so it seems for all in it for usual everyday traveling time. Its tough, has probably the most reliable engine of all in it & its economcal. I think ive been won over, I wasnt sure which way to go befor but I do now. I'll wait til the years out & see what I can find. I think it will be the HDI or in the case of the Fiat Scudo JTD versions though. I currently have the 1.9D in my Citroen car & I can not fault it at all it indestructable but can imagine it being a bit slow in the bigger van (not that its fast in the car-but thats not important to me its just that it would probably feel better being a little bit more responsive & apparently HDI is slightly more economical too).