In February 2023 I saw on Autotrader the ad for a blue Luton van, with a 7-seat crew cab. Looked very nice, but I was not in the position to purchase this vehicle then. Kept looking at the ad often, drooling over it. Did some drawings regarding the design of the "living space". Has only 3.58 m loading length, so some compromises would be necessary.
Then in May the ad disappeared. Pity.
But a few weeks later it was again online. So I paid the dealer, Barnsley Commercial Services, a visit in Barnsley, and a few days later arranged for a test drive. Very smooth ride, easy to drive.
The main positive points of this vehicle:
- A Luton van has a very straight box. Easy to put furniture in, no curved surfaces, all plain and right-angles.
- High standing space: 2.15 m. Good width: 2.08 m.
- Motorized tail-lift: can serve as a "balcony".
- 7-seater crew cabin: allows to take more than just 2 additional people, and provides space for additional "stuff" without cluttering the living quarters. At the moment (June 2023) this is the only Luton van in the UK with such a cab. In February there was another one onlind on Autotrader, somewhere near London: a 2015 Sprinter. But that is now not online anymore.
- Large (1.80 m long) over-cab compartment, either for a bed of for storage.
- Twin-wheels in the rear, providing more traction.
- The blue color is quite nice and unique.
- Transparent roof lets a lot of light in during the day, even without any window.
Some of the not so good things:
- Speed is limited to 62 mph. How will I cope with this on the German Autobahn?
- The length of the "living quarter" Luton box is only 3.58m. I had envisioned to need at least 4.0 m.
- The cab has no air conditioning.
- Relatively expensive - more than I wanted to spend on a new camper ...
Well, now I needed to decide if I should get this van.
If I decided to buy it, this will be built into my new "tiny home" on wheels.
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