I'm seriously considering getting a recovery truck..

[DaveDorson]

Because I plan to move more and more tat about as the workshop gets more and more busy, I'm considering whether it's worth me getting something like a transit recovery truck.

I'd want something older, cheaper, and smaller as I tend to really only deal with smaller stuff if I can help it, ideally the sort of thing that sportsman racers use to get them and their kit between races.

Where would one usually shop for such chod?

[AnnoyingPentium]

There was an Iveco one posted on the eBay tat thread, if you feel like living on the wild side a little.

[Agila]

Can't get a lot for 2 grand etc. I think 5 or 6 might buy something decent. They are normally a hard working tool only available when knackered or rusty etc.

Gumtree or Facebook, Ebay, autotrader, so basically the usual outlets.

[lesapandre]

What I noticed when I looked for one is how many are 3.5T or not much more. With a lot of this stuff it is very easy to go overweight with a bigger car or 4x4 -  and then get stopped. Check you have the right insurance too. 

There is also I think these days some checking of the weight on the individual  axels - gross weight might be under but individual  axel weight might still be over.

[JimH]

Is a trailer a better idea?

[Rust Collector]

I had been after a cheap one for a while too, but as Agila says at the 2 grand end of the scale you're looking at trucks that are too knackered to work anymore. After welding my mates' pikey Transit tipper up recently I've kind of lost my appetite for cheap work trucks 😆

I've since bought a 2.5t twin axle trailer instead, as I already have a 4x4 that can pull 2.8t which is enough for what I do - the logic being that it doesn't mean another round of MOT/Tax/Service costs added to my budget. If it proves itself invaluable I can always look at picking a recovery truck up later. The main disadvantage of the trailer is that it can't quite get everywhere that a rigid chassis truck would, but I think it's a small compromise seeing as it's already bailed me out of the crap a few times now and it costs barely anything to run.

If you've got something that can tow, I'd be inclined to suggest a trailer at least temporarily - 2 grand would buy something decent enough.

[Dyslexic Viking]

I also want to buy one. But 3.5 ton versions are rare here in Norway and if they show up at a fair price, they will be sold quickly. Payload I do not see as a problem with these as the ones I have seen have a payload between 1.2 to 1.5 tons and that is enough for my use. Trailer is also an option but then I still have to buy a bigger car and trailer and I also have to extend the driver's license, which is so much trouble here that I do not want to do it.

[sierraman]

A two thousand quid recovery truck would be absolutely fucking fucked. Unless you can find something like an old Bedford CF but even then it’s going to be much more than £2k. Also bear in mind the possibility of it leaving you at the roadside with a car on the back. 

Just seen there’s an LDV one in Deptford. Tested but it looks like it’s had some serious welding done on it. Worryingly there’s a big bowser of water in the cab as well so that would suggest on the face of it that there’s trouble ahead. But it’s £2,500. 

[Six-cylinder]

If you are unlucky they find you!

[Dyslexic Viking]

Out of curiosity I took a look and on gumtree this is for sale for 2,450

https://www.gumtree.com/p/trucks/ldv-convoy-recovery-truck-car-transporter-1999-2496-cc-/1423741563

[Asimo]

From TDW’s police tweets thread-

 

[lesapandre]

I follow our Kent traffic police and Highways Agency on Twitter (it is very useful for some practical stuff) as I am often on the M'way to and from Dover. 

I'd seen that - it was retweeted - a good example  of the challenges. 

These police Twitter feeds do show some of the nutters on the road and the practical steps to keep us safe.

[sierraman]

That’s the other issue. Expect constant hassle from the police/VOSA, wondering if you are overweight or the cargo on the back is nicked. 

[lesapandre]

If you want to look further afield there is still a lot of old recovery  vehicles in France.

Every country garage had a 'depanneuse' vehicle.

So there are some nice 'classic' vehicles about.

A bit of a faff to import and lhd - but might find something for running about locally and MoT exempt if pre-81.

These are currently  on LeBonCoin at around 6000€ with French MoT.

Both pre-81.

There is also a lot of cheaper stuff needing work.

[lesapandre]

This is 1600€. 

[lesapandre]

2900€  - 1977

[Kiltox]

A trailer and decent tow car likely cheaper and less likely to be overweight…

[lesapandre]

This 5800€...

[JimH]

Bingo! 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/165281104106

All you need now is to fit a fifth wheel to the roof of the Beetle and you are good to go. 

[Matty]

Our iveco flatbed is 2200kg on the weighbridge with nowt on it and no one sat in it. That gives you 1300kg to play with. I'm betting recovery bodywork will be a chunk heavier than what's on ours so say you get 1100 to 1200 kg to play with, after deducting payload for passengers and so on. Even my mk6 fiesta is 1040 kg. Only much use if your going to shift older smaller stuff, I get a decent trailer instead bud.

[DaveDorson]

1 hour ago, JimH said:

Is a trailer a better idea?

I've got a trailer, but I also have a trailer tent, and I've got a car that will do some motorsport service at some point.. for some events having the two will be handy.

[big_al_granvia]

5,500 gets you this https://racecarsdirect.com/Advert/Details/125303/mercedes-814-1994

under 2k https://racecarsdirect.com/Advert/Details/124270/iveco-75-tonne-car-transportermotor-home

[goosey]

1 hour ago, lesapandre said:

This is 1600€. 

Ford A series, my favourite truck 

[Cheezey]

I saw a scruffy Transit recovery wagon yesterday in traffic and was thinking about this. This thread is pretty much my train of thought. Modern cars now too heavy for these, especially electric cars. 
Questions and thoughts that came to mind: What real use are these smaller recovery vehicles now? Will they be worthless except for moving classics? Surely these are a bit safer for the inexperienced than towing a car on a trailer. 

[Timewaster]

To avoid being overweight and at the mercy of Vosa, I would say go 7.5t. 

But then you have operator's licence and all that to deal with. 

Verdict : Ball ache. 

[Dead_E23]

If you have a pre '97 licence and room to park it, a quick browse of eBay suggests you might find some tempting deals on heavier stuff up to 7.5t and registering it as a private HGV.

[sierraman]

25 minutes ago, Cheezey said:

I saw a scruffy Transit recovery wagon yesterday in traffic and was thinking about this. This thread is pretty much my train of thought. Modern cars now too heavy for these, especially electric cars. 
Questions and thoughts that came to mind: What real use are these smaller recovery vehicles now? Will they be worthless except for moving classics? Surely these are a bit safer for the inexperienced than towing a car on a trailer. 

Not a lot of use, most I see are at these classic rallies carrying something like a Lister Petter diesel thing doing something utterly pointless like pumping water from one bucket to another. Unless it’s a real beaut most of these tatty old Bedford CF you see are held together with pigeon shit welds and goodwill. You couldn’t depend on something like that to carry a car any distance unless you were absolutely mad. Plus as said VOSA will be rubbing their hands once they see you carrying anything more than a sack of potatoes on board. 

[Spurious]

Also the bonus of everyone having a BE license now so you're legal towing a bigger trailer wheras you'd need a C1 and a bigger van to haul anything useful on a van I would have thought. 

[horriblemercedes]

1 hour ago, Cheezey said:

I saw a scruffy Transit recovery wagon yesterday in traffic and was thinking about this. This thread is pretty much my train of thought. Modern cars now too heavy for these, especially electric cars. 
Questions and thoughts that came to mind: What real use are these smaller recovery vehicles now? Will they be worthless except for moving classics? Surely these are a bit safer for the inexperienced than towing a car on a trailer. 

I think they're a perfect solution for very specific requirements. I know club racers who use them to transport something like that's not road-legal or that you wouldn't want to use on the road (many older race cars or even more modern stripped stuff) and even with a caravan on the back to provide somewhere to stay. Like towing a car trailer with a motorhome but more biased towards the vehicle transport side of things

[wuvvum]

As others have said, if you're going to get a recovery truck to transport anything bigger than a Perodua Nippa I'd go 7.5t - apart from the weight thing they tend to be cheaper as anybody under the age of 42 won't be able to drive them on their car licence so the demand is lower.  I don't think you need an operator's licence or any of that shiz if you're only using it for private use to transport your own vehicles.

Be warned though, if you have a recovery truck you suddenly become everybody's best mate.