Working vehicles past their sell by.

[Floatylight]

10 hours ago, High Jetter said:

By my reckoning a 63 plate means 2013, so it will turn 12 this year. I'd guess the mileages are less than supermarket deliverers, though I'd hope are better maintained.

Think @stuboy maintains ambulances so would be in the know. I do think they do a decent stint though probably due to the high conversion costs & low residual values.

[High Jetter]

46 minutes ago, Floatylight said:

Think @stuboy maintains ambulances so would be in the know. I do think they do a decent stint though probably due to the high conversion costs & low residual values.

Indeed, but time parked at incidents and at A&E handing over might skew that? I'd be happy to see Lomax's on the road if it helps.

[Markeh]

I think there's a limit on age of vehicles you can use on NHS-related stuff of 10 years - not sure that applies to ambulances though. It's through those circumstances (and a load of at the time 10 year old Mondeos being decommissioned from NHS work) that the blood bikes were able to replace their vehicles and therefore how I ended up briefly with their old Octavia!

[Nibbler]

On 20/12/2024 at 22:44, Nibbler said:

I’ve been trying for a whole week. So I hope you really appreciate these fantastic high quality pictures. Glebe is a local company in my part of the world and they operate a fleet of rusty Volkswagen T4s.

[Datsuncog]

That crusty Dodge Spacevan posted upthread reminded me that this one is still going locally...

It's been nearly six years since I took these pics, but I've regularly spotted the old girl still pottering about the Shore Road area, most recently a few months back, so presumably still in service as a commercial vehicle.

Long may it continue.

[danthecapriman]

23 minutes ago, Datsuncog said:

That crusty Dodge Spacevan posted upthread reminded me that this one is still going locally...

It's been nearly six years since I took these pics, but I've regularly spotted the old girl still pottering about the Shore Road area, most recently a few months back, so presumably still in service as a commercial vehicle.

Long may it continue.

I guess it’s an ex PO Telephones/BT van? 
What a great old van though.

[Datsuncog]

More than likely ex-British Telecom, as a 1981 registration - I think BT were pretty much the only organisation buying such an antiquated vehicle in any great numbers! Still, if the deep discounts offered made the fleet accountants happy (see also Bedford HA etc...)

[danthecapriman]

25 minutes ago, Datsuncog said:

More than likely ex-British Telecom, as a 1981 registration - I think BT were pretty much the only organisation buying such an antiquated vehicle in any great numbers! Still, if the deep discounts offered made the fleet accountants happy (see also Bedford HA etc...)

I think British Rail were still buying vans like the HA and Dodge Spacevan etc etc. usually government utilities… says a lot!😄

[jon.k]

 

[holbeck]

On 10/01/2025 at 12:40, danthecapriman said:

I think British Rail were still buying vans like the HA and Dodge Spacevan etc etc. usually government utilities… says a lot!😄

BT were the only Spacevan customer at the end. 

Once Chrysler UK had sold out their Commercial Vehicle operations including the Spacevan,  to Renault RVI, production would have finished there and then but there were ongoing contracts with BT that lasted into 1983. 

Renault were obliged to honour those contracts and continued to manufacture it. 

[warch]

My dad was still using this as his business vehicle right up until he actually retired a couple of years ago. It’s of uncertain age but seems to have been built in about 1971. 

 

 

[Leyland Worldmaster]

Not the Croydonshire Unicorn Combi...

But is is older...

 

[morrisoxide]

On 16/12/2024 at 08:51, bunglebus said:

Just too far away in a compound to see the reg, but K plate Transit with a huge body was spotted on one of my Northern jaunts. Manchester maybe? Leeds? Can't remember

 

It's in Leeds not far from the Dalek. I got a picture of it not so long ago.

[High Jetter]

3 hours ago, morrisoxide said:

It's in Leeds not far from the Dalek. I got a picture of it not so long ago.

Postman Pat's branching out...

[Faker]

On 10/01/2025 at 11:32, Datsuncog said:

That crusty Dodge Spacevan posted upthread reminded me that this one is still going locally...

It's been nearly six years since I took these pics, but I've regularly spotted the old girl still pottering about the Shore Road area, most recently a few months back, so presumably still in service as a commercial vehicle.

Long may it continue.

It’s changed it’s advertising. It’s been an advertising van for a long time. Abbey fireplaces didn’t actually use it for work purposes 

[mat_the_cat]

On 31/12/2024 at 08:51, loserone said:

They've got some decent looking kit about

 

...and an Iveco.