A 7.5 tonne flat bed can be driven on a normal car license. Gives load more room.
Drawbacks would be increased initial coast I`d assume.
Finding a low mileage one might be hard.
But on the + they are designed for high mileage and a hard life.
I`ve done some research, but wondered if anyone has thought the same and or done it.
I had considered getting something like a 7.5t box vehicle but in the end decided against it, mainly because of ease of parking. I think once I've been out in my van for a while and found the right spots I will then know for sure if I want to progress onto a bigger live in vehicle. I think if you have a permanent or semi permanent park up that you can rely on then its worth getting the bigger vehicle, but for me personally, I want to know that I will always find parking particularly in cities etc...
Just thought I'd add for the younger drivers among us, a 7.5t vehicle can not be driven on a normal car licence. The car licence is the category B on the back of your photocard. In order to drive a 7.5t vehicle you need cat C1. If you passed your test before 1997 you will automatically have been given the cat C1 entitlement, however if you passed your driving test after 1997 you will need to take further training and a separate driving test to attain cat C1 and therefore be able to legally drive a 7.5t vehicle. Anything bigger and you are looking at Cat C or for articulated vehicles C+E.
Converted a Dodge 50/ 7.5 ton a few years ago. Best van to live in by far.
But, a pain to park because of the height, expensive to run, high price on the tolls. In the Eurozone difficult to toodle down the tiny town roads, took a couple of sunblinds down in Greece. Oooops!
A good compromise would be a extra long wheel base and high top.
The problems you describe are the very reasons I chose against a 7.5t vehicle! I think the newer Jumbo vans are a great option as you suggest, however not cheap! For me personally budget did unfortunately play a big part in my choice.
There was a superb Merc 814 box 7.5t on ebay recently. It was an TFL incident control room box with built in genny running 240/110/24/12v power heating, hot water, the works. It was quite old H reg so no ecu to go wrong, all mechanical. Only 4000 miles on it. The downside they were asking £12000 for it. But what a great base if money was no object. Would loved to picked it up direct from TFL at the auction.
I've just got this funny feeling one or two of you are going to love this idea, here ya go, check this little beauty out:
http://pureportugal.co.uk/listman/exec/search.cgi?view=358&template=_photos.html
Now that is nice! Not very practical for living in but it does look good doesn't it!?
Quote from: Dudegoeswalkabout on February 12, 2015, 08:02:01 PM
Now that is nice! Not very practical for living in but it does look good doesn't it!?
Yeah but put a yurt up beside it and you've got the best of both worlds.
Simple.
I'm sold, haha! Just need some land to put a yurt on!
Land is pretty cheap in Portugal. Look at that website for example: http://PurePortugal.co.uk (No affiliation).
The good thing about Portugal is the fact that you do not need as far as I know planning permission to live on your own land in a van, truck, caravan, yurt, bender or a similar dwelling as long as you do not put down a concrete base/foundation. Perhaps someone here can clarify the position on this this point?
I don't know about you but I hate concrete anyway.