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Shopping on a shoestring
Page 70
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This month Commercial Motor scours the classified for a cheap 7.5-tonne curtainsider to run on a 12-month contract.
The market is awash with affordable 7.5tonne curtainsiders. Attention tends to concentrate on late models in excellent condition but don't be too quick to dismiss older, higher-mileage stock as shabby, unreliable vehicles as they might just be what you're after.
We set the parameters as a small haulier with a new 12-month contract for several regional drops covering approximately 1,500km a week.This haulier intends to sell the vehicle at the end of the Contract.
Costs are to be kept strictly to a minimum so instead of searching the franchised dealers with profit margins to pass on we decided to sift through the independents.
Market leader first
The best manufacturer to start with is lveco as it is the leading player in the second-hand market for 7.5 tonners although we're surprised by the number of 2003-registered products on the forecourt. However, a 75E15 150hp curtainsider on a 1999 V-plate seems to match our needs. It has a day cab and looks suspiciously like ex-rental as there's no airmanagement kit.
Mileage is quoted at average and its price tag is £7,999 (ex-VAT),It's white with a blue curtain and barn doors. Depreciation after 12 months can be factored into costs at 20% so a theoretical return of £6,000 down the line would be a bonus, The second contender from Iveco is a 1998 S-registered El5 Cargo."It's clean but the mileage is high (450,000km) and there are signs of rust around the doors on the cab and at the back. One curtain is ripped," says the salesperson with remarkable honesty At £7,250 (ex-VAT) it's the prime candidate.
Engine hits prices
We switch our attention to Daf and the 45Series. It has a weaker engine so we figure prices might be lower. Unfortunately there aren't many around but we track one down at a dealer which isn't advertised.This 1997 Rregistered 45.130 has a day cab and 20ft curtainsider body. Mileage and condition are described as average. In fact it's done 500,000km and the body looks a bit weary. It's white, no surprise there, and has been off the road for six months. It is priced £5,200 (exVAT).The dealer is willing to haggle but we decide to move on.
The next dealer offers us a 45.150 but the extra 13hp is going t o cost us extra .A Euro-2 1999V-plated day-cab curtainsider is well over 18,000 (ex-VAT) so we feign disappointment and hang up.
MAN and Mercedes-Benz prove to be expensive: we look at an L2000 and an Atego; both 1999 and in similar condition. In fact no further vehicles we found were under /8,000 (ex-VAT) except for an M-B EcoPower 817 on a 1998 R-plate. It would have one of the last off the production line and its 170hp engine would suit our needs. Price is £6,500 (ex-VAT).
Renault Trucks' Midlum is too popular and its prices are high compared with the rest in this field.The Mitsubishi 75 curtainsider offers an alternative but we don't find one here. • CONCLUSION When we kicked off this exercise we were sure the Dutch or the Italians would provide us with a winner—the used market can throw up some pleasant surprises.
The 817 EcoPower with all its faults ironed out and a rip-roaring 170hp engine grabbed our attention. We found cheaper Dafs and 'yews but in the end, if its in good working order, the Mercedes will be the vehicle for us.