Criticism of modern van technology

My criticism concerns the continuing absence of self-levelling suspensions in the van fleet

The recent feature “Better by design” in November 2013 PE covered some of the development of the ubiquitous Ford Transit van, albeit only some of the external detail. As an owner of several Transit-sized vans for nearly forty years and half a million miles this nevertheless reminded me of my ongoing criticism of modern van technology.
 
I found owning a van in many ways preferable to owning a car. Running my tiny limited company, the not excessively extra fuel cost was compensated by tax advantages together with the saving due to occasional overnight “tramping” instead of one extra night’s bed and breakfast each week. Over successive vans I have noticed that numerous features that enter the saloon car fleet quite soon appear in the van fleet. As my last two vans were, more frugally, bought nearly new rather than new, such features were coming to me maybe ten years after becoming standard in most saloons, indeed it was not until my last purchase in 2006 that I finally had my first vehicle with internal lighting that was operated by open doors! This did however come with my first high efficiency turbo diesel and my first antilock brakes.
 
My ongoing criticism concerns the continuing absence of self-levelling suspensions in the van fleet. Only recently has Citroen introduced a limited self levelling rear suspension on one of its vans yet if there was any technology that was overdue in the van fleet it has been such suspension systems as they need to cope with the wider range of running weights that light vans experience, beyond that of most saloons. My first was a “Transit 75” in 1975. With its simple long travel cart spring suspension, 0.75 tonne payload and wide track allowing a very comfortable ride. Very different to my later Sherpa with its narrower track for which a professional suspension seat bolted to an untested mounting proved necessary for me to physically survive beyond 50,000 miles. Then followed the comfort of a 0.8 tonne payload VW van. Finally another VW was needed urgently and the nearly-new choices were mostly limited to 1.2 tonne payload examples so not a comfortable ride, otherwise an excellent vehicle.
 
Manufacturers take note, as a private owner (and there are many) I disposed of that last van because I was just too fed up with the “suits all” 1.2 tonne payload capacity delivering a constantly jarring ride. There was a self-levelling conversion from an independent supplier but my insurance company would not cover it and the supplier stopped answering my calls and letter when I wanted to check out and confirm the basic ride performance characteristics.
 
Denis Oglesby

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