6 seater Vito internal length

[James5969]

To add, I’ve only managed to find two vito extra long dualiner, within my budget, this is the other one. If it was either of you buying, which out of these two would be best. I’m happy to drive auto or manual.


https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/202003238689619

 

[m80]

1st one has the more reliable engine.
Less economical both as auto and because the later 651 engine is more economical.

In the OM639 Vito / Viano (made 2004 - 2014) the 646 (2148cc) engine was fitted till sometime 2010. The 651 (2143cc) engine was then fitted and even fitted in the 447 (later Vito and 'V' class).

646.
More noisy,
less economical,
unlikely to have a DPF,
higher tax, but registered as N1 (commercial) of no relevance.
Proven to be very capable of mega miles reliably.

651.
Quieter,
more economical,
less co2 output,
will have a DPF,
inherent problems with timing chain. Can show at above 65k miles or run for 200k miles no issue. A rattle at cold start up and chain, tensioner and timing gears likely need replacing, if the chain snaps, or possibly even if the chain jumps gears, bye bye engine.

Saving the planet is nice but not wanting to start the eternal debate in this forum again the DPF is a pain in't ass.
But I might still be tempted for a good motor.

The later van is likely to be less quiet w/o the 'comfort' interior. It does look to have auto lights, and possibly auto wipers?
It is cooler by appearance and should have daytime running lights at the front.

I prefer the tailgate.

We are likely to have very different requirements, but I don't want to drive a van that feels like a van. Even though it definitely gets used as one by me.
Our desire is to travel distance and not feel excessively knackered due to vibes, excess noise, or just plain driving a vehicle w/o some comforts.

If / when you get one you will be surprised at how you jump into it in preference to other motors. My 1st was a 2007 ex long Traveliner, bought at 296K miles as an experiment.
Cloth seats, till I swapped 'em, drivers seat heated. No steering controls, interior pretty much as your 1st example.
After a couple of months I realised I was jumping in that in preference to my 320CDI C class that was on the drive, and that was fully loaded.
As a more basic van I'm not sure I would still have that preference.

Take your time to get this right, there are a lot of potential dogs out there.

Type in the registration, as long as it isn't a personal reg you can often see where it was 1st registered. I steer clear of Scottish motors, and I am suspicious of rural mountain motors, they are more prone to rusting.
LX57R-- was registered in Sidcup, London. Doesn't mean it stayed there but it can be of some comfort.

Which you should go for, if either of the 2 you show us, is really up to you and your requirements.
But I wouldn't be afraid to continue your research. The market is quiet at the moment and I'm not seeing much new stuff coming up. How much of a rush are you in?

These Vito's can be very confusing with the wide array of options they came in / with.

 

[BTB 500]

It looks like he has repaired / replaced a few things.
My thoughts are that the sliding doors are from a Viano.

I have reasons but for me it's gotta' be a tailgate and not the barn doors.

As an aside, BTB you have the auto lights. does that mean you also have the auto wipers? Is that then a reasonable assumption that auto light also means auto wipers when I'm looking for my replacement?
That is an extra I'm keen for.

Even the trim on the body is a mix of black and silver though, also the front & back bumpers. Very odd.



Tailgate rather than barn doors for me too. Apart from anything else you can stand under it when it's raining

Yes light & rain sensor is a single option (and is only available with the tinted glass).

 

[m80]

Tailgate rather than barn doors for me too. Apart from anything else you can stand under it when it's raining

The disadvantage is when you close it again the reservoir of rain water becomes a waterfall.
The advantage is if you don't like the person standing beneath.

 

[James5969]

1st one has the more reliable engine.
Less economical both as auto and because the later 651 engine is more economical.

In the OM639 Vito / Viano (made 2004 - 2014) the 646 (2148cc) engine was fitted till sometime 2010. The 651 (2143cc) engine was then fitted and even fitted in the 447 (later Vito and 'V' class).

646.
More noisy,
less economical,
unlikely to have a DPF,
higher tax, but registered as N1 (commercial) of no relevance.
Proven to be very capable of mega miles reliably.

651.
Quieter,
more economical,
less co2 output,
will have a DPF,
inherent problems with timing chain. Can show at above 65k miles or run for 200k miles no issue. A rattle at cold start up and chain, tensioner and timing gears likely need replacing, if the chain snaps, or possibly even if the chain jumps gears, bye bye engine.

Saving the planet is nice but not wanting to start the eternal debate in this forum again the DPF is a pain in't ass.
But I might still be tempted for a good motor.

The later van is likely to be less quiet w/o the 'comfort' interior. It does look to have auto lights, and possibly auto wipers?
It is cooler by appearance and should have daytime running lights at the front.

I prefer the tailgate.

We are likely to have very different requirements, but I don't want to drive a van that feels like a van. Even though it definitely gets used as one by me.
Our desire is to travel distance and not feel excessively knackered due to vibes, excess noise, or just plain driving a vehicle w/o some comforts.

If / when you get one you will be surprised at how you jump into it in preference to other motors. My 1st was a 2007 ex long Traveliner, bought at 296K miles as an experiment.
Cloth seats, till I swapped 'em, drivers seat heated. No steering controls, interior pretty much as your 1st example.
After a couple of months I realised I was jumping in that in preference to my 320CDI C class that was on the drive, and that was fully loaded.
As a more basic van I'm not sure I would still have that preference.

Take your time to get this right, there are a lot of potential dogs out there.

Type in the registration, as long as it isn't a personal reg you can often see where it was 1st registered. I steer clear of Scottish motors, and I am suspicious of rural mountain motors, they are more prone to rusting.
LX57R-- was registered in Sidcup, London. Doesn't mean it stayed there but it can be of some comfort.

Which you should go for, if either of the 2 you show us, is really up to you and your requirements.
But I wouldn't be afraid to continue your research. The market is quiet at the moment and I'm not seeing much new stuff coming up. How much of a rush are you in?

These Vito's can be very confusing with the wide array of options they came in / with.

lots of great info there. I also thought the market seemed quiet, but as I’ve never shopped for one before, I wasn’t sure if that was normal or not. I’d say my kids are in more of a rush than I am, as they are dying to get out on the bikes and currently we’ve no way to get them to the tracks without relying on the neighbour.
I’ve found a third extra long, on a 12 plate. It’s basically the same as the white 11 plate, only silver. I’ve looked at the tax and all three are coming in the same at £265 a year. The 11 and 12 plate both are the 110 manual rather than the 115 Auto in the 57 plate. They both (11/12) have the tailgate, which I also prefer over the barn doors (57), but that’s not a deal breaker for me. I’ve seen awning type things, that give that shelter effect of the tailgate.
the older 57 plate being more noisy and less mpg isn’t a massive concern. My daily driver is a 3.0 V6 XF (don’t hold that against me haha), so mpg isn’t something I usually concern myself with. Not having a DPF and being a more reliable engine is a massive plus.
milage wise, the 57 sits between the 11 and 12 reg, with the 12 being the highest at 175,000 ish. It also sits in the middle regarding price as well.
I think I’m at the stage now where I need to actually go look at them. I’m seeing the 57 plate Saturday and have the list of look out points you recommended.
for me, I’m being drawn towards the older one, 115 instead of 110, comfort pack. But as pointed out in the pictures, the combination of black plastic and colour coding is causing some worries, which I’ll also ask about when viewing.

 

[m80]

The awning sounds like the Khyam Motordome drive away tent. We've had one for a while and it works well. Leaving the tailgate open and sleeping in the van works well on warmer nights.

If you look at the vehicle smart link it shows the N1 or M1 class of taxation. The N1 is commercial and shows no co2 figure, the tax is the same for these as you say.
You can find cheaper tax (£140) for the N1's registered before Dec 2006 as long as EU4. Also for EU5 (that's with DPF) for 2009 and 2010.

When you compare M1 class on the Traveliner (although some are N1) and the Viano at £555 it seems attractive.

 

[m80]

Glad you got sorted.

 

[James5969]

Evening.
Thanks for all the help, I went with the 57 plate auto in the end.
It’s a great drive and being the Extra long, the KTM fits perfectly without having to remove the rear seats.

 

[m80]

Likely that's the start.
There are a million and 2 things you can do to enhance these.

There are slot in ceiling anchor points that might be useful for keeping the bike upright.
I'll post a link if I find them again, but suppliers seem to be advertising less duringthis crisis.

 

[BTB 500]

There are slot in ceiling anchor points that might be useful for keeping the bike upright.
I'll post a link if I find them again, but suppliers seem to be advertising less duringthis crisis.

The luggage net anchor points behind the mid-row seats unbolt, giving you a nice hardpoint to attach stuff to. The 2-level caging in the back of our Vito is anchored there:

 

[m80]

These things,
they also fit the longer floor rails, but you have ample tie downs on the floor anyway.

 

[BTB 500]

Interesting, might try and get some of those to go in the middle of ours. Let me know if you find a link!

 

[m80]

A coupe of months ago or more I'm sure I saw them on eBay, but perhaps not MB original, but seem to remember they were in Germany.
£15 for 2 or maybe 4, but I forget where I left my memory to be sure.
Anyway today's searching bring up nowt I'm affraid.

Lucky me as 3 came with the van. I also have some groovy ratchet, clamping legs that fit the longer floor rails. For that day when I might end up with a Viano again, although my 1st Traveliner had the rails also.

 

[James5969]

Is it possible to fit these seat points, or is it a job a company would need to do?
I’d like a row near the rear doors, so I could move the seats back when I’m not using the van to transport bikes.
I’d also like the option to swivel the front seats round, driver and passenger bench, so all 6 seats face each other.

 

[m80]

The longer floor rails might suit purpose.
I've read threads where these are installed using repair washers to spread the weight. I imagine there would be insurance concerns there.

Recently there was a thread where when the poster, after cutting the floor, he set the rails into the front fixings and using the rail holes to drill through the floor he found welded nuts waiting, nice.

I suppose that leaves you with an element of risk that the nuts aren't in place on yours.

Insurance could be iffy, but if the fixings are oem they must be up to spec.

 

[James5969]

Thanks, I did think about the long rails that go the full length of the floor, but then I’d need new seats as the fitting is different. I’m not wanting to add seats, just have the option to put them at the very back.
It may be an idea to get the measurements of where they would be in the 8/9 seater, lift the floor and drill a hole, see what’s there.
would I be right in thinking the nuts (if there) can’t be seen from under the vehicle?

 

[m80]

The seats are interchangeable from your floor mounts into the longer rails,
Same for Vito leather and Viano softer leather, captain or bench, they are all swapable, easy in / out.

I'm pretty sure the nuts are within channelling / box section.

 

[James5969]

Oh really. I didn’t realise that, I thought the rails would be a different fitting on the seats, to the clip in ones. That’s good info, everyday is a school day for me and this Vito.

 

[m80]

I have the Viano captain seats in the back of my Dualiner. A guy from Ireland bought the bench, and arranged courier collection.

 

[BIG UN]

I have reasons but for me it's gotta' be a tailgate and not the barn doors.


Tbh I would have serious concerns with a van that has been messed with so much. Hidden Gremlins become more likely, but I've done a fair few things to mine and don't consider it has those hidden Gremlins.
'But' any new owner does have issues of understanding my installations, even if I do drawings of them as I go. An independent Merc specialist isn't going to enjoy fault finding on any non standard stuff, in the event

As an aside, BTB you have the auto lights. does that mean you also have the auto wipers? Is that then a reasonable assumption that auto light also means auto wipers when I'm looking for my replacement?
That is an extra I'm keen for.
[/QUOTE]

IMHO the choice of tailgate over barn doors is a personal thing & depends on usage..

Don't think there is a problem with a Vito that has been messed with as long as the person doing the work has knowledge of the systems being worked on..

Auto lights & wipers are a joint system as in they both use the same sensor but in order to have it you need a new windscreen as well as the electrical side.

The command unit shown in the van is NTG2 which tbh isnt the best, ive got NTG 2.5 in my Vito & i think its a pretty decent piece of kit if im honest..

Many options available for your van depending what you want.