# Van recommendations for dog walking



## alexpb22

Hi all,

My OH has been working as a dog walker for a while now and it's been going really well. It's now getting to the point though where the estate car isn't big enough and when I also start walking again we need to be able to take my dogs as well.

I would like to invest in a van but not sure where to start. Can anyone who uses one recommend one to take at the most about 8 dogs at one time (4 each)? I would like to have it air conditioned and also fitted with crates. I don't have a lot to spend but realise that I need to invest for the business.

I've seen some small vans that dont look much bigger than the car but not sure whats the most practical option regarding dogs vs running costs.

Any advice would be appreciated.


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## SLB

Smaller vans I would go with:

Bippers
Doblo's (sp)
VW Maxi Combi Caddy (you can take the back seats out I think - that leaves room for 2/4 more crates) 

Obviously you have your bigger vans too. (But I was only researching smaller vans)

You could try People Carriers too.. rip out the back seats and have crates/cages put in the back?


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## loganberry

Bippers would not be big enough nor would kangoo's for 8 dogs. The Doblo maxi or Caddy maxi are your best bet. But they are fairly new models so prices will be quite high. There are a few good manufacturers of caging systems about as well,all depends on what you want. Here in the midlands Mick Tozer is very good and does caging for a lot of obedience people.


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## BoredomBusters

I've got an Extol, which is a small van on the outside as there is no bonnet, small where the people sit (you have to like the person you sit next to), but the cargo area is around 6' long. I've had 12 small dogs in mine, regularly get 8 of mixed sizes in there, and Saturday had 9 in there. The kennels are 3' by 2' but you have to have them custom built as fitting ready made crates in there won't get you that much space.

I wish I'd had the rear cages 'double decker' although then I'd be restricted to only 4 labrador sized dogs. 

Worth its weight in gold, especially if you have a very local route, or need to stop on busy streets as it's got a great turning circle, and is easy to park, but petrol consumption is about 25mpg and its main dealer only for most parts, hardly anything goes wrong with them though! Very reliable - I had 2 Hijets before this, and only changed because I needed something more modern. The one and only flaw is that its spoilt me!


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## alexpb22

Thanks for your posts. Having looked into it more I think I'm going to have to go for a bigger van like a ford transit or Renault traffic. Has anyone any recommendations on this size?
Also I've been looking at the crating options and have seen some brilliant custom made cages on the Internet that people have had fitted. I suspect that they're terribly expensive though so wondered if one couldn't just purchase regular crates and secure them to the van in a certain combination?


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## BoredomBusters

You won't get as many dogs in, and the fold up crates aren't as secure or safe as travel crates. I've had to do that when I've had to rent vans due to people keep driving into my work vans, and by the time I'd bungied them tight enough to the floor they were a bit twisted out of shape and I had difficulty getting the doors open! I rented a Connect the first time, but the second time I had a Vauxhall Vivaro as I needed 2 passenger seats - I was training up a second member of staff and for a couple of weeks made life soooo much easier! I had a real problem parking close to houses in busy streets and getting in and out of people's drives though, really slowed us up. If you're picking up 8 dogs and you're delayed even 2 minutes at each stop, each way, that's an extra hour!

If I were to get a bigger van I'd get the mercedes vito, mainly as it has sliding doors both sides - but if you are using bog standard crates that probably won't matter to you.


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## alexpb22

Good point, I won't do regular crates then as it doesnt sound good. There will be two of us so picking up and dropping off should be fairly smooth.

We do need to have about 8 dogs as that's four each so it's going to have to be a bigger van otherwise the car would suffice. Did you get your van fitted with crates then and was it expensive?


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## BoredomBusters

As mentioned, I drive a small van (smaller than a lot of cars) and we get 8 in regularly, and have had more than 8. We also have two people (the same set up as you), but if you have to park halfway down the road the poor runner still has to walk the extra distance unless you get the dogs in on the road, which we won't do for safety reasons, and also to avoid peeing off the locals.

Because my van is not standard I paid £2000 for the crates to be custom built, but that was 4 years ago, so I'm currently on them costing me £10 a week. That's the only way to look at it! If you get a more standard vehicle you probably won't have to pay quite that much - I worked with crates and bungies for 9 months while I saved up. I'd forgotten that before just now! I also once shut a van door on an open crate door which ruined it.  When I had crates in there I'd never have got 8 dogs in...


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## alexpb22

Thanks so much for your advice, it's really useful.

It's difficult to know what to do, with my budget. The question is whether I buy a van and have it customised for when I start back in the new year or whether I could make do with the ford focus intially and then get the van a bit further down the line. I wouldn't want to get the focus fitted if it was only temporary cos obviously it'd be better to save that for the van.

I'm kinda thinking this could all cost about £8000 in total which I couldnt do now but I'll have to investigate pricing properly as if it was less it coud be doable.


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## BoredomBusters

My first van cost me £1500, with the crates making it total £3500. Even my newest van doesn't bring the cost up to your estimate, even if I add in the signwriting and insurance.

How old were you thinking of going? I started with 8 years as I happened to have a car based on a van anyway, that got written off by an idiot, bought a 7 year old van as an emergency, then saved for a year to get the 5 year old one (now 6 years). I'll keep that until it's 8 years old (if people could refrain from bashing into it) then upgrade again. I don't want anything newer than 5 years old as it will lose too much money - dogs wreck stuff! Bless them.


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## alexpb22

Hmmm that's interesting! I'm thinking around 7/8 years old really, even up to ten years. It sounds like it could be possible and you donhave to be able to invest in your business.
It's all been good food for thought. I'll have to google and contact some fitters and get quotes for the cages and then I'll have a better idea of cost.

Next thing is insurance which will prob be high!


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