# Van for dog walking... Is air con essential?!



## GOWaggyTails

I started my own dog walking business at the start of the year and it's really taken off, I'm already at the point my small car isn't enough and is restricting me from growing. I need to upgrade to a larger vehicle but am also on a budget and my biggest concern when looking at vans is wether or not the vehicle has air con or not, however, I'm really struggling to find any vehicles with air con anywhere near my price range!

I was wondering if this is really something I should be worried about and would love to get some opinions from other dog walkers. Do you have air con or have you managed without?


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## SpringDance

I would get it...you know how much it'll heat up on a hot day...


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## GOWaggyTails

I know that's why I'm concerned, but I can't find any vehicles I can afford with air con. EverythingI've seen so far with AC is near £5K which is way more than I can spend at the moment. I can spend maybe £2K at most, my current car doesn't have AC either so if AC is essential I need to upgrade soon anyway.

Do you have any suggestions? Currently I've been looking at Ford transit connects, Vauxhall combos and Citroen Berlingos but no had zero luck finding one that meets my criteria of price and spec. I'm considering looking for a bigger car instead as I might have more luck.


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## Tillystar

I've recently started too in March I had a hyundai i10 and could only fit one dog at a time now ive got a Citroën C3 Picasso love it and can fit 3 dogs in x2 large and one medium


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## leashedForLife

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really, the need for AC is dependent on where U live - but i'm guessing UK, as U don't specify, & yes, i'd say that anytime temps go over 60'F with dogs on board, U need AC.
Dogs have to work very hard to stay cool, & an already-hot dog cannot enjoy or profit from a walk after being overheated on the way to the park / beach / woods, etc. 
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Additionally, dogs can cool themselves more easily when the air is drier - so the AC's function as a dehumidifier is even more important than its cooling process, IME. High-humidity warm days are hard on dogs - they don't need to be *hot *days, just sticky, & dogs will be working harder to cool-off.
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## Northampton Dog Walker

Hi,

You say things have been going really well so if you are confident in the business I think it's time to invest in it properly. Even if your budget is only £2k can you not get some sort of finance to increase your budget to a figure that will get you the vehicle you need? My Citroen Berlingo cost me about £4700.00 for a very low mileage 09 model but then the Lintran cage cost me £1200.00 on top of that. The car should last 4-5 years minimum and the cage probably 25+ years. If you make £20k plus a year from the business which you should aim to do then it's really not a huge investment. 

I would not consider transporting in a non A/C vehicle on the hotter days. Cars also have lots of glazing which heat up the vehicle so consider window blinds and perhaps a 12v electric fan in the rear cigarette lighter if the vehicle has one like the Berlingo Multispace does. Vans don't have the glazing but then if it has bulkhead the A/C won't help. Where you have a bulkhead people tend to fit roof mounted vent. 

Cars are cheaper to tax and insure than vans. I plumped for car based Berlingo and have custom Lintran cage that can be removed. I can return it to 5 seater if I need to sell it. 

If you think this is the business for you then it's time to invest in doing it properly. It will make you look more professional to your clients and by walking more dogs in any one session it should pay for itself quickly compared to using a small / average sized regular car. 

Good luck with your decision!

Gary


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## Jelevents

Definitely you need a/c get a Berlingo Mulispace cheaper than a van to insure, seats remove easily, plus I tinted the rear windows and have fitted some fans on the headlining to complement the a/c. 
Plus they have 2 sliding doors which are very handy, £2/3K would get you a decent one.


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