Demonstrator Van - Not Fit for Purpose

Had Peugeot Commercial Vehicles pestering us to take a LWB Boxer on Demo so we relented and arranged our insurance for the period of the demo.

When it arrived on Wednesday it was only a MWB but hey, ho its not going to cost much and we can try it out on a couple of planned runs on Thursday (180 miles) and Friday (420 miles) so fill the tank up and prepare for the 1st run next morning.

Driver leaves home at 05:30 and pulls up an entry slip and onto A1M (2 lane motorway) behind a HGV on an incline at a safe distance in front of a car and presses the acelerator pedal to pass the HGV; 50, - 55, - 60, - 62, 62, 62 --- WTF. The A1M now changes to slight descent and the van is alongside the HGV but the HGV is gaining going down hill. The van has obviously got a 62MPH limiter on it, no indication in the cab on the back doors or anywhere so the car driver is flashing away wondering what is going on. The only thing my driver could do was put the hazards on and slow down further until he could pull in behind the HGV.

So the 180 mile run gets completed eventually with a frustrated driver and the following days run gets done in our own non limited van and the demonstrator goes back with 2/3rds of a tank of fuel, there must be an anti syphon device in the tank!

And on the day we did use it the mpg was only about the same as our existing 59 plate Master 120.

Why on earth would a company trying to sell vehicles send a vehicle out limited BELOW the legal limit (I could have understood a 70 limit! ) Rant over.

Ask them why?

RAPID LIGHT TRANSPORT LTD. said:

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Ask them why?

Policy!

Seems strange I must say, are you certain it was limited? Some standard, low HP vans wont pull the skin off a rice pudding when loaded

Ring them uo speek to the sales person and tell him you would have considered it but as they are usless youce ordered 3 new (insert perferance ) instead

Its always baffled me how all vehicles over 7.5t are limited to 56mph but the official speed limit for them on motorways is 60mph. Only realised that vans over 2 ton gvw have a 60mph limit on carriageways, found out when i got a notice of prosecution for doing 74mph on one doh! But a van with a limiter of 62mph is not much help to a courier.

Esi Logistics said:

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Its always baffled me how all vehicles over 7.5t are limited to 56mph but the official speed limit for them on motorways is 60mph. Only realised that vans over 2 ton gvw have a 60mph limit on carriageways, found out when i got a notice of prosecution for doing 74mph on one doh! But a van with a limiter of 62mph is not much help to a courier.

That's another £60 for the rossers christmas party

It says on the notice from 16th august this year its gone up from £60 to £100 for fixed penalties.

I think the somewhat strange mph limits - 56 and 62 etc have something to do with European regulations because when you change them into kilometres they become 90 and 100 km/h respectively!

Esi Logistics said:

Only realised that vans over 2 ton gvw have a 60mph limit on carriageways, found out when i got a notice of prosecution for doing 74mph on one doh! But a van with a limiter of 62mph is not much help to a courier.

Vans up to 3500 kgs are allowed 70 on a motorway (the roads with the blue signs) and some of them only have 2 lanes.

On the other hand, on dual carriageways you would be correct, they are the major roads with the green signs and some of them have 3 lanes

The A1 has a lot of 2 lane motorway and also some 3 lane dual carriageway.

Keep it under 70 on a dual carriageway and you will have few problems.