Auction of Mercedes Vario 4x4 on 23rd Feb

[part time nomad]

Auction

I was looking for a long time, when I remembered that a guy I know moved back Ireland, so I contacted him, he is in Carmel, Ireland, he is a truck dealer and he found me one within a week !

I paid a bit more than the auction price but the advantage was that he could give it a good inspection and test drive it for me so I knew what I was buying.

He also organised putting it on a low loader truck along with another truck that was being delivered elsewhere.

So when it arrived in the UK, I had saved myself the air fare, hotel costs, food & beer, ferry costs, and time!
all in, I feel it was worth it.

 

[surfer4life]

Intrigued. Many people think it's a fix. They ask you what your budget is and miraculously the vehicle turns out to gome to exactly that
How was your experience?

Sorry for the hijack

My story with the auction is a bit different than what would happen this time. I contacted a spotter at merthyr and they sent description and lots of high res photo's, as they had been for sale for a while i agreed an out of auction price including delivery, i then went and looked at it out of auction (as in there wasn't an auction on at the time) and bought it there and then. At the end of the day if you can't go an look at and you set your budget a lot less than retail then no matter what happens with final price you still pick up a cheap vehicle.

As it happens i need a LWB, so can't consider these this time unfortunately and the 16mpg would kill me, i thought the 20-25 of mine is bad enough!

 

[part time nomad]

A "long wheel base" !! The 814da 4 x 4 is quite a rare beast in MWB (3.7 m) I have never seen a LWB it would ride the bumps better and save having the rear overhang or give a larger accommodation option.

Is your 614 a 4x4 or 4x2 at 20 - 25 mpg?

surfer4life your Volvo FL6 4x4 is strange one ! I worked at a Volvo main dealer back in the 80s and never even realized that they made one. I may even have some spares kicking about for them.

 

[surfer4life]

A "long wheel base" !! The 814da 4 x 4 is quite a rare beast in MWB (3.7 m) I have never seen a LWB it would ride the bumps better and save having the rear overhang or give a larger accommodation option.

Is your 614 a 4x4 or 4x2 at 20 - 25 mpg?

surfer4life your Volvo FL6 4x4 is strange one ! I worked at a Volvo main dealer back in the 80s and never even realized that they made one. I may even have some spares kicking about for them.

My 614 is 2 wheel drive, use it pretty much every day so the MPG is pretty important, i know the 4x4 is very rare but was hoping the body would be a bit longer than the MWB van.

I dont have a volvo FL6 you must be confusing me with someone else ;-)

 

[part time nomad]

My 614 is 2 wheel drive, use it pretty much every day so the MPG is pretty important, i know the 4x4 is very rare but was hoping the body would be a bit longer than the MWB van.

I dont have a volvo FL6 you must be confusing me with someone else ;-)

Yes sorry wrong vehicle!

 

[LukeH]

I dont have a volvo FL6 you must be confusing me with someone else ;-)

That'll be me then.
FL6 4x4 highlander. All standard FL6, with a Steyr transfer case and Rockwell Italy axles. Not many around, pleasure to drive, one day I'll finish the double cab and camper conversion...

 

[ianc]

A "long wheel base" !! The 814da 4 x 4 is quite a rare beast in MWB (3.7 m) I have never seen a LWB it would ride the bumps better and save having the rear overhang or give a larger accommodation option.

Is your 614 a 4x4 or 4x2 at 20 - 25 mpg?

surfer4life your Volvo FL6 4x4 is strange one ! I worked at a Volvo main dealer back in the 80s and never even realized that they made one. I may even have some spares kicking about for them.

The chassis version of the 4x4 Vario was made in 3.15, 3.7 and 4.2m wheelbase and there's an option to self extend to 4.8m

I know of at least one person who extended a 3.7 to 4.5. See here https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/159305149/build_home/Home%20page/Home.htm

 

[Ullie]

A "long wheel base" !! The 814da 4 x 4 is quite a rare beast in MWB (3.7 m) I have never seen a LWB it would ride the bumps better and save having the rear overhang or give a larger accommodation option.

Is your 614 a 4x4 or 4x2 at 20 - 25 mpg?

surfer4life your Volvo FL6 4x4 is strange one ! I worked at a Volvo main dealer back in the 80s and never even realized that they made one. I may even have some spares kicking about for them.

This is our 814 DA4x4 with a wheel base off 4,25m (from the factory like that). We had to look rather long to find one, but in Germany you can find them. It had 94.000 km in 12 years when we bought it in 2009. (it was a crane vehicle to work on the public lightning and power cables in the city of Nurnberg)

The inside of the box is 4,75 m without the bed above the drivers cabin.
The height from the ground in the back is 55 cm at the bumper, but this one can be flipped away when driving off-road to get a ground clearance of 80 cm.

Here a little movie on youtube off our vario in Albania last summer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Le_JN2B2twE

 

[Gren_T]

Hi chaps, I've been looking out for the ESB auctions since Ian first posted, sod's law I have the cash to hand but have nowhere to store or work on another vehicle at the moment, looking at the website I can't believe they dont have an illustrated catalouge.!
I've also been up to Merthyr motor auctions as they are just up the road from me and do have a great online presence, though no 4x4 vario's
the search continues...

regards all
Gren

 

[LukeH]

Hi Gren,
It's not really next door to you but if you need storage I have recently secured hard standing space near Glastonbury for exactly that purpose. The chap really has lots of space. I'm occupying end of February.
A bit like you, getting all the factors together at the same time has turned out to be complicated. The auction happens a month before I have the space and the money to take advantage of it :-(

 

[Gren_T]

Hi luke, thanks for the offer its only 40miles or so but the swim would do me in.

regards all
Gren

 

[portacams]

Gren_T I have one in Scotland if your interested drop me and email