Volkswagon Crafter Messing Van 2009 Van Review

We review the 2009 Crafter Messing Van LCV, Volkswagon's answer to a growing trend for "commercial caravans".

Volkswagen has become the first of the major manufacturers to offer a Messing Van in its ‘Engineered to go’ range of purpose designed vehicles. The use of such vehicles is growing in the UK as contractors seek to improve conditions for their staff who have to brave the British weather in remote places. John Fife was first to try it – but picked a nice day!

Patience is a virtue. Not in my case it isn’t. Once I’ve made up my mind, what’s the point in waiting? It would appear that many folk in business think the same way. Hence the rise of the specialist coachbuilder and the decision by most of the major LCV manufacturers to add ready-customised vehicles to their catalogues. There is another reason driving this growing trend and it has to do with our old friends, ‘Heath & Safety’ legislation and ‘Duty of Care’ requirements.

If a business employs people then it has to look after them and provide them with the right tools and adequate training to do the job. Mind you, this is no bad thing, and it should be good business practice anyway. A happy worker is a better worker. ‘Happy’ might be a contentious word in some circles, but the right equipment, protective gear and the means of making a hot cup of tea when the days are short, the weather is wet and the temperature is freezing can go a long way in making a chap feel wanted. Which brings me to the subject of this week’s vehicle. The Volkswagen Crafter Messing Van.

Following up on a number of customer enquiries, Volkswagen started to look around for someone to produce a works crew van with basic facilities, or as Paul Clark calls it, a commercial caravan.

Paul is the son of the founder of Clarks Vehicle Conversions which specialises in converting vans into all manner of mobile workplaces, but especially messing units. The company is also one of the big innovators in the field, hence Volkswagen’s interest.

Messing Unit

Volkswagen’s Messing Unit demonstrator is based on a 3.5t Crafter and it can carry six people, but customers can alter this very basic spec. depending on need. The vehicle included a one-piece module in the cab plus power inverter, twin battery charging system, microwave, hot water facility, heater, extra lighting and a fully lined interior. The loadbox was lined, but not fitted out as that would be determined by the customer. Toilets and showers can be fitted plus storage for wet weather and/or protective gear and tools, or if the customer wanted, a fridge or a generator.

What is ingenious about the Clarks system is the ‘hot water on demand facility’. Long ago the company discarded the use of gas rings and heaters on safety grounds and developed this pretty unique new fully electric system that is not dependent on the vehicle’s engine running while stationery. Once primed, the module delivers hot water (hot enough for numerous quick cuppas) and provides additional hot air heating in the passenger compartment. It also contains the water tank which will provide both hot water to the drinks dispenser and/or to the wash hand basin. An additional row of three seats has been added with plenty of legroom and the deep side windows ensure sitting in the back is not claustrophobic. Floors and sides have an easy wipe-clean laminate finish while the internal roof and trim edges are finished off in a pile fabric.

Completing the finish are grab handles at side and rear plus a substantial rigger boot-sized step at the rear for the less sprightly amongst us!

The Conversion

The conversion was carried out on a 3.5t MWB hi-roof Volkswagen Crafter with the 108 bhp version of the 2.5 litre, five cylinder engine. But with only a thousand miles on the clock, the engine still felt a bit ‘new’ so it wasn’t what you could call quick. However, this vehicle is not designed to run at full freight for long periods, it just carries crew and kit to and from jobs.

Because of the high roof, the cab is quite roomy and airy and a comfy place to shelter if the wind is strong enough to blow sheep off the hills, while the hot air heater and availability of hot, strong tea will provide welcome relief for those working on rail or utility contracts in remote and wild locations.

Conclusion

List price of the vehicle is currently just under £22,000 but speak to your VW dealer nicely and who knows what might happen these days? As for the conversion, it will cost around £8,000 for this spec, but more can be added. If that seems a lot for what might be regarded as a basic-needs vehicle, look at the detail, the spec and the running costs. And then it makes sense. (Prices current as at Aug 2009)