Vauxhall Vivaro suits multi-skilled maintenance men

Leading South East building maintenance company Booker & Best has added a further three Vivaros to the 90 Vauxhalls that already make up half of their van fleet.

The St Leonards-on-Sea company finds the Vivaro well-suited to the needs of the electricians, mechanical engineers and other specialist tradesmen who make up their multi-skilled teams carrying out building maintenance and refurbishment across Kent, Sussex and South London.

Good loadspace, a comfortable drive, reliability and long service intervals are quoted as the main reasons for choosing Vivaro, according to Transport Manager, Laurie Beetham.

“Our staff like them because they’re comfortable to ride in and easy to drive,” he says. “And I like them because they’re rarely in the workshop and when they are they’re simple to fix with good parts supply from our local Vauxhall dealer, St Leonards Motors.

“The Vivaro really suits our needs for a van of this size. It’s stylish and presents a good image of our business. We take the 2900 long-wheelbase model, which has a low loading height and ample space to carry tools, equipment and most of the materials needed for jobs. When they arrive from the factory they’re ply-lined and with a bulkhead fitted so that we simply have to put our lettering on, fit ladder racks and a tracking device and they’re ready for work.

“We still run a few on ’54 plates, which continue to perform well and which should achieve a good residual value because of the inherent reliability of the Vivaro and the good care we take of them. All routine servicing, along with any mechanical or body repairs, is carried out in our own large and well-equipped workshop at St Leonards.”

Booker & Best needs to ensure that its staff arrive at jobs relaxed and able to get on with the task. So the driver and passenger comfort and safety features of the Vivaro are very important.

The driver’s seat is multi-adjustable and there’s a comfortable dual passenger seat. All controls and instruments are easy to reach and read, including the neat fascia mounted gear lever. The powerful heating and ventilation system provides a pleasant environment and a good quality stereo radio and CD player keeps the teams entertained whilst on the move as well as informing them about potential traffic hold-ups.

Safety features including side-impact protection and ABS provide an added margin of safety whatever the road or weather conditions. The powerful and fuel-efficient 2-litre CDTi engine delivers a generous 90 PS for good journey times.