what motors are you all going lamping in

[Nicepix 5,650]

I've just got back from my first outing in the new Berlingo, well, when I say 'new' I mean new to me. It is a 2008, one owner from new, full dealer service history. The previous owner was the Gendarmerie 

My old ex-Forestry Commission Blingo failed the bi-annual test on terminal tin worm, probably a legacy of the salt on Welsh roads it had to endure for the first 8 years. They don't allow chassis welding in France so I got two months to scrap it before the extension ran out. A local garage does a fair trade in ex-police Blingos that he does up and sells to the local hunters. The are 4 wheel drive having had the Dangel conversion from new. He buys them for around €800 and then takes all the stripes off, does a full re-spray, new timing belt and water pump, new tyres all round, full service and puts a 2 year Controle-Technique on them before selling them for around €5,000 - €7,000 dependent on the age, distance covered and condition. French police cars only do a fraction of the annual mileage that UK beat cars do and they aren't racing around all over the place. This one has 125k miles on the clock. The last one, a 2003 model had 230k when I changed it and oter than the chassis it was good for another 100k These French ones are serviced at the Citroen dealers nearest to the place they are posted to and not serviced and mended by police garages on a budget so it is virtually an open check book. You can have any colour you like as long as it is blue.

The Dangel conversion is a viscous coupling to a rear diff', 15" wheels instead of the standard 14", raised suspension and ground clearance and sump and diff' guards underneath. They come from my local garage with Kleber Alpine winter tyres. It looks like a standard Berlingo Multispace on stilts. I was a bit wary of the possible roll with the extra ground clearance but it isn't noticeable. The suspension is more forgiving of bumps and on slippery farm tracks where the old van would be like Bambi on ice this one just ploughs through. I've been stuck a few times in the old van and had to call my mate out if I couldn't drive out with snow chains fitted. This should get me home from the remote fishing spots I go to without having to phone a friend.

Its never going to be a Landy but for those nocturnal dog walkers  an old Berlingo will attract less unwanted attention than a Subaru Legacy

Problem is, most Dangels are left hand drive.

[forest of dean redneck 11,190]

Good practical cars  the Berlingos  

Only thing is when They but old the interior gets brittle 

And the air cleaner on the newer ones is pain to get to so can get overlooked on a service. 

[Nicepix 5,650]

The air cleaner on my old 2003 Berlingo 1.9d was a pain to get into. I used to do my own servicing but for the last couple of years I've just taken it to the garage. It doesn't cost too much for one service a year and saves me the worst part which was having to take the old oil and filter to the recycling centre. This one has a metal plate under the engine so that would have to be removed first to get to the sump plug and filter. I haven't got a ramp so I'll leave it to the garage.

This one has a 1.6HDi motor. Compared to the old slug it doesn't half shift.

[forest of dean redneck 11,190]

14 minutes ago, Nicepix said:

The air cleaner on my old 2003 Berlingo 1.9d was a pain to get into. I used to do my own servicing but for the last couple of years I've just taken it to the garage. It doesn't cost too much for one service a year and saves me the worst part which was having to take the old oil and filter to the recycling centre. This one has a metal plate under the engine so that would have to be removed first to get to the sump plug and filter. I haven't got a ramp so I'll leave it to the garage.

This one has a 1.6HDi motor. Compared to the old slug it doesn't half shift.

Last berlingo I drove was a 11 ?plate hdi xtr 1.6 was about 115 bhp? An if you drove it like you was clearing the exhaust it was a quick motor 

I liked it and after 3 years of hassle free driving sometimes eighty  mile a day I missed it. 

[Nicepix 5,650]

I started on a 2003 Partner when I was a dog handler then years later bought another 2003 Berlingo van to do mole trapping. Five years and 120k miles of abuse later and I've progressed to a 2008 Berlingo. 

I do about 500 miles in three days, twice a month, and I had hoped that the car version would have more driver's leg room than the van version, but it hasn't.

This one is 92bhp and plenty fast enough for my needs.

[dogmandont 9,341]

Back axles were the berlingos Achilles heal. 

[Nicepix 5,650]

It was the front of the chassis that had corroded around the steering mounts. Over here I see many much older Berlingos and Partners running around and there are some on the free ads sites with 400,000km on them. No salt on the roads out here.

[Nicepix 5,650]

A few photos of the Berlingo Dangel 4X4. First impressions are that it doesn't look much different from the standard Berlingo Multispace. The ground clearance however is the clue.

Standard five seater with the rear seats folding over against the front seats so there is loads of room for the dog cage and mole trapping stuff. I've gone all modular with this one and stacked crates and buckets with the minimum stuff I will need. I only work around three days a fortnight so I'll be able to quickly lift the trapping stuff out and get my fishing gear in there once the lock down is lifted.

 

The suspension is jacked up and 15" rather than the standard 14" wheels are fitted. All the Gendarmerie Berlingos run on Kleber Transalp 195 R70 15" 4 season tyres and this one came with four new ones. Kleber is part of the Michelin group and their tyres are well worth a look. I used to run my old van on their standard tyres and got loads more miles out of them than the other makes I tried. 

I was concerned about body roll on corners but it is fine. No different from my old standard Berlingo. It does soak up the bumps on rough tracks better though.

 

There is a steel sump guard............

And the rear diff' also has protection. Because of the prop shaft and diff' arrangement the spare wheel is carried inside and not slung under the car. The exhaust layout differs from the standard and that means a special tow bar will have to be fitted.

Something a bit different and hopefully I'll be able to get back from some of the more remote places I fish without having to phone a friend. It will also be better on the steep boat ramps that the old FWD van used to struggle with.

 

[hawki 1,429]

Looks a handy little motor that

[twelsh 313]

Proper lamping tools goes everywhere and anywhere without a doubt for money can’t go wrong £400-600 silver one 98 had 2 seasons out of it now going upgrade red one 05 see what that ones like this season

[Nicepix 5,650]

I've had a pre-Legacy estate and a Forester. Fantastic motors.

[longers01 2,319]

Top lamping buses them foresters bang some decent bullers on them stick them in low box go anywhere ATB longers01

 

 

[twelsh 313]

They got maxis trapadors on  forester it throws some mud about

[Daniel cain 42,882]

Owned 7 subarus.... Never put a dog in 1 of them

Running a d4d rav 4 last 3 seasons, put 47 k on it since I've had it, not missed a beat, cheap for parts, surprising where it will go with tidy tyres. Dogs and gear out of sight, not had any bother like driving a pick up

[Daniel cain 42,882]

Can't beat the fourtraks.... Get anywhere, pull a house down, not many tidy ones left these days though