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DFSK/DFM - badbusdriver

Off on another 'Chinese vehicle' thread!.

I am a self employed 'reach and wash' window cleaner. My trusty Transit Connect is starting to show its age and i am aware i will need to think of replacing it in the not too distant future.

I have been aware of the DFSK/DFM minivans minitrucks for a few years now and have often wondered about the possibility of using one for my work. The thing that really appeals to me is the compact size, particularly the width (as i have recently moved to a narrow street in an old part of town!). I often find myself having to try and park in a very small amount of space in order to work. Another plus point for me, especially with all the horror stories about over complex modern turbo diesels, is the basic simplicity. Naturaly aspirated petrol engine, which i believe is based on the old suzuki unit from the carry. Payload wise, i would have to go for one of the drop side pick ups, which isnt ideal from a security point of view, but i think i could make it work OK. There are a couple of things i am worried about though. The 1st of these is the total lack of any sort of safety equipment. This wouldnt concern me too much if i worked solely in one town, but i cover about 10K miles per year, mostly on a mixture of single carriageway A and B roads. No ABS, no airbags, and very little bodywork in between the driver and the front of the vehicle. The 2nd is regarding the reliability. There is very little information out there in terms of road tests and such like, nothing on owners reviews websites that i have found. Does anyone have any experience with one of these vehicles?.

On a different note, i have also considered the current style Piaggio Porter, which although not 'officially available' in this country, can nevertheless be had as a left hand drive import. Of interest to me is that there are 2 payload options with the van, the higher of these, 750kg, would suit me fine. And whilst it also is not something you would ever choose to have an accident in, current models do at have ABS. So, at least in theory, you have a better chance of avoiding an accident!.

Thanks

DFSK/DFM - John Boy

Whilst I'm a big fan of small cars, I wouldn't want to drive or ride in one of those little vans or pickups for very far on the open road. The difference is that there's a big market for small cars, so a lot of money has been invested in making them safe. Not so with the vans/pickups. They strike me as suitable for estate use only. I went to a dealer and sat in a Suzuki Carry pickup in the late seventies. It was cute, but so so fragile. The thought of a front end hit was terrifying.

DFSK/DFM - SLO76
Our local Mazda/Mitsubishi dealer tried flogging these a few years back and I noticed as I walked by at night with the dog that the brand new examples they had sitting out on the forecourt were showing a surprising amount of chassis rust.

I wouldn't buy one. I'm sure they'll be mechanically robust but safety is non-existent (a 15mph impact will leave you with life changing injuries) and parts availability is bound to be a problem as there's really no dealer network and few have been sold.

Get an older normally asperated VW Caddy SDi (owned one and it was no bother) or Citroen Berlingo 1.9 XUD or 2.0 HDi but remember that vans are generally only disposed of when they're no longer economically viable so it's likely you'll need some work done to whatever you buy.
DFSK/DFM - Avant

My elder son is a plumber and uses an ex-British-Gas VW Caddy van. It's an SDI and wouldn't pull the skin off a rice pudding, but it's perfect for what he wants it for. 59-registered and he's had it for about 3 years with no problems.

BG sell off their vans regularly so keep a look out.

DFSK/DFM - daveyK_UK

The sandwich delivery van is a DFSK and the owner raves about it.

I think its a 1.3 petrol.

DFSK/DFM - gordonbennet

My elder son is a plumber and uses an ex-British-Gas VW Caddy van. It's an SDI and wouldn't pull the skin off a rice pudding, but it's perfect for what he wants it for. 59-registered and he's had it for about 3 years with no problems.

BG sell off their vans regularly so keep a look out.

Very well maintained too, when i used to deliver new vehicles to them they had all in house workshops, so unless that's changed a very fair bet.

DFSK/DFM - yokel38

How do I put it kindly... unless paying peanuts, and I mean next to nothing, avoid. Oddly enough, we sold them new for a very short time, long enough to realise they would really harm our reputation. There was no technical back up whatsoever, but all the parts are still easily available via a internet site. We still have one a WS hack, its only 3 years old, looks 20, the head has been off umpteen times in 8000 miles... oh and they rattle, like you wouldn't believe..

DFSK/DFM - daveyK_UK

yokel38

did the UK importer not give any support?

DFSK/DFM - yokel38

LOl, no they didnt, that was a major issue.

DFSK/DFM - Andrew Manuel-Warner

Unfortunately, my mum purchased a loadhopper window van in 2017 and was definitely the worst decision ever!

Over the years she's had nothing but trouble with it. I did say to go to a solicitor and find out what rights she had in the first year of owning it. There was very heavy mud dried inside the wheel arches, broken glass in the engine, and a larger than expected amount of rust on certain parts of it.

I did look up using the Vin number for more information and found it was manufactured in 2013, but wasn't registered until 2017, and now in 2021 the radiator and pipes are also corroded and leaking brown coloured water.

She purchased it originally for £12-13k, so probably way over priced at the time and the dealership in Croydon (Kinghams) was very persuasive for her to buy it and trade in her old Diahatsu bus.

I personally hate the thing and I think all of my family is under the same opinion!

DFSK/DFM - Terry W

I would be very wary of anything not mainstream and without local dealer support.

The van is needed for work. Even if you can get parts online for a rarer vehicle, a day or two off work waiting for delivery will eliminate any savings you may make.

I don't know your business - but I would think you need load lugger rather than perfomance, good spares back up, dealer support if not diy. Small van cost savings may be illusory if you lose a couple of days a year waiting for spares and risk unhappy cutomers.

DFSK/DFM - badbusdriver

Bit of a surprise to find this thread resurrected, I'd forgot all about it!.

I still sometimes find myself looking on Autotrader or Ebay for DFSK's, just out of curiosity. There were never that many to start, and its been a few years since they had an official presence in the UK, so never more than a handful.

Though there is an outfit in Weston-Super-Mare who sell them new (apparently) along with Piaggio commercial vehicles. Prices are ridiculous, so you'd have to be desperate for a very small, very narrow dropside pickup or van (about £15k + VAT!).

DFSK/DFM - Trilogy.

I'd prefer an XYZ. ;-)

DFSK/DFM - _

I thought they had all rusted away by now.,

but 4 for sale on autotrader...

DFSK/DFM - badbusdriver

I believe there is a (small) market for them (dropside/flatbed/chassis cab anyway) as milk floats in rural country areas with narrow lanes.

I do also remember seeing pics and videos of 4x4 versions which looked quite useful off road and would have worked well on country estates, but I'm not sure any made it to the UK.

DFSK/DFM - bathtub tom

A local school has one. When I first saw it I thought it was a BMW fron the front grille.

DFSK/DFM - badbusdriver

A local school has one. When I first saw it I thought it was a BMW fron the front grille.

Yes, I don't think BMW was too pleased by the grill design!.

There are other DFSK's which look very much like a Hummer at the front. Though lets be honest, the Chinese motor industry does have a habit of ripping off other car/vehicle designs and compared to some, the grill treatment of the DFSK isn't pushing any potential legal issues very far!.

DFSK/DFM - daveyK_UK
I recall during the first lockdown there was a van sales company offering them for sale but only if they got 30 orders with deposits, the advert effectively stated it wasn’t cost effective to import them on a smaller quantity.
I thought importing only 30 was too small but maybe you can get a bit more of a deal on the shipping?
The sales pitch was the price, I think it was £9k on the road.
I doubt they got 30 deposits and haven’t seen any on the road for a good while.
The 1.3 engine seemed to suffer from head gasket failure.
DFSK/DFM - Theftan Steel

Hi, I bought one in december, not the same experience for me.

I drove it 400 miles from near sheffield to aberdeen, The oil still looks brand new and the temp gauge never moved much past zero and it wasn't like a broken gauge, it's ok.

Yay about the paint , am workin on that,, paint not super bad rust. Could not for the life of me n dfsk get a paint code for silver van. A motor factor went for ford moondust silver 91% match, it's ok. couldn't find a plate on van that had that info.

Couldn't get info on what fuse is where as no box cover on van, box cover photo on net is in chinese n has light reflecting , so unreadable. and the place where its fitted under the dash n above wheel, ya need circus abilities to change a fuse.

Mines a 2013,, only 52 on the road in the country. The only one up for parts on ebay , is owned by a delusional price master. DFSk themselfs could be cheaper, £36 ( 42 when sent ) for a rear door handle,, I suppose it's cheaper than other manufacturers parts.

i haven't seen a suzuki carry in scrapyard, actualy compare the parts.

The floor is like the porter, set low between the arches, a Carry ain't. I want to put my motorbike in it, ain't tried it yet. The high roof should help me do that. And its like a matchbox on it's side in the wind.

Everybody wants it and has a use for it.

Brings a smile to faces, especially mine.

does over 75, ive had 2 hijets,, this is not noisy, they were. In common with them is that your left eye is closer to your pasengers right eye , than your own right eye,, lol.

Something somebody said on here, Well I think DFSK describe it as, a City minivan,, that works for me.

DFSK/DFM - badbusdriver

Always nice to get an opinion as there are so few, both the vehicle in question and opinions/experience of them.

As with the last time the thread was resurrected, I do still find myself looking from time to time. For the principle reason that I still feel the dropside pickup version would suit my needs better than anything else. There does seem to be a few more of them available now than at previous times I have looked, but the price still puts me off. Excluding old really ropey looking examples, tippers, and catering vans, cheapest between Autotrader and Ebay is a 2021 big cab with 45 miles for just over £13k (including VAT). In terms of design, equipment and (apparent) quality, I don't think they are worth anywhere near that. At £8-9k though, I'd be very seriously considering one, and be looking into the most effective rust prevention treatment for chassis and body, especially so with my living a stones throw from the North Sea! (speaking of which, Theftan Steel, I'm just up the road from you in the 'Blue Toon'!).

It's not that I particularly want a DFSK, but there is nothing else of similar dimensions and payload. I'd even consider a JDM import Kei truck, but they only have a 350kg payload which is about 150kg less than the bear minimum I could get away with (the DFSK dropside has a payload of circa 900kg).

But thanks for that report and I'm glad to hear you like yours so far, hopefully that continues to be the case.

DFSK/DFM - newguy2015

Always nice to get an opinion as there are so few, both the vehicle in question and opinions/experience of them.

As with the last time the thread was resurrected, I do still find myself looking from time to time. For the principle reason that I still feel the dropside pickup version would suit my needs better than anything else. There does seem to be a few more of them available now than at previous times I have looked, but the price still puts me off. Excluding old really ropey looking examples, tippers, and catering vans, cheapest between Autotrader and Ebay is a 2021 big cab with 45 miles for just over £13k (including VAT). In terms of design, equipment and (apparent) quality, I don't think they are worth anywhere near that. At £8-9k though, I'd be very seriously considering one, and be looking into the most effective rust prevention treatment for chassis and body, especially so with my living a stones throw from the North Sea! (speaking of which, Theftan Steel, I'm just up the road from you in the 'Blue Toon'!).

It's not that I particularly want a DFSK, but there is nothing else of similar dimensions and payload. I'd even consider a JDM import Kei truck, but they only have a 350kg payload which is about 150kg less than the bear minimum I could get away with (the DFSK dropside has a payload of circa 900kg).

But thanks for that report and I'm glad to hear you like yours so far, hopefully that continues to be the case.

Badbusdriver, out of curiosity are you still driving your transit or did you trade it in for something else?

DFSK/DFM - badbusdriver

Badbusdriver, out of curiosity are you still driving your transit or did you trade it in for something else?

No, my trusty Transit Connect has been gone since Dec 2018 or 2019 (can't remember which). A victim of a snowy road incident, though if I had a garage or even off street parking, I would have probably fixed it as it was mostly superficial and the majority of parts were bolt on. But the combination of not having anywhere to do the work along with the ongoing spread of rust underneath made me decide to move it on as damaged repairable.

Have had an ex British Gas VW Caddy since then.

DFSK/DFM - corax

In my previous job, I used such a flatbed truck for about a year. I think it was Chinese, but the badge on the front looked vaguely like a Mazda badge. Maybe someone here knows what make that is. The thing was reliable, but horribly cramped inside. No room for your legs, and I'm not particularly tall at 6 feet. The indicator stalk is on the right side of the steering wheel, so there were a few days of turning the wipers on when wanting to turn left or right.

As alluded to above I would not want to drive one on any sort of long journey. They are short geared and need thrashing to keep up with traffic, and personally I felt vulnerable in it (especially after driving an Isuzu Grafter).They are on a very small wheelbase. It was bought because it could be driven into a workshop for security at night.

A transit connect/Berlingo/Caddy will be a much more pleasant drive, but if you're a masochist :-)

Edit - I may have got the badge thing wrong, it looks like it was a Dongfeng judging from pictures.

Edited by corax on 24/02/2023 at 13:53

DFSK/DFM - Janice Finlay
I have a 2014 Dfsk loadhopper with a heat seized engine. What can I do? Is there anyone who can refurb it? Or can it be replaced with another manufacturers engine eg. Suzuki ? Thanks
DFSK/DFM - badbusdriver
I have a 2014 Dfsk loadhopper with a heat seized engine. What can I do? Is there anyone who can refurb it? Or can it be replaced with another manufacturers engine eg. Suzuki ? Thanks

That is a very tricky question because it is such an obscure make in the UK. I'd have to assume someone could refurb it but no idea where to start looking.

For getting replacement parts, I'd probably start by asking at some or all of the handful of dealers selling them new or nearly new in the UK (look on Ebay or Autotrader Vans). While there is no official DFSK presence in the UK, I'd imagine there must be some kind of rudimentary warranty, possibly parts only. If so, a dealer could maybe point you in the right direction.

As for replacing the engine with one from another make, well first thing is while the Loadhopper bears more than a passing resemblance to the Suzuki Carry, AFAIK the running gear is not interchangeable. That doesn't mean the engine from a Carry couldn't be made to fit, with such a similar mechanical layout and dimensions, they surely are not that diiferent.

But the other thing you'd really need to ba asking yourself is whether it is worth fixing. And assuming you are not able to do the mechanical work yourself, that would depend on you finding a mechanic or garage willing to give it a go, but more importantly, how much they would be charging you

I'm not a mechanic but I'm assuming heat seized means boiled dry?

Might also be worth starting your own thread over on the Technical Matters section of the forum?.

DFSK/DFM - Janice Finlay
Thanks, that’s helpful. Not an easy problem to resolve without scraping the whole van, which would be a pity as it’s in decent condition.