wheelwright

Thinking of buying an Ice cream van but dont really know what i'm looking for,
so looking for some advice on what a van should have in respect of equipment
level, no of freezers etc.
I have been offered a Mercedes Sprinter Ice Cream Van full cowl, carpigiani
soft machine, chiller, 6 lid freezer on a N plate for 15k, is this a fair price for
this type of van? or are they a no go!

Any advice would be really grateful.

Chip

A hygeine certificate would be a good start.

Chip

dpb

Are there not big 'turf wars' to fight in this regard...?

wheelwright

I think a 35 quid hygeine certificate aint to bad, but shelling out 15k on something
i'm not clued up on is a different matter.

dpb, do you speak from experience? I know the burger bars are a heavy lot,
burn your stall etc dont know about mobile ice cream van sellers.

BEW

Did Peter Kay not do a documentary about ice cream wars?

WW me aul mucker could you really cope with being called Mr Softee?

wheelwright

BEW!!! Hows it hanging me ol mucka? long time no jaw

Ice cream wars, whatever next....................

Clarebabes

Let's have a reunion

Dr Hu

So - you've never liked your knee caps then........

Ray_li

I watched a TV program about a Ice cream wars

There's a gang in Birmingham called Burger bars

Scooby Soon!

Basically if theres big money involved then people are not going to be happy if you turn up on there spot!

Although it may be worth the risk as there is lot of money available in the right locations. I have personally seen on several occasions Ice cream vans take £2000 to £3000 in 1 day all in cash

But you will always get screwed for rent if you plan on doing any shows because the organiser will want loads of money for rent (hence why the food and ice cream is always expensive at events) I know of a "traveling person" who buys all the concessions at a huge show and pays something like £40k almost a year in advance, he then sublets any spaces he doesnt want on to other people nearer to the start of the show (all the prices are of course fixed by him)

If you are planning on buying a van , you would be much better off buying something built on a sprinter than anything else (transit etc). If you get something cheap and its off the road you will be losing money every seconds it in the garage.

wheelwright

Scooby Soon, so 15k for a N plate IYO is a good price? I have been told as it has the Walls colours you have to sell Walls products which are said to be expensive. Can anyone here comment on this as i thought if its my van i could sell what i like!!

CB, How you doin long time pettle

Ray Li, Burger Bar Boys are the gang you mean rivals of The Johnson Crew both based down in Aston area.

Scooby Soon!

I suppose it depends on the miles, but seeing as this is over £16k and the reserves not yet me http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Mercedes-Sprin...QQcmdZViewItem

I would get it throughly checked over by a mechanic although just about everything can be fixed on sprinters. The newest one I have is 18 months old 313 sprinter it has done 55,000 miles and we have not yet had one problem with it, original tyres are still going strong as well.

We did use to have a 96 N (the first year sprinters were introduced) we treated it like ****, hardly every serviced, cheapest tyres brakes etc it was still going fine when we sold it after5 years and about 85,000 miles on it, never let us down once!

little-ginge

When I was a nipper, we used to have Italian Tony 'Maccaroni' (who is still going!!) in his Mr Whippee van, and some blonde woman in her pink version selling ice creams round our way.

I remember Tony Maccaroni chasing after the woman in his van,trying to cut her up, and or preempting where she was going so he could get to the customers first.. as she was invading his turf...he got really nasty about it and she soon disappeared..

He still has the 'monopoly' around here - perhaps thats because more people buy their ice cream etc from supermarkets - I took a nostalgic trip down memory lane and brought a 'screwball' - (remember those??) off him in the summer - 2 house moves, about 15 years later and he recognised me straight off - oh the shame..must have been a right ice cream gnosher when I was small!!

Yet another piece of childhood slowly dwindling - good luck wheelwright!!

wheelwright

little-ginge, thanks for your kind words............But aint you still small and ginger thats why he remembers you

paulwrxboro

i drove one for a mate for 2 weeks
he takes about £120-150 aday round the streets not bad as most was mr softy and he said a £1 icecream costs him about 10p

but as far as i know well round here everyone guards there own round ..
so get ready for some stick why you find your own round
saying that when i was working if i seen a bunch of kids id just pull over and whack on the chimes
the council areas are best more kids hanging around ect
also for fates and boot sales try and park just outside the gates

GOOD LUCK

little-ginge

probably!!

lubo

hiya wheelwright!

Billbill

Hey wheelwright, good luck!!

cookstar

iTrader: (6)

Very much so

wheelwright

lubo Hi ya,

Billbill, long time me ol friend, you doing well?

cookstar, you speaking from experience? if so can you say the sort of things that happen?

David Lock

Could it double up as a burger/snack bar for winter use??

Robbie T

iTrader: (8)

I know an ice cream man that does quite well round here, there is 'territories' which are quite strict AFAIK.
I don't know of any backlash in this respect but they are all Italian, so horses head maybe
In the winter time he does jacket potatoes at car boot sales etc