Used Volkswagen Crafter Van Finance

The Volkswagen Crafter for large loads and heavy daily use

The Crafter is the large van for businesses that carry big, bulky or heavy loads every day. Removals firms, shopfitters, builders’ merchants and conversion specialists choose it for load capacity, and a good used example can be a long-term workhorse.

One thing catches buyers out: there are two quite different Crafters. From 2006 to 2016 the Crafter shared its body and chassis with the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter and was built by Mercedes, though it used Volkswagen’s own diesel engines. The second generation from 2017 is Volkswagen’s own van, and the MAN TGE is built alongside it as a twin. First-generation vans usually sell for less than our lenders’ minimum, so most fundable Crafters are second-generation vans.

Give us the year, the weight class and the body type, and say whether it is a Crafter or its MAN TGE twin. We will say what looks realistic before you commit to a full application. Finance is subject to status.

Crafter sizes, drive and what to check

• Body sizes: several wheelbases and roof heights, with load volumes from roughly ten to well over fifteen cubic metres on the biggest vans.
• Payload: up to roughly 1,400 kg on common panel vans, with heavier gross-weight chassis cabs for bodies. Check your licence entitlement above 3.5 tonnes.
• Drive: first-generation vans are mostly rear-wheel drive. The second generation added front-wheel drive and its own 4MOTION four-wheel drive, which suits those towing or working on soft ground.
• Technology: second-generation vans offer a range of driver assistance and safety features. Check which ones the van actually has, because the specification varies a lot between used examples.
• What to check: service history, AdBlue and diesel particulate filter systems, rust at the arches and sills, and wear on the load floor and sliding doors, especially on ex-removals vans.

Crafter prices and an example monthly cost

Used Crafters typically sell for around £10,000 to £32,000, with early second-generation vans towards the lower end and late, low-mileage versions towards the top. Even the cheapest sit close to our lenders’ threshold: the minimum lend is £10,000 before VAT and after deposit, so the van needs to cost around £12,000 or more.

For a Crafter at about £21,000 with £3,000 deposited, the amount to finance is £18,000. Representative example: borrow £18,000 over 60 months at 9.9% APR representative and the 60 monthly payments come to £377.83, with £22,669.80 payable in total (excluding deposit and fees). Illustrative only and subject to status. Use the calculator for your own Crafter figures.

VAT on a used Crafter

A larger van means a larger VAT sum, so it pays to read the invoice. Ex-fleet and ex-rental Crafters often show VAT, whereas stock a dealer bought from a private seller is commonly sold under the margin scheme. Get the status in writing, ask your accountant about any converted body, and use our VAT guide to check.

Terms and structure for a larger van

Higher values mean longer terms are more common, and hire purchase over four or five years is a frequent choice for a van you will keep. A finance lease can lower payments and suits VAT-registered firms. For a conversion base, tell us the planned body, because lenders may treat a finished conversion differently from a plain chassis.