A man looking out the window of his van

One million kilometres…and still going strong!

How many trouble-free kilometres would you expect to clock up on a van, if you look after it properly? Maybe 100,000? Possibly 200,000 if you’re particularly careful?

Well…how about a cool one million?

That’s the amazing total that’s just been hit by a driver in County Carlow. Strictly speaking, James Foley’s vehicle is not a van. Instead, it’s a Ford Tourneo Connect, that he uses as a taxi. But the Tourneo Connect is simply the passenger of the Transit Connect van, and a smaller version of the famous Transit – two of the most popular models of van on Irish roads.

And if the passenger version can clock up a million kilometres, there should be no reason the commercial van version couldn’t do the same, if it got the same TLC as James gives to his trusty vehicle.

Regular servicing

James and his passenger van featured in the motoring section of the Irish Independent last week. He said the key to his vehicle’s longevity is having it serviced regularly.

He brings it for servicing every 12,000 km. And since he puts up an average 9,000 km per month, that means it’s in for a service once every five to six weeks!

Unusual problem

James did have one unusual problem as his vehicle hit the million mark. The odometer got stuck at 999,999!

He had to bring it to main dealer to have it reset to zero again. It was the first time they had to deal with that ‘problem’ too. It’s not exactly a common occurrence!

tourneo connect 02
The odometer stuck at 999,999 km

What Ford say

When he heard about the marvellous million, the managing director of Ford Ireland, Ciarán McMahon, told the Independent: ‘It just shows what can be achieved when you look after a vehicle’s engine properly.

‘I’m sure we will continue to see well-serviced models displaying such impressive mileage milestones,’ he added.

Still going strong

Meanwhile, James’s Tourneo Connect is still going strong, even after its million kilometres or more.

That’s 25 times around the world, if you stick to the equator all the way. And it’s significantly more than the distance to the moon and back.

He says he’ll keep driving it for as long as possible. It might even do another million, he joked!

Source: Irish Independent, ‘Taxi driver celebrates 1 million kilometres’

There’s probably nowhere near a million kilometres on your van. But remember – whatever you drive, or however much driving you do, we’re here to get the best van insurance for you.

We deal with all the major insurance providers in Ireland to get you the best quote. We regularly deliver savings of 25% or more.

Other benefits of choosing www.insuremyvan.ie for your van insurance include:

  • Windscreen cover *
  • Breakdown/Roadside assistance *
  • Legal expenses cover *
  • Cover for driving other commercial vans *
  • Mirror No Claims Bonus from your commercial vans or private car, to help save you even more
  • Bonus protection available
  • Contents cover available
  • Open Driving cover available
  • Irish-based contact centre to deal with your policy and answer any questions
  • Low price and excellent customer service guarantee

Ready to save money? Get your van insurance quote now!