old thread I know but the way i would look at this is how long you keeping the van?
say 10 years;
change every 4 you would have paid for a new belt twice and be selling a van with 2 years left on the belt which wouldn't put a buyer off,
change every 5 years you are selling a van that you have either paid for one new belt and it needs a change now (buyer will want a discount) or you have paid twice and the van has a brand new belt on (might help put the price up a bit I guess),
change every 7 you have paid once but the new belt will have done 3 years when you come to sell and a buyer would probably argue there is only one year left (on VWs 4 year cycle) and look to push price down,
change every 10 years and you are either selling a van with a 10 year old belt (buyer will want a discount to cover the cost of a new one) or you would have just put a new belt on, and will saved 50 quid a year over the 10 years of ownership and and the new owner gets the benefit of the new belt.
So I guess over a 10 year ownership period either change every 4 years and pay twice or change every 10 years and only pay once but live with the risk of a failure. Personally I would rather have a new belt on my van when I'm driving it rather than fitting one for the next owner and not take the risk of an expensive failure and have factored the price in for next year.
say 10 years;
change every 4 you would have paid for a new belt twice and be selling a van with 2 years left on the belt which wouldn't put a buyer off,
change every 5 years you are selling a van that you have either paid for one new belt and it needs a change now (buyer will want a discount) or you have paid twice and the van has a brand new belt on (might help put the price up a bit I guess),
change every 7 you have paid once but the new belt will have done 3 years when you come to sell and a buyer would probably argue there is only one year left (on VWs 4 year cycle) and look to push price down,
change every 10 years and you are either selling a van with a 10 year old belt (buyer will want a discount to cover the cost of a new one) or you would have just put a new belt on, and will saved 50 quid a year over the 10 years of ownership and and the new owner gets the benefit of the new belt.
So I guess over a 10 year ownership period either change every 4 years and pay twice or change every 10 years and only pay once but live with the risk of a failure. Personally I would rather have a new belt on my van when I'm driving it rather than fitting one for the next owner and not take the risk of an expensive failure and have factored the price in for next year.
