RENT A VAN
SMALL VAN HIRE
A small, car-based van is perfect when you are moving items such as a washing machine or other household goods. These vans are designed to take a pallet onboard so their internal dimensions are approximately 1.7m long,1.2m wide and 1.1m high. This gives a load volume of 2.8m. The maximum allowed weight of the load is 625 kg. You will see lots of these vans driven by postal delivery companies or service engineers. They are easy to drive, manoeuvre and park whilst giving adequate loading area. They are cheap to run and operate and so the daily rate price is quite reasonable. They are available from most rental branches, but only from a few airports. Some rental branches have extended weekend opening or have an "out of hours" drop off facility, so you can rent a van just for a day rather than a weekend. If you are using an out of hours drop off it is advisable to take out the extra insurance to reduce your excess liability. You can add extra drivers for the hire periods (all drivers must be present on collection) and hire a sat nav. One way van hire is permitted between branches throughout the UK. However a one way fee is applicable and the amount will be shown on your quotation on our online booking engine. If you are transporting a smaller item that would fit into an estate car then it would be cheaper to do a one way car hire than a one way van hire
SHORT WHEEL BASE VAN HIRE
Short wheel based vans have over twice as much space as a small van - 6.5m to 2.8m. So they are ideal for transporting larger loads such as beds, tables and wardrobes. SWB vans are also very useful for tradesmen who have lots of tools or equipment to carry. If you are unfamiliar with van terminology then you may know them as a Ford Transit, or VW transporter or Vauxhall Vivaro. Other manufacturers also have similar vans such as Toyota Hiace, Nissan Primastar, Citroen Relay or Mercedes Sprinter . The typical internal dimensions will be 2.4m long, 1.7m wide and 1.4m high, giving 6.5m cubed and a payload (how much you can carry) of about 900kg. These vans normally have 3 seats in the front and are generally quite comfortable as some of these vans may be used for many years and rack up high mileages when used by companies. SWB vans have two doors at the rear that open outwards from the centre, giving good access to the load space. Some short wheel base vans also have a side loading door for even better access. These side loading doors are on a sliding mechanism so the door does not open onto the road or pavement.
Vans are available from most branches, but not from every airport location. You can rent a van for a weekend or just for a day from some branches. Prices for rentals at the beginning of the week are normally cheaper than at weekends and branches have some optional equipment for rent. It is possible to arrange a one way hire between branches, but extra charges may apply. Vans cannot be taken on a one way trip overseas, for example if you are moving from the UK to France.
LONG WHEEL BASE VAN RENTAL
Long wheelbase vans are ideal when you have a lot of goods or possessions to move. LWB vans have nearly twice as much interior space as a SWB - 11 m cubed to 6.5 m cubed. That is a large area and can accommodate lots of furniture or equipment. Lots of companies use this size of van when they need to carry lots of goods. Parcel delivery companies, builders and distribution companies find the vans have lots of space combined with ease of use. LWB vans are fairly large vehicles; much longer, wider and taller than a normal car, so when driving a van you must pay particular attention when either parking, reversing or going round sharp corners. Vans are equipped with extra large wing mirrors that have two or three angled mirrors, but obviously they do not have rear view mirrors.
The typical interior dimensions of a long wheel based van are 3.3m long, 1.4m wide and 1.8m high, giving a volume of 11.3 m. The weight allowed is 1500 kg. The driver must be over 23 and the LWB is available from most locations apart from airports. One way van hire is allowed, although a one way fee will be applicable. Most companies will have a variety of vans on fleet at any given time such as a Ford transit , VW Crafter, Mercedes Sprinter, Vauxhall Movano or Fiat Ducato
LUTON VAN HIRE
Luton vans are the large vans that have a chassis with a 'box' on. 'Luton' refers to the style of the box. Making vans in this way maximises the load space available for the size of van. So a Luton van has an enclosed cabin that has three seats and are normally quite comfortable. The box is normally about 3.7m long, 2m wide and 2m high, giving a load area of 15m, or nearly a third more than a long wheel base van. The extra width achieved is also very useful, particularly if you are transporting a large item. The allowed weight is about 1.5kg, about the same as a LWB van. Because the box is on a chassis, the load floor is quite a bit higher than a normal van. To overcome this Luton vans come with a tail lift. Simply press a button to lower the tail, stack it with your goods and then press a button to lift them up to the load floor. This feature is very appealing for many customers who have a lot of things to move, especially if you are moving house and have lots of bulky furniture.
Luton vans are tricky to drive if you are not used to them and you have to check for any height restrictions on the roads, such as when you go under a low bridge. Luton vans do not have rear view mirrors so you must be more reliant on your wing mirrors when reversing, especially as you also have a tail lift protruding at the back of the vehicle. In some instances it is recommended to have someone to guide you when going backwards.
Luton vans are normally supplied by Ford, VW or Mercedes. Not every branch will have their own vans in stock, but will rely on a national fleet stock, so consequently Luton vans are 'on request'. This means a booking is made but it won't be confirmed until the branch has sourced a vehicle. At weekends, especially at the end of a month, Luton vans become in short supply as that is when lots of people move homes, so we would advise to book early. At some times branches can only supply a vehicle if the booking is for a minimum of three days this is explained on our booking engine. One way van hire between branches is available, very useful if you are moving house!
