Types of Van Available to Hire

Here's a brief guide to the types of hire van that are commonly available, this guide will help you pick the right type of van, one that isn't too wide or long for you to drive or too small and and narrow for what you need to carry.

The capacity of most vans is given in cubic meters, this doesn't mean much so included in the guide is a general idea of the length and width of each van's load compartment to make things a bit easier to understand. Along with this there is a rough guide to the payload of each van (how heavy a load it can carry), though it's worthwhile checking this with the manufacturer or rental company as this can vary depending upon the model and make of van.

Note: These dimensions and weights are approximate and should only be used as a rough guide. Also on all van types (except for the Luton van), the width of the van's loading compartment between the wheel arches (which protrude into the van) will be less than stated, generally around 50cm less.

There are generally six categories of van available these are:

Small Combo Vans

Examples of these are the ford transit and vauxhall combo vans. These are best suited to small loads, which are slightly too large for a car, or for professionals such as plumbers, electricians, etc. They can easily carry washing machines, furniture items such as sets of drawers or for student moves.

Load Area 1.7 meters long by 1.5 meters wide, by 1.2 meters tall Carrying Capacity Around 600kg Doors 2 Passenger doors, 2 Rear loading doors Not much bigger than a family car, and similar to drive, though with less rear visibility, ideal to carry small loads. Find out more...

Short Wheel Base (SWB)/Small Van

Examples of these are the ford transit connect and vauxhall vivaro vans. The smallest "proper van" as it were, these are full height vans but similar to combo vans in terms of their length and width making them easier to drive. Ideal for more awkward loads, such as cupboards, couches or heavier loads that are too much for combo vans but not worth hiring a full size van for.

Load Area 2.5 meters long by 1.5 meters wide, by 1.6 meters tall Carrying Capacity Around 1000kg Doors 2 passenger doors, 2 full size rear loading doors The same height and width as a full size van but with a trade of in terms of it's length and payload making it much easier to corner and drive than an LWB van.

Medium Wheel Base (MWB)/Normal Van

Examples of this type of van are the Ford Transit MWB, Volkswagen Transporter MWB and Renault Traffic.

Load Area 2.7 meters long by 1.7 meters wide, by 1.4 meters tall Carrying Capacity Around 1600kg Doors 2 passenger doors, 2 full size rear loading doors Slightly longer and more importantly wider than an SWB van, it provides that step up from an SWB Van and is well suited to white goods.

Long Wheel Base (LWB)/Large Van

LWB (long wheel base vans) have considerable load space and carrying capacity, and are your traditional large van. Examples are the Ford Transit LWB and Mercedes Sprinter (LWB).

Load Area 3.4 meters long by 1.7 meters wide, by 1.7 meters tall Carrying Capacity Around 1500kg Doors 2 passenger doors, 2 full size rear loading doors and often a sliding door. Ideal for moving large heavy items, courier services, an ideal combination of capacity and payload whilst still being reasonably manouverable Find out more...

Extra Long Wheel Base Van(ELWB)

ELWB (extra long wheel base vans) are the largest conventional van types available, designed to carry a full size roll of carpet. Examples are the Ford Transit Jumbo or Mercedes Sprinter (XLWB).

Load Area 4.2 meters long by 1.7 meters wide, by 1.8 meters tall Carrying Capacity Around 1400kg Doors 2 passenger doors, 2 large doors and one to two large sliding doors. Ideal for moving large bulky items, such as carpet rolls. However there is a trade off in terms of manouverability and a slight loss of payload.

Luton Box Vans

Luton vans are a different type of van in that they have a box cargo area which stretches over the cabin. This means the wheelarches don't protrude into the van so they have a large square cargo area.

Load Area 4 meters long by 2 meters wide, by 2.2 meters tall Carrying Capacity Around 1400kg Doors 2 passenger doors and 2 rear doors, may also have a hydraulic tail lift to help loading. Ideal for house moves, and other situations where a large varied or bulky load needs to be carried. However not as long as an XLWB van and awkward to manouver.