1. What specification of van do you want or need?
Get the right Van Specification
You may be the type of person who could absolutely not go without air conditioning, alternatively you may be carrying a passenger the whole time and feel that a passenger airbag is as important as one on the drivers side. These are relatively small details, however. The most important factor is the job that the van has to do. If you regularly need to carry 8×2 sheets, for example, a Citroen Nemo is unlikely to be your first van of choice. Equally if you need to drive across fields, you may have to consider a 4×4 or consider the XTR+ variants of the Citroen Berlingo and Dispatch that perform well off-road, but maintain excellent on-road characteristics thanks to a trick driveline.
If you are simply after a panel van then this is still no easy choice- most vans come with at least three wheelbases, and therefore load lengths – some have as many as four. Combine this with up to three roof heights and you will have to think long and hard to go for the optimum combination. There is no point going for the longest and highest, ‘just in case’ as you will be paying in fuel to carry the extra weight and frontal area around the country. Consider the longest loads that you will carry and how frequently the need arises. If you are used to a smaller van with a roof rack, could you manage with a slightly larger van and do away with the roofrack which impacts so negatively on fuel consumption?
For the rare occasions that you need to carry the extra large loads it may make sense to borrow or rent a larger van than buying one and paying all year round to satisfy its thirst for diesel.
If you want to kit the van out as a workshop, think about your own comfort – if you are a six footer, then opt for a high roof, don’t spend all day crouched over a workbench, head bent just because the lower-roofed van was a little cheaper to buy and run.
Loadspace areas for typical panel vans range from a petite 7m3 to a whopping 17m3 from the Mercedes Sprinter, Ford Transit, Renault Master and Vauxhall Movano. Having all this space could come in handy, but you have to consider the amount of weight you are hoping to carry. You could physically load a jumbo panel van with five tonnes, although you would probably break the suspension and definitely break the law. The heavier your load, the shorter and lower the van you should opt for. If you are carrying polystyrene then a 17m3 at a gross vehicle weight of 3.5tonnes will suit. If you carry bottled water then forget it. With payloads of around a tonne you will regularly be breaking the law.
The van makers understand this problem and have come up with a partial solution – making vans with gross vehicle weight of above 3.5 tonnes. This means that you can almost double the payload with a 4.5 tonne van compared to a 3.5tonner. Seems like the ideal solution for you? There are significant downsides to operating a van above 3.5 tonnes G.V.W.
Firstly you need to have the correct driving licence. This means either taking a new text or being unlucky enough to be in your thirties or older, therefore claiming ‘Granddads’ rights’ on being able to drive vehicles between 3.51 and 7.49 tonnes GVW. In addition you would need to gain a special licence for the vehicle and the premises that it operates from. This is called an ‘Operator’s Licence’ or ‘O-Licence’. Add to this six-weekly inspections and having to use a tachograph to monitor drivers’ hours and you can understand that you really have to want to carry that extra payload.
Well specified dropside with tail lift
Despite all the downsides, this is a sector of the market that is growing, although it is more likely that operators of larger trucks are downsizing than a typical panel van operator upsizing.
Consider the safety of the vehicle. With added safety features usually comes more weight and cost. If you are always on motorways and dual carriageways then the modern technology may be more important to you than if you are pottering around locally the whole time.
Don’t Buy a total Pup!
If you ever hope to drive inside the M25 after January 2012 then you need to make sure that you buy a van that meets the emissions requirement of London’s Low Emission Zone (LEZ). For the full details, then visit Transport for London’s website, but if you are thinking of buying a van that is older than a 51 reg, then think again. You may even wish to think further afield if you are thinking of keeping your van for some time.
Consider the example of commercial vehicles over 3.5 tonnes GVW – they had to meet the Euro 3 emissions standard in 2008, but now the goalposts have been moved and they have to reach the Euro 4 standard by 2012. This means that the commercial vehicle cannot be more than seven years old and drive inside the M25 without having had serious and costly modifications to the exhaust system.
You can imagine the impact on the cost of a van that does qualify for future entry to the LEZ compared to one that will not. Given the choice of paying a little extra for a Euro 4 van or a Euro 3 van today – go for the Euro 4 every time.
Consider your Professional Image
Unless you make a conscious decision to always park around the corner from a job, your prospective and existing customers will see your van. As a visible and important tool of your trade, the appearance of your van says a lot about your business and the quality of work that you can provide.
Considering two identical quotes from two trades people – one has turned up to deliver the quote in an ageing, bashed up, filthy dirty van and the other a modern, clean van with a well-designed livery. Who would you give the job to?
Your van is also a potential magnet for generating new business. Whatever work you are doing in an area, chances are there will be many more potential customers for the same work. Your van is a mobile advertising board to generate enquiries from these potential customers. Spending a little on making the van look right and keeping it clean should offer you payback in the long run.
Looking after your van will also mean that it is worth more come trade-in time for the next one.
