Car-Derived Van

By |2015-08-24T12:07:16+01:00August 31st, 2012|Archive|

Pretty much what it says on the tin: a van on the platform of a small- or medium-sized passenger car with rear seats removed to create a load area and solid panels in place of the rear passengers' side windows. Good for florists, small deliveries and self-employed tradesmen who don’t need to carry large or weighty items.

4×4 Van

By |2015-08-24T12:08:02+01:00August 31st, 2012|Archive|

A niche sector. 4x4 vans have a far greater carrying capacity than a 4x4 pick-up or Land Rover Defender yet offer four-wheel-drive transmission to allow access to off-road locations unreachable by a standard, road-going van. Most often used by utility companies that need to carry large loads to out-of-the-way places.  

Box Van

By |2015-08-24T12:08:23+01:00August 31st, 2012|Archive|

Cube-shaped, roomy load area separate from the cab with rear door access. Often used for box deliveries, large parcels and bulkier loads.    

Chassis Van

By |2015-08-24T12:09:27+01:00August 31st, 2012|Archive|

Supplied with just cab minus rear body for specialist conversion to meet an operator’s particular requirements. Common conversions are dropsides, tippers and flatbeds.    

City Van

By |2015-08-24T12:09:41+01:00August 31st, 2012|Archive|

Similar in size to a car-derived van but more functional, allowing trades and delivery firms the benefit of a compact size for urban and city work but often with the ability to carry a Euro pallet.  

Crew Van

By |2015-08-24T12:10:39+01:00August 31st, 2012|Archive|

A vehicle with an extra line of seating behind the front row to increase crew-carrying capacity. Sometimes equipped with four doors for personnel access and most often based on a panel van. Used by businesses such as glaziers, scaffolders, and road gangs. Also known as double cab in van (DCIV).    

Curtainside

By |2015-08-24T12:11:08+01:00August 31st, 2012|Archive|

A van with a rigid roof but sides which are movable curtains made of reinforced fabric with a waterproof coating and secured with a ratchet system. Allows all-round easy access to the load as with a flatbed but provides better security for the load. Often used as brewery drays.  

Dropside

By |2015-08-24T12:11:25+01:00August 31st, 2012|Archive|

A flatbed with short sides and tailgate, all of which can be dropped down for easy access to the load. Used by builders and building material suppliers, landscapers, coal merchants.  

Luton

By |2015-08-24T12:13:46+01:00August 31st, 2012|Archive|

A box van with body that extends over the cab to provide additional storage. Used by parcel carriers and for small-scale removals.  

Microvan

By |2015-08-24T12:14:16+01:00August 31st, 2012|Archive|

A small van, not car-derived, with a box body and usually a rear- and a side-loading door giving good access to the cargo area. Ideal for town and city use but with limited carrying capacity. Good for small deliveries, gardeners, handymen, florists, plumbers.  

Minibus

By |2015-08-24T13:12:25+01:00August 31st, 2012|Archive|

A van converted to carry passengers seating typically 12 to 17 people depending on the wheelbase and usually based on a panel van. Minibuses with nine or more seats generally require the driver to have a PSV (Public Service Vehicle) licence. Used by taxi firms, as crew buses, school buses, and non-emergency ambulances.  

Panel Van

By |2015-08-24T13:12:35+01:00August 31st, 2012|Archive|

Panel vans come with a range of body types (low, medium and high roof) and with short, medium and long wheelbases. As the most popular van on UK roads, they are used for a huge variety of tasks, doing service with just about every trade and courier operation imaginable.  

Pick-up

By |2015-08-24T13:13:19+01:00August 31st, 2012|Archive|

A single- or double-cab with an open tray back. Most often with a drop-down tailgate and very occasionally with dropsides. Seen most often in 4x4 form. Ideal for trades where some form of off-road ability is required, such as farming, forestry, tree surgery and landscaping.  

Tipper

By |2015-08-24T13:14:53+01:00August 31st, 2012|Archive|

A dropside or rigid-sided van with open load area that is equipped with a hydraulic ram allowing the front of the load area to be raised, thus tipping the load to the ground. Used by builders and building material suppliers, and for the supply of topsoil or the disposal of rubble etc.  

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