Large vans such as these Europcar Volkswagen Crafter vans can hold a lot of stuff! (Image: Europcar)

Choosing the right-sized van is often the hardest part of renting a van! Understanding the different sizes and knowing how much space you need for your stuff isn’t always as simple as it might seem.

That’s why we’re running a series of posts aimed at helping you understand the most popular van sizes offered by the van hire companies in our price comparison system. (You can also find a summary of this information with typical load bay dimensions on our van sizes page.)

So far, we’ve covered:

• Small vans
• Medium vans

Today we’re looking at large vans.

Should I go large?

When a rental company offers you a large van, it usually means a long wheelbase panel van. Occasionally it might be a medium wheelbase model.

Popular models include the Ford Transit LWB, Volkswagen Crafter (pictured above), Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, Renault Master and Fiat Ducato.

Although these vans are quite bulky, they’re still quite easy to drive, with big clear mirrors and dash-mounted gearsticks and power steering which make them easy to handle. Typical fuel consumption is likely to be 30-35mpg. And these vans usually have a high roof, so you won’t be able to go into car parks with height barriers, for example.

What will fit in a large van? Most things, as long as you’re realistic. You should be able to fit the contents of a studio flat, including some furniture and a reasonable number of boxes. Possibly even a one-bed flat if you don’t have too much furniture or kitchen appliances.

For example, you should be able to stack a couple of sofas, slide in a mattress, and fit plenty of boxes in around these big items. Depending on the size of your sofa, you might get a fridge or a washing machine in too.

Although you can get a lot in, it’s worth remembering that you probably won’t be able to use the full height and space of the van. If you stack stuff too high, you may end up with damage.

The load area on a long wheelbase van is typically 3.5-4m long, although this can vary. The roof is often high enough to provide standing height and load width will be around 1.7m (less between the wheel arches).

What won’t fit? Very long and large pieces of furniture may still be difficult to fit, or if they do fit, you may find that you have to put them down the middle of the van because of the wheel arches. This may mean that you can’t use the rest of the space inside the van very efficiently.

Other things that might not fit inside a long wheelbase van are 4.8m lengths of timber from builders merchants and 5m rolls of carpet.

Next up: We’ll take a look at extra-long wheelbase vans!

The Ford Transit Custom is the UK’s most popular medium van.

When you hire a van, choosing the right size isn’t always easy. Especially if it’s your first time.

To help you find the right size van for you, we’ve put together a run-down of the most popular van sizes offered by the van hire companies in our price comparison system. (You can also find a summary of this information with typical load bay dimensions on our van sizes page.)

We’ve already covered small vans.

This week we’re continuing with a look at medium vans.

Medium is a popular choice

The best-known medium van in the UK is probably the top-selling Ford Transit Custom. Other popular choices from other manufacturers include the Luton-built Vauxhall Vivaro and the Volkswagen Transporter.

There’s a good reason why this size of van is so popular. It’s big enough to hold quite a lot, but small enough to be car-like to drive and easy to park. Fuel consumption is also good, with modern models often able to give more than 40mpg.

What will fit in a medium van? A typical medium van might be able to carry a cooker, washing machine, fridge and freezer, plus some small stuff. Or you could probably fit in two armchairs or one sofar (although some sofas will be too long).

The load area is usually 2.4m long, so you can fit 8’x4′ plasterboard, mattresses, and other longer items. Sideboards should fit too, as might a medium-sized dining table and chairs.

If you’re packing removal boxes, then I’d expect to get 25-40 in, depending on their size, weight and how easily they can be stacked.

These probably won’t fit: Very large items of furniture could still be awkward. A triple wardrobe or a large Welsh dresser might notfit. Nor will large rolls of carpet, or very large tables. Big sofas will be a problem, and you’ll only fit one sofa in unless it’s unusually small.

Another problem is that even if you can cram everything in, you may find it difficult to secure it and make sure that nothing gets damaged while you’re driving. Sometimes a bigger van allows you to pack things more safely.

Next up: We’ll take a look at long wheelbase vans!