The most popular vans in the UK

The van is essential to many small businesses, and these unsung workhorses help to keep the struggling UK economy afloat. Here we take a look at the 10 most popular vans in Britain.

The Ford Transit

The iconic transit was launched way back in 1965 and has become the van of choice for many small businesses. The Transit has been called 'The Backbone of Britain' and is known for its reliability, versatility and ease of driving. A new transit costs around £17,000 and used ones are much cheaper.
The Transit is undoubtedly the UK's number one van and is also a very popular hire vehicle. In fact, there is one company offering van hire in minibus hire walsall  that has a Transit with more than 200,000 on the clock that has only ever needed minor repairs.

The Transit Connect

The Transit's baby brother, the Connect combines the flexibility of a small van with the reliability of it's big bro. Priced at just £11,000, the Connect offers an impressive volume of 3.4 cubic metres.

The Mercedes Sprinter.

Another iconic symbol of the UK economy, the Sprinter matches the Transit for reliability but does it with much more style. It is also one of the safest vans on the market, but its new price of just over £20,000 is off-putting to some small companies.

The Peugeot 207

One of the best small vans around, the 207 is perfect for one-man operations and can be bought new for just £8,000. It can also deliver a very impressive 65 miles per gallon.

The Peugeot Bipper

Peugeot again, this time the slightly larger Bipper. A new Bipper will set you back around £8,500 and is offered with a huge range of options. It has a capacity of 2.8 cubic metres and a turning circle of around 10 metres, making it great in tight situations.

The Vauxhall Combo

The cheapest van in the list at around 8,000. This may be about the same as the 207, but the Combo has more space in the front and rear and is also very cheap to run.

The Renault Kangoo

Also very affordable to run, but more expensive at £9,500, the Kangoo boasts a 3 cubic metre load capacity, a higher standard spec and an economical diesel engine.

The VW Caddy

The Caddy comes in two forms. The smaller version has a capacity of 3.2 cubic metres while the long wheelbase version can hold 4.2 cubic metres. However, you do pay more for all that comes with the VW badge - the Caddy starts at £16,500.

The Renault Trafic

A Transit lookalike, the Trafic comes in a range of styles and capacities. However, for £19,400 you would want it to match the reliability of the Transit, which, unfortunately, it fails to do.

The Citroen Berlingo

This nippy little van sits somewhere between small vans and Transit-sized workhorses. It is available with a capacity of 3.3 or 4.1 cubic metres and is available from £10,625. It may have a silly name, then again so does the Kangoo, but the Berlingo can deliver over 60 miles per gallon.

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Thinking of hiring a minibus? What's the legal situation?

Hiring a minibus for an outing is a great idea in theory, but there are some legal issues you should be aware of. Here is our complete guide to the legal side of minibus hire.


Are you allowed to drive a minibus?
This depends on how you intend to use the vehicle. If you intend to charge for its use you will need to apply for a permit or licence before you can legally drive the minibus (see below for more information). If you don't intend to charge for the use of the vehicle, not even for the running costs, then you can probably drive a minibus legally.
There are a few boxes that must be ticked:
    you just be 21 or older
    the vehicle must have 16 or less passenger seats
    you must have had your driving licence for two or more years
    if you are aged over 70 you must meet certain medical conditions known as 'Group 2' standards
    the minibus should weigh less that 3.5 tonnes - unless it comes with appartus to help disabled passengers on and off the vehicle, in which case it may weigh up to 4.25 tonnes
    it is forbidden to tow a trailer behind a minibus.
So, as long as you aren't charging for the use of the minibus, or receiving payment, most people would qualify to drive a minibus without a permit or licence.

Running costs
If you plan to charge your passengers, or any organisation, for the running costs (hire costs, fuel etc) of the minibus then you will need to get yourself a permit.
To qualify for a minibus permit there are some extra conditions to the ones above:
    the costs charged must be equal to, or less then, the actual running costs of the vehicle – you are not allowed to make any profit
    the organisation for which the bus is being used must be run by volunteers and must be of benefit to the community
    only members of that organisation may use the vehicle, the general public must not be allowed access to it.
The penalty for driving a minibus without a permit, when a permit is required, is a hefty fine and points on your licence. There have been prosecutions as well, a minibus hire cannock firm was recently hit with a fine for failing to apply for a permit for one of its drivers.

Making a profit from a minibus
If you intend to profit from driving the minibus you need to invest in a Passenger Carrying Vehicle licence or PCV. To get your PCV you need to be certified as medically fit and pass a theory and practical test.
So, in summary, if you are hiring a minibus for private use, or you are not intending to charge even running costs, you can drive one without a permit. If you want a charity organisation to cover the running costs, you can apply for a permit for free. If you want to profit, you need a licence, but this is relatively expensive and involved, so is not really worth doing for a one off minibus rental.

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Hiring a car could end up costing you £1000s

A Post Office investigation into overseas car hire has revealed some worrying trends.
The  excess on insurance policies from car rental firms tend to be anywhere from £400 to £1000. If the hire car is then involved in a serious accident, or should it get stolen, the hirer has to pay the full amount of this excess.

The sensible thing to do is to take out some additional insurance, known as an excess waiver policy. This extra policy will cover the hirer for the excess charged in the event of a claim.
The recent investigation, carried out by Post Office Travel Money, found that only around a third of British drivers take out excess waiver insurance, and only around one fifth invest in window, tyre and undercarriage cover.

Damage to tyres, windows and the car's undercarriage is not usually covered by a car rental firm's standard insurance policy.

Most minibus hire walsall companies do offer their customers the opportunity to take out excess waiver insurance, but they tend to charge a small fortune for it. Typically, one week's cover can be around £150 extra. That may exceed the price of hiring the car.

However, if you shop around, you will soon fine excess waiver insurance priced in the region of £30 - £35 per week. You can also buy annual cover for as little as £40 to £50. Such policies tend to offer up to around £2000 of cover, which is more than enough to cover the excess on most policies. They also tend to cover damage to the car's tyres, windows and undercarriage.

Some, not all, but some, car hire firms are known to be pretty aggressive when trying to sell add-ons such as excess waver insurance. They may even tell you that the policy you have taken out isn't valid. Don't listen – it is.
The best way to find more affordable excess cover is, of course, online. Using broker sites will save you the job of getting quotes from each company in turn. Simply enter your details and opt for the best deal. Do make sure that the site is comparing like with like though.
The prices of excess waiver insurance will vary depending on which country you are travelling to. To take two extremes, car rental in Wolverhampton, England is likely to be quite a bit cheaper than in Cape Town, South Africa.
Incredibly, some insurance companies even offer a full refund on their excess waiver insurance if no claim is made.

Older drivers may find that they are charged more for excess insurance, however there are insurers around who don't increase the cost for drivers until they reach 84 years of age.

The thought of incurring charges of £400 to £1000 for an accident, or theft, that could be no fault of your own is a worrying one. However, for just £30 to £40 you can protect yourself against the huge excesses offered by car rental companies and gain peace of mind. After all holidays are for relaxing, not for fretting about car hire walsall.


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The advantages of hiring a car

People hire cars for lots of reasons including family holidays, business trips or for use as a replacement vehicle while theirs is in the garage. Here we take a look at some of the advantages of hiring a car rather than using, or owning your own.

1. Many people who live in large towns and cities don't really need their own car because the public transport infrastructure there is so good. Hiring a car once or twice a year, for a holiday or business trip, can be much more cost-effective than owning a car that rarely gets used. If you live in London you will probably be more likely to consider van hire hereford or people from similarly rural areas, who will probably need to run their own vehicle.

2. Talking of holidays, you may need a larger vehicle for the two weeks of the year you manage to get away with the family. Rather than running a large people carrier all year round it can make sense to hire one for the short period during which it is needed. If you hire a large enough vehicle, you could also holiday with friends and share the cost.

3. If you hire a vehicle for a long journey, you also avoid putting all those miles on your own car. This can save you money in the long run and help to keep your own car in good condition.

4. Hire cars also come with full breakdown cover, which provides you with peace of mind, particularly during long journeys. The car rental hereford company will also replace the broken down vehicle so that you can continue your trip. However, as most hire cars tend to be fairly new these days, and well maintained, a hire car is probably less likely to develop a fault than many people's own cars.


5. As hire cars tend to be relatively new, they also tend to be economical in terms of fuel consumption. This can save you money on petrol or, more usually for a hire car, diesel.

6. Your own car may not be suitable for the journey you need to make, in which case, car hire is a great option. You may need an off road vehicle for example, or your own car may not be particularly efficient when not being driven on the motorway. You may also want to hire an automatic car for a period of urban driving.

7. You may not want to drive all the way to your holiday destination, in which case, hiring a car at the other end of a plane, train or ferry journey is a fantastic plan. That way you get more holiday time and less travelling time, and you also gain the freedom that having access to a car gives.

8. Hiring a car also gives you the chance to try out different types of car before you buy. Renting a car you have been thinking about buying may help you avoid the costly mistake of buying that car and then being stuck with it. On the other hand, you may find you love the car and be convinced to invest in one. Sometimes a twenty minute test drive just isn't enough time to make your mind up.

9. If you have a special occasion coming up, you can also hire a car for a short period, for example, taking your partner out for a special meal.

10. Lastly, you may need to project an image that your own car just doesn't. For example, your much loved family car may not be suitable for meeting business associates from the airport and showing them around town.

There are lots of advantages to hiring cars and, although there is an initial outlay, you can save money on fuel and maintenance costs. Car hire also allows you to try out new vehicles and gives you the freedom to explore whilst on holiday. Hire companies used to be confined to larger, urban areas, but there are now plenty of firms offering rural car hire, Hereford based Terminus Contract Hire, for example.

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How to cut the cost of holiday car hire

The cost of holiday car hire can sometimes rocket when you get to the desk at the airport. All of a sudden you're being asked to take out extra insurance, charged for child car seats and offered an uprgade. Put yourself in the driving seat with our fool proof guide to holiday car hire.

Purchase the most basic package.

The majority of the profit in car hire is made by the add-ons that hire firms try to sell to their customers. Especially profitable for them is CDW (Collision Damage Waiver) which covers the excess (typically £500 - £1000) which is not covered by their standard insurance. You should avoid CDW at all cost and arrange your own cover separately.

Shop around online for the best deals. There are lots of broker sites which are set up to find the best deals, but it's also worth checking for special offers directly on the websites of the big players in car rental.

Stick to on-airport hire companies – they are more convenient and tend to stock quality vehicles. Off -airport firms often stock a range of low quality cars and you really don't want to breakdown on holiday. Hire packages offered by airlines are rarely better deals than sourcing a car indpendently.

Take your own car seats and satnav.

The cost of hiring a satnav for one week can amount to more than the cost of a brand new satnav system. As satnavs are only small, it's no problem to take one in your luggage.

Child car seats are obviously a bit tricker but some airlines will allow each passenger to take a car seat on their flights for no extra cost. Low budget airlines tend to charge around £10 each way. The cost of hiring a seat can be around £70 per week.

Of course, if you are holidaying in this country, you can pick up the hire car locally and return home to fit the seats. Car hire in Ross on Wye tends to be a bit more straightforward than car hire on the Costa del Sol.

Source your own excess insurance,

The excess of rental car insurance tends to be around £500 to £1000. The car hire company will probably try to sell you CDW insurance to cover this excess. However, they will be looking to charge you around £150 per week for CDW. If you source the excess insurance independently you can get around £2000 worth of cover for an annual charge of approximately £40 to £50 or a one-off charge of about £33.

Check the small print

Before you sign the rental agreement, check the terms and conditions of the contract. The mileage you are permitted to drive for the rental period may be limited, or there may a surcharge for drivers aged under 25.

A lot of car hire firms are now charging for a full tank of fuel and asking for the car back empty. However, if you are on a small island, for example, it may be impossible to use anywhere near a full tank. So you end up paying for half a tank of fuel that you never used.

Have all damage to the car noted.

When you return the car hire, the rental company will inspect it for damage. So before you drive it away, you need to thoroughly check for any bumps or scratches, and make sure that someone from the rental firm signs the damage sheet. Photos or video footage is also good evidence.

When you return the car unblemished, park up and take photographs of each panel, the odometer, the wheels and the windows. If someone approaches you for the keys, make sure that they are actually employed by the rental company and are not a would be car thief.

Always retain all paperwork, and check your credit card statement for a few months after you get home to make sure that no payments have been charged to it.

Of course, most car hire firms are absolutely respectable and not out to rip anyone off. This is tas rue of car rental dudley in Ross on Wye as it is of car hire on The Algarve, or in the Canary Islands. However, as with everything in life, there are some unscrupulous people out there, so it is well worth taking these precautions and shopping around for the best prices.

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How to drive a minibus

Many people, at some point in their lives, need to drive a minibus. You may wish to volunteer as a driver for a charity, or you may have a job where you are asked to drive the minibus, such as a school teacher, or carer.
The thought of driving a large passenger vehicle like a minibus can be daunting. Here we try to put your mind at ease by explaining what you need to know about the legal situation when it comes to minibuses. We also offer some helpful tips about actually driving the thing.

What is a minibus?

A minibus is simply a passenger vehicle with between nine and ten passenger seats. There are strict rules governing the driving of minibuses.

The law.

When did you pass your test? If it was before January 1st 1997 you automatically received the D1 qualification. This means that you can drive a minibus providing:

•  you are over 21

• there are no more than 16 seats in the vehicle

• you don't intend to charge your passengers

If you passed after January 1st 1997, you must apply for the D1 minibus entitlement in order to legally drive a minibus.

However – even if you don't have the D1 entitlement, you can drive a minibus as a volunteer, for a volunteer-run organisation as long as you don't charge. You must also be over 21 and have had a driving licence for 2 years or longer.

Anyone wishing to charge for running costs must have a minibus permit.
Anyone wishing to profit as a minibus driver must pass the appropriate passenger vehicle qualification.
It is well worth checking the full legalities of minibus driving on the DVLA website.

There have been several prosecutions for driving a minibus without the appropriate permit or licence. A company providing minibus hire in Ross on Wye recently had their vehicle impounded when it was found that they had hired it out to a customer who didn't have a permit. The company was fined and the customer was fined and given penalty points.

There are also strict rules about taking breaks from driving. For example, in any period of 4.5 hours of driving, a driver must rest for at least 45 minutes. Again, there are lots of rules here and it is sensible to check on the UK government website.

Speed limits

A minibus must be not exceed 60mph on the motorway or on dual carriageway. It must stick to a 50mph limit on single carriageways.

Driving tips

If you are driving a minibus for the first time it can be a considerably different experience to driving a passenger car.
For one thing, there's the physical size of the vehicle. You'll need to leave more of a gap between you and parked cars, and parking will be a little trickier in some situations.
What you will find, when you drive a large vehicle, is that other cars tend to get out of the way. Not all of the time, but a lot of the time. Because you are so big, they can see you coming, and they know they will come off worse in a bump. So passenger cars tend to give way pretty readily to minibuses.
Try to avoid very narrow roads. Meeting an oncoming tractor down a country lane isn't much fun in a minibus.

When you first get the minibus, drive around some quiet, wide roads until you get used to it. Practice parking as well.

Lastly – a minibus is likely to be heavier that anything you have driven previously. This means that you should try to anticipate slowing down and apply the brakes sooner that you usually would have to.

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