Commercial Van Solutions

As summer approaches many families consider going on a caravanning holiday and it is easy to see why. Once you pull up at your chosen destination you still have all of your home comforts with you, you still have the freedom of your own vehicle to travel around in once there and if you don’t like your current location or fancy a change of scenery you simply hitch the caravan back up and move on.

Towing a caravan will however place extra strain and demands both on your vehicle and driving ability, and with all the additional weight and size it can be very easy to get into a tricky situation very quickly, especially when travelling at high speeds on a motorway. Therefore before setting off on your journey you need to make absolute sure that the caravan is as safe and secure as possible.

If you are relatively new to caravanning you need to first assess the ability of your vehicle to carry the extra load. It is important to check the maximum permissible towing weight of your vehicle, this can normally be found in the owners handbook, but as a rough guide it is around 85 percent of the vehicles total kerbside weight.

When loading up the caravan keep the heavy items as low as possible and over the main axel, this is to keep the centre of gravity low and to ensure maximum stability of the caravan when being towed. If the weight is too far back then the caravan will sway violently at high speeds or even lift the rear wheels of the tow car off the ground.

If the weight is too far forward it may exceed the maximum permissible nose weight, which is the downwards force placed upon the tow ball at the rear of your vehicle by the weight of the caravan. The nose weight should be around 7 percent of the total weight of the caravan, although an accurate figure can be found in the owners handbook. Exceeding the maximum permissible nose weight will not only adversely affect stability but could also cause structural damage to the caravan or tow vehicle. Ideally the caravan should either be level or adopt a slightly nose low attitude relative to the tow vehicle.

Before setting off, walk round the caravan to check the jockey wheel and stabilisers are up and locked, all the windows are closed and locked, and that the gas bottle is off and secured. Ensure that the brake lights, indicator lights and reversing lights are all functioning correctly and remember that the extra weight of the caravan may require you to switch the headlight bulbs to a lower position to prevent dazzling oncoming drivers.

Finally just before you drive away on your caravanning holiday make sure that all of the tyre pressures are correct, your wing mirrors are correctly adjusted, and ensure that the brakes on both the caravan and tow vehicle are fully functioning.

Making sure that you carry out all of these safety checks before setting off on your caravanning holiday is a great way to ensure you have a enjoyable and stress free journey. You should also consider packing spare headlight bulbs , so you are not left with the inconvenience or trying to find a replacement item at the last minute. It is also worth carrying spare car bulbs for your caravan, including brake lights, reversing lights and number plate car lights.

Do you want to get more information about refrigerated van and wheelchair vans for sale then please contact us in the comment section.

If you are browsing used vans for sale, it is important to drive your van safely. Do not fall prey to the errors made by the drivers of the commercial vans and other vehicles in the examples below, who had their vans seized for some very weird reasons. 

String operated windscreen wipers

A white van driver in the West Midlands was stopped by the police and had his van seized after they discovered that he had been operating his windscreen wipers manually in an unconventional manner. The driver had tied a long piece of string to the wipers and was using this string to pull them from side to side to clear his windscreen on rainy days. The setup was hazardous as it distracted his attention, made it more difficult for him to drive two-handedly and created the potential for more hazards if the string got tangled. The driver stated that he had created the solution when his windscreen wipers’ usual mechanism broke. The police, who had been out spotting vehicles during a road safety operation, commented that this vehicle was the worst example out of all of the road safety violations that they had encountered during the operation. 

A student’s driving test takes an unexpected turn

If you are planning on driving used vans, it is essential to take a driving test at some point in your life beforehand. Another case in the West Midlands involved a student who was in the middle of her driving test when the test was abruptly stopped as the police pulled her over. It was not the student who was in trouble, however: in fact, frustratingly, she was well on her way to passing the test. The trouble lay with her instructor, who had no insurance for the vehicle and who also had no MOT, setting a very bad example to the students who were using it to learn to drive. In the end, the driving test was stopped for good and the student – not allowed to drive in a vehicle that had been verified to be illegal when on the road – was given a lift home.

Flytipping in Liverpool

This cautionary tale is not about a problem with a van as such, rather it is about what the van was being used for. A driver who was providing a ‘man and van’ waste removal service in Liverpool had his van seized when it was discovered that he had been using it for flytipping. The seizure occurred as part of the police cracking down on environmental crime. In some areas of the UK, flytipping is a huge problem, damaging the environment and making the local area look extremely unsightly. All waste removal should be done through the proper legal channels. 

Drive safely in your van

These outlandish examples should motivate all van drivers to take good care to drive safely on the roads.

Do you want to get more information about refrigerated van for sale and refrigerated van for sale near me then please contact us in the comment section.

If you’re a commercial van upfitter, you’ve likely seen a growing number of customers who’ve traditionally selected a pickup or service body truck for a mobile service application, who are now taking a second look at using a van for that job.

That’s because not long ago, in 2008, there were few commercial van options available in the North American market — three full-size vans (Ford E-Series, Mercedes Sprinter, and Chevrolet Express/ GMC Savana) and one compact van (Chevrolet Uplander cargo). Today, that number has more than doubled to 10 van models, offering a much wider range of roof heights, wheelbases, payload capacities, and engines for fleet managers to choose from.

“We’ve definitely noticed an uptick of some customers switching from pickup trucks to vans because there is more choice now, especially with the new small vans and euro-style full-size vans that have entered the market the past few years,” said Jay Cowie, product manager at Ranger Design, a commercial van upfit manufacturer based in Ontario, New York.

With the influx of new van models, how can you seize this opportunity to sell more commercial van products and services? Tailor your offerings to capitalize on these four trends in commercial van upfits.

Trend #1: Rightsizing the Van to the Job

“Fleets are taking a more strategic approach to their business, focused on selecting the right-size van because now there’s more choice,” said Cowie. “Customers aren’t stuck with a one-size-fits-all van, which may be inefficient for certain applications. With greater choice, they can more effectively tailor vehicle selection to increase efficiencies and lower operational costs.”

How can upfitters capitalize on this trend?

• Expand upfit offerings to fit each available van model
• Offer modular or adjustable cargo management systems so that technicians can personalize (or right-size) the upfit to their unique needs and workflows in the field.
• Reimagine how the increased cargo area inside high-roof vans can be optimized — to create new upfit designs that boost worker efficiency and productivity.

Trend #2: Taking Weight Out of Upfits

“Because some of the new vans are bigger and taller with more cargo area, you can fit a lot more gear in it,” said Cowie. “And the more stuff in the van, comes more weight, which increases the risk of overloading the van. So, we’re seeing a shift toward using lighter-weight materials in upfits to increase legal payload capacity.”

Cowie said that Ranger Designs incorporates aluminum and composite materials to reduce overall upfit weight, depending on what mix of materials is best for the customer’s functionality, durability and budget requirements.

How can upfitters capitalize on this trend?

• Offer lighter-weight upfit options where the customer’s application allows.
• Help customers assess the cost-benefit of “lightweighting” in terms of productivity gains from increased payload capacity or the potential to “downsize” the vehicle and reduce acquisition costs.

Trend #3: Higher Demand for Ergonomic Upfits

According to the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) — typically caused by awkward movements, heavy lifting, and repetitive motion — account for 34 percent of all lost workdays, which can get very expensive for employers.

So, a growing number of fleet managers are looking to equip their vehicles with upfits that improve ergonomics to protect their technicians’ health — and their organization’s bottom line.

“[At Adrian Steel], we start by observing how the [technicians] do their work, so we can create a process flow of the types of equipment they need to access most often and what they need less often,” said Jeff Langley, fleet account executive at Adrian Steel, a manufacturer of commercial van accessories and truck equipment, headquartered in Adrian, Michigan. “We’ll then design an upfit system that positions those high-use items where they can be accessed quickly and easily, so workers can be more safe and productive when performing their job.”

Also, the upfit products themselves can be designed with ergonomics in mind. Take, for example, a bulkhead (between the cabin and cargo areas) that’s contoured to allow the driver seat to recline a few degrees further than a standard bulkhead, improving driver comfort and reducing risk of lower back fatigue. Another example is a drop-down ladder rack, which is especially helpful with the taller Euro-style vans because it enables workers to load and unload ladders from the side of the van, while standing safely at ground level, instead of having to strain and lift awkwardly to load a heavy ladder onto a standard roof rack.

How can upfitters capitalize on this trend?

• Educate customers on more ergonomic options to standard upfits, such as drop-down ladder racks, contoured bulkheads, grab handles, etc.
• Study how the vehicle is intended to be used in the field to uncover new ideas for designing upfits that help improve workflow and ergonomics.

Trend #4: Increased Demand for Mobile Power

“We’re seeing a trend toward fleets wanting van interiors that offer a more productive mobile workplace, with increased demand for power ports to run laptops, charge mobile devices, and operate electric tools,” said Langley with Adrian Steel.

At VMAC, we’re seeing similar growth in demand for air power in vans – for fleets that traditionally use pickups or service body trucks to run high-powered air tools, such as impact guns for breaking off heavy-duty lug nuts in a mobile tire service application.

The challenge has been that conventional air compressor systems available for vans — electric drive and gas/diesel drive compressors — are either too underpowered or take up too much cargo space (and weight) to be useful for most mobile service applications. So, the VMAC engineering team has developed the UNDERHOOD 40 CFM air compressor (40 cfm/ 100-150 psi), designed specifically for the commercial van market, with a compact rotary screw compressor. This system is powered by the vehicle’s engine to generate sufficient air power for a wide range of heavy-duty air tools, while minimizing the system’s footprint and weight inside the van’s cargo area.

How can upfitters capitalize on this trend?

• Expand your product offerings and expertise to account for your customers’ mobile power needs for commercial vans, in terms of electrification and air power.
• Help customers strike the right balance between maximizing onboard power, while minimizing the system’s weight and impact on cargo capacity.

The Bottom Line

With today’s commercial van landscape, opportunities abound for upfitters that serve the mobile service market. So, as you evaluate your product portfolio, look for any gaps that, if you were to fill them, could open up exciting new revenue streams — and make your company more valuable to customers.

Do you want to get more information regarding refrigerated truck and van shelving then please contact us in the comment section.

VW Commercial Vehicles is doing incredibly well, and the division’s next step might be entering the U.S. market.

There’s a possibility customers in the United States could soon be able to buy a Volkswagen Amarok pickup or one of the many Transporter van variants because VW Commercial Vehicles is reportedly looking into expanding into the country. VW Commercial Vehicles CEO Eckhard Scholz tells Reuters that the U.S is “still a highly interesting market.” The consideration stills appears to be in the earliest stages, though. “A lot of things come to mind but at the moment I have nothing concrete to say,” Scholz said.

The commercial vehicles division is currently a very strong performer for Volkswagen Group. For the year through August, sales are up 8.2 percent to 308,500 vehicles. Those numbers make the company larger than Seat and Porsche in the automotive conglomerate so far in 2016.

Now could be the right time for VW to get serious about the commercial vehicle market in the U.S because European-sourced models are now the norm. Rather than products like the Ford E-Series, today vans like the Ford Transit, Transit Connect, Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, and Metris are a large portion of the market. The VW Transporter and Caddy would directly compete with them.

The fallout from VW Group’s diesel scandal might be this plan’s Achilles’ heel. The automaker doesn’t currently have certification to sell any diesel engines in the U.S. Commercial vehicle buyers favor these powerplants more than someone just looking for a family car, so the lack of them could be a serious detriment to the brand’s success.

The commercial vehicles isn’t the only VW Group division taking a look at entering the U.S. Skoda’s boss confirms the brand is considering it, too. A decision could come as soon as next year. The flood of new models could be a way for the German automotive giant to make customers forget about the diesel scandal.

Do you want more information about handicap vans and wheelchair vans then please contact us in the comment section.