It is a common misconception that the term wheel base refers to the length of a utility vehicle, but this is not true. In fact, it is related to the distance between the centre point of the front wheels and the centre point of the back wheels.
A Short Wheel Base (SWB) van is a functional load carrier with a load capacity of up to 6m3. It comes with a full width bulkhead, which separates the loadspace from the cabin that can accomodate two to three persons. Those versatile and smaller vans feel sportier to drive than their larger counterparts and are easy to drive and park in narrow city streets , thanks to a better turning circle, making them a great option for moving in inner cities and transporting or delivering white goods and larger items.
Long Wheel Base (LWB) are utility vehicles that have over 8m3 to 14m3 of load capacity. Vans with a longer wheel base will have more space to collect and deliver items such as bikes and large pieces of furniture. Long wheel base vans are also more stable due to its larger footprint on the road and provide a smoother drive on bumpy roads. Widely used by the logistics sector, the significant capacity of the long wheel base means you keep optimise your time on the road to get the job done.
For these reasons, long wheel based vans size are popular choices when moving home or transporting bulky goods.
Moving vans are utility vehicles that have a versatile range haulage, and it's about as big as you will need for both domestic removals or commercial good transportation. With engine sizes of over 2 litre and turbos added, moving vans can easily handle payloads of up to 1 tonne. There are no wheel arches taking up valuable space in the rear of a moving van. There is also additional storage space above the cabin, which is ideal for bags of clothes, bedding or other lightweight items.
It's the largest type of van you can drive with a basic car license, they drive like a normal car and have the usual controls of accelerator, clutch, gears, plus two large wing mirrors to make the drive as smooth as possible.
Moving vans are very popular to move large pieces of furniture, such as wardrobes or pianos and large domestic appliances such as an American-style fridge, office equipment etc... If you are worried about heavy lifting, why not rent a moving van with a tail lift?
Are you a tradesman or do you need to use a van or a small truck for your commercial activities ? Discover Europcar van rental plans for short or longer term with van or car rental solutions dedicated to businesses