What Are Luton Vans
If you’ve ever had to hire a professional mover in the bustling streets of London, you must have noticed something familiar among most of them – Luton vans. The most obvious reason for this is their reliability and efficiency, making it a stalwart companion for those in the moving and delivery business.
Are you thinking of acquiring one for your business? You need to understand what is a Luton van and what makes it a suitable choice for you vs renting business. Read on to discover the little-kept secrets about the fleet management and why it’s an ideal choice for your business.
What is a Luton Van?
Sometimes simply called a Luton box, it’s a vehicle built for secure loads and dry freight. They’re a favourite among most London movers for their high load space and relatively lightweight. The most distinguishing trait of Luton vans is their peaked fronts that extend to cover the cabin area.
The origin of Luton van
These capable vans trace their origin back to the industrial heartlands of Luton, Bedfordshire. During the mid-20th century, Luton town, just north of London, grew to be a hub for automotive manufacturing. Companies such as Bedford Vehicles, the parent company of Luton, produced numerous types of commercial vehicles to match the growing demand during post-war Britain.
Today, Luton vans have grown in popularity for their proportionally large load space and excellent payload. They’re ideal for the transportation of lightweight, high-volume goods such as furniture and building materials. The extension that overhung the cabin offers additional space for carrying goods without affecting the vehicle’s manoeuvrability.
Features of Luton Van
When shopping around for the right Luton van to suit your business transportation needs, what features should you look out for? Luton vans have a characteristic boxy shape that boosts their payload capacity. But apart from this, there are several other key features you need to know about these tireless workhorses.
The Luton van features a unique cuboid shape built to maximise cargo space while giving the vehicle a compact footprint. In addition, the extended storage on the driver’s cabin provides extra stability, allowing the van to manoeuvre the streets with ease.
A Luton van’s dimensions matter a lot, with a typical van measuring about 22 feet long and an external height of about 10.5 feet. Internally, the van measures approximately 20 feet long by 6.6 feet wide by 7.9 feet high. The load space above the cabin is about 3 feet high, offering additional space for weirdly shaped objects.
| Dimension | Approximate Length |
| Internal length | 20 feet |
| Internal width | 6.6 feet |
| Internal height | 7.9 feet |
| Above-cabin load space height | 3 feet |
Weight and Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW)
One of the most interesting features of the Luton box is its ability to pack a lot of weight and remain within the legal weight limits. The vehicle itself is lightweight and even after being fully packed, the total weight doesn’t exceed 3.5 tonnes.
The unladen weight of a Luton box, that is, minus passengers and cargo, is approximately between 2.2 tonnes and 2.5 tonnes. The difference in weight mostly depends on the van’s make, model, construction materials, and other extra features.
Luton’s payload ranges from 1 tonne to 1.2 tonnes, making it ideal for transporting household items from a two-bedroom house. Its GVW, the maximum acceptable weight when fully loaded with passengers and cargo, is 3.5 tonnes. So, if you’re wondering whether you’re allowed to drive a Luton with your standard UK driving licence (category B, B1), the answer is yes.
Luton vans tail lift
Since Lutons are primarily built for carrying cargo, they often come with a tail lift for loading and unloading. Low-loader Lutons allow you to step right into the loading area, giving you easy access to loaded cargo. You can then use a ramp to slide bulkier and heavier goods in and out.
Nowadays, most Luton vans come fitted with a standard tail lift for easy lifting and lowering load. They’re ideal for preventing back strain and injuries when trying to lift heavy items to load or unload from the back. These tail lifts also come in handy when handling fragile items.
Luton tail lifts can be hydraulic or electric and can carry up to 0.5 tonnes, making the process of loading and unloading the van seamless. When looking for the right Luton van for lease, ensure that it’s fitted with a tail lift.
Top 5 Best Luton Vans For Lease At Bobs Luton
Looking for the best Luton vans for lease? At Bobs Luton, we’ve sampled the most sought-after Lutons by our clients. These Luton boxes are popular for their generous cargo space, high payload, and availability of a tail lift. Explore these options and be inspired to find your next Luton van building luton van hire vs buying a luton and deliveries.
Citroën Relay Luton
If you’re after a Luton that combines versatility and cargo space with efficiency, the Citroën Relay Luton van is among the best options to consider. While unloaded, Citroën Relay weighs about 2420kg, offering about 1,000kg of payload. It boasts a cargo area spacious enough for oversized items. This box van comes in two trims; L3 and L4. Each has different cargo space and weight to meet the needs of different users.
The L3 trim has a lighter and shorter body, with a 1,147kg payload. It’s suited for courier work or local deliveries. The L4 version is heavier and therefore offers a reduced payload of 979kg but a bigger space cargo, making it ideal for more demanding duties.
Iveco Daily Luton
Iveco Daily Luton is one of the most robust Lutons, built for more challenging environments. In its 3rd generation, this Luton is available in 2.3-litre and 3.0-litre engines for maximum power and torque. It’s the only Luton van built with a robust truck-like steel chassis, featuring 5-mm thick side members.
Iveco Daily Luton is an iconic Luton box trusted by businesses for its spacious cargo space and versatility. It’s built purposely for deliveries, offering a 1,120kg payload, which is higher than most other Lutons. Its ample size, measuring up to 14 feet long, 7 feet wide and 7 feet high, creates a sufficient cargo area for storage.
The surprising thing about Iveco Daily Luton is that it has a variant with 4,900kg of gross vehicle weight (GVW). That makes it a bit higher than the 3500kg limit for a standard Category B driving licence. Therefore, before you go for an Iveco Daily Luton, make sure its GVW is within the limit. Otherwise, you may need to take additional driving lessons to upgrade your driving licence.
Nissan NV400 Luton
The NV400 Luton is one of the few Lutons with a 2.3-litre twin-turbo engine. It’s available in 165HP and 135HP, powerful enough to do demanding delivery duties. You get to choose from rear-wheel drive and front-wheel drive plus a choice of 3 roof heights, 4 body lengths, and 3 wheelbases.
Built for secure loads and dry freight, the Nissan NV400 Luton is an incredibly lightweight vehicle, offering a top payload. The front-wheel drive Nissan NV400 Luton doesn’t fail to amaze with a surprisingly higher payload of 1,212kg despite its 3,500kg GVW. The largest NV400 body size is offered by the rear-wheel drive variant, available with a 4,500kg GVW meant for heavy-duty work.
The Nissan NV400 Luton is identical to the Renault Master Luton and Vauxhall Movano Luton. These three Lutons share everything, from the chassis, and engine types, to body sizes and weight. They’re all low loaders, meaning that they don’t have a tail lift but instead, it’s replaced with a lifting platform on the rear.
Ford Transit Luton
Ranking as the second best-selling Luton van at Bobs Luton, Ford Transit Luton is a popular commercial vehicle for delivery businesses. Bearing some of the most powerful features from Ford, this Luton box comes with a 2.0-litre EcoBlue engine. This gives it more power compared to other Lutons of the same engine capacity.
When it comes to its load-carrying capacity, Ford Transit Luton can handle up to 1,061kg payload. This is comparatively lower than most other Lutons, but it compensates for it with a big load space. Its internal length is 13.1 feet, 7.38 feet wide and 10.82 feet high. This makes it ideal for doing lightweight load deliveries around urban centres.
The Ford Transit Luton also excels in terms of presenting a comfortable interior comprising an 8-inch infotainment touchscreen. It offers comfy adjustable seats, allowing you to assume the desired position while driving. In addition, it’s equipped with advanced safety features such as Roll Stability Control, Side Wind Stabilisation, and Electronic Stability Control.
Volkswagen Crafter Luton
If you want a Luton box that’s reliable and practical at what it does, the VW Crafter Luton with the 2.0-litre TDi diesel engine is an excellent choice. Its construction is based on the award-winning VW Crafter and is a single-cab long wheelbase. It’s equipped with an optional tail lift that can carry up to 500kg load to the loading space. Like its predecessor, this Luton van offers a comfortable cabin, upgraded suspension, and convenient load restraints.
VW Crafter Luton has prioritised safety to a great extent by including features such Electronic Stabilization Programme to protect you from oversteering. There’s also an Automatic Post-Collision Braking to stop follow-on collisions. Other important features to look forward to, include lane assist, driver alert system, cruise control system, and tyre pressure monitoring system.
In terms of load-carrying capacity, the VW Crafter Luton comes with a body length of 13.38 feet, 7 feet wide, and 7.34 feet high. These dimensions don’t offer the best storage space but should be enough to do light-duty deliveries. Its payload of 1,100kg is also lower compared to other Lutons but gets the job done conveniently.
Find Affordable Luton Vans Leases At Bobs Luton
Are you ready to find the right Luton van lease for your delivery business? Bobs Luton offers a wide variety of Luton van leases that meet your requirements. Thanks to our highly flexible and affordable lease packages, finding the right Luton without breaking the bank is easier. Contact Bobs Luton today and schedule a callback to talk to an experienced consultant.