It used to be a common site. Your plumber used to show up on an old banger van, in most cases a rusty old Ford Transit that has seen better days many years ago. It is very different now with the modern plumber being spoilt for choice. There are numerous makes offering fully customisable cabins and powertrains catering for the trade. Competition in this sector is fierce which has helped to bring new models and new features offering well designed and very comfortable vans.

Modern vans offer car-like comfort along with work-focused measures such as space, ruggedness and durability. They are available in various sizes, from 3 to 17 cubic meters of loading space, and can be customized to meet the plumber’s specific needs. Most vans now offer at least one sliding door (some offer a second sliding door as an option), offering excellent access to the loading space.

A buyer can determine whether they would prefer a tailgate or double rear doors. Another interesting recent option is a reduced opening angle for the cab doors, allowing the driver or passengers to grab the handle in its fully open position and reduce the risk of heating the wall or other objects nearby.

Most traders’ vans sold in the UK at the moment are using a diesel engine. The main reason for their success is their fuel efficiency and high torque in the low rev range, helping in towing heavy loads. Developments in diesel engine design and assembly in recent years have made them smooth, quiet while keeping their advantage as longer lasting, cheaper to maintain and highly reliable powertrain systems. These developments apply to passenger cars as well as commercial vans.

Particulate filters, using mechanical filtering, remove carbon particles from the output gasses generated by the engine. The filter substantially reduces the amount of carbon emissions that is generated by the engine, making it less harmful to the environment.

Common rail systems have done wonders for the diesel engines in recent years. Similar in many ways to direct injection systems in internal combustion petrol engines, the common rail system has improved diesel engines’ smoothness, softened their noise and vastly improved the ride quality. Other important benefits of the common rail systems include better performance, improved fuel economy and increased torque output.

A recent development offers even better performance and flexibility for the engine. There are several new vans that are offered with a new technology which injects the fuel at a much higher pressure than normal, improving the performance of the engine while keeping fuel efficiency levels high.

Modern light vans are now sold with gear boxes offering five or six gears. This improves the ride quality, offering a smooth ride. Some vans are now offered with automatic or semi automatic gear boxes, which are winning hearts on the highly congested UK roads and town centres.

Modern light vans now offer comfort levels that were not available even for luxury cars only a few years ago. Vans are now offering air conditioning, cruise control and satellite navigation systems are offered as options or sometimes even as standard by some manufacturers. With better engines and ride quality, a long drive is not so daunting anymore.

Van manufacturers have also stepped up the level of safety features to bring vans in line with passenger cars. Most vans now offer a driver’s air bag, and many offer other air bags as options (side and curtain airbags). Other modern safety features include ABS (Antilock Braking System) and ESP (Electronic Stabilisation Programme). Both of these electronic features are effectively active guardians that would correct the vehicle direction or breaking in case of skidding, or breaking in wet conditions.

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