UKH

I've been looking a bit but struggling to find much information on different van lengths other than people comparing the internal space you get.

Are there any/many practical considerations on the size of a van to consider?

It looks like, approximately, the lengths of vans you get are:

My current car (Berlingo) - 4.4m
L2 van - 5.5m

L3 van - 5.95m

L4 van - 6.3m

Does the length impact insurance/tax much? I've read a few things about going over 6m meaning ferries can cost more? Also that the length (and height) can impact on the costs of toll roads in continental Europe? I guess bigger van = lower MPG too.

Obviously, practical things like bigger being harder to park etc need to be considered as well. 

I don't think I'd consider an L4 really as they just look huge. I'd intended to go for an L3, but wondered if an L2 could be better under any circumstances.

It would mainly be intended for a longer trip abroad, but some use in the UK (being sensible with parking etc.)

Any thoughts would be much appreciated. 

Longer vehicles do cost more on ferries, have look at the ferry booking websites to get some idea. This includes whether you have a bike rack on it.

Something to consider if you are going abroad is height rather than length. I have a VW T5 hi-top camper and I often go in with the big motorhomes on the ferry. French Autoroute toll charges are significantly (like c.20% or more) higher. Conversely a poptop van would cost the same as a car. My next van will be a pop-top mainly for this reason.

Parking it depends on where you live. Mine has the same footprint as a big car (Mondeo/Merc-E Class estate) so not a massive pain to find somewhere it will fit. Supermarket car parks are no issues, but it might be different with a bigger van.

MPG, I get 40 mpg from a 1.9TDi (remapped to 110bhp) but friends have a VW T6 with 200bhp and 4wd and they only get around 30. That part is worth some research, my van is not fast but it is very easy to drive and will still sit at 80mph all day or go over Pyrenean cols without any strain while carrying two people, tons of kit and, on the return journey, 100+ bottles of wine. I can't see the point of losing all that fuel economy just for better overtaking performance.

Transit Customs are very economical and cheaper to buy, though personally I didn't like the ride and the dashboard design restricts passenger leg-room.

I can't comment on insurance etc as this is the only van I've owned. I insured though JustKampers and Adrian Flux and it was reasonable.

Anything over L1 doesn't fit neatly into a standard supermarket car park space, so once you go beyond that is kind of a step change with regards to parking in carparks.

For on street parking, obviously the longer the van, the more likely you are to have to carry on past a space.

A longer van doesn't necessarily change the fuel consumption much - although if the extra space means you end up carrying more weight then it will to an extent.

It's always a balance between comfort and ease of use, and only you can figure out where you sit on that. On long trips abroad the extra living space of an L3 is a big bonus.

OTOH, an L1 might successfully take you up a rough spanish crag access track that the L3 could belly out on. I had an L1, and fitted heavy duty rear springs that lifted the back quite a bit - was very reassuring when driving like you were in a catelonian rally stage to keep momentum up the hill. 

The L3 requires a more circumspect approach so you want a good pulling engine. The 2.2l engine in my L3 relay pulls really well.

I'd say think about what you're going to use it for the most, and choose based on that, compromise on the things you're using it less for.

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One thing I would recommend is, whatever length you go for, if you're using it for long trips make sure you can stand up straight in it. My L1 was an H1... never again.

Also, if you're not sure, it's much easier to go from a smaller van to a bigger van than the other way round IMO... You get used to the comfort 🙂

If you've got a folding bike rack on the back doors, put the bike in the living space and fold it up for the crossing. If they really want to complain that you didn't put down the bike carrier on the booking, as long as you have a socket set in the van it takes 5 minutes to remove it and put it inside, but I've never been queried.

I didn't find any appreciable difference in insurance costs going from L1 to L3. Obviously YMMV.

The length will determine the MGW of the vehicle, which I think is what tolls and other costs are determined on.

It might also limit you on crossing some bridges. Not sure how this applies to camper vans, but an outward bound centre I used to do some instructing at purposely had 12-seater minibuses, so they could use the bridge next to the site - having 15-seater ones would have forced a detour of a few miles.

That's what I do for long journeys anywhere. I don't bother with a bike rack for abroad, I keep the bikes in bags so it's not too much of a hassle to lift them out when I want to pull over for a brew.

Some ferries charge more over 5m.  Vans which just squeak in under 5m are short wheel base Transit, Transporter, Vivaro and Renault Traffic as well as your smaller ones like Berlingo, Caddy etc.  They do all have variations in model and if you are planning on travelling by ferry, please measure your van before lifting the phone to book a space.

I have an L3H3 Citroen Relay, just a smidgeon under 6m long and I believe the largest internal volume of an L3H3 van. I didn't fancy taking an additional test to allow me to drive the L4 (>3.5T) plus they are a pain to park due to the huge rear overhang. 

We found it harder to get things like AC in large vans unless you want to buy a second hand minibus and rip out the seats which seems like a lot of work and waste.

If you look at the relay/boxer it is worth noting that they are probably a more challenging conversion than a VW/ Merc as the pillar design is down right weird; this makes cable routing a bit of a sod. 

They are also a bit trickier to fit windows to due to the design of the mid height ridge, which is steeply sloping.

Another quirk of the relay/boxer is the gearbox is a bit odd and has a really long reverse gear which has caused quite a few issues with heavy motorhomes eating clutches and ruining the gearbox if you try to reverse up hill (motorhome forums are full of reports of issues).

How often will you be travelling by ferry? 

Are you using it to transport things or for holidays?

Don't get too fixated on L2, L3 etc. Different manufacturers have different sizes. My L2 relay is about 300mm longer than my old L2 traffic and its about 150mm wider but easier in carparks because the doors are shorter and don't stick out as far when opened.

As mentioned above, height is a big thing. For years I ran transit sized vans with the H1 roof height. You can slip them under most parking barriers. H2 you can easily stand in the back with a hat on at 6 foot but they are not going to go under a parking barrier.

You can normally find both the OD and ID of vans on the manufacturers Web sites, even though my van is only 300mm longer than my old van the internal size is 450mm longer because the bonnet is shorter and the seats are further forwards. 

Yep. Mine is 2.5m to the highest point on the roof line, meaning I just scrape eligibility for a parking permit outside my house as opposed a 20 minute walk away. However it has a skylight and a solar panel which stick up a bit, and I clonked a height barrier going into a French supermarket carpark. Thankfully it was a suspended pole rather than a solid bar so no damage done, but it was a worrying few moments.

Not been mentioned but often a major factor of a longer van is room for a toilet. I think this should be near or at the top of any van users list. Decent leisure batteries, fresh and grey water tanks and a loo are also significant in making your van self sufficient.