You’ve decided that you need a new van for your business, and it’s got to be one that can carry all the goods you’re likely to be dealing with so a normal van just won’t cut it. If you’re looking for a long wheelbase van, you’ve come to the right place, this guide with everything you need to know about this breed of vans with extra carrying capacity.
Let’s start with the different types of long wheelbase van and how to choose one. Each of the main sectors in the van market has options with differing wheelbases, which mean there’s a massive amount of choice in the market when it comes to carrying different loads.
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Firstly there’s the small purpose-built van - examples include the Citroen Berlingo and Ford Transit Connect. These models have short and long wheelbase options, as well as the usual high roof or crew cab versions as well, and they’re great for city use as they are spacious but compact enough to fit down tight streets.
Then there’s the medium panel van, which has even more space and is also usually available with a choice of wheelbases. Examples here include the Ford Transit Custom and Volkswagen Transporter, which are great all-rounders.
Finally there’s the large panel van class, where you’ll find the Mercedes Sprinter and Volkswagen Crafter among others. These are some of the most versatile work vehicles around and there won’t be much you can’t carry onboard, but they are a bit big for those doing a lot of city trips.
Some people will refer to all vans from the largest panel van class as ‘long wheelbase vans’. It’s understandable as these models are so large in the first place, but as with other vans in other classes, large panel vans are available in short and medium wheelbase forms too. Long-wheelbase vans are really just the longest version of any van where a choice of wheelbase lengths is offered.
If you need a long wheelbase van it may be the case that a regular wheelbase model from a larger class of van is actually what will suit you better. It’s worth noting that larger vans weigh more, which can reduce their payload capacity, while not all long vans actually have a longer wheelbase, some simply have an extended rear overhang to get more cargo on board. There’s more info on payloads and licences below but as a general rule, it’s worth considering a smaller van with a higher payload capacity if you’re carrying heavy items.
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Then you’ll want to decide on the engine in your new van, and whether you need a crew cab with an extra row of seating for carrying lots of passengers around. There’s also the roof height to consider, as many vans are available with taller roofs to help with long and tall items - just be aware that taller vans won’t fit in many car parks. Most importantly there’s the price - whichever van you choose, it’s got to be cost-effective for your business.
Long wheelbase van payloads
Rather than listing every single long wheelbase van and their payload capacities, let’s look at how some of our favourite vans compare between versions. This will give you a good idea about how choosing a long wheelbase van affects the payload capacity, all other things being equal.
First up, the small vans. The Citroen Berlingo is available in M and XL forms - there’s no L - and in M form it can carry 1,050kg, yet in XL this drops to 940kg. This can be seen in the Peugeot Rifter, Vauxhall Combo and Toyota Proace City vans as well, since these are all pretty much the same van with different faces and badges.
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The Ford Transit Connect is another great small van. A standard wheelbase L1 model (in a base trim) can carry 646kg, while the long wheelbase L2 in the same trim has a payload of 690kg. It’s the opposite to the Citroen above, as the longer model can carry slightly more, but not a lot more.
Moving on to the medium panel vans, a Ford Transit Custom in a low trim level and standard L1 wheelbase has a payload of 1,085kg, while the L2 model can carry 1,005kg. A Volkswagen Transporter SWB can carry 1,029kg, while the LWB model’s payload is 964kg.
Finally let’s look at the large panel vans: a Mercedes Sprinter’s payload goes from 1,160kg in L1 form to 1,145kg in L2 form, while a MWD (medium wheelbase) Volkswagen Crafter can carry 1,673kg and a LWB model in the same trim can carry 1,510kg.
As you can see the longer-wheelbase models can generally carry less weight than their standard wheelbase equivalents, though there are some exceptions. The general rule is that if you need a longer van to get more load volume, you need to prepare to carry a bit less weight.
Long wheelbase van licences
The other thing you need to consider is that because longer vans are heavier, they edge nearer to the crucial 3.5-tonne weight restriction on a normal driving licence. Very few vans actually exceed this gross vehicle weight limit on their own, but the larger models can easily be sent overweight - risking points and a fine for the driver if they don’t have a C1 licence.
For example, a driver who passed their test after 1 January 1997 would be able to drive a Volkswagen Crafter CR50 LWB, which is a large long wheelbase van, using a normal B licence. However, with a full payload of 2,430kg on board, this driver would be over the weight limit and be breaking the law. They would need to obtain a C1 licence to drive this van fully-loaded.
There are different rules for those who passed their test before 1 January 1997 - these drivers can drive commercial vehicles up to 8.5 tonnes.
You can read more about what licences you need for different vans in our explainer article.
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