What is a van
Auto Terms,  Car body,  Car device

What is a van

In 1896, two pioneers of the automotive industry began an important chapter in the history of road transport. This year, the world's first motorized van from Daimler, Motoren-Gesellschaft, was delivered to a customer in London.

What is a van

This car featured a Phoenix twin-cylinder engine that developed a top speed of 7 mph and had a payload of 1500 kg. There are many questions about whether the car was a truck or a van, but by today's standards, that would be the carrying capacity of a van.

In the same year, Karl Benz created a van-like car built on the chassis of a motorized carriage of his own design. It was used to deliver goods to a department store in Paris.

In fact, it was only in the 1950s and 60s that major manufacturers began to design, develop and produce the van models we know today, many of which are still in production.

For example, the Volkswagen Type 2 (T1), released in 1950, was the first generation of the VW Transporter vans. This car brand is still in production today and has now reached its T6 iteration.

Meanwhile, the first Ford to wear the popular "Transit" badge was a van built at the manufacturer's Cologne plant in 1953. However, this van was not widely exported and the "Mark 1" tag was widely applied to the British Ford Transit van produced between 1965 and 1978. 

What is a van

A van is the most common type of vehicle used to transport mainly goods or people. It is usually nearly cubic in shape, longer and taller than cars but smaller than trucks. Cargo barriers are commonly installed behind the front seats of many vans to prevent injury caused by sudden vehicle deceleration or cargo tipping over. Sometimes doors are fitted with cargo barriers that allow drivers to pass through the vehicle's cargo area. The word van for vehicles appeared as a contradiction to the word caravan. According to an early definition of a wagon, it is a covered wagon used to transport goods.

These vehicles are not from a bygone era. However, many people prefer to buy vans as they offer a lot of space, make travel comfortable and are a fairly safe means of transport. This is a great car for large families. Depending on the needs of buyers, there are many vans available on the market: full-size van, passenger, minibus and many others. Some popular vans that can be seen on the streets now are Nissan Quest LE, Toyota Sienna XLE, Subaru 360 van.

Van: distinctive features 

What is a van

If a person is not very versed in cars, but would like to understand the van next to him or an ordinary car, it is enough to understand what the design and distinctive features of this type of car are based on.

car

If your family car is a regular sedan, station wagon, or hatchback, then it's a passenger car.

Cars have fixed or folding spring seats, windows and passenger doors and a boot hatch that rises from the bottom up.

Van

A vehicle is considered a van if it has one or more of the following functions:

1. More than eight places

2. Two-zone cockpit (a separate area for drivers and passengers from the rear of the car)

3. Pickup compartment in the back, designed specifically for the carriage of goods (with or without a roof)

4. If the machine does not have windows on the rear side panels

5. If the total carrying capacity of the vehicle is more than 1000 kg

6. If its original purpose was commercial and domestic

Classification

Vans are now gaining more and more popularity in the modern world. In particular, they are in demand among people who live far from the city to purchase a large amount of goods for their own needs, or from businessmen to facilitate the delivery of goods. Vans can be classified into several basic types:

Delivery vans

What is a van

Such vehicles are structures created on the basis of passenger cars of the "station wagon" type. They differ in that a special booth is installed on such a machine, which is located behind the driver's cab.

All-metal vans 

What is a van

In this design, the place where the driver is located and the cargo compartment are not divided into separate parts. Most of the cargo vans can easily be attributed to this class.

Box vans

What is a van

In this case, the location of the load is separated from the driver's cab. This allows various types of boxes to be installed in the machine on pre-prepared frames. Basically, this type of vans is found among commercial vehicles.

The performance of the van may vary depending on how the body was manufactured. Speaking about the types of van designs, the following can be distinguished:

Prefab

What is a van

The design of this type of van has a very strong metal frame. Sheathing materials are attached to it in turn. These can be awnings, galvanized steel, plywood of various kinds, foam panels, etc.

Frameless 

What is a van

Such a design of vans is based on sandwich panels, with two outer and insulating panels consisting of several inner and outer layers. All this provides improved sealing and low thermal conductivity of the van. To assemble such a structure, a frame is not required.

Types

What types of vans are available?

Let's take a look at some of the most popular types and specifications of vans, grouped by size and type:

Small vans 

What is a van

Size is a decisive factor for a van, so much so that it may be a more important consideration than the type of van. Small vans like the Citroen Berlingo have a short wheelbase and more maneuverability, but obviously offer less payload.

Medium vans

What is a van

Neatly bridging the gap between small and large vans, midsize vans offer plenty of storage space as well as a comfortable ride that's no different from a regular passenger car. Camper vans and mid-panel vans like the Ford Transit Custom are classified as medium vans.

Large vans

What is a van

Providing maximum payload, large vans have a long wheelbase and provide smoother drive thanks to more space between the axles. Large vans like Luton / box vans, Mercedes-Benz Sprinter are the largest vans.

Pickup / 4 × 4 

What is a van

The pickups are easily recognizable as they have an open cargo compartment in the back behind the cab, like the Mitsubishi L200. Also seen as a truck, this type of van often comes in either two or four wheel drive and is popular with people who are used to shopping in one go.

Combi vans 

What is a van
hazy off led +

Able to comfortably carry people and / or cargo, many combo or passenger vans include folding seats to further increase cargo space. Examples of combination vans include the Renault Trafic.

Minibus 

What is a van

Great for large families, minibuses and multipurpose vehicles have up to seven passenger seats, two of which should be able to fold flat to the floor. This type of van should offer comfort and spaciousness, as the Volkswagen Caravelle does.

Luton / box van 

What is a van

This type of van includes a closed body - a tall, square cargo area - with a separate cab and is usually wider than a panel van. An example of a Luton van is the Peugeot Boxer. This type of van is a favorite with couriers and delivery drivers, as the square shape makes it easier to deliver larger packages or bulkier loads. These vans are usually only accessible from the rear doors and often have lifts to make loading easier, as they are often higher off the ground.

Dump truck / dropside van 

Strictly speaking, dump trucks or dropside vans are a subtype of a pickup truck, but with a platform that rises at the front to “tip” the contents at the back. Some dump trucks also allow you to tilt to either side, as well as to the rear, like the Ford Transit Dropside.

Questions and answers:

What kind of cargo vans are there? There are vans with awning, refrigerators, isothermal, "butterflies" (the side parts rise, which makes it easier to load / unload the van).

What types of vans are there? The type of van depends on its purpose. There are bread, isothermal, "sandwiches", manufactured goods, refrigerators, awning, vans (converted cars), all-metal, boxes (based on a truck).

What is freight transport? These are cars that have a separate cargo compartment, and the total length of the car exceeds 6 meters. This category also includes vehicles over 14 meters.

Add a comment