Top Tips for Increasing the Lifespan of your Van

‘Wear and Tear’ can cause confusion and a number of issues when it comes to returning a rental van. There are many different hire and leasing companies across Britain who have different guidelines regarding ‘appropriate’ van damage when the vehicle is returned to the rental company.

Easirent, the UK’s fastest growing van hire company, has put together this guide to van maintenance. So, no matter if you’re looking for one-time Luton hire, or Citroen Berlingo commercial hire, you’ll know exactly what to expect and avoid being caught out by the small print or failure to meet prearranged wear and tear guidelines, while still getting a great hire deal.

Our van hire contracts contain specific rules outlining acceptable monthly mileage and your van maintenance responsibilities and costs. These parameters are negotiated before any contracts are signed, so make sure that you know exactly how much you will use your van, and how much maintenance might cost.

• Wing Mirrors – should be able to clearly reflect and have no cracks with the paintwork in perfect condition.
• Wheels – Meeting the minimum legal requirements, with scuff of maximum 25mm lengthwise. Scoring to wheel surface, side walls or uneven tread wear is unacceptable and should be replaced.
• Bumpers – scuffs and nicks just happen over time, but deep scuffs with dents and cracks are unacceptable as is paintwork damage.
• Windscreen – a few small scratches should be okay, but if anything can get in the driver’s direct line of sight or there are holes and chips you will need have it repaired.
• Decals – if you have decided to put on decals on your hire van in order to customise it, these will need to be professionally removed with all glue residue removed. Also, you should not remove maker logos such as badges and advertising.
• Bodywork – some chipping is acceptable as normal wear and tear, generally around 25mm in length with light scratches, in accordance to van age. Some small dents are OK too if the paintwork is not broken. If bare metal is exposed or even worse, rusted, then you will need to seek repair.
• Interior Upholstery -This should only have slight wear and soiling that would expect with normal use. No stains! Any burns, tears and permanent marks, or damage from fitting equipment will result in a need to replace the upholstering.

Regularly check under the bonnet

The RAC recommends checking levels in your van weekly, ensuring that the fluids including oil and coolant levels are sufficiently topped up. It’s a criminal offence to drive without at least minimal levels of fluids, and low oil levels can ruin a van’s engine which is the most expensive and troublesome part to replace.

Take a look in the manual for advice on checking under the bonnet, so that the van remains under warranty. Also, take a look at transmission fluids and brake fluids; a van should never be losing brake fluid. With Easirent vans you won’t be given the manual but you can go online or call our help centres for instruction.

Return the van clean

This makes a good impression and makes the van look new again. If someone borrowed something from you and they returned it to you in a state of disrepair, you would not be pleased. The same applies for van maintenance.

While it is an additional expense, hiring a professional to deep-clean the vehicle will make a good impression. Not only will they not have to clean it themselves, but it will also create a favourable impression if any borderline wear and tear issues occur. If possible, try to avoid taking messy food or drink into the vehicle.

And last but not least, an easy way to remember the top five checks with this acronym:

P – Petrol or fuel

O – Oil levels

W – Water

E – Electrics, including lights

R – Rubber or tyres and windscreen wipers.