Evening all,
I need to hire a box van to get all my stuff up to the Midlands from Bromley. Anyone got any recommendations for where to hire in the SE London area? Anyone to avoid (prob best that last one by email as it might be classed as naming and shaming).
Cheers,
Gord.
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Bit off the wall, but for the last two moves i have hired a LWB HiCube Transit from the local Ford dealer, for about £50. Got the contents of a flat and a landmower in it!
HTH
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Get the next size up from the one you think you need - and put all the stuff you can into boxes, as it will speed loading/unloading and secure the items. Used to run a removals business, and dreaded the people who said they'd pack themselves, as that meant they'd pu all the books in a box so big you couldn't lift it, all the china in a box that was too weak, and just as we thought we'd finished they'd come out with all the carp from the loft.
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Last time I hired, (they're in the London yellow pages) by far the cheapest was a firm called www.1van1.com
The provided me with a completely battered van - there wasn't a single intact panel; it had an inch more oil than it needed in the sump, and it had only done about 18k miles.
Much cheaper than the competition though. Picked it up from a place just off Tower Bridge Road, outside the CC zone. Shop around and play them off against each other... even against a non-existant quote...
Box vans, btw, are complete pants to drive. They drive like a brick and catch the wind. If you can get a super-long wheelbase instead you'll cruise at 70+.
Check whether you're restricted to 60 on dual carriageways and 50 on single carriageways.
Beware collision damage waivers.
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Thanks for all the feedback guys, it's much appreciated. I've now rented a box van, I do agree that this is not going to be anything like as nice to drive as a transit, but I know from when I moved into this flat that if I had a transit, I'd have to make two or three trips. Given that it's a seven-hour round trip, I really don't fancy that. So, a 7 1/2 ton it is.
One other thing. Mapmaker, you've warned me about collision damage waivers. I've reduced my excess to zero, but am aware that there is no insurance if I damage it on a bridge or something. Is there anything else I should be aware of?
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A 7.5t is quite a different kettle of fish. I've loved hiring those, drive very nicely - quite unlike the 3.5t Luton boxes. Expect a more sedate progress.
It might be worth while investigating paying somebody to do it. You might find that the extra costs are not very much... it will save you the return half of the trip too and you'll have other people to do the humping.
Keep your eyes open for low hanging trees & bridges. And as I said, check the speed limits.
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>Expect a more sedate progress
Only when loaded with your prized possessions/on country roads. My Ford Cargo would cheerfully cruise at 70 mph on a motorway/dual - just a bit slow getting back to 70 when Bert and Ethel's shed-on-wheels slowed us down to 50.
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>>cruise at 70 mph on a motorway
Whereas a modern Transit....
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Well, it's done, and 120 litres of diesel later all my stuff is moved and I'm sitting in an empty flat in Bromley. The only thing here is a sleeping bag, thermarest, and a desk and computer (need broadband, so can't move completely until it's plumbed in up north).
7.5 tonne was fine as anticipated, would do 70 mph on the motorway if you gave it time to get up to speed. The penalty was 15 mpg, but it was a 16 hour day anyway, so was not willing to go slower. Cheers to all for the pointers, it's appreciated.
Gord.
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