Service Your Van Before Your Hire It

A greater number of vans are being leased in the commercial and private sectors currently than ever before. Lots of people cannot offered to buy a van in the recession and so many are now going for the less-commitment choice. Whilst this is a very sensible option, there have been a number of reports of people getting stung by these companies by being charged for damage to the vans that they were not responsible for. To protect yourself against this it’s advisable to give the van a once over, but what are the key things to check?

Body work. Have a good look around the body work both inside and out before van leasing. Scratches, marks, holes etc are all things that are common and should be looked out for. Simply any damages that could potentially be blamed on you. Take a photograph of any damage that you might spot and submit a list of all items to the leasing company before you drive the van away.

Suspension. You really do not want to be driving a van away that has faulty suspension give it a good testing before you do. Pull down on each rear corner of the van in tern to engage the suspension.The rocking should cause the van to move around smoothly but without excessive noise. If there is too much or too little travel in the suspension, or if it makes an unnerving noise, insist that its inspected properly before you drive it. You should also do the same for the front suspension and test it extensively if you are Citroen van leasing as these vans often use hydraulic suspension which is even more expensive to put right

Engine. If you don’t know much about motors it is difficult to know what you are looking for. Start with firing up the engine and give it some healthy revs. Warning signs include lots of smoke, interrupted firing, loud noises or loss of power to name but a few.  If in any doubt take someone along who knows a bit or go for Ford van leasing as these vans are the most reliable.