We love to give our customers plenty of choice, so at Swiss Vans, we supply both ready-made, manufacturer-built Luton vans and bespoke builds. People are often in a rush when it comes to buying a Luton as they are so expensive to rent, so there often aren’t many about, but do our best to keep a decent stock. You never know when you might need one! As all Luton vans are handmade, you’ll see the tool marks of the craftsmen who made your van regardless of the make and model, but some builds are more standard than others. And if you’re after a truly bespoke Luton van, you may need to get Individual Vehicle Approval (IVA) for the build, but we can talk you though that a little more. This is not a huge deal, but bear in mind that it can add another month or two to the delivery time (at least 12 weeks from when the chassis is in stock for basic bespoke builds). It’s one reason why stock Lutons are much more popular than custom builds! Here are a few basic facts about Lutons and Luton builds. If you need any more information, don’t hesitate to give us a call!

• Most (if not all) are made from GRP (glass-reinforced plastic, or a type of fibreglass) over marine ply. It’s lightweight, maintenance-free, and it resists minor knocks. Although Lutons were made with more aluminium in the past, this rarely happens now due to the cost: aluminium is expensive compared to GRP. And GRP Hex is also lighter: sometimes it’s even possible to save up to 80kg on an overall build.
• All Luton vans have an aerodynamic pod that extends over the cab. This is great for lighter items; its maximum load weight is about 75kg. (It’s worth noting that many manufacturers use roof aerials, and often these will protrude into the pod.)
• It’s possible to add a sleeper pod instead of the aerodynamic pod; this sleeper pod can be accessed from inside the cargo area.
• Most Luton vans have a load length of approximately 4 metres, but with a bespoke build, you can go to maybe 4.8 metres on some chassis, especially if they’ve been extended.
• Almost every Luton van can have a tail lift fitted. Although tail lifts add a lot to the convenience of the vehicle and ease of loading / unloading, they typically weigh 150kg, and that gets subtracted from the overall payload. Dell and Radcliffe seem to be the most popular brands as far as we can tell, but as tail lifts are not always a stock item, this is another instance where it might be better to take a stock vehicle already fitted with one if and when you can. That said though, if weight is an issue for you and you’re prepared for the potential of an extra wait time, be aware that it is possible to get lightweight tail lifts — that weigh as little as 80kg — at an additional cost.
• Luton rear doors are always roller shutter unless you’re having a bespoke van built. Then, you could consider the alternatives — bar doors and D-Day doors — if the standard roller doors won’t work for you. D-Day doors can split in half and serve as a loading ramp, so they could be very useful depending on your circumstances.
• As standard, most Luton vans come with a single row of tie rails. More can be added, but it’s cheaper and faster on a stock Luton for customers to sort this themselves after delivery. The average cost at UK Luton builders is about £100 per row, and you would almost certainly be looking to go to one of these builders as it’s often impossible to send a Luton back to the manufacturer for small extras. At least if you want them in any kind of reasonable timeframe!
• Some customers go for what’s called a low-loader Luton van. The difference between this and a standard Luton is that the chassis on the low-loader accommodates the wheels on either side of the floorplan, so loading is easier. As an extra benefit, low-loaders don’t normally need tail lifts as they’re already pretty close to the ground.