Choosing a van body type

Body type is the biggest lever in a fleet spec. Pick wrong and you carry around 200 kg of empty body weight you never needed. Pick right and the same payload arrives in a vehicle that is cheaper to buy, run and park.

Last reviewed May 2026.

Decision framework

Use these three questions to match a van body type to your routes and the loads you carry:

Does the load need to be enclosed and dry? If yes, panel van or Luton. If no, dropside or tipper.
How is it loaded? By hand at the back, sliding doors panel van. By forklift from the side, dropside. By tip, tipper. By crane from above, dropside or chassis cab with a custom body.
What does the load look like? Heavy and dense, panel van or dropside. Bulky and light (furniture, parcels), Luton.

Body types at a glance

Panel van

Best for: Secure dry-goods delivery, urban courier, multi-drop, general trade.
Payload: Typically 600-1,500 kg depending on size class.
Volume: 3-17 m³ depending on length and roof height (e.g. L1H1 to L4H3).
Watch out: Hardest to load if items are bulky or awkward - no side or rear access without doors. Roof clearance limits which depots and multi-storeys you can use.

Chassis cab

Best for: A blank canvas for a body-builder: dropside, tipper, Luton, refrigerated box. Common in trade and last-mile parcel.
Payload: Highest of the bunch - often 1,500-2,000+ kg with the right cab and rear axle config.
Volume: Body-dependent. Sized exactly to your application.
Watch out: You buy the chassis cab from the manufacturer, then send to a converter. Lead time on the finished vehicle is longer (8-16 weeks typical). Whole-vehicle approval responsibility sits with the converter.

Dropside

Best for: Builders, scaffolders, plant hire, any operation where forklift or crane loading from the side matters.
Payload: 1,000-1,500 kg typical.
Volume: Open bed, no roof. Volume measured by bed footprint (e.g. 2.4 × 1.8 m).
Watch out: No protection from weather for the load. Lower kerbside security if the van is left loaded. Loose load needs straps and a curtainsider tarp if covered.

Luton (box body with cab overhang)

Best for: House removals, furniture delivery, white goods. Anything bulky and low-density.
Payload: 900-1,400 kg typical.
Volume: Largest in the line-up - 17-20 m³.
Watch out: Tall (3-3.5 m) so excluded from many multi-storeys, low bridges and some loading bays. Worst aerodynamics, so range hit is biggest.

Tipper

Best for: Landscaping, waste, plant moves, anywhere you load loose materials and tip rather than unload.
Payload: 1,000-1,500 kg.
Volume: Bed-sized. Side-tipping or rear-tipping variants exist.
Watch out: PTO-driven hydraulic system on diesel; electric tippers use battery-driven hydraulics, which is more efficient but check the duty cycle the manufacturer guarantees.

Special case: electric chassis cab availability

As of 2026, electric chassis cabs are still less varied than diesel. Maxus offers the eDELIVER 9 chassis cab in two wheelbases, and Renault/Vauxhall have factory-fit dropside and Luton variants on the Master and Movano. For more specialised conversions (refrigerated box, cherry-picker), check the manufacturer's approved body-builder list before committing.