Rental tips: should I rent a van or a trailer?

If you need to transport a washing machine or some moving boxes, you have a choice: should I rent a trailer or a cargo box, or a van? In addition to price, practical considerations also play a role. An explanation.

Trailer/estate box

A covered trailer (estate box) protects your valuables from the elements and offers you the necessary loading space, but often a limited loading capacity.

A trailer is 'simply' covered by your car insurance, so you do not need to take out separate insurance.

Of course, to tow a trailer you need a car with a tow bar and an official (white) license plate for the trailer. Also don't forget that for a car plus trailer on the highway a maximum speed of 90 kilometers per hour applies.

People who are not used to it often find driving in a trailer inconvenient and even scary. Especially turning and reversing gives many motorists sweaty hands.

If the weight of the trailer is more than 750 kg, you need a BE or B+ driving license. This is also the case if the weight of the car plus trailer together is more than 3500 kg.

Van or delivery van

A van or small delivery van is in many cases at least as suitable and just as cheap as a covered trailer. A small delivery van also offers you more loading space.

You may drive a van and a delivery van with a 'normal' driving licence B and they have practically the same driving characteristics as a normal passenger car. The only disadvantage is that a delivery van or small delivery van only offers space for one passenger.

What is cheaper?

What is cheaper to rent: a trailer or a van/bus?

We compared our small van (6 m3 loading space) with the most rented trailer: the Boedelbak type CH, with a loading space of approx. 4,8 m3. What do you know? The two are practically the same price, while the small van offers you a quarter more loading space.

The calculation:

The trailer mentioned costs on Boedelbak.nl standard € 39 per 3 hours or € 46 per calendar day (reference date 30-6-2016). For the sake of completeness we would like to add that you get a 20% or 40% discount respectively if you rent the trailer for 3 or 7 days or longer.

Renting a small van costs €19,90 per half day (comparable to the 3 hours for the trailer) and €27,50 per day. Add to that €11,50 for insurance and the kilometers at €0,19 plus VAT, so you spend a total of €38 per half day and €47,19 per calendar day.

For the sake of convenience, we have ignored fuel costs, as these are also costs you with your own car and a rented trailer.

What do you prefer? A trailer or a van or delivery van in Kerkade and surroundings? Let us know in a comment.