Most van driving advice written in this country assumes rain, ice or fog, which leaves a genuine gap in the middle of summer. Driving a hire van in hot weather brings its own set of problems, and they are quieter and less obvious than a skid on a frosty morning. Tyres behave differently, loads move differently, and the cab becomes an uncomfortable place to spend eight hours. Anyone taking out van hire in Warrington across a hot spell will get more out of the day by thinking about heat before setting off rather than reacting to it at two in the afternoon.
What Changes About A Loaded Van When The Temperature Climbs
A van is a large metal box with a small glazed cab at one end, and in strong sun it behaves exactly as that description suggests. The load area heats far beyond the outside temperature, particularly in a dark coloured box body standing still. Road surfaces soften, tyre pressures rise, and a fully loaded 3.5 tonne vehicle asks considerably more of its brakes on a long descent than an empty one does. None of this is dangerous if you allow for it. All of it catches people out if they treat a hot August day as identical to a mild one, which is exactly what most drivers do.
Tyres, Pressures And Long Motorway Runs
Tyre pressure rises as the tyre warms, which is normal and is why pressures should always be set cold. The problem comes when a tyre starts underinflated, because an underinflated tyre flexes more, generates more heat and is under far more stress on a hot motorway run than it would be in March. Check the pressures before you leave the depot rather than after an hour on the M6, and check them against the plate for a loaded vehicle rather than an unloaded one. Our guide to motorway routes from Warrington covers the wider approach to those journeys.
The Load Area As An Oven
A closed box in full sun gets remarkably hot, and it stays hot long after you have parked in the shade. Candles collapse, chocolate is finished, vinyl warps, electronics suffer and anything with adhesive or a battery in it should be treated with real caution. If you are carrying something heat sensitive, carry it in the cab where there is ventilation. If it will not fit in the cab, plan the route so the van is moving rather than standing, because airflow through a moving van makes an enormous difference. A Luton van with tail lift has a particularly large box, which is superb for volume and unhelpful in a heatwave.
Straps, Ratchets And Things That Shift
Heat changes how a load settles. Cardboard softens slightly, plastic wrap goes slack, and anything stacked on a foam or rubber surface will bed down more than it would in cooler weather. The practical consequence is that straps which were tight in the driveway are noticeably looser twenty miles later. Stop and re tension after the first stretch of a long journey as a matter of routine, not as a response to hearing something move. It takes three minutes at a service area and it is the single most useful habit a summer driver can build.
Staying Comfortable Enough To Drive Well
Fatigue in heat is real and it arrives without announcing itself. Concentration drops, reaction times lengthen and irritation rises, none of which sits well with a vehicle that is longer, taller and heavier than what you normally drive. Drink more water than you think you need, take a proper break every couple of hours rather than pressing on, and do not leave the water bottle in the load area where it will be undrinkable by midday. If you are moving house or clearing a property, the physical work is the bigger heat load, so pace the lifting rather than the driving.
Parking And Loading Around Winwick And Walton
Where you park while you load matters more in August than at any other time of year. Customers using Winwick van hire and Walton van hire often have mature trees on the street, and putting the load area in that shade while you work is worth doing deliberately. Open both rear doors and the side door if the van has one while you are loading, because through draught cools a box far faster than one open door ever will. Point the windscreen away from the sun if you can, since a cab that has baked all afternoon takes a long time to become bearable.
Sun Glare Through Warrington Town Centre
Low August sun early and late in the day is a genuine hazard in a van, because you sit higher than in a car and the screen is larger and more upright. Keep the windscreen clean inside as well as outside, since interior film scatters light badly and turns direct sun into a wall of white. Use the sun visor properly rather than squinting, keep sunglasses in the cab and slow down when you are driving into low sun on an unfamiliar route. Around Cockhedge and the town centre, pedestrians step out from between parked vehicles, and a driver who cannot see the kerb line is a driver going too fast.
If you are hiring across a hot spell and you are carrying something you are worried about, ring us and we will talk through which vehicle and which timing suits. Call the depot on 01925 396 222 before you book.
