If you want to move a lot of stuff but only have a standard UK car licence then a large van is your best bet. If it has a gross vehicle weight of 3.5-tonnes or less, then you don’t need any extra training or to take any additional tests to get behind the wheel.
If the things you need to carry are heavy, rather than just large, then you’ll be wanting a high payload from your large van.
The large vans in this list are some of the biggest names on the market – they include the likes of the Ford Transit, Mercedes-Benz Sprinter and Fiat Ducato. The 3.5-tonne part – also shown as 3.5t or 3,500kg – refers to the gross vehicle weight (GVW) and not the weight of the actual van, which is known as the kerb weight. More on that below.
Be aware that payloads change over time, too, as van manufacturers update engines and specification levels of their vehicles.
Keep reading for the full list of the best large vans for payload.
12. Iveco Daily max payload: 1,330kg (3000 H1)
Iveco does offer versions of the Daily with some really high payloads, but these are all ones that have a gross vehicle weight that is above 3.5 tonnes, which means they are off limits to many standard licence holders.
The Daily is built to be tough, which means that it ends up being a little heavier than some other large vans, which in turn means that the version with the lowest GVW can’t offer a payload as high as some of its rivals. As those GVWs go all the way up to 7.2 tonnes, and the payloads to close to 5.0 tonnes in some cases, there are Dailys out there that can shift some serious weight. You just might not be allowed to drive them.
>> Find an Iveco Daily for sale near you – new or used
11. MAN TGE max payload: 1,314kg (standard length FWD 2.0 TDI 102HP 6-speed manual)
The MAN TGE and the VW Crafter are the same van, basically, so it is little surprise that the two have almost identical maximum payloads. However, a few minor specification differences mean that the Crafter has the edge but not by a huge amount.
The engine and FWD status are the same across the two vans though.
>> Find a MAN TGE for sale near you – new or used
10. Volkswagen Crafter max payload: 1,336kg (2.0TDI 102HP FWD 6-speed manual)
Volkswagen is one of a few vans that quote their kerb weights including a driver. The idea is that you know how much weight you have to play with when it comes to the payload. This is useful, but doesn’t allow us to compare like for like given most don’t do this, so we have added on the 75kg allocated to the driver.
Even with this added on, the VW Crafter doesn’t fare well when up against the best in class for heavy lifting, although it edges out the TGE. It doesn’t help that it is one of the least powerful engines that has the highest payload either – you’d be happier with an engine with more punch if you want to cart big loads regularly.
>> Find an LDV for sale near you – new or used
9. Maxus Deliver 9 max payload: 1,360kg (L1H1 FWD)
The Maxus Deliver 9 is a relatively new van that has a few different options when it comes to drivetrain and body size, but as with many others on this list it is the front-wheel-drive version with the smallest body that offers the biggest payload.
There is only the one option on the engine front, though, which makes the calculation easier. If you want to carry weight, go for the smallest.
>> Maxus Deliver 9 full review
>> Find a Maxus Deliver 9 for sale near you – new or used
8. Mercedes-Benz Sprinter max payload: 1,413kg (315 CDI L1H1 FWD)
Some of the newer vehicles on this list have some of the lowest payloads thanks, in part, to their higher levels of technology. The more driver assistance and connected technology that a van has, the higher its weight will be, so the older and more basic the van is the better a potential payload.
That’s a rather simplistic summary of this class, but it does go some way to explain why the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, with its wide array of tech, doesn’t trouble the top levels of the class while much older vans do.
>> Mercedes Sprinter full review
>> Find a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter for sale near you – new or used
7. Ford Transit max payload: 1,472kg (350 FWD L2 H2)
The Ford Transit hasn’t historically been the best when it comes to its maximum payload, so its position in this list isn’t all bad relatively speaking. It’s still a way short of what is possible in this class, though. As with many, it is the shortest and lowest version that you need to go for, although this is slightly confusingly referred to as the L2H2 model.
>> Find a Ford Transit for sale near you – new or used
6. Vauxhall Movano max payload: 1,495kg (3500 2.2 140PS)
The Vauxhall Movano was once the king of this class, but this is a totally different model now. This model is now basically a Citroen Relay / Peugeot Boxer in disguise, although it can’t match those two in terms of overall carrying capacity either.
The maximum of just 1,495kg is some way sort of the best, which is a little disappointing, although you can get a heavy version that pushes that maximum up higher if you are able to drive a 4.0-tonne van.
>> Vauxhall Movano full details
>> Find a Vauxhall Movano for sale near you – new or used
5. Fiat Ducato max payload: 1,550kg (SH1 35)
The Fiat Ducato has long been at or near the top of the class for payload and, while it is in among the best it is no longer in pole position. It’s a long-established model that has gone through various tweaks over the years but remains popular throughout Europe. The latest version comes with an impressive automatic gearbox, too, which is well worth sacrificing a bit of carrying ability for.
>> Find a Fiat Ducato for sale near you – new or used
4. Renault Master max payload: 1,551kg (FWD SM35 dCi 130)
Renault has offered much higher payloads in the past but a trimming of the number of models in the Master range means that the maximum it can carry is now just 1,551kg. However, the rivals aren’t as capable as they once were, so relatively speaking the Master is higher up this list than it would have been only a few years ago.
>> Find a Renault Master for sale near you – new or used
=2. Citroen Relay / Peugeot Boxer max payload: 1,570kg
(L2 H1 BlueHDi 140)
The Peugeot Boxer and Citroen Relay are the same van in slightly different suits, and they have gone through a variety of different specifications in their many years on sale. This has caused the maximum payload to go up and down a little over time, but they’re still impressively heavyweight lifters in 2023.
>> Find a Citroen Relay for sale near you – new or used
>> Find a Peugeot Boxer for sale near you – new or used
1. Nissan Interstar max payload: L1H1, 1,587kg
The Nissan Interstar might have a relatively new name but it is the same fundamental van as the NV400 that preceded it. This in turn is essentially a rebranded Renault Master, albeit with some tweaks to the number of models you can get in the range. As with many others you need to go for the smallest option, the L1H1, to get the biggest payload.
>> Find a Nissan Interstar for sale near you – new or used
What does 3.5t mean?
All these vans are 3.5t, or 3.5-tonne, vehicles. This figure refers to what is known as the gross vehicle weight (also often shortened to GVW), or the maximum amount that it is allowed to weigh when you factor in the van and everything in it.
The actual weight of your van, without anything in it, is the kerb weight, or unladen weight. The payload is then this weight subtracted from the gross vehicle weight.
Therefore, the higher the kerb weight, the lower the potential payload, which is why it is often the smaller bodies of large vans that have the higher payload. The smaller the body, the less metal on the van therefore the lower the weight.
Are there other large vans available?
Not brand new there aren’t – we have aimed to rank every van sold in the UK by a major manufacturer. We have concentrated on the ones being sold brand new.
Are there large van camper conversions?
There is only one campervan conversion offered by a major manufacturer using a large van as its starting point – the Volkswagen Grand California.
Of course there are other campervan conversions, but these are carried out by third-party companies.
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