Best Vans for Plumbers to Buy in 2025
If you’re a plumber, a van will be one of the most important assets you’ll acquire for your business – so, which are the best vans for plumbers to buy in 2025?
Indeed, plumbers are among the most depended upon of all trades with many callouts likely to be for emergency reasons.
It is why any business van needs to be reliable to ensure it is ready to go at the moment’s notice and practical enough to swallow all manner of different sized and shaped equipment and supplies.
As a plumber, a Medium Van is the most appropriate by providing the best blend of cargo space, payload capacity and manoeuvrability, so these form the basis of our top picks as the best vans for plumbers in 2025.
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What Makes a Good Van for a Plumber?
Load Space – Plumbers are likely to have many items to transport to callouts so it is important to ensure your van can accommodate all the necessary equipment for you to carry out your job efficiently.
Payload - There may be occasions when you’ll need to haul heavy machinery to facilitate your plumbing work, so it is important to know what the payload figure is of your van to ensure it can safely and legally accommodate it.
Manoeuvrability – Many callouts for a plumber are likely to be located within urban areas so it is important to have a van that is easy-to-drive, manoeuvre and park so your van can be accessed conveniently. It is for this reason that a Medium Van is considered the best choice for plumbers.
Dependable – Plumbers are often called out for emergency jobs so it is important a van can be dependable and reliable to ensure that it doesn’t let customers down or experiences costly downtime.
Practical Features – Beyond the size of the cargo hold, it is worth investing in a van that has useful practical features designed to maximise the load space. This could include a load-through hatch in the bulkhead that allows you to transport longer items or a Vehicle-to-Load function (V2L) that enables you to recharge tools and equipment directly from the battery when out on a call.
Secure - It is no secret that the scourge of tool theft has been on the rise, so if your livelihood depends on your van, security should be taken seriously. Vansdirect offers lockable racking and security solutions to ensure your new van and its contents don’t fall into the wrong hands.
What Type of Van is Best for an Electrician?
Medium Van – A Medium Van is arguably the best choice for plumbers as it provides ample load space and payload capacity without being unwieldy to drive and park in urban areas.
Large Van – If your plumbing job requires that you carry lengthy or tall items, a Large Van may be required for you to accommodate your supplies and equipment. If a Medium Van is not quite big enough, then there are Large Vans that are sufficiently larger in size but that won’t require a special licence to drive them either.
Pick-Up Truck – Pick-up trucks offer the ability to carry large and heavy payloads, as well as provide easy access for loading and unloading. They are also four-wheel drive if your business requires you to venture off-road, while they are ideal for towing too.
Best Vans for Plumbers in 2025
Ford Transit Custom
Body Styles: L1/H1, L2/H1
Engines: 2.0-litre 110 (Diesel), 2.0-litre 136 (Diesel), 2.0-litre 150 (Diesel), 2.0-litre 170 (Diesel), 2.5-litre (Petrol/Plug-In Hybrid), 65kWh 136 (Electric), 65kWh 218 (Electric), 65kWh 285 (Electric)
Payload Capacity Range: 846-1407kg
Braked Towing Capacity: 2000-2800kg
If you’re in the market for a Medium Van then the award-winning Ford Transit Custom must be included on any prospective shopping list.
With upwards of 1407kg of payload available and a load bay of either 5.8 cubic metres for the L1/H1 or 6.8 cubic metres for the larger L2/H1 model, few vans are as practical as the best-selling Ford.
Better still, with the load-through hatch in the bulkhead, the Transit Custom’s load length can extend to more than three metres – ideal for transporting pipes securely.
Beyond the class-leading practical features, the Ford Transit Custom offers a wide range of trims and engine combinations, including the electric E-Transit, the all-wheel drive Trail and the eye-catching Sport.
VERDICT: Spacious, brimming with practical touches and fun to drive, the Ford Transit Custom takes some beating in the Medium Van class.
- Ford Transit Custom vs. Vauxhall Vivaro: Which Is The Best Medium Van?
- 2025 Ford Transit Custom Trims and Engines Explained
See Ford Transit Custom Van Deals
Toyota Proace
Body Styles: Medium/H1, Long/H1
Engines: 1.5-litre (Diesel), 2.0-litre 145 (Diesel), 2.0-litre 180 (Diesel), 50kWh (Electric), 75kWh (Electric)
Payload Capacity Range: 999-1375kg
Braked Towing Capacity: 1000-2500kg
The Toyota Proace bears close relation to the Citroen Dispatch, FIAT Scudo, Peugeot Expert and Vauxhall Vivaro, making any one of these five models an ideal choice for a plumber in the market for a Medium Van.
Where the Proace differs from its stablemates is it comes with a generous warranty of up to ten years or 100,000-miles, whichever comes first.
This is a vote of confidence for the Proace that makes it a fine option if a reputation for reliability is important to you.
Beyond that, the Proace has a generous payload capacity across both diesel and EV models in the range, while the Proace Electric offers an impressive 230-miles of range too.
Moreover, it comes with a load-through hatch that helps extend the load bay, while ‘Long’ (L2) models have their increased length placed behind the rear-axle to provide a more practical width for loading access.
VERDICT: With a spacious load bay complemented by useful practical touches for plumbers, the Toyota Proace’s extended warranty adds reassurance too.
- 2025 Toyota Proace: Everything You Need To Know
Nissan Primastar
Body Styles: L1/H1, L1/H2, L2/H1, L2/H2
Engines: 2.0-litre 110 (Diesel), 2.0-litre 130 (Diesel), 2.0-litre 150 (Diesel), 2.0-litre 170 (Diesel)
Payload Capacity Range: 742-1251kg
Braked Towing Capacity: 2000-2500kg
The Nissan Primastar places its emphasis on outright load space by being one of only a handful of models in the Medium Van class to offer an extended roof height.
In all, there are four body styles available – L1/H1, L1/H2, L2/H1 and L2/H2 – offering class-leading levels of cargo space depending on which model you choose.
In entry-level L1/H1 guise, the Primastar offers 5.8 cubic metres of load space, but in its largest L2/H2 guise it rises to a mammoth 8.9 cubic metres – ideal if your plumbing work involves particularly tall equipment.
Even if your supplies and equipment are especially long, the Primastar offers a load-through hatch in the bulkhead for extra storage length.
Beyond that, the Primastar impresses with its five-year warranty – which exceeds the three years available across the majority of the segment – while it has a well-built interior and is car-like to drive.
VERDICT: The Nissan Primastar is a medium van that usefully offers a greater range of body styles if you so happen to need a model that is taller than the norm.
- 2025 Nissan Primastar: Everything You Need To Know
See Nissan Primastar Van Deals
Mercedes-Benz Vito
Body Styles: L2/H1, L3/H1
Engines: 2.0-litre 114 (Diesel), 2.0-litre 116 (Diesel), 2.0-litre 119 (Diesel), 66kWh (Electric)
Payload Capacity Range: 740-905kg
Braked Towing Capacity: 0-2500kg
The Mercedes-Benz Vito differs from other models in the Medium Van by bridging the margin to the Large Van class with its option of L2 and L3 body styles.
Indeed, the Vito is the only van in the segment to offer an L3 length, which at 5370mm makes it the longest medium van available.
This could prove a winning combination if you happen to carry particularly long items but don’t want the unwieldiness of choosing a taller Large Van.
With this in mind, the Vito offers generous load space with 6.0 cubic metres available from the L2, while the L3 goes right up to 6.6 cubic metres.
VERDICT: The Mercedes-Benz Vito will appeal to plumbers that might require the extended length of the L3 body style without requiring a large van
See Mercedes-Benz Vito Van Deals
Maxus Deliver 9
Body Styles: L2/H2, L3/H2, L3/H3
Engines: 2.0-litre (Diesel), 77kWh (Electric), 88kWh (Electric), 100kWh (Electric)
Payload Capacity Range: 850-1530kg
Braked Towing Capacity: 1400-2800kg
The Maxus Deliver 9 is a great value Large Van alternative if your plumbing job requires that you need more cargo space for your equipment and supplies.
With competitive pricing without compromising on specification, the entry-level L2/H2 version of the Maxus offers up an impressive 9.7 cubic metres, which should swallow your kit with ease.
Better still, the Maxus eDeliver 9 is an affordable route into large electric van ownership with three battery sizes – 77kWh, 88kWh and 100kWh – available across the line-up offering between 150 and 200 miles in terms of range.
VERDICT: If you need the space of a Large Van but don’t have the budget, the Maxus Deliver 9 offers impressive practicality and a premium specification in an affordable package.
- 2025 Maxus Deliver 9: Everything You Need To Know
Volkswagen Amarok
Engines: 2.0-litre 170 (Diesel), 2.0-litre 205 (Diesel), 3.0-litre 240 (Diesel)
Payload Capacity Range: 835-1067kg
Braked Towing Capacity: 3420-3500kg
Ideal for loading and transporting mucky gear, a pick-up truck can also be an excellent alternative for plumbers who need to access their kit quickly and easily.
With this in mind, the Volkswagen Amarok makes a strong case for itself with a particularly long load bed of 1624mm, while most models in the range exceed 1000kg for payload capacity.
Moreover, the Amarok – with its double cab body style – can double up as a classy and spacious family vehicle as well as a company car, one that is enjoyable to drive and can venture far off-road too.
VERDICT: If your plumber business involves off-road driving or filthy kit that needs to be loaded quickly and conveniently, the Volkswagen Amarok makes an uncompromising choice.
See Volkswagen Amarok Pick-Up Truck Deals
