Vans: questions and Band 8 answers

Yes, all the time, really. I live on a fairly busy residential road, so there are always delivery vans dropping off parcels or tradespeople like plumbers and electricians pulling up outside houses. It seems like online shopping has made them much more common over the last few years.

I haven't driven one myself, but I did travel in one a couple of years ago. A friend hired a spacious rental van to help me move flats in Bristol, and I sat up front in the passenger seat to help navigate through town.

Well, mainly for convenience and carrying capacity. Vans are ideal for transporting bulky tools or delivering goods because they offer plenty of secure storage, yet they're still nimble enough to navigate narrow city streets and park in regular bays, unlike massive lorries.

I'd absolutely love to, actually. The idea of doing a road trip around the Scottish Highlands and having the freedom to sleep wherever you pull over is really appealing. A colleague of mine converted an old panel van last summer, and it looked fantastic.

Not particularly, to be honest. Unless you convert one into a multi-seater, most work vans only have two or three seats in the front. They can also be quite tricky to manoeuvre in tight supermarket car parks compared to an ordinary hatchback or estate car.