The DIY Move; Hire A Van And Be On Your Way

With the price of removal companies it is unsurprising that many are choosing to hire a van and move their belongings without professional help. The do it yourself approach can be advisable if you live in a small flat or house and do not have a great deal of furniture. If however you are planning to hire a van and have a large house with many heavy pieces of furniture, hiring the professionals may be a wiser course of action

The main reason most people choose to hire a van and move themselves is due to the cost of removal companies. But as previously stated, it will take a great deal of effort. In addition, you will need a group of friends that are willing to help you; without the help of friends moving yourself can be next to impossible. Also important is to remain positive, while loading everything on and off the hire van can be stressful, try to remember the ultimate goal, a new home.

When you are exchanging and have to move in one day it is important to hire a van that is large enough to make the move in one trip. While you may think that doing many trips will be a possibility, remember that you can only unload the van once you have the house keys in your hand; this is sometimes late in the day meaning you will be moving into the night. As well as delays with completion, the other problem with using a van that is too small and making many trips is that the new owners of your property will also be turning up to move in, ideally they will not want half of your possessions still in situ when they arrive.

The cost of the van hire will not be the only cost for your move however, it is important to factor in the entire financial outlay when planning a move. As well as the hire price, you will most likely have to obtain removal boxes; while in the past supermarkets used to supply movers with these; increasingly this is not the case so buying boxes may be the only option. As well as moving boxes you will have to pay for the fuel for the van, if you have a great deal of distance to cover this may be expensive; also remember that you will have to return the van to the hire company. While your friends may be willing to help, it is still likely that a few beers and a pizza will be expected at the end of the day, so factor this into the cost as well.

In terms of the vans that you will be able to hire there are three main varieties on the market. The most commonly used is the transit van; this however is quite small and due to the sloping sides, not ideally suited to packing. The Luton box van is also widely used for people moving house due to the fact it is a happy medium between size and ease of driving. They will normally store a small house or flat in one go but if you want to save your back a tail-lift is advisable, the height from the road can be as much as two or three feet.

The final and largest commonly used hire van is the 7.5 tonne wagon. You will only be able to drive one of these if you passed your driving test before 1997 however. These trucks are quite high so ensure to take notice of low bridges and wires that wouldn’t be an issue if driving your car.

Self moving really is an option if you do not want to pay removal fees. Make sure however to prepare yourself for a long and physically exhausting day, moving house is definitely hard work. Make sure you choose the right van and your move should go smoothly, ensuring you will be in your new home in no time.

Removal expert Thomas Pretty looks into why more people are choosing van hire to move house and the types of vans on the market today.

July 4th, 2008 | Posted in Vans | No Comments

A History Of Audi From Four Rings To Sports Cars

The cars in the Audi range today can trace a heritage back more than a century to the Horch Motorcar Company, named after the founder August Horch. However a mere eight years after the first Horch car was rolled out the founder was bought out of his own company. After a court case determining whether the founder could retain his family name for a new company, Horch was denied. It was at this point that Audi was born; horch meaning listen in German and Audi meaning listen in Latin.

The early stages of the Audi development saw a range of cars that excelled in the motor sport arena. Predominantly the cars relied upon six and four cylinder engines licensed from Peugeot. At the beginning of the Nazi period Audi formed a company made up from the original Horch manufacturer, DKW and Wanderer, naming it Auto Union. It was at this point that the four rings emblem that we see on the Audi range today was born. During the war the company was instrumental in the war effort manufacturing armoured cars and light transportation vehicles.

After the war Auto Union was broken up due to factories and headquarters lying in different parts of the now divided country. DKW became the most powerful of the four during the next decade until Volkswagen was able to buy out all four brands of the union. At this point an executive decision was made to forget the two stroke engines that were characteristic of the DKW range in preference for more comfortable and efficient four stroke engines. Part of this move meant forgetting the DKW brand in favour of Audi.

In the modern era Audi finally became the brand it is today, separating itself from the various mergers throughout its history. At this time (1970) the company was introduced to American shores with a range made up of small and saloon cars. The most important of this new generation was the Audi 50, a car that is seen as seminal by many due to its obvious likeness of the later Golf and Polo models produced by Volkswagen.

Audi are probably most famous however for producing a car that revolutionised drive systems and the world of rally racing. It was in 1980 that the Quattro was introduced to the range, a coupe that utilised a turbocharged engine and a unique four wheel drive system. This car was unbelievably successful in rally racing at a time when most competitors had discounted the benefits of a complicated all wheel drive system. The doubters were soon silenced however as the Quattro went on to dominate the rally world until the rest of the pack caught up with the technological developments.

Despite this the Audi range has consistently been labelled with a ‘grandfather image’. That was until the late nineties when a range of sporty models were developed. These cars captured a growing market for performance cars that could be used on a daily basis. The pursuit of performance however has not ceased since this time, the latest car to be developed by the company was the R8, an all out sports car of undeniable beauty and ability. This latest inception has been developed to compete with Aston martin, Porsche and other European manufacturers but at a price of almost sixty thousand pounds it is anything but affordable.

Audi today have advanced from humble beginnings to be one of the predominant car manufacturers in Europe. Predictions for this year estimate that more than one million cars will be sold showing that the company is going from strength to strength. Long considered to be the little brother of the German car manufacturing industry; this four ringed company has finally come into its own.

Car industry expert Thomas Pretty looks into the development of the Audi range and the cars that have shaped the brand image.

July 3rd, 2008 | Posted in Classics | No Comments

A Brief Guide To New Caravans

The open road is a powerful lure for many, hence why so many are deciding to buy new caravans and reap the benefits of freedom of travel and more affordable holidaying. Those new to the world of caravanning however can find the sheer range of caravans on the market confusing. Deciding upon which features to opt for, what size of caravan you will need and also the layout are only some of the considerations to be made when looking at new caravans. Hopefully this brief guide will help those newcomers to make the best choice.

Your first consideration when looking at new caravans is the weight that you will be able to tow. Of prime importance is to understand the maximum towing weight of your car and how this maximum load relates directly to safe towing. The reason this is so important is because ultimately you want to reach your destination safely; there is little point in heading out on holiday and crashing the outfit before you arrive at your destination. The best place to find this information is in the handbook for your car. Thankfully however there are many websites dedicated to this issue giving new caravanners a simple resource that allows them to evaluate the safety of their outfit. By entering your car model these services will produce a list of suitable caravans that you will be able to tow safely.

Shape is another major factor when looking at new caravans. Older caravans tend to be squarer and are usually cheaper; however being square the drag they create can be a problem. Increased drag means you outfit will be more unstable and the fuel efficiency for your journey will be largely diminished. New models however are increasingly being designed with streamlining in mind meaning that you will use less fuel on your journeys, but the initial outlay will be greater. For those who want to avoid as much drag as possible collapsible caravans are an option; while you may have to sacrifice on space, towing a collapsible is far easier.

Once you have decided on shape you should also consider the length of any new caravans you intend to buy. Longer caravans will definitely offer more space and luxury but for those newcomers manoeuvring these leviathans of the road can be difficult. If space is a major concern but you are worried about parking and driving an excessively long outfit an awning can be deemed a perfect solution. By using an awning you not only decrease the cost of the caravan by being able to buy smaller, but you can also negate road restrictions and higher ferry charges.

Any new caravan is fundamentally an investment, not in financial terms but in terms of the years of holidaying pleasure. It is likely that a caravan will last on average around ten years before it needs to be replaced; this figure however is dependent upon the maintenance of the outfit. Caravans are an expensive item to purchase; understandably it is advisable to take good care of this home from home. Most caravanners undertake an annual maintenance check at the beginning of the holiday period to make sure that the outfit is road worthy and generally habitable. In addition every now and again most owners take their outfits to a professional garage that specialises in caravan maintenance. By doing this you may even be able to increase the outfit’s lifespan.

This guide has hopefully given newcomers an idea of some of the issues to consider before purchasing a caravan. It is no way an all encompassing list however; by using this information and the many forums on the internet it should be possible to find the perfect outfit for your holidaying needs, giving great holidays for years to come.

Caravanning expert Thomas Pretty looks into the fundamental considerations when looking at new caravans.

July 2nd, 2008 | Posted in RVs | No Comments

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