The ultimate guide to parking your van

The ultimate guide to parking your van

Parking a van is a true test of your skills. It can take some time to acquire the right skills to park like a professional. By studying our ultimate guide to parking vans, you can speed up this process.

Are you sure?

Before you even think about parking your van, you need to make sure you are allowed to park there. If you make a quick stop to unload some items, are you allowed to do so at the spot you have just chosen? Nobody likes fines, especially if you’ve had a long day of hard work or are busy moving.

You may also need to park your van facing the traffic at night, leave the parking lights on, or apply for a permit if you want to park your van at your home. Make sure you do not block your neighbors’ exits, park too close to an intersection, and that you are insured and have a permit to park at home if you need your van for work.

Make your life easier

If you need to park somewhere busy, like a store parking lot, it might be easier to back in so you can drive out forward. Vans are clearly much larger than most cars, which is especially noticeable in busy towns and cities, so think about how to make your life as easy as possible when you need to park your van.

Choose your spot

For your convenience, you would naturally prefer to choose a large open spot to park. Unfortunately, that is not always possible, so you might find a special spot for larger vehicles in the city. Check the area before you park anywhere and don’t forget to spot obstacles that might hinder you. Bollards, for example, have been the arch-enemy of van drivers for years. Get out if necessary and walk around to take a good look.

Sense of size

Getting a good sense of the size of your van is key to successful parking. Knowing your weight and dimensions can be useful in many situations, whether you’re parking at the dump or heading to the supermarket. If you’re driving in the hustle and bustle of a city, your van is much larger than all those small city cars that fit into the smallest parking spaces.

Use two spaces

People who use two parking spaces to protect their fancy car from other car doors are often an eyesore. But using two parking spaces when parking your van can sometimes be absolutely necessary. It’s often better to just use two full parking spaces than to be half in the parking space next to you, causing the whole row to be parked incorrectly for the rest of the day.

Mirror, mirror on the van

Who is the best parker with a plan? That’s you, because you’ve set your side mirrors in the perfect position before parking your van. You know you don’t have rear windows, so your side mirrors are invaluable. You adjust them so you can see everything up to the curb so you don’t damage your wheels. And of course, you’ve also equipped them with blind spot mirrors.

Use the technology of the future

Speaking of mounting things on your van: there are many different tools available to help you with parking. From parking sensors to cameras and alarms, the costs of the different systems vary greatly, but there is something for every budget.

The human touch

Technology is great, but sometimes a helping hand from a passenger or a kind passerby can work just as well. You don’t have to be ashamed to ask someone for help, especially if you’re trying to park in a tight spot or holding up traffic with your maneuvers.

Slow and steady is the key

Another important tip to give when parking is to go slowly. Slowing down increases your control. Constantly check your mirrors, and step out halfway to take a look if necessary. In the worst case that you hit a post or a parked car, the damage will at least be limited if you go slowly.

Perfect parallel parking

Mastering parallel parking can be really handy if you’re driving a van. Especially if you need to park on a busy street where the pressure is high and you don’t have a large space. Repetition is the key to success in this case, which is a nice introduction to our next tip.

Practice builds confidence. Confidence empowers you

Wise words from celebrated American gymnast Simone Biles. And the truth when it comes to parking your van. Practicing different parking skills can quickly give you the confidence you need to make the right moves in a busy street or when fellow road users are staring at you hoping you won’t make it and give up. We’ve all been there, haven’t we? Anyway, go to a large empty parking lot to practice your parking skills and other techniques, such as parallel parking, backing around the corner, turning on the road, and backing and forward parking.

Watch your back

The back of your van is very different from that of a car. The back often protrudes much further than a car, which you need to be aware of when driving out of parking spaces. Are you parked next to another vehicle or next to a wall? Make sure you drive far enough forward before turning to drive away. This gives your back enough room and you don’t hit anything. Also, remember to leave enough space behind your van to open the rear doors.

Think about your parking brake

It’s wise to use your parking brake as soon as you stop. Put an automatic in park and leave a manual van in first gear, especially if you’re parking on a hill. Then pull the handbrake if you have one. If you’re facing downhill on a hill, turn the wheels so there’s less chance your van will roll if something goes wrong.

Want to learn more? Check out our top tips on reversing with your van.