Van Graphics and Van Wraps
Get A Quote Today
01622 673797
enquiries@rgva.co.uk
Unit 4 Spectrum Business Estate, Bircholt Road, Parkwood, Maidstone, Kent ME15 9YP
Get A Quote TodayYour van is the most visible asset your business owns, and every mile it drives is advertising you have already paid for. RGVA designs and installs custom van graphics and van wraps that turn a working vehicle into a professional advertising platform, built to last five to seven years and tailored to your trade.
We handle everything in house, from a simple logo and phone number through to a full printed van wrap: design, print, and installation either at our Maidstone facility or at your yard anywhere in the UK. We are a 3M Select Platinum Partner and have worked exclusively on vehicle graphics since 2001, which is why sole traders and national operators both end up here.
Van graphics options and what each costs
Van graphics are priced by how much of the van gets covered and by the size of the van. The three standard levels below cover almost every job we quote.
Van graphics and signwriting. Half a day on site. Logo, contact number, website and services, cut from 3M pre-pigmented film and applied to the sides and rear doors. The standard choice for sole traders and small trades, and the fastest way to get a van earning.
Partial van wrap. One day. Sides and rear doors covered in printed film in your brand colours, with the roof, bonnet and cab left in the original paint. On a white van this reads as a full wrap from the roadside at a fraction of the cost.
Full van wrap. One to two days depending on the van and the design. Every external panel covered. Used when the base colour of the van is wrong for the brand, when the design is photographic, or when you want the paint underneath fully protected for a lease term. See the full vehicle wrapping service for how coverage levels compare.
Prices vary with van size: a small van such as a Ford Transit Courier carries roughly half the printable area of a long wheelbase high roof Mercedes Sprinter, and is priced accordingly. Tell us the van and what you want covered and we will give you a fixed written price. Request a van graphics quote or call 01622 673797.
Vans we wrap and letter
We template and fit to any van on the UK market. These are the models we work on most often, grouped by size.
Small vans. Ford Transit Courier, Vauxhall Combo, Citroen Berlingo, Peugeot Partner, Renault Kangoo, Fiat Doblo, Volkswagen Caddy, Nissan Townstar, Toyota Proace City.
Medium vans. Ford Transit Custom, Vauxhall Vivaro, Citroen Dispatch, Peugeot Expert, Renault Trafic, Volkswagen Transporter, Toyota Proace, Nissan Primastar, Mercedes-Benz Vito.
Large panel vans. Ford Transit, Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, Volkswagen Crafter, Renault Master, Vauxhall Movano, Citroen Relay, Peugeot Boxer, Fiat Ducato, Iveco Daily, MAN TGE.
Van conversions. Luton and box bodies, tipper conversions, dropside bodies, crew cabs and welfare units. These are templated individually because the body is not from the vehicle manufacturer.
Electric vans. Including the Ford E-Transit, Mercedes-Benz eSprinter, Vauxhall Vivaro Electric and Renault Master E-Tech. Wrapping an electric van is no different in method, and the film adds negligible weight.
If your van is not on the list, we template it. If we have already made a kit for that model, the job is quicker.
Materials and how long van graphics last
We fit 3M cast vinyl in 3M Matched Component System combinations and print in house on HP Latex printers. Cast film is what allows graphics to be conformed into the corrugations and body swage lines of a panel van without lifting later, and it is the reason cheaper calendared film fails at the edges within a couple of years.
Expected life. Five to seven years under normal conditions on 3M cast vinyl.
Warranty. From three years on a 3M Matched Component System specification, up to eight years on 3M 2080 Series colour change film.
Printed graphics. Latex printed 3M IJ180 with 3M 8518 overlaminate, the same specification we run across large commercial fleets.
Cut graphics. 3M 50 Series pre-pigmented film, cut rather than printed, for solid colour lettering and logos.
Non-PVC film is available where you need it, with no added chlorine or halogens and 58 per cent fewer solvents than conventional films.
For washing, pressure washing limits and what never to clean vinyl with, see how to care for van graphics.
How the job runs
1. Tell us the van and the brief. Model, wheelbase, roof height, base colour and what you want covered.
2. Design. Our in-house designers work from your existing artwork and brand guidelines, or build a design from scratch. You see a visual of your actual van model before anything is printed.
3. Print and cut. In house, laminated and quality checked against the approved visual.
4. Fit. Half a day for cut graphics, one day for a partial wrap, one to two days for a full wrap. At Maidstone or at your yard.
5. Two week check. A free of charge check once the vinyl has settled, which we particularly recommend over the colder months.
Why van graphics work as advertising
Van graphics are bought once and then advertise continuously with no ongoing cost, for the whole life of the vehicle. A well designed, brightly coloured van creates an instant impression and can be seen by an estimated 100,000 people a week.
Unlike digital advertising it does not interrupt anybody: potential customers notice the van as they pass and choose to make contact on their own terms. And unlike almost any other marketing spend, the asset carrying it is one you already own, already tax and already insure.
Multiple vans and growing fleets
If you run more than one van, specify the livery once and hold it. We keep your artwork, film specification and fitting records, so van number seven matches van number one, and a replacement panel after an accident matches a van liveried four years earlier.
For fleets of ten vehicles or more, see fleet graphics and fleet vehicle livery, where work is priced per asset against your vehicle schedule.
Lease vans, removal and handback
Most commercial vans are leased or on contract hire. Professionally applied cast vinyl removes cleanly from sound factory paint, which makes van graphics safe on a lease vehicle and leaves the paint underneath protected for the contract term.
The risk is not the vinyl but pre-existing damage: if a panel already has stone chips, abrasions, rust or a previous respray, removal can lift loose paint or lacquer. We check at survey and tell you before quoting. If a wrap changes the colour of the van you must also tell the DVLA and your insurer.
Why choose RGVA for van graphics
3M Select Platinum Partner. The highest 3M partner tier, with every technician 3M AVW qualified, and a manufacturer backed warranty rather than an in-house promise.
In-house design, print and fitting. No outsourcing at any stage, which is what keeps one specification across every van you own.
Vehicle graphics only, since 2001. We do not do shopfronts or exhibition stands. Vehicles are all we do.
Nationwide fitting. Mobile teams covering the whole UK, plus our Maidstone facility.
Fleet grade process on a single van. The same records, materials and replacement process we run for fleets of 450 vehicles.
Lease-safe removal and clean rebrand.
See recent work in the RGVA vehicle graphics gallery or read our commercial fleet case studies.
Van graphics questions
How much do van graphics cost?
Van graphics are priced by coverage and van size. Cut vinyl graphics with your logo, phone number and website take about half a day to fit. A partial wrap covering the sides and rear doors takes a day. A full van wrap covering every panel takes one to two days. A long wheelbase high roof van costs more than a small van because there is more area to cover. Tell us the van and what you want covered and we will give you a fixed written price.
How long do van graphics last?
Using 3M cast vinyl, van graphics typically last five to seven years under normal conditions. RGVA warranties run from three years on a 3M Matched Component System specification up to eight years on 3M 2080 Series colour change film. Cast film is what allows graphics to be conformed into the corrugations of a panel van without lifting, which is why cheaper calendared film fails at the edges much sooner.
Can van graphics be removed without damaging the paintwork?
Yes. Professionally applied cast vinyl removes cleanly from sound factory paintwork, which makes van graphics safe on lease and contract hire vehicles, and the paint underneath is protected while the graphics are on. If a panel already has stone chips, abrasions, rust patches or a previous respray, removal can lift loose paint or lacquer, so RGVA checks paint condition at survey before quoting.
How long does van graphics installation take?
Cut vinyl graphics take around half a day. A partial van wrap takes a day. A full van wrap takes one to two days depending on the van and the complexity of the design. RGVA also recommends a free of charge check two weeks after installation, once the vinyl has settled and been out in the weather.
Do you fit van graphics outside Kent?
Yes. RGVA produces graphics at its facility in Maidstone, Kent, and runs mobile installation teams covering the whole of the UK, fitting at customer yards, depots and van conversion companies.
What is the difference between van graphics and a van wrap?
Van graphics normally means cut vinyl lettering and logos applied to the van in its existing colour, using pre-pigmented film. A van wrap covers whole panels or the whole van in printed film. Graphics are cheaper and faster to fit. A wrap is used when the base colour of the van is wrong for the brand, when the design is photographic, or when you want the paintwork fully protected for a lease term.
Which vans do you wrap?
RGVA templates and fits to any van on the UK market, including small vans such as the Ford Transit Courier, Vauxhall Combo and Citroen Berlingo, medium vans such as the Ford Transit Custom, Vauxhall Vivaro and Volkswagen Transporter, and large panel vans such as the Ford Transit, Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, Volkswagen Crafter and Renault Master. Luton bodies, tippers, dropsides, crew cabs and electric vans are all templated individually.
Do I need to tell anyone my van has been wrapped?
If the wrap changes the colour of the van you must tell the DVLA, even where the change is temporary, and you should tell your insurance company that the vehicle has been wrapped so that your cover is not affected. Cut vinyl graphics applied over the existing colour do not change the recorded colour of the vehicle.