COMMERCIAL vehicle hypermarket Anchor Vans as stressed the importance of cleaning and maintaining LCVs, not just for cosmetic reasons, but to reduce repair bills and to increase re-sale value.
Managing Director Simon Joyce said: “Be it a car or a van, regular maintenance and cleaning will help save money on costly repairs, time out of working order and ultimately affect your sell or trade in value, so it certainly pays to keep your vehicle in the best shape possible. “
The UK car wash industry is worth an estimated £1bn a year but that doesn’t mean that everyone cleans their vehicle regularly enough.
Joyce added: “In the busy lives of modern civilisation, managing our vehicles has become another inconvenient task relegated to the bottom of the to do list. Juggling long working hours, distant commutes and hectic social schedules it seems the UK population is just far too busy to spend time taking care of their vehicles.”
Anchor Vans is one of the UK’s leading independent van dealerships and with 30 years of high-quality service it has the following advice to vehicle owners:
Cleaning your vehicle
Rust, scratches and dull paint are all common issues that arise from built up dirt, affecting the look of your vehicle and more importantly its resell value.
Mud, bird droppings, and even salt sprinkled on icy roads stick to the surfaces of your vehicle. Over time these harmful substances eat away at paint work and cause damage underneath, which can leave permanent scars on the bodywork.
For this reason, it’s crucial to take time to have your vehicle washed on a regular basis; blasting away those impurities as quickly as possible and keeping your paintwork in tip top condition.
The great British weather doesn’t help much. Waiting for the right weather might be near on impossible but we recommend getting out there to clean your vehicle in overcast or cloudy weather, ideally not in rain or direct sun.
No time to do it yourself? Car wash services are so readily available in the UK, you can now have your car cleaned while you are out shopping or having lunch with your mates.
Ironically, the vehicles that you have to take most care of are those that get the dirtiest. 4×4’s, tipper trucks, vehicles used for hauling jobs, everyday commuting all require a lot of love.
It may feel a thankless task now but remember that good care will lead to a higher price when you come to sell.
Maintaining your vehicle
It takes time and money to maintain a vehicle, but as with cleaning, it’s an investment that will save you more in the long run. The benefits of sound vehicle maintenance are:
- A safer ride for you and your passengers
- A higher resell value when you come to sell/part exchange
- Less chance of having to fork out for expensive work
- Less chance of lost working hours due to time in the garage
VOSA recommends daily checks on brakes, lights, horn and steering, washers and wipers, seatbelts, mirrors and glass, fluid levels, bodywork and doors, exhaust, wheels and tyres and where applicable load, tow bars and tail lift.
It may sound like a lot, but many of these are done automatically on arriving at and getting into the vehicle.
Regularly have your vehicle serviced at a trusted service centre, refer to your manufacturer’s service schedule.
Keeping on top of your vehicle cleaning and maintenance means that you will ensure that your vehicle always looks in good condition whilst running at peak performance!
Leave A Comment