Dropside van finance
Flat deck, drop-down sides, load from anywhere, dropside vans funded for scaffolders, merchants and anyone whose load will not go through a back door.
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Yes. A dropside is funded as a converted commercial vehicle, the chassis cab and body together on one agreement, usually hire purchase. Used dropsides are readily fundable. The useful thing about them from a funder point of view is that there is no hydraulic gear to go wrong, so they tend to be valued more confidently than an equivalent tipper. What catches buyers out is the extras: a crane, a mounted toolbox or a scaffold rack changes the vehicle weight and its resale profile, and if those items are not on the purchase invoice they usually will not be on the finance either.
Who finances this
Scaffolding contractors, builders merchants running local deliveries, plant hire firms moving small machines, and fencing and decking installers who carry long timber. Often a business replacing a tired flatbed that has started failing on the deck rather than the engine. Another regular trigger is a crane requirement, a merchant that has been paying for a lorry-loader delivery every time a pallet of blocks goes out decides to run its own.
How lenders see it
Dropsides sit in the easier half of converted LCVs. The body is simple, so valuation is more predictable than on a tipper or a fridge van, and alloy decks from known converters hold up well. Funders will still ask who built it, mainly because a badly mounted deck on a chassis that was not rated for the load is a real problem. If a crane is fitted, the deal changes character, the crane can be worth as much as the vehicle, it needs a valid thorough examination, and some lenders want it listed and valued separately. Limited companies with trading history place easily; sole traders in construction need visible banking. Declines are usually overloaded conversions, decks bolted on by a previous owner with no documentation, and buyers who agreed a price with a private seller before speaking to anyone.
Buying used
Yes. Used dropsides fund well and tend to age more gracefully than tippers, since there is no tipping gear to wear out, the deck and headboard condition drive the valuation.
Also in van and light commercial finance
See everything we fund in van and light commercial finance →
Van buying guides
We are a broker, not a dealer. We have no stake in which van you choose. These are written on that basis.
The van is one cost
Flowzo covers fuel, wages and the wait for customers to pay, working capital rather than the vehicle itself.
Machines we have funded
| Ford Transit dropside | Flat body with folding sides |
|---|---|
| Isuzu Grafter 3.5t dropside | Alloy dropside with strong payload |
| Iveco Daily 35S dropside | Truck-derived dropside for merchants |
| Peugeot Boxer dropside | Value dropside for building materials |
| Renault Master dropside | Dropside with long load deck |
| Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 315 dropside | Durable dropside for trade use |
| Citroen Relay dropside | Dropside for landscaping and fencing |
| Ford Transit crew cab dropside | Dropside with a full crew cab |
| Iveco Daily 70C dropside | Seven tonne dropside with crane option |
| Maxus Deliver 9 dropside | Value dropside with long warranty |
What a dropside van actually costs to buy
Prices for a dropside van advertised by UK suppliers run from £4,995 to £24,000 (checked 28 October 2026).
Mileage, not plate year, is what moves the price: two 2022 Mercedes Sprinter 313 dropsides on trucklocator.co.uk sat £12,050 apart (£24,000 vs £11,950) purely on 9,327km against 184,579km on the clock, and a third 2023 Sprinter 313 at 151,498km undercut the low-mileage 2022 by over £13,000 despite being a year newer.
| Machine | Asking price | Seen at |
|---|---|---|
| Fiat Doblo, 2016, 41,465 km | £4,995 VAT not stated | trucklocator.co.uk |
| Vauxhall Movano 2017 (67) LWB 2.3 CDTI, tail lift, 84,000 miles | £8,500.00 VAT not stated | ebay.co.uk |
| Ford Transit, 2018, 142,749 km | £8,750 VAT not stated | trucklocator.co.uk |
| Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 313, 2023, 151,498 km | £10,950 VAT not stated | trucklocator.co.uk |
| Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 313, 2022, 184,579 km | £11,950 VAT not stated | trucklocator.co.uk |
| Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 315, 2021, 87,719 km | £12,990 VAT not stated | trucklocator.co.uk |
| Iveco Daily dropside, 2021, 70,000 miles, FDSH, 1 owner | £13,495.00 VAT not stated | ebay.co.uk |
| Ford Transit, 2022, 76,802 km | £13,500 VAT not stated | trucklocator.co.uk |
| Ford Transit, 2021, 88,675 km | £13,950 VAT not stated | trucklocator.co.uk |
| Iveco Daily 35S14, 2022, 25,896 km | £16,495 VAT not stated | trucklocator.co.uk |
| Iveco Daily 35C14, 2023, 63,711 km | £16,500 VAT not stated | trucklocator.co.uk |
| Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 313, 2023, 78,975 km | £16,995 VAT not stated | trucklocator.co.uk |
| Isuzu 7.5t dropside, 2022, 154,000 km, FDSH, 1 owner | £19,500.00 VAT not stated | ebay.co.uk |
| Iveco Daily 72C18, 2022, 176,877 km | £21,950 VAT not stated | trucklocator.co.uk |
| Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 313, 2022, 9,327 km | £24,000 VAT not stated | trucklocator.co.uk |
Prices checked 28 October 2026 on ebay.co.uk, trucklocator.co.uk. These are asking prices observed on dealer and marketplace listings, shown as examples. They are not a quote or an offer of finance, and they move with the market. Check the current advert before budgeting.
How finance works on a dropside van
The prices above are what a seller is asking. What a funder will actually do with the purchase is a separate question, and it is the one that decides whether the deal happens.
| Question | Typical answer |
|---|---|
| Term available | 12 to 72 months. Most agreements sit between 24 and 60 months; anything shorter or longer needs a funder check before you rely on it. |
| Age of the asset | There is no single cut-off. It depends on the asset class, and condition, hours and resale value are underwritten rather than the year alone. Tell us the age and we will say before you commit. |
| Buying from a private seller | Often possible, but case by case. It needs a funder who will write it, an inspection and proof of ownership, so say whether the seller is a dealer or a private seller when you enquire. |
| Deposit | Frequently nil where the credit profile is standard. Where it is not, typically 10–20%, nearer 20% if a default is recent. |
| VAT on the purchase | Both approaches exist, depending on the funder. The agreement is commonly written on the ex-VAT price with the VAT paid upfront and reclaimed, though some funders will include the VAT in the agreement. |
General guidance from our own funder panel as at 31 October 2026, not a quote and not an offer of finance. All finance is subject to status and to the funder's own criteria.
What is the difference between a dropside and a flatbed?
A flatbed is a plain deck. A dropside has hinged sides and a tailgate that fold down, so you can load from any angle but still contain loose material. Most builders prefer dropsides; hauliers moving plant or long steel often prefer a clean flat deck with no sides in the way.
Can I finance a dropside with a crane fitted?
Yes, and it is common with merchants and plant hire firms. The crane must be identified on the invoice and should have a current thorough examination certificate. Because a crane carries serious value in its own right, some lenders list it separately, which affects how the agreement is structured.
Is an alloy or steel dropside body better for resale?
Alloy is lighter, which protects payload, and it does not rot, so it generally holds value better. Steel is tougher against impact damage and cheaper to repair. Funders are comfortable with both, what they care about is that the body was fitted by a converter and is not corroded through.
Can I fund a scaffold-bodied dropside?
Yes. Scaffold bodies with tube racks and pole gates are a recognised conversion and lenders in the construction space see them regularly. Because the body is trade-specific, expect a slightly more conservative valuation than a plain dropside of the same age and mileage.
Do I need to tell the lender what I carry?
Yes, and it is in your interest. Use affects wear, weight and insurance, and a lender that understands you are carrying scaffold rather than garden waste can underwrite the vehicle properly. Withholding it does not help. It just risks a problem later.
Tell us what you need
About a minute of plain questions, and no documents to dig out.
Prime is established and profitable with clean credit. Specialist covers newer businesses and credit that needs explaining, the asset carries part of the risk, so finance is often available where an unsecured loan is not.
Illustrative only, not a quote, a flat rate is not an APR, so the APR on a given agreement will be higher. VAT and fees excluded.
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Conor HullMon to Fri, 9am–6pm
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