Flat tyre on a rental van: what to do step by step

Flat tyre on a rental van: the first minutes are crucial

You will notice a flat tyre on a van sooner than on a car. The vehicle starts pulling to one side, the steering gets heavier and you hear a rhythmic drumming that changes with speed. A loaded van is heavier, so a damaged tyre gets destroyed faster. The most important thing is to stay calm and not react abruptly.

Stop smoothly and out of the traffic

Hold the steering wheel firmly, take your foot off the accelerator and let the vehicle roll to a stop. Harsh braking or a sharp swerve can result in a loss of stability in a tall vehicle with a load. Switch on the hazard lights and look for a place outside the traffic lane: a hard shoulder, a lay-by, a car park or a firm verge. It is better to drive slowly a little further than to stop in a dangerous place.

Make the vehicle visible before you get out

Put on your hi-vis vest while still in the cab. Place the warning triangle behind the vehicle at the prescribed distance, considerably further on a motorway than in a built-up area. Passengers get out on the side away from the traffic and wait behind the crash barrier, not by the vehicle. This is the part people most often forget, and yet it is the most dangerous.

Don't keep driving on a damaged tyre

Driving on a flat tyre will ruin the rim too. Even a few hundred metres is enough. If you have stopped in a dangerous place and need to move, drive at walking pace and only to the nearest safe spot.

Contact the rental company

Call the contact number given in the contract. Our line works non-stop, so you will get through even at night or at the weekend. Describe where you are, what happened and what state the wheel is in. We will agree whether you can manage on your own or whether we will send help to you. Don't start arranging a repair on your own at a garage you find along the way.

Photograph what happened

A few photos on your phone will save arguments later. Photograph the damaged wheel close up, the whole vehicle and the place where you are standing. If the flat was caused by a foreign object on the road or a pothole, document that too. The photos are the basis for dealing with the whole situation.

What to do with the load

A loaded vehicle is harder to repair. If the load is heavy and concentrated above the damaged wheel, jacking up the vehicle is more difficult and less safe. In that case don't experiment; wait for help instead. Don't unload the van onto the hard shoulder of a motorway — you would put yourself and others at risk.

Changing a wheel on a loaded van

Find out what equipment you have

Vehicles differ. Depending on the model, you will find a full-size spare, a space-saver wheel or a repair kit with sealant and a compressor. You will find out what a particular vehicle has at pick-up, and it is one of the things worth going through right at the start of the rental, not in the rain at the roadside.

Stability first, then the jack

The vehicle must stand on level ground, with a gear engaged and the handbrake on. Chock the wheels on the opposite side. The jack goes only on the jacking point on the vehicle's sill intended for this purpose; otherwise you will bend the metal and the vehicle may slip off. With a loaded van, the load is considerably higher than with a car, so improvising with a brick or a stone is out of the question.

Loosen the bolts on the ground

Loosen the nuts before lifting the vehicle. If you loosen them in the air, the wheel turns along with the wrench. After the change, tighten them in a cross pattern and check them again once the vehicle has been lowered. With a repair kit, bear in mind that it is a temporary solution and you need to adjust your driving accordingly.

If you don't feel up to it

Changing a wheel on a loaded vehicle is not an obligation. If the wheel is stuck, the location is dangerous or the load prevents you from getting to the spare, call and wait. It is not a failure; it is a sensible decision.

How to prevent a flat tyre

Check the tyres at pick-up. Contactless pick-up via the web app means you photograph the vehicle yourself. Make use of this and go over the tyres too: the tread depth, the sidewalls and any visible damage. The photos protect you just as much as us.

Keep an eye on the pressure according to the load. Vans usually have two values on the label, one for an empty and one for a loaded vehicle. An underinflated tyre overheats under a full load, handles worse and is exactly the one that bursts.

Watch out for kerbs. The most common cause of flat tyres on vans is hitting the edge of a kerb when parking or reversing. The vehicle is longer and wider than you are used to, and it is easy to damage the sidewall of a tyre. You will find more driving tips on our blog, and practical answers in the FAQ section.