Is there any easy way to determine if a van can fit in a car park?

Herzlos

Given that it's the worst possible time to buy a van, I'm looking at buying a van based mpv and using it as our only vehicle.

Van in question is a vivaro life XL (5.3m), so it's 700mm longer than a UK parking space. Height is 1.93m but that's easy to figure out.

So my question is more about length/turning circles; is there any way to figure out if I can fit before I get stuck or otherwise embarrassed somewhere?

I've seen some sporadic mentions of x or y van fits in z car park, and plenty of horror stories about 2m barriers with lower hanging pipework.

I've also had a look for some kind of minimum turning circle requirements for car parks but there doesn't seem to be anything (and I've been in some that were daunting in a hatchback).

Does anyone have any advice/recommendations for using a van for general life?

macman

Surely if you look on the manufacturer's site, it will show the turning circle under the technical specs?

Advocado

This is what reverse was designed for.  If you can’t make a corner, reverse out and find another car park.

Good luck living with a van.  Most underground/multi-storey car parks are 1.8-1.9m, so you won’t be able to park in them regardless of turning circle.

Herzlos

Thanks, I wasn't sure how awkward they'd be above a certain length. I had a 4.9m ish car before which seemed tricky at times.

Advocado said:

This is what reverse was designed for.  If you can’t make a corner, reverse out and find another car park.

Good luck living with a van.  Most underground/multi-storey car parks are 1.8-1.9m, so you won’t be able to park in them regardless of turning circle.

My bigger concern was getting in via a one way barrier system and then getting stuck, but I guess I'd just need to make a scene!

tr7phil

Back in the 70s my dad was driving my grandmother's Commer camper van and went to go into a multistorey carpark.  The chap in the booth at the entrance said "that's too tall for this carpark" to which my dad replied "my mother parks in here all the time" so in he went.  It was only after he got back and spoke to his mother that he realised he's parked in a different multistory!