The Citroen H (or Citroen HY)

This is a van that has been amazingly popular over the last few years, for very good reason. There’s something about the quirky French styling that attracts customers, and after all that’s what we’re all here for, to help you sell more.

We’re going to tell you who it works for and why, and explain how you can get the most output from this conversion. We’ll also tell you some of the pitfalls and how to get around them.

It’s very well suited for street food trading, and while the footprint is small, over the years we have worked out how to overcome this with clever design processes to maximise the available space.

So our summary is that the Citroen H Van is definitely quirky, visually attractive and with careful planning can be a highly effective functional catering unit that can be used at all sorts of events. If you plan to use the unit at larger events where you will attract large crowds, some thought is needed on how you maximise your throughput.

It can also be used as a non-runner and of course that means more space to prepare and sell food. You will probably need a flat bed trailer to move it around.

With our experience of converting a lot of Citroen H Vans, we’ll be happy to advise you.

• Your business is street food trading, its pleasant and unusual appearance certainly makes it stand out
• You want to jump the queue at some of the bigger events – lots of event organisers will look for units which are ‘cool’ and on trend so you can get more bookings
• You believe the obvious visual attraction of the Citroen H Van will work with your food offering. We think that’s a no brainer, our clients’ experience is that in the street and at events customers will naturally head towards you and want to buy from the on-trend van
• You have a simplified food offering, it will increase your takings as you can look after the extra demand the van will attract
• You want a sound business investment – this style of van has been a popular choice for conversion for some time now and continues to stay fashionable, so they hold their resale price well, giving you a good return on your investment
• You want and like the convenience and ease to be able to set up ready to trade, with all you need in one vehicle.
• You want your customer to see more of what you sell. The Citroen H Van catering conversion is built onto a fairly low chassis, so your food offer is easily visible to the customer, a great advantage as people buy with their eyes

It may appear that this style of catering van is more about the external visual aspect, but when well thought out it can be converted into an efficient and functional food business. 

• If you want a very high volume of output with multiple serving points, there may well be other more suitable options
• If you are likely to trade from a single location and you have the facility to be able to park your unit long term, one of our trailer options or our shipping container options may work better for you. They may give you more flexibility for your investment and security is always an issue
• If reliability is a 100% every day must, a vehicle and trailer may be a better option. Our mechanical partners are very thorough, but older vehicles may break down occasionally.

The footprint is small but workable, however you can maximise the space available in lots of clever ways:

• You can utilise the rear door opening for additional counter space and serving space
• How about a push out front counter giving more space within the vehicle for additional staff?
• How about we utilise the space within the front cab by removing the passenger’s seat and extending the counter all the way to the front?

For larger events – a pop-up kitchen to the rear, making the Citroen van your shop window but allowing you to maximise your capability to increase the covers

With a full-length hatch opening it gives the feel of a bigger space. With simple “tricks” we’ve learned over the years, we can utilise the space inside your van to show what you’d want to show and hide what the customer doesn’t need to see. How do we do this?

By cleverly tucking away and disguising things like hand wash areas, which you require legally but are not visually attractive. Or we can fit worktop covers for equipment to maximise on worktop space for prep areas before service.

It’s all in the planning, years of experience have taught us the pitfalls to avoid and the “tricks” we can use to offer safe working practices for you and your team in a small footprint.  We take onboard your food offering, the equipment you need to offer that and the space you have, and accommodate the legal requirements.  We design and plan the conversion with you, with the end result in mind. The design isn’t over until we have overcome any difficulties that we meet along the way. 

Nothing (or perhaps very little) is impossible, but sometimes the solution is just different.

As with all our units, every one is built to take into account the highest standards of food hygiene. Catering food units are under constant scrutiny.  After a busy shift in a tight space you want the quickest and easiest clean down for you and your team. 

With space being tight, we use clever design to eliminate hard to reach areas where food waste can get into. That means you can clean down quickly and thoroughly and be satisfied to know you have had a good day from start to finish.

To make that as simple as possible for you, here’s how your unit is designed and built to make that work:

• You’ll have smooth, wipeable surfaces everywhere, because when we build your catering van, everything, like the wiring, is positioned away from where it can attract dirt that can be hard to get to
• All the materials we use are proven to be easy to clean
• Hot products and appliances are all in one place, that means so are all the grease and fats. That makes cleaning as you go simpler
• We obviously separate hot appliances from refrigeration

You must get this right, for performance, safety and certification.

• We design the right degree of ventilation and extraction to get rid of all the gases and grease, safely and effectively
• When we know what output capacity you need, we can advise what ventilation will work best
• That also applies to gas and electrical supplies, we’ll design these to match your requirement
• With the NICEIC electrical certification and access to the Gas Safe mobile catering safety certification, we’ll make sure your gas storage is 100% adequate and your electrical installation is safe

You’ll realise that with the age of these vehicles, when you first acquire them, bodywork and paintwork is generally poor. After all, even the very latest Citroen H Vans are almost forty years old.

You have to make certain the vehicle is as good on the outside as we know it will be on the inside.  We normally arrange restoration of the body for you. We know what the end design will be and how its use will affect any potential rusting over the years.

We ensure the vehicle is completely watertight to make 100% sure the inside of your van stays in good condition. You should always start with the lifetime use and then resale value of your van in mind.

The quality of the build means the unit will look pristine and clean, both inside and outside. We show you how to  look after it. We design your van with branding opportunities right at front of mind. So you’ll have space for signs, logos and menus. We can arrange for signwriting and design so when you take delivery, you’re ready to go.

All of this is included at the design stage. Get this right and you attract more customers. The appearance of the unit and the way your food is displayed will have a huge positive impact on your average value sale. The more clearly people see more of what you sell, the more they buy.

• Generally there are just one set of costs for one vehicle, so insurance, MOT and annual maintenance etc.
• With a little bit of knowledge any one of your team will be safe to drive it with a standard driving licence. That means no additional testing required – though some trial runs would definitely be recommended!

You’ll have everything taken care of by 4Sure, or as much as you want us to take care of. Our long-standing clients just agree the detailed design and wait to collect their finished units, ready to go straight out for business. If you need advice and training on how best to use, maintain and clean your new catering van, that’s all part of the service.

• Because of the limited amount of electrics, any time served mechanic can turn their hand to get these vehicles running reliably
• Parts availability is generally pretty good. It’s certainly easier for the H van compared to other vintage style vehicles
• They’re fun to drive, you can’t fail to get a sense of nostalgia with the authentic feel of driving this type of vehicle.
• It will definitely turn heads when you drive it and they always create a buzz
• We love its history

With the Citroen H Van, while it is visually attractive, there may be some adjustments you need to consider before you make a decision whether this van is right for you. 

These particular style vans were originally brought in from France, the vans are brought over and re-registered in the UK. At that point they are treated as any other vehicle and if they are a driveable vehicle and are to be driven on the highways, they are subject to MOT testing every 12 months. Remember they’re left-hand drive!

This van was built long before power steering was invented. 40 to 45 mph is certainly top whack for these vehicles, you won’t be breaking land speed records.

While there is no road vehicle tax to pay due to the age of the vans, they must still be registered every 12 months with the DVLA for road tax.

You’ll be aware that if the vehicle breaks down, you may lose business until it’s repaired and back on the road. Obviously, given the age of the van reliability becomes a factor. Remember, when these vehicles were originally built, 3,000 miles a year was getting close to high mileage. To reduce the risk you may want to consider our GT Supa Van or a vehicle conversion on a slightly newer, more reliable van.

There are a couple of options with regards to the Citroen H Vans. 

Having worked with several previous customers, why not let us help you source and supply a vehicle through our trusted network of importers?

We work with them on your behalf to find a van that is suitable for your requirements, and that is of a good sound mechanical state.  We can work with our suppliers to sort out the legal side of things and save you the headache and worry.

Alternatively, if you want to be part of this exciting journey and want to purchase one from France yourself, do call us first. We can work with you to offer guidance and support. We’ll help you identify what will work and point out the styles/vehicles that won’t, and the potential pitfalls. We’ve saved some of our customers a lot of money in the past.

• It was first shown at the 1947 Paris Motor Show
• Production finally finished in 1981, that’s 33 years of production
• The first model was the H, them came the HZ in 1950 with softer springs (so unable to carry such a heavy load), then came the HY in 1959 with the best load capacity yet
• There was an HX, a custom-built refrigerated van, and finally the HW, a horsebox would you believe?
• There haven’t been many changes to the exterior style, the main one being in 1964 when the windscreen changed from a two piece to a one piece sheet of glass and the badge on the grille changed
• At that time Citroen also increased the size of the tailgate window and the nose cone went from rippled to flat
• In 1969 the wheel arches were changed from round to square

The original engine was a 1,911-cc petrol unit, also available later as a 1,600-cc petrol engine. From 1963 a diesel engine was available. That has plenty of torque but is inevitably noisier than the petrol engines