The Citroën Dropside is a fantastic “Ready to Run” factory conversion based on the excellent Citroën (or Citroen) Relay large van. The Dropside is a great option for anyone who needs to carry bulky, heavy loads but doesn’t want or need the restrictions that come with a solid-body van.
The Dropside has sideboards and a tailboard that pivot all the way down to make loading and unloading a breeze, and you can even remove the boards entirely if you need a truly flatbed truck for carrying loads on pallets.
Engine and Transmission
The Citroen Dropside is a light utility vehicle. It’s usually available straightaway, so there’s no need to wait months to have one built for you. The Dropside benefits from a Euro 6 BlueHDi 2.2-litre, 140hp diesel engine and a six-speed manual gearbox. It has an AdBlue tank fitted as do all Euro 6 vans; this is very helpful in reducing the nasty, polluting particulate emissions that help to make diesel engines so dirty. While the engine won’t run without it, you should get around 9000 miles from one tank’s worth of AdBlue, and you can buy the refills and refill the tank yourself when it runs out. (Or, ideally, before it runs out.)
You don’t need an HGV licence to drive the Dropside as it’s rated at 3.5tonnes (3500kg), and thanks to the AdBlue tank, you won’t have to pay an extra charge to drive in Ultra Low Emissions Zones (ULEZ). You will, however, still have to pay the London Congestion Charge where and when it’s applicable.
Dimensions and Payload
The Citroen Tipper is available in an L2 Single Cab, and L3 Single Cab, or an L3 Crew Cab, the L referring to the length of the wheelbase. The Single Cab models have seating for the driver and two passengers, and the Crew Cab version can seat up to seven people; it has three seats up front and a row of four seats behind. The L2 wheelbase is 3450mm long, and the L3 is 4025mm in length.
L2 Single Cab:
Internal length: 3059mm
Internal width: 2026mm
Overall length: 5645mm
Payload: 1441kg*
L3 Single Cab:
Internal length: 3644mm
Internal width: 2026mm
Overall length: 6229mm
Payload: 1366kg*
L3 Crew Cab:
Internal length: 2805mm
Internal width: 2026mm
Overall length: 6229mm
Payload: 1253kg*
*According to Citroën, stated payloads are based on pre-determined criteria. It’s each driver’s individual responsibility to square up the official payload rating with how much the van is actually carrying — including the driver and the number of passengers — to make sure that everything stays within the legal limits.
The body sideboards are the same height in all models at 400m, and the tailboard is 400mm high too.
Based on the Plus range of Citroen’s Relay 35 chassis-cab large van, the Ready to Run Dropside has a maximum GVW (gross vehicle weight) of 3.5tonnes, or 3500kg. The payload varies for each body type as mentioned above, and while the GWV is the combined maximum allowed weight of the van itself, the cargo, the driver and passengers, the fuel, etc., the payload refers to the cargo itself. And, of course, to any passengers you might be carrying over what the manufacturer includes in the basic calculation.
The Dropside Body
The driver and passengers are protected from shifting cargo by a bulkhead/gantry fitted with a steel panel embossed with holes for rear visibility. The body side of the bulkhead features three horizontal load lashing rails, the top of which includes load-lashing rings with a capacity of 1000kg.
The floor of the body is made from a sheet of strong birch plywood which has been coated with a non-slip treatment. While there are plenty of load-lashing rings for your cargo, they’re all safely set into an aluminium perimeter rail rather than being on the floor; this helps to keep the cargo area itself free of hazards.
The sideboards and tailboard are also made from aluminium, and this smooth, silver anodised material looks good and is extremely hard wearing. What’s more, individual elements of the body structure are bolted together to allow for quick and easy replacement of any parts too damaged to repair. Parts are often available from Citroen within 24hours, so no need to worry that your van will be off the road for long.
Interior
The cab is very comfortable for a utility vehicle, with plenty of ways to adjust the driver’s seat — including lumbar adjustment — to help you get yourself settled. There’s plenty of storage and a lockable glovebox, and the cab also has remote-control central locking for its deadbolt door locks.
The cab also has the added extras of 2 USB ports and a pull-out writing clipboard-type thing. It can hold your phone or tablet securely, and you can also use it to keep your papers in order. Citroen try to make their Ready to Run conversions as practical as possible, so each one has a reinforced battery, heavy-duty twin-leaf suspension at the rear, and wiring through the rear of the vehicle.
If that’s not quite enough, you can also choose from an extensive list of optional upgrades like a tow bar, light bars, a tail lift, and toolboxes.
Reliability
The Citroen Dropside is as reliable as the Relay van on which it’s based, so that’s great news. The Relay has been around for a while and has a dedicated following, so you should get an equally sturdy vehicle in the Dropside. Citroen have a huge network dealers and Business Centres, so you won’t likely be too far from help on the off chance that you need it. The Dropside, like all of Citroen’s Ready to Run vans, comes with a 3-year, 100,000 mile warranty. And in your first year of Dropside ownership, you also get a free 12-month subscription to Citroën Assistant: their 24hr/day emergency roadside assistance programme.
Buying Used
Whatever vehicle you’re considering buying second hand, the advice is the same. Make sure you know as much as you can about the van’s former life before you buy it. Ask the dealer lots of questions — what work has it had done, what work does it need, is there any paperwork you could see — and look over the vehicle carefully for any signs of damage or repair. Get informed, and only buy a van you feel sure of from a dealer you trust.
