Van substitute and storage

[Sidewinder]

I went the other way to offer a first time fix to clients and the ability to do bench work and minor repairs in the van, because not all clients would have a bench and vice I could use.

I went down the Transit Jumbo route, kitted out with a bench, and racking, and I can still get a pallet in the rear or side for big bits of machine, and get long lengths and ladders inside.

I can also change in the van, which also helps depending on the site you are on, some are easier than others.

Mine is exactly what you describe it's a giant roll cab.

You'll start carrying spares once you drop your first couple of nuts and bolts into a pile of swarf never to be seen again, never to be dug out with a magnet coz that just picks up the swarf too, and especially if it's bigger than the nuts and bolts you dropped, you'll never find them.

Just remember that when you are working on machinery itself BS7671 is irrelevant, and there are a lot more recognised standards that are backed up by laws, so you can unwittingly cause a client to end up breaking laws depending on the work you do on the machine, even maintenance wise, that you may not realise.

 

[r3dd3v1l]

I went the other way to offer a first time fix to clients and the ability to do bench work and minor repairs in the van, because not all clients would have a bench and vice I could use.

I went down the Transit Jumbo route, kitted out with a bench, and racking, and I can still get a pallet in the rear or side for big bits of machine, and get long lengths and ladders inside.

I can also change in the van, which also helps depending on the site you are on, some are easier than others.

Mine is exactly what you describe it's a giant roll cab.

You'll start carrying spares once you drop your first couple of nuts and bolts into a pile of swarf never to be seen again, never to be dug out with a magnet coz that just picks up the swarf too, and especially if it's bigger than the nuts and bolts you dropped, you'll never find them.

Just remember that when you are working on machinery itself BS7671 is irrelevant, and there are a lot more recognised standards that are backed up by laws, so you can unwittingly cause a client to end up breaking laws depending on the work you do on the machine, even maintenance wise, that you may not realise.

this is swaying me more towards the honda frv as its slightly taller in height than the avensis estate. few years ago i had a cmax, not by choice, but i turned up to an interview once, and on arrival, the boss asked if i could change into some overalls to carry out a practical assessment, literally in minutes in the back of the cmax i was fully changed to the bosses surprise, didnt get the job as i turned it down, but the extra space in a mpv definitely helps in that aspect, but yes, eventually thats what i want to aim for, rolling work shop, but very scared about theives 

 

[pewter]

a long time ago i had a Ford Escort Van (3 of them) much too small.

First medium Van was VW T4  2003 2.5 TDi - when my daughter was born i converted it to a crew cab. Trouble with my no bulk head crew cab was it felt unsafe to leave  anything of value behind a glass window, i could not afford to have my MFT stolen. I also had stuff on the rear seats so it wasnt great as a van and not great as a family vehicle.

I now have VW T5.1 pure van, with bulk head and van vault. I feel safe leaving my MFT in the vault while i work in a property with van outside, i always take it in at night.

There is no way i could work out of a car, possible crewcab or pick up with secure back at a push.

Make sure you insure your vehicle to work from, the filth like to try trip people up round here if they see a domestic vehicle been used for work.

 

[Murdoch]

I don't believe that a "car" based solution is tenable unless you go for a Ford Galaxy or similar and take all the seats out! 

I have a VW Transporter Kombi - the rear seats are 2 + 1 and the 2 seats live in my garage. The rear area behind the seats are racked out properly and I can get 3m lengths on stuff down the middle .......... I have invested in getting the rear windows all "more tinted".

As for insurance costs - its no more expensive than a car .......... but I guess that's my age and driving record being good!

I do take 6 "expensive" items out every night despite the van being parked on my drive in view of my CCTV camera!

 

[phil d]

One of the problems I found with a vehicle as a mobile workshop is it depends on what you are doing, I had one with 2 large roll cabs in the back with all the tools in, great when I was going to a job on a farm and could pull up right next to where I was working, but a real pita if you had to park some distance from the job, or needed a number of tools. Constant trips back to the truck for different items, then all the time putting them away, or more than often after a late job they'd just get thrown in the back and I'd spend half an hour or so the following morning putting them away again.

When I realised I was going to be at the farm for a good while I got them to find somewhere where I could set up the 'leccy shop' unloaded all the cabs in there and set up a workbench, the good thing was that all my gear was covered by their insurance too. The only things I used to carry then was test gear and a small bag of hand tools in case I had to do a call out after work.

It's horses for courses, but some people get a large vehicle and use it as a mobile shed, eventually they end up with that much stuff piled in it they can't find something when they need it. 

 

[Andy™]

It's horses for courses, but some people get a large vehicle and use it as a mobile shed, eventually they end up with that much stuff piled in it they can't find something when they need it. 

doesnt matter how big or small the van is, if its unorganised and everything just thrown in then youll never find stuff. keep it organised and you will

 

[NozSpark]

doesnt matter how big or small the van is, if its unorganised and everything just thrown in then youll never find stuff. keep it organised and you will

Ive not long replaced my Vaux Combo for an ex Scottish power Vivaro..... 2 side doors fully racked out with a draw system..... everything has a home, although some of the draws are a bit untidy

 

[r3dd3v1l]

a long time ago i had a Ford Escort Van (3 of them) much too small.

First medium Van was VW T4  2003 2.5 TDi - when my daughter was born i converted it to a crew cab. Trouble with my no bulk head crew cab was it felt unsafe to leave  anything of value behind a glass window, i could not afford to have my MFT stolen. I also had stuff on the rear seats so it wasnt great as a van and not great as a family vehicle.

I now have VW T5.1 pure van, with bulk head and van vault. I feel safe leaving my MFT in the vault while i work in a property with van outside, i always take it in at night.

There is no way i could work out of a car, possible crewcab or pick up with secure back at a push.

Make sure you insure your vehicle to work from, the filth like to try trip people up round here if they see a domestic vehicle been used for work.

Thanks for the advice, but i will only be carrying tool box and the occasional large consumable e.g cable drums, 3 phase motors etc so nothing large or heavy that can be seen from the outside, as well as tints il be making a custom fit safe that i can lock and remove if necessary, the safe will literally be for overnight stays in areas im not familiar with to keep tools secure.

 

[r3dd3v1l]

I don't believe that a "car" based solution is tenable unless you go for a Ford Galaxy or similar and take all the seats out! 

I have a VW Transporter Kombi - the rear seats are 2 + 1 and the 2 seats live in my garage. The rear area behind the seats are racked out properly and I can get 3m lengths on stuff down the middle .......... I have invested in getting the rear windows all "more tinted".

As for insurance costs - its no more expensive than a car .......... but I guess that's my age and driving record being good!

I do take 6 "expensive" items out every night despite the van being parked on my drive in view of my CCTV camera!

iv had cctv on my house for years due to items being stolen from my car and back garden, everytime iv seen the theif on the camera, they havent seen the camera but have been hooded up regardless so i couldnt see their faces  i will be getting a van in a few years depending how well my business goes, just need a start up multipurpose vehicle to begin with, as with the age, for me to be insured on a 2002 dispatch is nearly 500 quid more than the avensis / frv  plus a van in good nick and lowish mileage is way out iof my budget at the moment, looking to replace my lexus is 2 to 3 months time

 

[r3dd3v1l]

One of the problems I found with a vehicle as a mobile workshop is it depends on what you are doing, I had one with 2 large roll cabs in the back with all the tools in, great when I was going to a job on a farm and could pull up right next to where I was working, but a real pita if you had to park some distance from the job, or needed a number of tools. Constant trips back to the truck for different items, then all the time putting them away, or more than often after a late job they'd just get thrown in the back and I'd spend half an hour or so the following morning putting them away again.

When I realised I was going to be at the farm for a good while I got them to find somewhere where I could set up the 'leccy shop' unloaded all the cabs in there and set up a workbench, the good thing was that all my gear was covered by their insurance too. The only things I used to carry then was test gear and a small bag of hand tools in case I had to do a call out after work.

It's horses for courses, but some people get a large vehicle and use it as a mobile shed, eventually they end up with that much stuff piled in it they can't find something when they need it. 

it depends where my business takes me, at the moment alot of my work will be factory based, within or outside the building so i can take my tool bag / boxes to the job no issue, worst case bring the item home to repair in my workshop, eventually i want to be able to do that and be able to remove items from site and repair them in my van on site to be more efficient and more appealing to customers, as not all factorys have a dedicated workshop or maintenance facility if that makes sense.

 

[phil d]

it depends where my business takes me, at the moment alot of my work will be factory based, within or outside the building so i can take my tool bag / boxes to the job no issue, worst case bring the item home to repair in my workshop, eventually i want to be able to do that and be able to remove items from site and repair them in my van on site to be more efficient and more appealing to customers, as not all factorys have a dedicated workshop or maintenance facility if that makes sense.

In that case you will, unless you get a massive vehicle such as a Luton van, be using your vehicle as a mobile toolbox, I've stripped pumps and stuff on site, in summer it's a case of finding a quiet area with a concrete floor, outside or inside doesn't matter because in summer it's warm and dry, the only thing you need to worry about is, as I said, a hard concrete or tarmac surface, you don't want small screws, bolts, washers, etc, getting lost because you're on soft soil.

In winter however it's a different matter, you can't work outside in the rain or when it's freezing cold and blowing a gale.Stripping anything down in the back of a small van can be a nightmare, bits can go everywhere. The  best thing if something has to be stripped on site is to ask the customer where you can work, most people are pretty amenable when it comes to getting a job done, I used to do a lot on farms and although a lot of them didn't have decent workshops they can usually find somewhere for you to take something and strip it down, a barn or a stable or somewhere similar, it doesn't matter so long as it's out of the weather and reasonably well lit.

It also depends on where in the market you want to be, if you're working for someone like a large glass manufacturer or a big engineering firm then yes, they'll probably expect you to roll up in a mobile workshop, but then again they'll be paying the premium for your services, if you're working on a small farm however, it's a different ball game, yes they want the job done, but they are not likely to want to pay a bloke a shed full of cash just because he turns up in a fancy vehicle.

 

[r3dd3v1l]

In that case you will, unless you get a massive vehicle such as a Luton van, be using your vehicle as a mobile toolbox, I've stripped pumps and stuff on site, in summer it's a case of finding a quiet area with a concrete floor, outside or inside doesn't matter because in summer it's warm and dry, the only thing you need to worry about is, as I said, a hard concrete or tarmac surface, you don't want small screws, bolts, washers, etc, getting lost because you're on soft soil.

In winter however it's a different matter, you can't work outside in the rain or when it's freezing cold and blowing a gale.Stripping anything down in the back of a small van can be a nightmare, bits can go everywhere. The  best thing if something has to be stripped on site is to ask the customer where you can work, most people are pretty amenable when it comes to getting a job done, I used to do a lot on farms and although a lot of them didn't have decent workshops they can usually find somewhere for you to take something and strip it down, a barn or a stable or somewhere similar, it doesn't matter so long as it's out of the weather and reasonably well lit.

It also depends on where in the market you want to be, if you're working for someone like a large glass manufacturer or a big engineering firm then yes, they'll probably expect you to roll up in a mobile workshop, but then again they'll be paying the premium for your services, if you're working on a small farm however, it's a different ball game, yes they want the job done, but they are not likely to want to pay a bloke a shed full of cash just because he turns up in a fancy vehicle.

This is why im starting small and seeing where it takes me, iv seen and known of people to go all guns blazing, buying all the best kit, the biggest van etc only to run into financial difficulty very quickly. iv taken advice from 20 pus different people that have ran or currently running their own business for advice and guidance, take your time and dont run before you can walk. 

 

[phil d]

This is why im starting small and seeing where it takes me, iv seen and known of people to go all guns blazing, buying all the best kit, the biggest van etc only to run into financial difficulty very quickly. iv taken advice from 20 pus different people that have ran or currently running their own business for advice and guidance, take your time and dont run before you can walk. 

If you stay with that you'll do ok, I remember my last apprentice, I took him around car boot sales and various other places to buy secondhand tools when he was starting off. He got lots of stuff of an old bloke who'd retired and was selling up, I remember him letting him have his Makita drill for £20, because he was an apprentice starting out. He's doing very well now, fully qualified and got a decent job with a good firm, he's still got a lot of his old tools he started off with, and some nice new ones, but he doesn't rush into buying stuff and does his research first.Like you, he asks other tradesmen, that way you get a proper review, just because an advert says something is good doesn't mean it is, just ask most of the people who bought one of those CK armoured cable strippers, I did, and I went rapidly back to the old way. lol

 

[sprocketflup]

I'm currently working out of the boot of a Citroen Picasso, and tbh not doing too badly. The seats stay up so I can ferry my kids around, and I've got 90% of what I need to do 90% of jobs on the first visit (I live out in the styx a bit so cant just rock up at a wholesalers each morning) 

I'm thinking when this dies, it'll be a Renault Kangoo or summat similar. I've had my fill of vans, as unless you lease or buy new, you are gonna get stung/ripped off. Any turd with a laptop can change an odometer these days, and the veneering of old sheds is getting harder to spot all the time. Sick of being ripped off, so now buy worthless cars for a few quid and just run them till they drop.

 

[phil d]

I'm currently working out of the boot of a Citroen Picasso, and tbh not doing too badly. The seats stay up so I can ferry my kids around, and I've got 90% of what I need to do 90% of jobs on the first visit (I live out in the styx a bit so cant just rock up at a wholesalers each morning) 

I'm thinking when this dies, it'll be a Renault Kangoo or summat similar. I've had my fill of vans, as unless you lease or buy new, you are gonna get stung/ripped off. Any turd with a laptop can change an odometer these days, and the veneering of old sheds is getting harder to spot all the time. Sick of being ripped off, so now buy worthless cars for a few quid and just run them till they drop.

Well there's less depreciation with an older car and if you get the right one you can do OK, my old citroen is still parked up at the farm and still mot'd, I paid about £900 for it just over 3 years ago it's now got about 165,000 miles on it, diesel, all in all a tidy car, passes the mot no problem and apart from routine stuff hasn't cost a lot, I've had newer, dearer cars that's cost more to keep on the road. 

 

[ProDave]

My last car was a Subaru Forrester. Bought at 4 years old but high mileage for £3000.  9 years later I sold it for £500 still with 10 months MOT but close to the end of life.

I replaced it with another Forrester also for £3K  This time a bit older but unsually low mileage and in very good condition.  If I can get 9 years out of this one I will be pleased.

 

[r3dd3v1l]

If you stay with that you'll do ok, I remember my last apprentice, I took him around car boot sales and various other places to buy secondhand tools when he was starting off. He got lots of stuff of an old bloke who'd retired and was selling up, I remember him letting him have his Makita drill for £20, because he was an apprentice starting out. He's doing very well now, fully qualified and got a decent job with a good firm, he's still got a lot of his old tools he started off with, and some nice new ones, but he doesn't rush into buying stuff and does his research first.Like you, he asks other tradesmen, that way you get a proper review, just because an advert says something is good doesn't mean it is, just ask most of the people who bought one of those CK armoured cable strippers, I did, and I went rapidly back to the old way. lol

thank you means alot, this is why ive never been a fan of snap on,  its ridiculous what they charge, me and my mechanic friends have argued for years about snap on and their over the top prices, all you are paying for is the brand name, their marketing and the bloke that drives around in the van, there are guys and girls out there really think a 17mm ratchet spanner by its self is worth nearly £50, when it literally cost snap on a few quid if that to produce and finish hahaha. Im very happy with halfords advance if i buy brand new, or any good named tooling if i buy second hand. my dad gave me his old draper spanners that are half my age, look like lettuced but do the job! But its the industry brainwashing the younger generation, lad i used to go school with said their recent apprentice pretty much went into debt buying a load  of snap on stuff, its just not right

 

[r3dd3v1l]

I'm currently working out of the boot of a Citroen Picasso, and tbh not doing too badly. The seats stay up so I can ferry my kids around, and I've got 90% of what I need to do 90% of jobs on the first visit (I live out in the styx a bit so cant just rock up at a wholesalers each morning) 

I'm thinking when this dies, it'll be a Renault Kangoo or summat similar. I've had my fill of vans, as unless you lease or buy new, you are gonna get stung/ripped off. Any turd with a laptop can change an odometer these days, and the veneering of old sheds is getting harder to spot all the time. Sick of being ripped off, so now buy worthless cars for a few quid and just run them till they drop.

this is my reasoning behind the honda frv, it basically is a van especially as it has 3 seats up front which my daughter will love  plus it being a car, a pretty unattractive pensioner looking vehicle, its less likely to be broken into where as a van would,90% of the people i know that have owned or own vans have had them broken into at some stage, some are not even in a trade they just have a van for lugging push bikes or moto x cross bikes about. The government definitely need to change the law on van theft, end of the day, its not just tools your taking from some one, its the tools that put dinner on their families tables and a roof over their heads.  

Well there's less depreciation with an older car and if you get the right one you can do OK, my old citroen is still parked up at the farm and still mot'd, I paid about £900 for it just over 3 years ago it's now got about 165,000 miles on it, diesel, all in all a tidy car, passes the mot no problem and apart from routine stuff hasn't cost a lot, I've had newer, dearer cars that's cost more to keep on the road. 

someone i used to know has had his picasso for nearly 5 years now, does a fair few miles and loves the thing, cant remember engine size, but its a diesel and never lets him down even with MOTs, hes literally only changed tyres and a sensor here and their, me personally i can get my self to own a french car hahaha

 

[r3dd3v1l]

My last car was a Subaru Forrester. Bought at 4 years old but high mileage for £3000.  9 years later I sold it for £500 still with 10 months MOT but close to the end of life.

I replaced it with another Forrester also for £3K  This time a bit older but unsually low mileage and in very good condition.  If I can get 9 years out of this one I will be pleased.

6k for 18 years of travelling is pretty good going! i think renting a push bike over that time would cost more hahaha, if my calculations are correct isnt that 300 quid a year? and most half decent vans are around that a month!!

 

[pewter]

The reason i got A new van was because i couldnt afford to be off work due to a brake down.

My T4 had a clutch pedal bracket brake. The chaos it caused to me for 10 days from the day it happened, to getting it back cost me a few days wages.

The cost of my van is something i factor into my expenses, it also ensures i am able to get there. I have had my T5 for 5 years and it has only needed to be serviced.