WHAT STOCK TO CARRY IN THE VAN?

[Andy™]

carry whatever is practical to carry on in the van for the type of work your doing....

for most small jobs and emergencies, i can manage with thats in the van and re-stock later.

for other jobs planned in advance, i know what extra i need to take with me

 

[steptoe]

and, as Andy can vouch for, having good friends in far flung places is indispensible,

I was doing a job 3hrs away, (in Andys patch!) and got a starbreaker MCB delivered to me on site

you simply cannot prepare for each and every possible scenario, but you can carry the basics.

 

[Sharpend]

Is it really that difficult to decide what you should and shouldn't carry? Surely you carry stock appropriate to the area you specialise in. If you base your business on call out emergency work then wise to carry a broad range of the basics, sockets,switches, MCB's, pendants etc. If you do mostly quoted work then you have the time to stock for the job. The only time that you may carry more than usual is if you live out the way.

 

[streetlighter]

Don't forget a few cards of fuse wire and a selection of bs1361 cartridge fuses for domestic consumer unit. I've been caught short by not having them on the van a few times.

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

Hi AllI am not far off from qualifying as an electrician (with New Career Skills Ltd if anyone is interested) and will seek domestic work as a self employed individual. I need to start thinking about a vehicle and what essential stock I should always be carrying.

Does anyone have a stock list of goods that they carry on board and are willing to share with me and others in a similar position?

Also any recommendations for a van to get?

Finally, I will need to pack the stock into the van, so do you have a photo of your van's layout that you are willing to share?

Many thanks

Is it really that difficult to decide what you should and shouldn't carry? Surely you carry stock appropriate to the area you specialise in. If you base your business on call out emergency work then wise to carry a broad range of the basics, sockets,switches, MCB's, pendants etc. If you do mostly quoted work then you have the time to stock for the job. The only time that you may carry more than usual is if you live out the way.

Absolutely! if someone cannot suss out what they need for domestic jobs then... well...

Its debatable if they would have the acumen to plan a job or quote a job at all IMHOl

I'm guessing there wont be much call for Pyro or Galv Conduit... 4.0mm singles? or some Lo-bay Hi-bay gear!!

:coat

 

[kerching]

Well, just cleared car out from my refit job and I would like to add the following to the list. They are things I take for granted BUT always carry in the c0ck-up box...provided a carp extraction resolution solution on many occasion

M3.5 stud extensions

M3.5 F long screws

M4 F long screws AND nuts

couple of IP65 boxes

Earthing nuts M20 and M25

spare holesaw drill bits

1361 fuses

Fuse wire

Couple of free standing 1361 fuse holders

Crabtree 50A pull sw

Self amalg tape

perforated metal banding

Grommet strip

M25 and M32 grommets

AA AAA PP3 batteries [don't know poncy new name for them]

Single and double blank plates and conduit box lids

4 and 8 way Earth blocks

Those sachets of coffee that you get in Hotels

Swiss Army knife style 'Knife fork spoon' cutlery set.....curry and chips off a piece of 25mm capping anybody?

Bog roll

12V kettle

Trust me, one day you will thank me................ :coat

 

[sprocketflup]

.... cuddly toy......fondue set......

 

[streetlighter]

Used to work with a guy we called binzo everyday got the black bag in a bucket and **** in the back of the van.

 

[shed69]

so you drive about with your pipe bender/vice and a bundle of 20 & 25mm galv all the time then? even when your next 5 jobs are domestic?sorry to be so amatuerish and try and guess what sort of kit I'm going to need each day,

ah, dont worry about the bender , we can put it back in on top of the solar panels once we get them loaded first!

and that 200m of 25mm SWA, tie it on the roof, it might come in useful later when we go to put old Mrs Browns new chandelier up in the hallway.

Nah steps, I have only had to use galv once in the last 5 years! My old man has a brand new pipe and bender that lives in his shed - 4 hours away!!! Keeps threatening to give me it....

Solar not on my list of specialities and no plans to do so....

So pretty much everything I have on my van I use regular and very rarely do I have to go get stuff and take a hour out of the job to do so...

Suppose you carry what suits ya and we all have different ways of organising...

A lot of the time I get gear delivered straight to site on commercials anyway....

The amateurs was a tongue in cheek shot, hope you didn't take it personally!!!!!! :innocent

 

[steptoe]

no worries shed,

I do a pretty varied workload, so I mostly 2nd guess what I need,

bender, galv etc is usually on preplanned jobs anyway, day to day I just carry normal domestic/small commercial stuff, 80%ish of my work is small commercial, so ties in pretty much with a normal domestic stock.

solar normally delivered to site, with the exception of I carry extra isolators and cable and a spare CU,

tomorrow I start a 3bed re-wire, so all T&E etc, last week was communal lighting with pyro, so totally different stock carried,

 

[Theorysparky]

Spot the difference

the second one is your van and the other belongs to someone else ???

 

[batty]

My main worry with this is somebody that has been on a course that is now going out into the big wide world of sparkying but doesn't seem to have any practical experience. Have you never worked with another spark to see how they run there business and what they keep in there vans. On another note I have just changed my van will have to post a few pics as its fairly tidy at the moment it probably won't last though.

 

[Sharpend]

Got one of those too emergencies only you understand!!!

 

[markpryor]

Hi guys..

Many thanks for your inputs and i have learnt a lot from it. Will now put it into practice when i am finally let on the road. Yep, keep stock to a minimum; that's what I quote my clients when I have my accountancy hat on, its dead money until sold!

 

[Evans Electric]

So are you an accountant or a Sparky ? :C

 

[SLIPSHOD & SLAPDASH]

Used to work with a guy we called binzo everyday got the black bag in a bucket and **** in the back of the van.

My mate like most (ex) BT engineers has a p iss pot in the back, often its the old soldering pan

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

So are you an accountant or a Sparky ? :C

Hi guys.. Many thanks for your inputs and i have learnt a lot from it. Will now put it into practice when i am finally let on the road. Yep, keep stock to a minimum; that's what I quote my clients when I have my accountancy hat on, its dead money until sold!

Probably not very good at either....

If an accountant cant suss out that dead money = dead money no matter what the trade..

AND

someone thinking of doing electrical work cannot figure out whet they need to carry AKA "plan the materials for a job"...

Then.. :|

well.... :C

Gawd help us!

headbang

 

[revjames]

Or Both :slap Heres a question

How long to train to become

1. Electrician (Sparky)

2. Accountant

3. Doctor

4. Airline Pilot

5. Financial Advisor

6. Competent Person

ROTFWL ROTFWL ROTFWL

30 weeks in total to do them all....

 

[Apache]

Or Both :slap Heres a question

How long to train to become

1. Electrician (Sparky)

2. Accountant

3. Doctor

4. Airline Pilot

5. Financial Advisor

6. Competent Person

ROTFWL ROTFWL ROTFWL

Where would you put vet in the list?

 

[kerching]

My mate like most (ex) BT engineers has a p iss pot in the back, often its the old soldering pan

"I just love the smell of an old ladle in the morning"..............."Apocalypse Now"