organising vans

[stevetheplumber]

vans with no bulkhead and loose stuff in the back are deadly in an accident. mind you the amount of rubbish in front of my bulkhead is probably deadly as well

 

[dontknowitall]

... especially those Morrisons sandwiches ...

 

[ManchesterGas]

Just picked up a new van, watch this space as I'll be making it my own soon, have a nice blank canvas to start with anyway!



Will be having shallow racking on the left and deep on the right, that's all I have decided at the mo!

 

[Barry98]

just tided mine only thing missing is the massive plastic chest i keep waste fittings in,got to ply the bulkhead next

stop the press wheres the bag i sent you ?

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

stop the press wheres the bag i sent you ?

the bag you sent me houses the bailey lockfast set for fluework thats to good to travel in the van,thats tucked away in the garage,nice and dry,waiting for chimneys the set i have on the van is for dirty work

 

[Nostrum]

Just picked up a new van, watch this space as I'll be making it my own soon, have a nice blank canvas to start with anyway!

View attachment 6528

Will be having shallow racking on the left and deep on the right, that's all I have decided at the mo!

Looks like a MWB semi high transit?

I'm looking at the same tomorrow if it is, good size.

 

[ManchesterGas]

It's an '07 LWB Med roof Transit 145. MWB would have suited me better but I picked this up at a bargain price!

 

[Nostrum]

ahh, nice, what did you pay for it out of interest and whats the miles. (pm if you like or dont answer at all!)

MWB is a downsize for me, last van was a crafter MWB but still 3.4mtr load. Too big for city use though, but was ideal when we did oil, could fit a 1225 bunded tank, outside oil boiler, cylinder rads, F&E tank etc, plus the sack trucks and a slab to lay for boiler base. Plus everything else, with a false floor underneath for tube, was great.

be glad to have something easier to park etc, supermarket car parks were a nightmare.

I wish I had pictures of that van, the racking was immense all made from aluminium angle. Cost £250 in aluminium and took a few days to do, but worth it. Not sure you'd get much for £250 now though, will check when I get my new van as i'd like to do it that way again. Very light but really strong and it looks proffessional too so good resale value, or take it out and fit it in the next one.

 

[ManchesterGas]

It was just under 4k with the vat etc,It came with nearly a full tank of gas, no petrol though! It needs a couple of tyres soon and discs and pads but that doesn't bother me. It's on 74k.

Would be nice to do it in ally but I'm getting some 18mm black MDF off a mate cheap

 

[Nostrum]

Good price, LPG?

Just remember the weight, its surprising how much it all adds up to, then your tools.. probably save £250 in fuel in less than a year!

Look forward to seeing the finished result, how sad... we are all commenting on the insides of each others vans. They are like second homes sometimes though, misses keeps the house tidy, I keep the back of the van tidy, seems fair

 

[ManchesterGas]

Yep, LPG, sick of paying 1.50 a litre for the diesel! I get LPG for around 60p/litre and there are ways of getting it cheaper, plus they cant syphon the tank!

I also like the response of a petrol engine, might add a supercharger and a mappable ecu if I need more power.

I know there will be a bit of weight in the MDF compared to ally but I don't think that it'll cost me an extra £250 a year in fuel!

 

[SafeGasInstall]

nothing to do with the thread but just to mention .

did clean my van two weeks ago got most of the staff i dont need and did get about 80miles more out of the full tank . if you all try will realise that 50% of the staff in the van is not need for it

 

[PlumbBobBob]

i think i will be sorting out my van tomorrow.

 

[ManchesterGas]

nothing to do with the thread but just to mention .

did clean my van two weeks ago got most of the staff i dont need and did get about 80miles more out of the full tank . if you all try will realise that 50% of the staff in the van is not need for it

How many staff do you keep in the van? do you let them go home at night

 

[Guest123]

Mines is a fully racked out LWB Transit and it's like a mobile plumbers merchant/workshop on wheels. I even have a table saw on board. No way could I empty it as I'd end up needing something I've left out. Fuel economy is very poor as I only get 80miles to £20 worth of diesel, but I couldn't downsize to a smaller van, lack of space would drive me nuts.

 

[bennygas]

here's mine, was gonna sweep it out, but can't be arsed...

 

[Barry98]

the bag you sent me houses the bailey lockfast set for fluework thats to good to travel in the van,thats tucked away in the garage,nice and dry,waiting for chimneys the set i have on the van is for dirty work

ok let you off , she just made me another 2 didnt even ask

 

[Dannypipe]

After years of having big vans, I downsized a few years ago. Boy do I regret it.

We bought a brand new car last year, when that's paid off, I'll get a new van.

Here's some photos I took for insurance purposes (to cover my tools). I've since cleaned it up, and carry less stuff, but as you can imagine, the van is packed. The passenger footwell has an old F&E tank full of clips and crap. Behind each seat is more stuff.

Believe it or not, I carry a stock of 15/60 pump, two and three port motorised valve, stats, cable, pipe, and the usual pipe, clips, washers, fittings etc.

I really want a new van badly!!

 

[Dannypipe]

I should add, I have a lock up that is stuffed with spares, so if I get a call out, I ask what's up and usually can come prepared.

 

[bennygas]

danny, full marks for perseverence, that must've been murder with so much kit and so little space - had a little peugeot partner that a bit like that inside - was so so pleased when I got meself a transit (and then it blew up)

 

[SafeGasInstall]

nice cottage danny

 

[Nostrum]

Spent the last 2 days fitting out the van, will put some pictures up in the plumbers arms (don't really want everybody seeing the contents) when i'm done. No taking the mickey for it being spankingly clean though, i've not done any work in it yet!

 

[Destroyer2813]

Couldnt live with a small van having to loads of gear just to get to what i want. Good to see the missus putting the washing out Danny :wink5: unlike mine whos obsessed with the tumble drier

 

[scotty plumber]

What is the plumbers arms?

 

[Nostrum]

It's the exclusive section for only the finest of mechanical engineers to relax in. There is a hot tub and large cinema screen, along with bikini wearing barmaids who fan us and feed us grapes straight off the vine. We regularly sit together sipping champagne looking down out nose's at the lower class of internet plumber sniggering at thou unholy ones.






Basically you get a few hundred posts and your in...

 

[scotty plumber]

It's the exclusive section for only the finest of mechanical engineers to relax in. There is a hot tub and large cinema screen, along with bikini wearing barmaids who fan us and feed us grapes straight off the vine. We regularly sit together sipping champagne looking down out nose's at the lower class of internet plumber sniggering at thou unholy ones.






Basically you get a few hundred posts and your in...

That sounds like the life for me!

 

[Dannypipe]

If only!!!

 

[tamz]

Here's some photos I took for insurance purposes (to cover my tools).

I could have loaned you a full set of Hilti's (for photographic purposes only) if you just needed proof for the insurance :wink:

\I must say i've never added tools or goods in transit cover to my van insurances. It usually costs more than it is worth. I'd need to have them nicked every other year for it to be worthwhile and the young locals have better things to do to make a couple of quid up my way.

nice cottage danny

You do like the wee stone cottages with a decent garden Stan :smile:

 

[tamz]

Good to see the missus putting the washing out Danny :wink5: unlike mine whos obsessed with the tumble drier

Its all in the training :lol: Mine frantically watches the forecast and if the washing machine goes on at around 11pm i know it will be a dry day tomorrow.

The downside is if i'm in before her and it starts raining i get moaned at for not bringing the washing in :lol:

 

[Dannypipe]

I don't understand the washing machine, dishwasher or cooker.....but then she doesn't get me either....booom booom.

 

[Dannypipe]

Oh and it is a lovely cottage. We don't live there any more. After five years of renting it, we moved out and finally bought ourselves a place. Not as nice as the old Stone Lodge but its ours.

Before that we lived in a converted chapel. Which was right in the middle of Tunbridge Wells. So we've lived in some nice places.

Its nice to not have a landlord though, and for the house to be our own to do with what we want. I'm working hard to make sure one day I can afford to buy a nice character property and not just rent them from wealthy, uptight muppets!

 

[Glenwils]

The back of our van was a complete mess and the racking the apprentice 'buil't collapsed on itself. So we spent a few hours tonight after work building this out of old bits of wood we found laying around. Were waiting on some plastic organiser boxes my mates nicking from work.

The long upper shelf above the Van Vault is for ladders and longish off cuts of pipe. We made a little box above the wheel arch which fits the benders perfectly. I can't stand a messy van.

We have 3 Stanley fat max organizers in the van, one for screws, washers, raw plugs etc. Another for 15mm fittings and another for 22mm fittings. All other sizes and everything else is stashed away in the racking.

 

[mcniven]

Whats that big machine mate

 

[Dannypipe]

It's a van. :icon12:

 

[mcniven]

Haha I meant the lads big yellow thing

 

[Glenwils]

That's our Van Vault. Just for stashing all our drills etc in at night.

 

[mcniven]

That's a great idea m8 anything that's on the nick list bang it in that! Is that screwed down and locked?

 

[mcniven]

Chances of them getting in back or side doors then seeing that screwed down or locked they'd no bother!

 

[Glenwils]

Yeah bolted to the bottom of the van and locked at night. If anyone could get that out, fair play to them!

 

[stevetheplumber]

trouble is once they know youve got a van vault inside they break in your house for the keys

 

[Glenwils]

They would have to get past my big dog first. If she don't scare them away our Labrador will.

 

[SafeGasInstall]

Yeah bolted to the bottom of the van and locked at night. If anyone could get that out, fair play to them!

Hope you don't live in london ......

 

[Dannypipe]

Had a site safe broken into a few years back. God knows how they did it, and they must have made a hell of a racket. Cleared out all the tools. I pulled on site before anyone else, and just saw the door to the house swinging open. I knew straight away all the tools would be gone. Still gutted and it was years back. Been done again since then.

Last time, they even took the basins we were about to fit, and statues from the garden. The even took the lead from the roof!! Why can't we chop theives hands off and have a real deterant?

 

[Destroyer2813]

Had a boiler go walkies off the wall on a site in the middle of the night fortunatly for me not at my loss, but some of my tolls were in a cupboard upstairs but fortunatly they left/missed em

 

[Glenwils]

We had a break in at a school were working on. The thieves obviously weren't the sharpest knives in the drawer as they must have spent a good 20mins trying to bend and break 2x 20mm copper bends under 2 brand new combis we've installed when they could have just simply lifted the combis off the wall as we hadn't piped them up. Muppets.

 

[Barry98]

some countyrs still chop hands off dont they ?

isit a right hand left foot for stealking a car

 

[Leo21]

The problem for me isn't nicked tools any more. It's copper tube, I didn't have a locked tube holder till two years ago. Since then I've been done about six times. B#######s!

 

[SafeGasInstall]

Leo where are you in uk ?

 

[Leo21]

Coventry

 

[Wag]

Drifting away from the topic lads, can I briefly bring you back to van organising. How do you organise tools within the van? ie how do you decide what tools to take into a house for initial inspection. I have two tool cases of the flight case type, one for installing (heavy Duty) and one for servicing (prettier sets of spanners and screwdrivers that haven't been used for prizing old boilers from walls). I then have a tool bag which carries sweating gear and hammers and bigger spanners and heat mats and formers and auger bits and pipe slices and . . . . any way what happens is I take all the gear into a customers house and pretty much empty my van in order to do a simple job, and it drives me nuts, is there a better way?

Maybe I should have tool bags for types of job, ie outside tap, bag contains drill (24v Bosch for wall) drill bits, copper tube, assorted fittings, clips, wallplugs, screws, torch, solder, hammer, spanner (adjustable), Ptfe, phillips screwdriver, pipe cleaner, flux, sleeving, hole saws . . . .er . . I think not !

maybe I need a plumbers mate