organising vans

[Leo21]

One of the best tools I've bought recently is a dewalt cordless vac. Honestly when your servicing room sealed stuff it's perfect for the odd spider. And it saves dragging Henry round who always weighs a ton, falls to bits or un winds while carrying it, or finding a sore socket. You know behind the bed side unit with the unstable lamp on it. Honestly I must save five minute a service.

 

[mcniven]

Hahaha

 

[vinniethecat]

This is a Kangoo....the system altered over many years to suit myself.

Ply bulkhead bolted to the safety cage, then light steel shelving bolted to that. Heavy stuff down low.. wastes, light gear up higher.

Cheap ply shelves to hold various organisers.... which all lift out for checking.... bins are rubbish.

Drill in to the strengthening sectios, fit L- brackets with self tappers to use the roof space.... decent strength could hold ladders.... I use a cheap ally loft ladder.

Organisers, easy to see when you're running short, one for Speedfit, conex, solder etc, smaller ones for odds and ends.

Heavy tool- boxes on the floor with all the hand tools.

 

[Leo21]

Wow, that's well organised. I'd have to have two vans though.

 

[vinniethecat]

Small vans are cheaper to buy and run, only keep what are vital, keep everything else racked in the garage, brought out only if it might be needed on the next job.

Get a towbar and trailer, only use it for bigger jobs.

Buy 3- 4 at a time from places like BES.... but only keep one on the van, the others in racks in the garage, fit steel horizontals below the ceiling for tube and lengths of wood..... old steel bath frames cut to suit are perfect

Go to a quarry, or buy a dumpy bag of sand, then tranfer to old F&E tanks stacked up behind the shed.... only take out what you need in bags or Tupperware.

 

[Leo21]

That is impressive. I'm just a bit lazy and keep it all on a big van.

 

[scoullar]

got a renault trafic once a month i spend a day sorting it out and after a couple of jobs its back the way it was doesn't matter how much you rack out or storage bins after a couple of jobs everything is piled on top of each other you never seem to have the time to put things back properly when your on the road does anyone else have the same trouble usually the problem is parking van parked round the block and when youve finished you pull outside job and just throw things in in a hurry i blame traffic wardens for my messy van they have a lot to answer for who agrees with me?

 

[Leo21]

Everything apart from wardens. Dont suffer with them where I work.

 

[Bobleponge]

I've got serious rack and van envy. I've got a small Ford Courrier as I've only just started on my own, its racked down one side and there's just no space to put all my stuff. Had my toolbag in the passenger footwell last week.

 

[Dannypipe]

i blame traffic wardens for my messy van they have a lot to answer for who agrees with me?

I'm with you.

 

[tizintit]

my van (swb sprinter)is nicely racked out both sides and every thing has a place
its just remenbering to put things back when youre rushing between jobs
i can take a full weekend to tidy it sometimes and a day to mess it up

 

[Glenwils]

I work on big commercial builds so most of our gear is stored in containers as we can be at the same job for months on end. The van does get ram packed with **** so me and my mate make sure we have a sort out at the end of each day so the mess don't get to messy. We always have spare fittings in organizers and all tool boxes are stored in the same place so if we do need anything that we don't use every day we know where it is.

Before I start any job I take a bit of time and have a think of what I'm going to need. Put all batteries on charge, get decent lighting, get all the fittings and sundries we could need and make sure iv'e got all the tools. The 10mins it takes me to set up saves about half an hour waiting for batteries to charge and going back and forth to the van to get another tool I might need.

 

[scoullar]

I work on big commercial builds so most of our gear is stored in containers as we can be at the same job for months on end. The van does get ram packed with **** so me and my mate make sure we have a sort out at the end of each day so the mess don't get to messy. We always have spare fittings in organizers and all tool boxes are stored in the same place so if we do need anything that we don't use every day we know where it is.

Before I start any job I take a bit of time and have a think of what I'm going to need. Put all batteries on charge, get decent lighting, get all the fittings and sundries we could need and make sure iv'e got all the tools. The 10mins it takes me to set up saves about half an hour waiting for batteries to charge and going back and forth to the van to get another tool I might need.

try puttin a container in the back of your van if im on a job longterm and have secure storage my van empty i can get the bus

 

[scoullar]

u hav 2 much time on ur side a cup of tea is hard most days

 

[barrysunley]

I've got most of my stuff in the stacking plastic crates like supermarkets use - bought a job-lot off ebay.
Front half of van (VW Transporter) has some home made timber racking to stack the crates on, accessed throug the side door. Rear half has removable home made racking if I need to carry bigger items like cylinders. Really big stuff & ladders justhave to go on the roof rack. Easy to carry the crates into a job and out again at the end. Much time saved running banck to the van during a job.

 

[barrysunley]

Well impressed!

 

[plumbtech]

just changed my van . had a swb sprinter for 8 years the racking grew as i needed and worked really well. but after a couple of days i would forget where i put everything plus if it had got a bit messy very often it was easier to go and buy a piece of 5 core flex than hunt through the van for the "2 meters i had left over off a roll last week" that i stashed in the van under the heading "this will come in handy". it took me 8 years to realise that the racking dosent really work for me completly. the racking was like a stores so i am trying to be more organised for the next day/job and carry what i need. with a van full of everything i didnt need to think this hard and in an effort to save fuel i was going to get a smaller van . but that went to pot thank god and i had another sprinter. the first one was exellent, 80 odd K and i changed a leef spring so i bought another. 6 speed more power and with my new plan lol is looking way better on fuel. winter time the van is at its messyist. you walk out of the house your working in its dark and thats it just chuck it all in lol. i had tool cover on my tools , the van was broke into via the cab i put all my findings in the state ment and what was nicked from the cab they wouldnt pay for only what was in the van part . and they quibbled about that because they never got in through the van. oh hi all :teeth_smile:

 

[Leo21]

Welcome, good first post.

 

[E4gas]

This is a Kangoo....the system altered over many years to suit myself.

Ply bulkhead bolted to the safety cage, then light steel shelving bolted to that. Heavy stuff down low.. wastes, light gear up higher.

Cheap ply shelves to hold various organisers.... which all lift out for checking.... bins are rubbish.

Drill in to the strengthening sectios, fit L- brackets with self tappers to use the roof space.... decent strength could hold ladders.... I use a cheap ally loft ladder.

Organisers, easy to see when you're running short, one for Speedfit, conex, solder etc, smaller ones for odds and ends.

Heavy tool- boxes on the floor with all the hand tools.

Looks a heavy load , old school gas bottle

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

Looks a heavy load , old school gas bottle

more to the point how do get all that in a kangoo?????????????????

 

[dontknowitall]

I'm wondering why 5 tape measures? ...

Perhaps no space in the tools boxes?

:1eye:

 

[E4gas]

Old school plane .

 

[SafeGasInstall]

i personally dont like the idea to fully load the van and have every tool in the van ! I do load the van if i start a job but then after i only take with me what i need ! Just the way i am keep only what i think will need !

 

[vinniethecat]

That's a snapshot of a particular day.... I only take out the big bottle for bigger jobs, plus it's got about 30ft of hose on it, so I can get away with leaving it in the hall and being able to reach most of the house.

Most of the cases aren't that full or heavy, but I can access everything easily, because I know where everything is, even little things like assorted nipples for bleed points.... nothing worse than losing one.

The organisers have a small selection of everything to do a small job without wasting half a day at the merchants, plus the inevitable, "while you're here, how much to fit an outside tap?"

Plus for a tenner, it's always worth keeping a diaphragm kit for a Poxi 105.

What I like to do is root through the boxes to get out only the tools for that job to take into the house, I found a sleeve with outside pockets in B&M which drops over a standard builders bucket.... really handy.

 

[Leo21]

Every time I do a job I seem to have my whole van in the house. And I couldn't take any thing out, I'm bound to need it. Hats off to you.

 

[dontknowitall]

This is a bad one ... apologies ...

I sometimes take the kitchen sink ...

 

[Leo21]

Groan !!!!

 

[Bobleponge]

Nope, thats a proper shocker.

 

[vinniethecat]

Those photos were of the old Kangoo, took a few more today..... that set- up has gone in the last 3 vans with minor adjustments, the basic system seems to work for me.

All you really need is the idea of what you want on the van then work it out from there.

Thick ply bulkhead bolted to the safety cage, then lightweight steel racking, bolted to that, had to shorten one set of steel trays with a hammer and 2 by two, then redrill the bolt- holes

The ply sides were roughly jig- sawed to shape, then offered up and made a fairly close fit, the horizontals cut to size, then a combinatiom of fairly small battens, screws and 2 part fibreglass and polyester filler from the auto spares (Bodge) to make the outer frame, then fill in the uprights, shelf lips etc, after you're happy with the fit.

L- brackets and self tappers into the double skin parts hold it all in place.

It isn't designed for heavy gear, but most of our stuff isn't, heavy gear stays on the floor.

Organisers behind the seat for street maps and CP12s etc.

Cargo nets from the cheapy shops to hold dust sheets.

Tool bucket.

Odds and ends on hooks and small rack on passenger side (must be lightweight gear in case of crash)

 

[vinniethecat]

I'm wondering why 5 tape measures? ...

Perhaps no space in the tools boxes?



One upstairs, one downstairs, one hidden under the dustsheets, one under a rolled back carpet and one to measure things. :banghead: :banghead:


Never been on a big job before?

 

[Roger Welton]

I'd be interested to see a weight on the kangoo, it is very easy to get overloaded, highways authority do ocasionally do spot checks around here.

Edit to add I do like that tool bucket, seems a good idea.

 

[vinniethecat]

Irwin IRW10503821 - Pro Tool Organiser - Bucket L46 x D30 x H10cm


Seems to be a few out there, got mine for £4, if the Milliband hits the fan,you can quickly shuck the organiser and you've got an emergency bucket

 

[cdodds2004]

tool bucket is ACE!!!

 

[E4gas]

That's a handy Canada hat ,

 

[tamz]

I'm wondering why 5 tape measures? ...

Because you need at least 4. No matter how big or brightly coloured they may be, they are the most elusive thing in the tool box. It is like you open the box and they all go walkabout. Somehow they always find their way back to the box again when it is time to go.