How do you arrange the stuff in your van?

[lame plumber]

dont get another brown one, resale value will be pooh, dont forget the chancellor is about to increase diesel prices again!!!!!!!!!!

 

[REDSAW]

dont get another brown one, resale value will be pooh, dont forget the chancellor is about to increase diesel prices again!!!!!!!!!!

i still wouldnt buy a petrol van!!

 

[lame plumber]

diesel all the way, but I'd hate to fill a defender on a regular basis, my Vdub costs enough, and I have found it cheaper to buy another small car than let madam run round in my discovery all the time, especially as she keeps bending it.

 

[REDSAW]

diesel all the way, but I'd hate to fill a defender on a regular basis,

why?????

 

[lame plumber]

coz if it drinks fuel in the same way as my disco, Id be broke running it as a van, soo greedy.

 

[REDSAW]

but you cannot off set your fuel bill on your disco can you, unless its the 3rd van in your fleet? what mpg does the vw & connect do? my last one did 25 urban!.

 

[lame plumber]

dont do urban just country side, in all honesty never bothered to check just fill up as req, and the landy requires filling at least once a week if Im running it in the winter, vw transporter and I can get away with a full tank every 10 days at times. hence why the missus used to have my old kangoo till it drowned, now shes getting the daughters cast off modus (only cast off to me as no one wanted it!!)

 

[REDSAW]

i used to put £30 in the transit last year per week and the landy £30-40 but then fuel has gone up and at the end of the day, comes of deductables...best of all i get to use it!. might try running it on chicken fat though and get myself a bio plant.

 

[TomLane]

Quiet day today so sorted the van & the garage out! Put all my tools where they should be & restocked all fittings! I'm a bit anal with things being in their right place, especially as my brother works with me & goes to the van & just throws stuff back wherever!

 

[Dannypipe]

what's the purpose of the two bent bits of copper on the back, right hand side door Tom?

 

[REDSAW]

whats the mallet for?

 

[TomLane]

what's the purpose of the two bent bits of copper on the back, right hand side door Tom?

It's a frame that goes together to hang the pipe freezer on with the scales so you know how much refrigerant you've got left in a bottle. I've got an Arctic Pipe Freezer.

 

[TomLane]

whats the mallet for?

Nothing exciting or special, just find it easier using a mallet when using wood chisels etc. My brother's a carpenter so if I'm working with him I help chop out for hinges on doors etc.

That tool bag is my general hand tool bag. My plumbing tool kit is next to it on the left in the rigid plastic Stanley box.

 

[gilesey2]

and lidl tools have a three year guarantee! my wet vac has done me proud so far

 

[Dannypipe]

and lidl tools have a three year guarantee! my wet vac has done me proud so far

That's good. I've just started on my Lidl wet vac (think it's called a Parker??).

Hope it's good. I killed my Wickes one draining the last few litres from a seriously hot thermal store. Poor thing was belching steam, so I'm not suprised.

It was still working but started to trip RCD's a few days later, so I thought best of it, and chucked it.

 

[mickg1]

how much was the wet vac ?

 

[Dannypipe]

I can't remember - sorry. I've got a pile of receipts to go through, so it will be in there somewhere. Must have been fairly cheap otherwise I wouldn't have bought it! Think about £35.

 

[mickg1]

friend of mine always bangs on about them, says he uses it to drain down the system before he alters any pipe work i.e above ceilings an the systems always bone dry

 

[Dannypipe]

Oh mate, they're a life saver. I wouldn't be without one now.

 

[TBServices]

Oh mate, they're a life saver. I wouldn't be without one now.

Me either. Brilliant.

 

[mickg1]

been doing alot of site work over the last year or two so havent really had the time or space in my van but its finished now so deffo looking into buying one, screw fix had a cheap karcher one going but everyone slated it so it put me off but for the price of this one i may have to take a trip to lidl in the morning haha

 

[Dannypipe]

I don't know if it's in at Lidl this week? If it is, I would go for it. The Karcher one is crap.

 

[Barry98]

A new thread maybe "lidl watch"

 

[TBServices]

Definately don't get Karcher. Terrible.

If lidl don't ave them in, get the wickes one.

 

[Dannypipe]

Definately don't get Karcher. Terrible.

If lidl don't ave them in, get the wickes one.

Good shout. The Wickes one is good too.

 

[PriestyUK]

My layout, 2 points who can spot Henry trying to get in the picture

 

[Dannypipe]

Nice rack of Hilti gear!!

You don't carry any stock then? Just site work by any chance?

 

[stoker122]

A cheeky peek from the top shelf
What van is it?

 

[Dannypipe]

Vivaro I reckon?

 

[PriestyUK]

Hahaha 2 points and yeah a Vivaro, really like the look of those new transit customs. I do alot of big commercial work so most of my gear eg pipe fittings gets delivered to site. Building boilers, high level heaters etc. I do do some house bashing but only really for friends and family. Usually have the ridgid 300 in the back, hence the big oil circle from the bucket, Just installed these bad boys, 350kg each, dont think they would fit in my poor vivaro

 

[PriestyUK]

Danny did mickie get back to you about them lights he wired in, love to do that in my van, as sometimes have to do night work, its a pig trying to find what you want with the standard lights, they easy to install?

 

[Dannypipe]

Danny did mickie get back to you about them lights he wired in, love to do that in my van, as sometimes have to do night work, its a pig trying to find what you want with the standard lights, they easy to install?

I have fitted them myself mate!

I bought these from Toolstation:Toolstation > Lighting > Interior Lighting > LED Striplight Add on Kit

I bought 6 and wired them in tandem. I have a proper switch in the dash, with a little orange light (left by the last owner) that is wired back to some 1mm cable in the back. So I've taken them off of that.

In the dark you throw the switch and the back is lit in brilliant white. Bloody marvelous!! Not cheap, cost me nearly £70 for all six lights, but you don't need the starter kit just the lights obviously.

Also a bit of a fiddle to cut the wires down to make it look neat. I've angled one strip in each direction and one left in the middle. I will take a photo. Life saver in the dark.

 

[PriestyUK]

Might get myself a couple, anything stopping me from wiring these off the standard ones that are already there? So they come on when the door opens if you get me? Vehicle electrics are not my forte

PS Look forward to the pic

 

[TBServices]

Looks good Danny. Wonder if you can just wire them off the existing rear light?

 

[Whl4852]

I've wired mine from the existing light, they all come on when you open the rear door

 

[TBServices]

I've wired mine from the existing light, they all come on when you open the rear door

I'm gonna do it. Make it my project for next weekend.

Do you need the transformer kit or can you just wire straight in?

 

[TBServices]

Need to see pics of yours Danny!

 

[Whl4852]

If they are 12v lights you don't need the kit, wire them strait in, I used speaker wire :1:

 

[TBServices]

If they are 12v lights you don't need the kit, wire them strait in, I used speaker wire :1:

Doesn't say on TS description. I would have thought they'd be 12v though

 

[Dannypipe]

They are 12V which is why you don't need the starter kit that TS sell.

You could run them off the existing wiring. Halfords sell a fitting to 'piggy back' off the feeds. (My mate did it with his).

But my van had the switch and the cable allready run by the last owner, so I used it.

 

[Dannypipe]

I will snap some photos later. Got my feet up at the moment!

 

[PriestyUK]

Plus its not dark yet, we wana see the full benefits from your new floodlit arena

 

[on31ll]

My layout, 2 points who can spot Henry trying to get in the picture

That hilti stuff is too clean !

My mate works for sky theyve been given new vans he opened the back door and the van is lit up like twickers ! Have to find out those lights !

 

[TBServices]

I will snap some photos later. Got my feet up at the moment!

Come on Danny, its dark and my life has no meaning right now. Enlighten me

 

[Dannypipe]

Come on Danny, its dark and my life has no meaning right now. Enlighten me

It was still light when I snapped these. The extra light they give off is brilliant.

 

[Dannypipe]

Oh and incase you wonder, that lead thats going off over my dash is for the Sat' Nav.

 

[TBServices]

Brilliant. How've you managed to stick them up/hide cables?

 

[Dannypipe]

Well the lights link with each other, so that parts easy.

There is about a 40mm cavity between the roof lining and the roof of the van. So I just crimped all the joints, and then wrapped them with self amalgamating tape and pushed them into the cavity. Whole thing took about 2 hours. It was seriously cold when I did it, my fingers were hurting!

I was lucky as the tricky part of running the supplies and the switch had been done for me.

Makes a big difference when you're looking for something, or just tidying up and the end of a dark day/night.

 

[Dannypipe]

Should add, altering the link cables is a bit of a faff. I had to shorten them to make it look neat. The kit comes with crimps to do so. Just a bit fiddly.

 

[REDSAW]

My layout, 2 points who can spot Henry trying to get in the picture

what trade are you in?lol