organising vans

[Leo21]

There's no getting round it it's just hard work. I have my van racked, fittings boxes, suitcase style same for screws. But I have a thing about running out of stuff, so I've got a long wheel base Toyota hiace. (most reliable can I have ever owned) five years old and no issues. And I have secondary stocks for fittings and screws and carry two of every type of strap on boss and waste tee,s for the condensate. I even carry two bags of sand and cement. Is there a name for my condition?

 

[jtsplumbing]

Very rich ! :sifone:

 

[Dannypipe]

There's no getting round it it's just hard work. I have my van racked, fittings boxes, suitcase style same for screws. But I have a thing about running out of stuff, so I've got a long wheel base Toyota hiace. (most reliable can I have ever owned) five years old and no issues. And I have secondary stocks for fittings and screws and carry two of every type of strap on boss and waste tee,s for the condensate. I even carry two bags of sand and cement. Is there a name for my condition?

Obbsessive, compulsive or 'seriously organised'. Depends on your slant.

I'd go on the latter and salute you.

 

[Dannypipe]

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

For years I've been trying to whittle down to the perfect tool kit that I can take in to a house and it will satisfy 90% of the jobs without a return visit. As you can see from earlier in this thread, I'm getting somewhere, I work out of a little Vauxhall Combi at the moment. However I always have to go back for something, and usually back again....until I've half the van in the room and there isn't room to swing a cat.

It comes with the trade. If it helps, I've had other tradesmen say to me that all plumbers are like it!!

We need a lot of tools to do even simple jobs. The best thing is, have a big well organised van, and have a plumbers mate to do the running.

I can't say I have either of those luxurys, but one day I will!!

 

[SafeGasInstall]

Plumbers mate .... and expirince will teach you !
Hate it now as I work on my own

 

[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.