- Thread starter cdodds2004
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Welcome to the forum. Although you can post in any forum, the USA forum is here in case of local regs or laws
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dontknowitall
Stanley organisers for fittings.
Screwfix tin for screws.
Plastic containers for plastic pipe, wire, wc parts, stop taps, outside taps, etc.
Not a brilliant system as frequently I grab a cardboard box from the merchant and never "file" my goodies so end up search through 2-3 cardboard boxes and a bucket or two as well.
Screwfix tin for screws.
Plastic containers for plastic pipe, wire, wc parts, stop taps, outside taps, etc.
Not a brilliant system as frequently I grab a cardboard box from the merchant and never "file" my goodies so end up search through 2-3 cardboard boxes and a bucket or two as well.
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scotty plumber
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scotty plumber
had a customer tell me she trusted me because all my tools looked used and dirty/rusty lol love working with water
Right hand side of my Vivaro is racked all the way along 15/22 fittings in the first half and waste fittings on the other half. Left hand side with door is 15/22 plastic fittings, clips and odds and sods with steps hanging from the roof inside and roof rack with tube holder for copper and soil for lenghts of waste
how have u supported your ladders inside i really want to do this as mine get in the way and allways topple over when i take stuff out which bugs me sooooooooo bad!
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smtplumbing
i have done that in my transit i will randomly take a picture when i am next out at it , Best way i did was ratchet straps tried lots of ways this is the only way that works for me
[h=3][/h]
[h=3][/h]
I have a piece of batten between the racking near the front and a bungee cord at the back in the holes and the panels keeps em nice and out the way
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MP plumb
my little berlingo is wayyy toooo small for a plumbers van, even tho i have a rack one side full of divided bits for fittings, and the other side a rack for the little boxes of bits.... yet i still manage to have a shi.....shocking load of toold and bits on the middle. i have unfortunatly, in the last 3 weeks, turned into my old 'trainner' by using the Travis Perkins bags to put fittings and random bits in. i HATE it as i used to cuss him (under my breath) at his shocking organisational skills!!!
a good idea tho, is to put ur small ladder under the roof, using a couple battons either side of the van so u can side it in and out. if u have space, build a suspended floor for the odd pipe, etc......
or, just get a bigger van!
a good idea tho, is to put ur small ladder under the roof, using a couple battons either side of the van so u can side it in and out. if u have space, build a suspended floor for the odd pipe, etc......
or, just get a bigger van!
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MP plumb
also... if u have a panel between the coach and the back, i have drilled a hole on the left so i can get long lengths of pipe along the van... only problem is that some one has to cock their leg over all the pipe when they r a passanger, but no one has complained so far! who doesnt like to cock their leg?!!
My old boss was like that stuff everywere in the van (old escort) id sort it out one day go and work with a different bloke for 2 days come back and it looked like a bomb had gone of
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MP plumb
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gravytrain
my vans shocking. i was supposed to sort it out over xmas but somehow its nearly May and i've still not done it
if only it was because i was so busy...........
if only it was because i was so busy...........
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dontknowitall
any ideas on how to stall the above mentioned would be welcomed. I like the idea of a false floor, but then it would be difficult to get fittings out from the bottom shelf
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ADM360
I have racked mine out, assorted racks on one side that are for fittings all set out 1 for 15mm sockets though to comp ones, next lot for 22mm, waste pipe fittings in another and so on, a couple of shelve on the other side for short bits of tube, benders and other bits and pieces!! all very good then I get a call out and throw everything back in the van and go, don't stop running round for a week and it rumaging round in bags for fittings.
I try and keep it sorted but a mess faster than I can tidy!!!
I try and keep it sorted but a mess faster than I can tidy!!!
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Billy Bob Bob
Wish I had taken pictures of my old van before it went back to my old employer. It was pretty awesome in the racking dept. Mind you it was massive VW crafter hi top, bit like a green grocers vans in the back! (2 for a pound) all made from aluminium angle. Hoping to do similar in my new van if I ever find one
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Billy Bob Bob
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Mike Jackson
More haste less speed. Keeping your van (and workspace) tidy and organised means that you can achieve more in the same time.
i like the idea of a a suspended floor, could fit loads of stuff under it. or even just a partial one, i have to pices of waste pipe screwed to my racking for keeping off cuts of pipe in and spirit level benders etc, works pritty well. going to look into getting ladders under the roof tomorow i think!
would like to see how you guys wack the ladder to the under size of the roof. Is no one into these telescopic ladders then?
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Resolute
Looks good Bod!
As the car's in the garage the misses has been forced to drive my van to work, she gets back and says: "what's in the back thats rolling around and making a noise?"
That'll be the wet vac, assorted tools, fittings etc where I've not tidied it up for a while then!
As the car's in the garage the misses has been forced to drive my van to work, she gets back and says: "what's in the back thats rolling around and making a noise?"
That'll be the wet vac, assorted tools, fittings etc where I've not tidied it up for a while then!
No matter how often I seem to tidy my van it gets into a mess so quickly I really do need to be more organised when I put stuff away, the temptation is just so high when running late to just chuck stuff on the back and dash off.
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Barry98
very nice bod only problem ive had when ever i make a rack to fit items the said item then gives up the ghost and its replacement doesnt fit the hole for it, like the big bucket for shorts of tubeamazing how much stuff we all have in common
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Barry98
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Barry98
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Nat
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PlumbBobBob
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Mike Jackson
I carry more stuff than that in my toolbox. I also can't get away with using that sort of steps, they won't take my weight.
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tweakyboy
http://www.poofix.com/p/multi-angle-vice-75mm/16894
http://www.poofix.com/p/forge-steel-portable-bench-vice-swivel-base-3/49861
Changing the name of the company will get you there! :icon6:
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grahamgas
Here are some pics of my lwb vivaro
Before fitting the racking, I took out the ply lining, and but some wooden beraers between the van panelling supports, to fix the racking to, once lining was back on.
Made my own racking out of 2 by 2 and electricians cable tray.
Cut down pieces of soil for off cuts of pipe saws, crow bars etc.
Side view. Blue drawers for fittings etc.
Squared off bulkhead with some 12 mm ply, to hang stuff on like hose, 110v ext lead. Old freezer rack for aerosols and liquid storage. Cubby hole behind ply, used for dust sheets and towels etc.
Coil of plastic secured to roof by luggage straps
Before fitting the racking, I took out the ply lining, and but some wooden beraers between the van panelling supports, to fix the racking to, once lining was back on.
Made my own racking out of 2 by 2 and electricians cable tray.Cut down pieces of soil for off cuts of pipe saws, crow bars etc.Side view. Blue drawers for fittings etc.Squared off bulkhead with some 12 mm ply, to hang stuff on like hose, 110v ext lead. Old freezer rack for aerosols and liquid storage. Cubby hole behind ply, used for dust sheets and towels etc.Coil of plastic secured to roof by luggage straps
Attachments
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Billy Bob Bob
now thats organised was going to sort mine out today but its currently chucking it down
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grahamgas
Yeah and I make sure I tuck my jogging bottoms into my socks, like a proper chav innit
That was my old nans shopping bag, and burberry it is not. Use it to keeps odds of flex and three core in.
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Nat
Got pretty much all I need for little jobs then for big jobs I order it when I need it and don't overorder. I can't stand it being too cluttered and keeping it that bit lighter saves on diesel too.
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
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dontknowitall
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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!
Will be having shallow racking on the left and deep on the right, that's all I have decided at the mo!
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Barry98
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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!
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.
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.
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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
Would be nice to do it in ally but I'm getting some 18mm black MDF off a mate cheap
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
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
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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!
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!
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PlumbBobBob
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ManchesterGas
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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.
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Barry98
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!!
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!!
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.
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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...
Basically you get a few hundred posts and your in...
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scotty plumber
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tamz
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.
You do like the wee stone cottages with a decent garden Stan :smile:
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tamz
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:
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!
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!
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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.
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.
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mcniven
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Glenwils
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mcniven
That's a great idea m8 anything that's on the nick list bang it in that! Is that screwed down and locked?
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mcniven
Chances of them getting in back or side doors then seeing that screwed down or locked they'd no bother!
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Glenwils
Yeah bolted to the bottom of the van and locked at night. If anyone could get that out, fair play to them!
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Glenwils
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?
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?
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
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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.
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Barry98
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
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
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