Parkes Plumbing Compact, Clean Plumbing Van
RIG DETAILS
| USED FOR | Plumbing Heating |
| MODEL | Volkswagen Caddy |
| BODY | Mid-Size Cargo Van |
ORGANIZATION
Tom owns and runs Parkes Plumbing, a plumbing and gas business in Wakefield, UK. He has a very organized short-wheelbase Volkswagen Caddy.
It's a small van, but he says he doesn't need anything bigger for the service and repair work that he does. The divided access is a unique way to keep things more organized.
He recently upgraded the van to a fairly different (yet still divided) setup that uses drawers that pull fully out of the van. Check that out here!
Check out Tom's Youtube channel for some great day-in-the-life of a plumber videos.
Divided Design
Many tradespeople that use smaller vans divide the cargo area of their work van into two sections:
- A section accessible from the side cargo door.
- A section accessible from the rear cargo doors.
Tom's van is neatly partitioned liked this, with inventory in the front and tools in the back.
The shelves are plywood and were built by Tom. Tom pokes fun at his carpentry skills, but he's done some clever things to contain and organize things.
Storage for Inventory
Tom has a clean setup for storing inventory that consists of plastic storage bins and Stanley FatMax organizers. Everything is labeled, which is important when all your bins look the same!
There are organizers and bins for toilets, repairs, controls, and boilers. The parts are pretty condensed and the bins especially look like a lot of stuff is just in there, but he says he's got a good memory for what he has.
The amount of inventory is less than many US plumbers, but this is common with many UK tradespeople that drive smaller vans.
Storage for Tools
At the back of the van, Tom really has very few tools and tools boxes. His tools come out of his van at the end of the day, so everything is super-easy to access. Probably because of the divided sections, he can't push tool boxes or bags out of reach. This is just a really great setup to consider if you're using a small van.
He's got a few main pieces of gear, such as:
- Veto Pro Pac Tech OT-MC tool bag for hand tools
- Stanley organizer for large tools
- Soldering box
- Analyzer box
- Veto Pro Pac 4B boiler bag
- Veto Pro Pac TP-3 service bag, which is rarely used
Analyzer Box
Tom keeps all his diagnostic tools in one foam-lined Pelican case, which he brings on every job. It holds:
- Kane analyzer
- Thermal camera
- Digital thermometer
- Testo manometer
- Fluke multimeter
Many techs keep their analyzers in their original boxes or pouches, but this approach keeps all the diagnostic tools in one place, reduces the number of items you need to put together before you go on a job, and makes it easy to see that you've got all your expensive diagnostic tools.
Locking Power Tool Drawer
In the tool section, Tom also installed a Van Vault slider, a single long drawer that protrudes a bit into his inventory area. This box is lockable and is filled with Milwaukee 12V and 18V tools.
Long Materials
Tom typically only does one installation per month, so if he needs a lot of pipe, he'll get it delivered to the jobsite.
Offcuts fit up against the bulkhead of the the van on the floor, out of the way.
Compact Ladders
Tom has two compact ladders that he carries. One is a 2-step aluminum ladder and the other is a long telescoping extension ladder. Both of them fit in the inventory part of the cargo area.
Many tradespeople are using more compact ladders like these to reduce storage volume, speed up ladder handling times, and potentially have lighter ladders to carry. Multipurpose ladders are a popular option that can be used as a step or extension ladder, though they do that with a slight weight penalty.
See More
Check out more of Tom's videos!
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