Using a car instead of a van

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FixitElectrical

Hi,

This is my first post on here, so hello everyone! I've been reading thread on here for weeks now and thought I'd best join!

I'm starting out in the domestic electrician world shortly and wondered who else uses a normal saloon car to run their business. I have all the tools I need and can just fit them into boot, I have s Saab 9-3 which has a good sized boot. I'm just wondering who else doesn't use a van

Any thoughts?
 
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I have a 5 step fibreglass ladder which fits in, plus I have an Xtend & Climb 3.8 meter telescopic ladder for any outside work. That goes high enough for anything I will ever do.
 
welcome to the forum and happy new year, i'm using a saab 95 estate - huge boot, loads of room inside and roof bars if i need to carry ladders plus all the comforts. i especially like the heated leather seats
 
FixitElectrical said:
Hi,

This is my first post on here, so hello everyone! I've been reading thread on here for weeks now and thought I'd best join!

I'm starting out in the domestic electrician world shortly and wondered who else uses a normal saloon car to run their business. I have all the tools I need and can just fit them into boot, I have s Saab 9-3 which has a good sized boot. I'm just wondering who else doesn't use a van

Any thoughts?
Click to expand...

Hello and welcome :)

I'm with you on this one. I always used cars and over the years I have used 4 Mazda 626 hatchbacks As I was involved with plumbing, heating & gas work I had a lot of gear to carry about & the car coped with it all - all the toolboxes etc hidden away in the enormous boot and ladders & pipe etc on the roof rack and all of that without folding the rear seats down.

With the rear seats folded down and without the toolboxes, I could carry a full bathroom suite in the car - that's a full sized bath, basin & pedestal and toilet with cistern.

In 20 years, I never had any trouble with people trying to break into the car to nick my gear because it looked just like an ordinary car with little of value in it, and on a weekend, it was used for family days out & shopping trips.
 
I've got a Honda Tourer. Love it. All the space you need for a domestic plus it's fully loaded. Could always use a roof rack too for ladders but I don't at the moment.
 
Happy new year!! I have a Toyota hilux it's fantastic large carrying capacity and still has 5 seats this is my 2nd one now I wouldn't use any other vehicle. I have it sign written so that when I turn up at a job it looks a bit more professional than a car but that's only my opinion.
 
yeah depends on where your customers come from, mines is from word of mouth, so don't need to sign up bmw 320d touring , but the jeep would be nice, not this year tho
 
You need something that’s a car but a van look at Mitsubishi Outlander when it’s made in Japan it’s a car but when it gets here Mitsubishi UK take the back seats out weld a flat piece of metal turning it in to a flat load bed. Put black film on the 2 rear doors and tailgate. So you now have a van and you don't have to pay vat if your vat registered. M My mrs said you should always rent a van she should know she’s a tax inspector

I had one but mine was a car best car ever had
 
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Forget to say don't forget to inform your insurance company your using your car business purpose now otherwise you won’t be covered if the worst should happen
 
Using my Subaru forester for it and it's pretty fantastic at the job (minus having to carry a spare tyre around in the boot because gas conversion)

Have to use a car because the insurers don't like the young folk, £1500 for a Y reg transit against £750 for a Subaru barge. Parked on the street because Admiral will charge you another £150 for parking it in a garage :angry_smile:
 
Sounds like I won't be the only one the. I think from what I can tell the people who have vans, a lot of it is taken up with junk that doesn't need to be there. I guess if you do commercial work then it might be a good idea to have a van as you probably need a few more bits of kit and spares.

Yeah I would love a brand new shiny van, but I don't feel I need one, nor can afford one! I could have bought a berlingo for less than my MFT.
 
I use a van, 2 reasons, 1 you get the VAT back through the business and 2 IMO a sign written van turning up at a customers premises combined with a uniform and ID makes you look far more professional even if you are not than a guy in a car, that said I have worked with a lot of really good sparks who drive cars to site, but I am allowed a view too arn't I haha, no offence to anyone at all here :love:
 
I'd never get all my stuff in a car, has to be a van. I don't understand the earlier comment about not paying VAT on a car because you surely reclaim any VAT paid on a van anyway - as MDJ says?

And as for not disclosing to an insurer that you use it for work just sounds nuts. Give them any excuse not to pay a claim and they certainly will.
 
It often doesn't cost any more to add business use to your insurance, or at the least it costs very little. A mate of mine is a DJ, got pulled on his way home from pub, cos no business insurance they did him, £400 fine, 6 points, storage and recovery fees. For what it costs, don't risk not having it.
 
I agree with mdj but its everyone personal opinion isn't it. I don't know what my customers would say if I sent my lads out in a car ? But we do commercial and industrial so would never for the stuff in a car
 
I do 90% domestic, with the odd shop or office, I use my car, it's a Volvo V60 estate. I couldn't afford to run a van and a car, it's that simple, and wouldn't fancy taking the wife and kid everywhere in a van.
 
Agree with MDJ. More professional looking when turning up in van, did get more work/enquiries as van is sign written.
I did use my car for a while, a Renault Laguna estate but found it was too small carrying around tools and spares even for domestic.
Definately get business use added to your insurance, it doesn't cost a lot more and will save you a lot of hassle.
 
I use a BMW 530D Estate, carries all my stuff, has rails for the ladders on roof. I do mostly commercial and industrial. Have carried all sorts in it from the wholesalers but if i need a load of unistrut, conduit or trunking or a large drum of SWA, simply have it delivered.
I also do subby work for a automation company and an un-written estate car fits right it.
I claim 45ppm out of the business as expenses to run it. VAT is lost on tyres, servicing and bits and bobs but is more than covered by the 45ppm tax free expenses.
Considered a van but at present i dont need to advertise and do travel quite a bit so need something really comfy.
Recently tested the insurance when i reversed into a new plumbers van at clients premises, oops. Doesn;t cost much more to get full business insurance.
 
i have to agree with mike here...
turning up in a van creates the appropriate vision..

you could always just turn up on a vision of course...

768px-Honda_Vision_Met-in.jpg
 
I just grab trailor if loads of stuff and I admit it is a balls changing stuff around for family use and work, then you go somewhere and you took it out the night before
 
It really depends on what stage your business is at I think. If you have an existing client base they don't care what you turn up in. If you're just starting out there are other things which will soak up the cash.

My set up suits where I am I think, I use the van for doing the work, and the bike for nipping about quoting.

2012-06-17_12-05-34_959.jpg
 
Trying to hoodwink your insurance would be madness: if you have as much as a screwdriver in the car and try to claim they will go "not insured for business, we're not paying, hahahaha! By the way now you're an uninsured driver, good luck with that!"
 
kingeri said:
Just need a sidecar for your ladders.
Click to expand...

HAHA, love this, Joking aside though Fella, the Guy who I did my apprenticship with worked for a company who used to do lots of work in Gloucester city centre in the 60s, the company was just a mile from town, and the vans were always out and about as the company used to make switchgear as well as installation and went all over the country so no vans were usually at the stores, he swore blind they used to tie a conduit bender to a push bike and cycle the bender to the Job haha, I bet it wasn't unusual 45-50 years ago.
 
MDJ said:
HAHA, love this, Joking aside though Fella, the Guy who I did my apprenticship with worked for a company who used to do lots of work in Gloucester city centre in the 60s, the company was just a mile from town, and the vans were always out and about as the company used to make switchgear as well as installation and went all over the country so no vans were usually at the stores, he swore blind they used to tie a conduit bender to a push bike and cycle the bender to the Job haha, I bet it wasn't unusual 45-50 years ago.
Click to expand...

It was a different attitude in the past, necessity was the mother of invention. If something wasn't available you worked round it, made something, worked a different way etc. Now it's more a case of job stops until whatever it is arrives.
 
imago said:
It was a different attitude in the past, necessity was the mother of invention. If something wasn't available you worked round it, made something, worked a different way etc. Now it's more a case of job stops until whatever it is arrives.
Click to expand...
mother of invention...

thank god you dont lay bricks for a living...

Necessity-is-the-mother-of-invention.jpg
 
I just checked my insurance cert and it says it covers business too, i probably said yes when i took it out. The only reason i said you could get away with it potentially is because if you only do the odd job a couple of times a month then chances are all is fine. Anyway...

And yes i quite agree a sign written van does look a hell of a lot better, no doubt about it.
 
MDJ said:
HAHA, love this, Joking aside though Fella, the Guy who I did my apprenticship with worked for a company who used to do lots of work in Gloucester city centre in the 60s, the company was just a mile from town, and the vans were always out and about as the company used to make switchgear as well as installation and went all over the country so no vans were usually at the stores, he swore blind they used to tie a conduit bender to a push bike and cycle the bender to the Job haha, I bet it wasn't unusual 45-50 years ago.
Click to expand...

The industrial company i did my training with, the site was enormous, that covered several factories. On more than one occasion when a bender was needed and all the benders were being used elsewhere in the factory, it was a case of ringing round the other factories maintenance departments, to find one that was available. Then it was down to walking over to get it and walking back, carrying the dammed thing. A push bike would have been a godsend!!
 
MDJ said:
HAHA, love this, Joking aside though Fella, the Guy who I did my apprenticship with worked for a company who used to do lots of work in Gloucester city centre in the 60s, the company was just a mile from town, and the vans were always out and about as the company used to make switchgear as well as installation and went all over the country so no vans were usually at the stores, he swore blind they used to tie a conduit bender to a push bike and cycle the bender to the Job haha, I bet it wasn't unusual 45-50 years ago.
Click to expand...

I used to work for one of Londons local authorities... some of the 'old boys' there can remember walking from the depots to the council estates with wheel barrows! :d
 
MDJ said:
I use a van, 2 reasons, 1 you get the VAT back through the business and 2 IMO a sign written van turning up at a customers premises combined with a uniform and ID makes you look far more professional even if you are not than a guy in a car, that said I have worked with a lot of really good sparks who drive cars to site, but I am allowed a view too arn't I haha, no offence to anyone at all here :love:
Click to expand...

Yes I agree. The van does present a more "professional image" and it advertises your business, but at the same time it also advertises to any and all toe rags that your van is very likely stuffed-full of expensive tools etc .........
 
MDJ said:
HAHA, love this, Joking aside though Fella, the Guy who I did my apprenticship with worked for a company who used to do lots of work in Gloucester city centre in the 60s, the company was just a mile from town, and the vans were always out and about as the company used to make switchgear as well as installation and went all over the country so no vans were usually at the stores, he swore blind they used to tie a conduit bender to a push bike and cycle the bender to the Job haha, I bet it wasn't unusual 45-50 years ago.
Click to expand...

It's amazing just how much stuff you can carry on a bicycle. I've seen sacks of coal jammed between the bottom bracket & the crossbar and when the bloke came around to service the streetlights (which were gas) he had spare gas mantles, spare panes of glass, cleaning cloths etc. and a set of ladders - all on a bike. Contrast that to today when they need a cherry picker and a crew of two to change an electric lamp and I start to wonder where it all went wrong.
 
imago said:
It was a different attitude in the past, necessity was the mother of invention. If something wasn't available you worked round it, made something, worked a different way etc. Now it's more a case of job stops until whatever it is arrives.
Click to expand...

I think a lot of it can be blamed on the ridiculous Health & Safety nonsense that's been foisted upon us nowadays.
 
Geordie Spark said:
It's amazing just how much stuff you can carry on a bicycle. I've seen sacks of coal jammed between the bottom bracket & the crossbar and when the bloke came around to service the streetlights (which were gas) he had spare gas mantles, spare panes of glass, cleaning cloths etc. and a set of ladders - all on a bike. Contrast that to today when they need a cherry picker and a crew of two to change an electric lamp and I start to wonder where it all went wrong.
Click to expand...

Come to China, you'll be amazed as to what can and is transported on a daily basis, using the humble but versatile ''Pushbike''!! lol!!
 
I have a van, sign written / website, T shirt with logos etc and know I win many jobs on image/1st impressions... I'm under no illusion, many of the car driving sparks on here are better at there jobs than me, but maybe not as busy. 1st impressions count massively IMO... I'd ditch the car and get a van, even a small one to start.
And to add there is no way I'd fit all my tools & stock in a car, my van vault is like a small coffin on its own.

:)
 
when doing PJ's i have to turn up to jobs in my range rover !

Get some funny looks i tell you ! LOL

lovely bit of boot space though :p

however my usual company daily work vehicle is a Renault trafic.

first impressions mean everything. i certainly wouldn't think much of a sparks pulling up in an old shed estate or van hah
 
Joking aside though, I have worked with some Brilliant sparks who drive cars, I'd still have a van myself though.
 
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