Van Stock.

[Shropshire]

Just bought a Renault Kangoo Van. So im setting up on my own and would like a little van stock. What would you recommend I stock on my van as at my last job we had a fully stocked van all the time . Obviously it is a heavy outlay to have it fully stocked and only have a small van.

Soon to be sign written.
Ordered Roof bars.
Ordered pipe tube.

What else do I have as in accessory and cable.

Thanks, Shropshire.

 

[Thomas123]

are you doing domestic on commercial?

 

[telectrix]

if doing domestic, sockets , switches, pendants, T/E, earth cable ( 6mm and 10mm), a selection of MCBs ( but even if you've got 100, you'll not have the 1 youm need). an RCD or 2. screw organiser box, clip box.

 

[Shropshire]

Well , yeah I'm a farm/ horticultural specialist. As I have grown up on farms and know all the farmers. So most of the time I fit electric fences for people which means I like to carry the odd battery. I do alot of re wires also and the usual​ CU upgrades and bonds.

 

[Top Cat]

Well , yeah I'm a farm/ horticultural specialist. As I have grown up on farms and know all the farmers. So most of the time I fit electric fences for people which means I like to carry the odd battery. I do alot of re wires also and the usual​ CU upgrades and bonds.

A pair of wellies!

 

[imago]

Velcro gloves?

On a serious note, your van stock is really controlled by the type of work you do most, and availability from suppliers. So I do mostly domestic and some commercial in or near to Birmingham. There are six suppliers within a few miles, two open on Sat/Sun, and a further four suppliers slightly further across town. (The ones I know of, there are probably more.) Consequently I carry very little stock.

If you're doing farm stuff, and live out in the sticks then obviously you need to carry more. My advice would be to start of with the minimum you can think of and build up from there.

 

[gutterball]

Have a look at someone else's van. Throw 3/4 of the contents out and what is left is the what you actually need ;-)

 

[topquark]

Off the top of me head, in addition to accessories/cable already mentioned I keep: a 3m tail kit, a couple of henleys, REC, 12V 0-150W transformer, BS951 clamps. A couple of stanley cases with various bits and bobs: heatshrink, soldering iron/solder, various cable clips, cable ties, rawl plugs (mostly brown/red (but keep a few blue/yellow as well)), grommets, various lengths of 3.5mm machine screws, spare stanley blades, a box of PZ2 bits. Also mixed pack of resistors, electrolytic capacitors. Also capping and some trunking (tend to buy bulk packs and keep what's left on the van, it's stored in an bit of 100mm soil stack (not used!)). Oodles of sleeving (gy(5mm/3mm)/brown(3mm)). Various sizes of fuses (and fusewire). I also have a case with various screw sizes (orig screwfix). A few double plasterboard boxes, a few surface mount boxes (single and double), metal boxes ... not huge quantities just a few of each ... saves having to nip to the nearest outlet on occasion.

I also keep singles and a few 20mm conduit lengths, bends, sockets and glands (and 2.5mm brown/blue/gy). Metalclad sockets/switches. 2.5mm T/E, 1.5mm T/E (usually have some 6mm and 10mm T/E left over, but don't "intend" to stock it).

Used to keep 60W/100W incandescents and GU10's, but don't any longer (to much choice on type of lamps these days).

 

[brman]

Off the top of me head, in addition to accessories/cable already mentioned I keep: a 3m tail kit, a couple of henleys, REC, 12V 0-150W transformer, BS951 clamps. A couple of stanley cases with various bits and bobs: heatshrink, soldering iron/solder, various cable clips, cable ties, rawl plugs (mostly brown/red (but keep a few blue/yellow as well)), grommets, various lengths of 3.5mm machine screws, spare stanley blades, a box of PZ2 bits. Also mixed pack of resistors, electrolytic capacitors. Also capping and some trunking (tend to buy bulk packs and keep what's left on the van, it's stored in an bit of 100mm soil stack (not used!)). Oodles of sleeving (gy(5mm/3mm)/brown(3mm)). Various sizes of fuses (and fusewire). I also have a case with various screw sizes (orig screwfix). A few double plasterboard boxes, a few surface mount boxes (single and double), metal boxes ... not huge quantities just a few of each ... saves having to nip to the nearest outlet on occasion.

I also keep singles and a few 20mm conduit lengths, bends, sockets and glands (and 2.5mm brown/blue/gy). Metalclad sockets/switches. 2.5mm T/E, 1.5mm T/E (usually have some 6mm and 10mm T/E left over, but don't "intend" to stock it).

Used to keep 60W/100W incandescents and GU10's, but don't any longer (to much choice on type of lamps these days).

out of interest, what do you use the res/caps for?

I haven't seen mention of junction boxes (including maintenance free types). 13A plugs?
Crimp kit.
a couple of blanking plates.

Perhaps some IP66 adaptable boxes, a few glands and maybe a SWA repair kit if you do a lot of outdoor stuff?

 

[topquark]

out of interest, what do you use the res/caps for?

I haven't seen mention of junction boxes (including maintenance free types). 13A plugs?
Crimp kit.
a couple of blanking plates.

Perhaps some IP66 adaptable boxes, a few glands and maybe a SWA repair kit if you do a lot of outdoor stuff?

Testing panels mainly. Often resistors 6.8K and 20K (zone strings/sounder circuits respectively). Some need resistor some capacitor (some both, capacitor at the panel, terminating resistor on the end).....often the cause of phantom alarms.

 

[brman]

Testing panels mainly. Often resistors 6.8K and 20K (zone strings/sounder circuits respectively). Some need resistor some capacitor (some both, capacitor at the panel, terminating resistor on the end).....often the cause of phantom alarms.

ah, not something I do.

 

[HandySparks]

topquark's list is very similar to my stock although, as I do multiple trades, the bigger stuff stays in the shed unless I'm on an electrical job.
One item surprisingly often required is CU MCB blanks. I quite often come across CUs with missing blanks, and it's one of those things I really feel I can't walk away from without sorting it. I buy a few different types and pick whichever seems to fit best.

 

[vernam616]

What gets me about this thread is that in the first post you said the previous van you had was all stocked out..... So surely you already must know what your essentials would be for the job?????

 

[Swicade]

vernam616 is thinking along the same lines i was when reading the OP.

Basicaly if your doing the same sort of work you was doing when employed you've already got a far better idea than most here of what you use. Best thing is to sit down and starting listing thing's you've used alot on job's and go from there,past experience of the work environment your in will soon see the list become clear of stock required and ease of availability in your area of item's required to do the job.

When a list is made (it's unlikely you'll ever have a completed list) van stock items needed will soon become clear.

 

[Shropshire]

My last postion was a very much industrial so had lots of steels stock , very little domestic work done .