What truck or van do you work out of ?My van's not as bad as it was years ago, I've had to lean it out AND find room for more diverse things. It used to be we were told to limit what we stocked for repair parts. Take pictures and order what was needed for a return trip. If I ordered a stem for my van the parts person would ask permission from a manager before ordering it. Our shop Sloan kit was well stocked and none of us had Sloan parts on the vans. Maybe a half dozen shower valve cartridges. It was brutal. I hated subjecting customers to a second, unnecessary trip for a Moen 1200 or a Symmons TA-10. Motto was "get eyes on it" and figure out what we need to come back.
A couple years ago we lost our two other good service guys leaving only me. Calls went up due to covid and the urban flight. The new guys they pulled off newcon were dysmal. This left me being sent to all sorts of situations where we didn't know what I'd find, and we didn't want a second trip because we were so strapped for man hours. I am now our only real service plumber and have been for quite some time. The past several years I have been able to order ANYTHING. A couple weeks ago I ordered a Wal-Rich spud buddy mostly just to see if I could! It was special order and they had it delivered 2 day shipping without even asking me!
Since things changed I stock pretty much everything. I go through the van regularly looking for overstock and tools I don't use. I keep softener parts, Sloan parts, several sump pumps, all sorts of well pump parts like checks, ccvs, foot valves, control boxes, insert fittings, sweat fittings for pressure up to 1-1/4", a few 1-1/2" copper dwv parts, 5 float switches(instead of 2), electrical parts like jboxes, switches, romex, bx. And all of that is on top of the usual pipe and fittings I carried before and all of the snaking equipment.
Knipex DP-50
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What truck or van do you work out of ?
2014 Ford E-250 standard cargo van.
You name it I probably got it. I did take my combination 1/2" & 3/4" copper bender off the van a few months ago
I was working really hard to lose some weight, got down to a few hundred pounds below GVWR They need to upgrade you to a box truck considering they want you to do everything repair. Or something a lot bigger. It’s not fair to you or the van ✌2014 Ford E-250 standard cargo van.
You name it I probably got it. I did take my combination 1/2" & 3/4" copper bender off the van a few months ago
I agree and they would certainly get me a KUV if I wanted, we have one now and have multiple in the past, problem is the snake. A box truck just wouldn't fit where we go. But a KUV only has a back door. The snake would either be behind too much stuff or blocking too much stuff.
Somewhere I saw one picture of a chevy with a custom box that had a side man door and the cabover portion was only a foot tall. It was basically the old standard cargo van version of what is now a tallboy. The plan so far is to keep my current van running no matter what. I refuse to drive a transit. My van is on it's second engine.
E erybodys different but I have a basic 250 GMC cargo van that I put two engines and three transmissions in, 2002 model. I bought it new. It’s sitting in my drive way with 190,000 all crappy city street miles. I have a trickle charger keeping the battery topped offf and I run it around the neighhborhood once every couple weeks
I’m glad to be out of that POS and into a huge ass transit.
I have room to play with now.
I have put about 125k miles on my E-250 in just over 5 years. We bought it used(25k miles) from U-Haul. I doubt it will last 20 years in our service.
I drove a Savannah for a while and didn't like it. The Econolines just fit me like a glove. The Transits are indeed good vans though a bit small, our newcon guys are fine with them, they just aren't for me.
The transits are only small if you buy a small one.
I’ve driven fords econolines in the 80’s and 90’s. Around 2000 we switched to Chevy and gmc vans.
My transits huge, 350 high top extended length with twin turbos and tow package.
It's not the height that's the issue. They are smaller left right and front back. The roof slopes too much leaving unusable spaces. The cab is small, uncomfortable, and inefficient. It has what, 1 cup holder that fits only a soda can? Because it's a smaller, high revving v6 instead of a v8 it's geared oddly and felt jerky. I do actually think it has lots of power. The worst part has to be the handling. Everytime I drive one I feel like I'm going to roll it over.
The roof height would only get me more storage if I didn't keep a ladder on the van. If the roof was taller I would end up hanging the ladder inside.
If you believe working out of a standard Ford Econoline van is better than a Ford transit high top extended length with twin turbos…….We can end the conversation. I’ve worked out of BOTH and it’s not even close for Me.
My transits cargo in cubic Feet capacity is TWICE of your van. Look it up…….
It has more leg room, hip and head room.
And like it matters but it has 4 cup holders and 2 thermos holders in the front, over head storage and door storage. USB ports and two 12v power ports.
Haveva great day 👍
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I use to use a hand saw all the time. I just hated the mess it made.
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