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Think of your van as a blank canvass to be filled with whatever your trade needs

This content was provided on behalf of Anchor Vans

WE’VE all been there – driving to our next job and being plagued by the sound of our toolbox cascading its contents all over the floor of the back of the van, leaving us to literally pick up the pieces of our equipment.

However, more and more business van owners are turning to customising the interiors of their vans to give themselves the storage convenience of a workshop in the back of a van.

Kits, construction guides and pre-built storage vans are all commonplace, transforming your van from simple A-to-B transport into an extension of your trade tool. This post, from used business van specialists Anchor Vans, runs through considerations to make before taking the plunge and kitting out your van.

 

Buy pre-built or retrofit?

The great news for UK tradesmen is that we all typically use fairly similar vans – there’s almost a standardisation in the selection we tend to choose from.

This really opens up scope for customising your van’s storage setup to suit your needs based on existing storage ‘kits’, whether you’re a carpenter, electrician or decorator, and as a result of this you have a couple of different options – you can either buy a trade van pre-fitted with storage units and shelving, or you can install storage yourself from a kit and customise along the way.

The latter is the most beneficial in the long term, allowing you to include the right kind of storage for the type and amount of equipment you have – there’s no point in having space filled with storage drawers if you typically carry more power tools than anything else.

It also allows you to fit a relatively inexpensive kit to your van, customising along the way – there are plenty of guides available to help you customise and build your own storage, such as this eHow article and this post from a British carpentry blogger, giving you comprehensive detailed advice.

Finally, a DIY storage job lets you choose a van you like and can afford – allowing you to buy used, helping reduce your costs even further, and leaving more budget to play with to put tools in it!

 

Trade tools dictate layout

Regardless of whether you’re going down the pre-built route and are in the process of choosing the right layout, or if you’re looking at your van as a blank canvas to craft your own storage and racking, the tools you’re looking to store and transport are going to dictate the overall layout of your storage units as much as they will dictate what units you have at all.

For example, builders using heavier tools or plant hire firms working with specialist equipment will require fewer but larger storage spaces allowing their equipment to be secured down away from doorways.

This kind of layout will likely require the use of a ‘false floor’ which can be used for the storage of smaller tools. Compare this with handymen, small-time building contractors or electricians who will likely need much more drawer and cabinet space with space for smaller tools and individual components.

 

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