# A truly mobile workshop



## Karl (23 May 2010)

A comment by Doc on a thread on the other side prompted me to take some pics of my set-up for going out on site for fitting work.







Starting at the front 






Clamps in the door pockets, and mastik/glue bag in the foot well






on the back seats






Plastic tower which stores the Freud router, SDS and normal drills, together will all those odds n sods which you can never place your hand on when you need them - stretcher plates, wedges, cable ties etc. Also have a Wickes step, a roller stand and a red cantilever box which contains the Mapp gun and associated plumbing bits.

On the other side






Fein extractor. The black and yellow tall box parked behind the front seat contains power planer, jigsaw, multimaster, biscuit jointer, a small hammer drill and all ancillaries such as biscuits, blades etc. You can also see the spirit level bag sat on top.






Sat in between is the compressor and a box with the guns, brads and hose in. There is also a 4' x 2' sheet of ply leaning against the rear seats to form the workbench.

In the boot











Screw box, bag of Milwaukee cordless, tool bag, Makita radio, CS, DW chopsaw, bag of quality hand tools :roll: and a couple of cheapo folding workbenches. 

For those of you thinking "why doesn't the silly person just get a bloody van" :lol: , well two days a week I have to do the school run and need to be able to transport 4 kids. So it's tools out and car seats in!

Need to sort out the workbenches - those cheap plastic ones are a bit naff. Other than that, I think i've got everything pretty well organised, and I rarely go out on site having left something at home (mainly 'cos it's all in the car!).

Cheers

Karl


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## Oryxdesign (23 May 2010)

You need a crew van.


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## Doctor (23 May 2010)

Karl- I know you are a great fitter, from all the positive comments and pictures you post, and I know kids come first BUT.......

if a prospective fitter turned up in a car I doubt I would use him, just seems unprofessional to me, SORRY 

First impressions and all that.


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## Shane (23 May 2010)

I did similar in my little old VW polo for a while, but it got a bet silly so I upgraded to a renualt espace. I can get all of my gear, and within reason furniture and/or stock into it on weekdays, and put the seats back in on the weekends 8) :lol:

I also have a LWB transit as well


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## Shane (23 May 2010)

Doctor":298p7o1b said:


> Karl- I know you are a great fitter, from all the positive comments and pictures you post, and I know kids come first BUT.......
> 
> if a prospective fitter turned up in a car I doubt I would use him, just seems unprofessional to me, SORRY
> 
> First impressions and all that.



If Karls customers are happy with his work and he gets plenty of referals I doubt they give a toss what he turns up in


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## speed (23 May 2010)

Doctor":mt4c0c8t said:


> Karl- I know you are a great fitter, from all the positive comments and pictures you post, and I know kids come first BUT.......
> 
> if a prospective fitter turned up in a car I doubt I would use him, just seems unprofessional to me, SORRY
> 
> First impressions and all that.



i have to agree


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## L Harding (23 May 2010)

must take an age to load and unload, you could rent a van for the money you'd save on time.

and where does the furniture you need the tools to fit go?


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## Karl (23 May 2010)

speed":3403u2p1 said:


> Doctor":3403u2p1 said:
> 
> 
> > Karl- I know you are a great fitter, from all the positive comments and pictures you post, and I know kids come first BUT.......
> ...



Fair point guys. And one I am acutely aware of. 

Until the little gits are old enought to get the bus, will have to make do with what i've got!

But as Shane has pointed out, I do ok at the moment. So i'm in no rush.

Cheers

Karl


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## Qwibble (23 May 2010)

Great use of space : )


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## Karl (23 May 2010)

L Harding":3049elzg said:


> must take an age to load and unload, you could rent a van for the money you'd save on time.
> 
> and where does the furniture you need the tools to fit go?



Actually, it takes about 5 minutes to load/unload. Everything has its place.

The majority of the time, the materials are already on site when I get there. If it is something I am supplying then I either hire a van or, if it is small enough (say replacement kitchen doors), take them round in the Focus without the tools - often the day/night before fitting. 

Cheers

Karl


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## mailee (23 May 2010)

Nah Karl, I can't agree with this lot. Get rid of the kids, it'll be a lot cheaper in the long run. :lol:


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## OPJ (23 May 2010)

Wow! :shock:

Where do you put all your wood?

I assume you don't have an apprentice with you often?


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## Shane (23 May 2010)

OPJ":6tn0qtiw said:


> Where do you put all your wood?



It has roof bars :lol:


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## laird (23 May 2010)

Why not get a suitable trailer ? Car for the family, car tows mobile workshop ? Car looks clean and tidy, trailer looks professional ( and carries advert).


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## ByronBlack (23 May 2010)

laird":6v90dz8t said:


> Why not get a suitable trailer ? Car for the family, car tows mobile workshop ? Car looks clean and tidy, trailer looks professional ( and carries advert).



That sounds like a good idea.

Karl, do you load/unload all this every night? If you don't, and you keep the gear in the car, do you worry about security - or do you park it in a garage?


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## Shultzy (23 May 2010)

Karl. I would edit your car reg out, you don't know who's looking.


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## billw (23 May 2010)

Being a complete traveller I'd appreciate that the person doing the job was keeping his overheads low by not leasing a van :lol: [/b]


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## ByronBlack (23 May 2010)

Shultzy":4r5lbcbm said:


> Karl. I would edit your car reg out, you don't know who's looking.



What about the hundreds of people that see his car reg everyday on the road?


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## Karl (23 May 2010)

ByronBlack":wnjlnz95 said:


> Karl, do you load/unload all this every night? If you don't, and you keep the gear in the car, do you worry about security - or do you park it in a garage?



I unload most of it every night. Leave a few inexpensive items in the boot, under the boot cover. 

It only takes 5 mins to unload, and if it all got nicked i'd be stuffed. So I make a point of bringing it in every night.

Cheers

Karl


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## ByronBlack (23 May 2010)

Karl":1qx5ntaf said:


> ByronBlack":1qx5ntaf said:
> 
> 
> > Karl, do you load/unload all this every night? If you don't, and you keep the gear in the car, do you worry about security - or do you park it in a garage?
> ...



I think you've done well to fit it all in. I personally wouldn't be bothered by a tradesman who uses his car. (as a prior business owner, I understand the need to keep costs down).

If you do ever get a van, and if you haven't already done so, have a look at Jim Tolpins toolbox book, he has a large section on a van that has been kitted out as giant tool-box, some of the ideas are fantastic.


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## big soft moose (23 May 2010)

billw":2y9o0iqk said:


> Being a complete traveller I'd appreciate that the person doing the job was keeping his overheads low by not leasing a van :lol: [/b]



if you were a "complete traveller" you'd be heading to karls house right now ,in your knackered transit with no MOT and snide tax disc, to load up with some "new" tools :lol:


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## wizer (24 May 2010)

The trailer idea is good. Especially if you can pick one up cheap on eBay. Even if you couldn't park the trailer in the garage, it would still make loading and unloading quicker. You could also customise it in a similar way to what Byron is saying about Tolpins van. Actually I remember seeing something in the US where the guy had fitted his whole workshop into a trailer. TS, BS, SCMS, Dust extraction. I'll see if I can find it again.


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## Chems (24 May 2010)

If you had an accident, you'd be so dead as you'd be hit by some piece of flying equipment. There is a great video we show to people (we= fire service) that is about seatbelts and shows how a person becomes a projectile around the car and that all occupants would have survived had they not had one person who was not wearing a seatbelt in the car ricocheting off the walls and killing them all in the process. I'm sure you've seen something similar on TV. But just for a quick read this women was killed by her un-secured laptop:

http://www.geek.com/articles/news/woman ... -20090416/

Get yourself a trailer man!


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## studders (24 May 2010)

Surely if Karl had a Van or Trailer he would still have to load/unload it every day?

Me I'd use the roof rack for the kids, the fresh air will do them the World of good.


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## Eric The Viking (24 May 2010)

studders":2psffmhb said:


> Surely if Karl had a Van or Trailer he would still have to load/unload it every day?
> 
> Me I'd use the roof rack for the kids, the fresh air will do them the World of good.



Firstly it wouldn't fit them and secondly they'd almost certainly complain when asked to carry timber more than a mile or two.

Stick with the car. 8) 

Me? I turn up to meetings in a suit and driving a 21-year-old Land Rover.
Occasionally I have customers ask for a go in it!


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## devonwoody (24 May 2010)

I would fit a towbar to the car and then construct a closed trailer to carry all my gear in if it were me.
Other trades do that if they dont want tobe a van man.


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## Boatfixer (24 May 2010)

I use my car in preference to a van as running two vehicles would just be an unnecessary expense. However I don't do much site work if I can help it. I agree in an accident that load looks like a death trap. One hint I was given a while ago was to fasten the rear seat belts if anything heavy is in the boot as they will restrain the rear seats from folding a lot better than the seat retaining catches. This won't stop everything else flying around though!


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## wizer (24 May 2010)

A trailer would still be easier to unload and load.


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## woodbloke (24 May 2010)

...and has it managed to stay dry this year? :lol: :lol: - Rob...very hasty exit, ducking and diving


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## big soft moose (24 May 2010)

only thing is - and as someone who regular tows a trailer i can say this for definite - if you are working in surburbia as i presume karl often is rseversing and parking a trailer in your average street isnt easy.

that said i agree with chems on the flying items issue - you can get clip in bulkheads that would protect the driver in those circs


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## studders (24 May 2010)

Eric The Viking":1omy8kzc said:


> studders":1omy8kzc said:
> 
> 
> > Me I'd use the roof rack for the kids, the fresh air will do them the World of good.
> ...


:lol:
Tsk!! Kids today eh? Why when I were a lad.......


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## flounder (24 May 2010)

You forgot to mention your little pot of Vaseline in the centre console area! I am sure it has a good use! :wink:


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## Dibs-h (24 May 2010)

flounder":1w447g6j said:


> You forgot to mention your little pot of Vaseline in the centre console area! I am sure it has a good use! :wink:


#

ROFLMAO!!!! 

Fantastic mate!


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## wizer (24 May 2010)

I'm quite sure Karl just uses it as a lube for sharpening his blades.... eh Karl ?  Right?


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## Karl (24 May 2010)

Errr.....something like that Tom. :lol: 

Actually I had chapped lips a couple of weeks ago, and it was getting on my nerves that much that I turned big girly and cracked open the vaseline.

I'm surprised it took until Page 3 for somebody to point it out.

Trailer - not an option i'm afraid. Nowhere to store it at night plus, as BSM said, it'd be a right pain towing it everywhere, turning, reversing etc. 

Cheers

Karl


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## Benchwayze (26 May 2010)

Was a time when 'fitters' or 'tradesmen', and the like turned up on a pushbike. And as someone intimated, If you did a good job, you'd soon be able to afford motorised transport! 

I guess today it's just a bit much to start with a push-bike. 

And Karl... 'MELROSE' was my choice for cold-chapped skin. Not so greasy as PJ.

:wink: 

John

Arghhhhhh! When will AOL put a spell check in their browser! 
Not before I learn how to type without typos? :mrgreen:


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## BradNaylor (26 May 2010)

Mention of a trailer reminded me of this one I saw on an American forum






















I want me one!


Alternatively, there's this beauty....












:lol:


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## wizer (26 May 2010)

Now that's cool. A portable wall saw 

That's not the one I saw. I can't seem to find it. But it was a normal smallish trailer with a full plethora of tools that made up a kind of 'island' for working out in the open. I think it was probably on LumberJocks


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## wizer (26 May 2010)

and then I found it (homer) 







http://lumberjocks.com/projects/5291


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## woodsworth (27 May 2010)

I work out of my car as well. It's like tetris fitting everything in. I do have a trailer though for transporting what ever doesn't fit in the car. Now that i have a full license i'll be looking for a van. I doubt to many people would turn their noses up if you don't show up in a van. You do what you have to do and making a living isn't the end all be all. Family comes first in my opinion. What i've found though is i've completely wrecked the car using it for work. I'll be driving it to the wreckers in a month or two.


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## Karl (27 May 2010)

Oryxdesign":2cz9z867 said:


> You need a crew van.



Good call Simon. I wasn't really aware of them before.

This sort looks ok







But i'd prefer one of these






"We" (read SWMBO and I) are going to have talk next year.

Cheers

Karl


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## Oryxdesign (27 May 2010)

To be more specific, you need a sportline crewvan.


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