# What I have/had in my van.



## The Dane (Feb 19, 2015)

I got a different van today and someone told me to take pictures of what I actually have in all my milwaukee boxes and such. 

It's a work in progress still. I have not fully arranged things and fastened down the shelves yet. 

First will be a picture or 2 of the old van. Followed by pictures of everything I put in the van today, which pretty much is just tools. At the end will be a picture of all my stuff when I moved it out of the old van and one of what is still left after putting in the essentials today. 

I have countless more boxes but I'm trying to downsize and to put more stuff away and only bring it when I know I need it.














































































































































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## The Dane (Feb 19, 2015)

More pictures














































































































































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## The Dane (Feb 19, 2015)

Round 3












































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## The Dane (Feb 19, 2015)

It mixed up the pictures a little but it should be easy to see what's what. 

The box with random tools thrown in it is my "specialty tool box" it's the tools I don't use very often

Tomorrow I'll try and see what else I can organize and I'll show you guys what is in some of the boxes I didn't put in the van. Later on I'll have the van wrapped. I might go talk to the guys doing that tomorrow to get them started on designing it. I'll make sure to make a post with that when it's done.

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## Debo22 (Feb 15, 2015)

You really need a separator between the tools and the passenger seats. It‘s dangerous to have that much sh!t in the back without a barrier, especially with that car seat.


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## The Dane (Feb 19, 2015)

Debo22 said:


> You really need a separator between the tools and the passenger seats. It‘s dangerous to have that much sh!t in the back without a barrier, especially with that car seat.
> View attachment 130070


I know and I'm planing on it but man I just got back home with the van 3.5 hours ago and needed the stuff back in so I'm ready to make money. I don't have a wall for it yet but I'm going to call the scrap yard and see if they have one and if not I'll have to make something myself that will work. It's a main priority now that I have the tools in there.

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## DogGod (Jul 7, 2021)

So I don't even know where to begin on this post. Obviously you're looking for some kind of criticizing or praise for what you have.?

If you work for a plumbing company in this is the van that they provided you you need a new job. If your a chuck and a Truck and you're running your own company and you're making it. I'll give you a little credit for that.

My friend I'm not trying to be hard on you. But if someone were to ever pull up to my house in the truck like that. They'd be gone. There's a correlation between the quality of work provided by a plumber and the organization skills and cleanliness of his truck. I'm not saying my truck doesn't get messy I work a lot and there are times where I am just too tired. 

It does look like you spent an awful lot of money on the Milwaukee brand. I'm actually getting into a new truck this afternoon. I'll probably post some pictures for some criticizing. I'm strictly service I'm not new construction. Are you service or new construction


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## The Dane (Feb 19, 2015)

DogGod said:


> So I don't even know where to begin on this post. Obviously you're looking for some kind of criticizing or praise for what you have.?
> 
> If you work for a plumbing company in this is the van that they provided you you need a new job. If your a chuck and a Truck and you're running your own company and you're making it. I'll give you a little credit for that.
> 
> ...


The super full one was becoming a problem yes. I never apologize for generalizing as its a healthy survival instinct. I must though correct you and say the so called correlation between how the van looks and the quality of my work is not true in my case. I have a very good reputation for my work around here and I am quite organized inside the house and bother to wear booties and use dropcloths when needed. I will admit your statement is normally true but not in my case. Customers often comment on my organization of my tools in my boxes. The boxes are an attempt to better organize and not have **** floating around in the van. The messy van got to be a bad habit at my previous job because I did not have any time at the end of the day or in the morning as I had kids to deal with and during the day the boss just wanted to see full billable 40 hours and did not want any down time to deal with such things.

I have had my own business for 4 months now and the new van is downsizing but will be better kept up with. Alot of the reason why my old one got to be so bad is because right as I started my business I also had to deal with moving out of a house and in to an apartment because I was getting divorced and now had all sorts of stuff to deal with while no longer having a basement and garage to use as a shop. In 4 months I have gotten more good reviews online than my previous boss got in 2 years with 5 employees and have customers asking for my businesscard because they want to refer me and 1 insisted on putting it up on 18, yes 18 bulletin boards at her place of work. I might not work full time yet but I have had nothing but extremely happy customers so far and that is with charging more than the plumbers around here normally do. So yeah I guarantee that your judgment of my work based on the old van would be your loss not mine.

I was actually not looking for criticism or praise but rather delivering on a promise to another member on here who had asked me to post what I actually have in all those boxes. I'm not sure why you think all people are just about themselves, maybe because you only think about yourself all the time? I do believe I stated in the post it was done by request so maybe you should just learn to read the actual text and not jump to conclusions in an attempt to troll people.

I'm doing all around plumbing. Residential and commercial. Service, remodel, drain calls and new construction I can do it all. Nothing industrial and nothing that requires alot of man power as I'm alone right now. 

I just saw a shop today about wrapping the van as I want to look professional. I don't show up in ripped pants but decent looking pants and an embroidered shirt.

I would love a new tall long fird transit where I had all the room in the world for every neatly organized box I could think of. For now being a new business owner reasently divorced with 3 kids I am simply doing the best I can with that van. 

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## The Dane (Feb 19, 2015)

Oh and if you noticed I have both a broom and a vacuume cleaner in the van so I can leave a job looking clean. I'm not perfection by any means but I'm surely in the top of quality of work and customer service. I'm the one my old boss asked to redo most of his gas pipes and remodel his bathroom at his own house and I'm the one he sent a couple if times to smoothen things out and do right by the customer when others failed.

Sorry every one the statements got me pissed off.

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## DogGod (Jul 7, 2021)

The Dane said:


> The super full one was becoming a problem yes. I never apologize for generalizing as its a healthy survival instinct. I must though correct you and say the so called correlation between how the van looks and the quality of my work is not true in my case. I have a very good reputation for my work around here and I am quite organized inside the house and bother to wear booties and use dropcloths when needed. I will admit your statement is normally true but not in my case. Customers often comment on my organization of my tools in my boxes. The boxes are an attempt to better organize and not have **** floating around in the van. The messy van got to be a bad habit at my previous job because I did not have any time at the end of the day or in the morning as I had kids to deal with and during the day the boss just wanted to see full billable 40 hours and did not want any down time to deal with such things.
> 
> I have had my own business for 4 months now and the new van is downsizing but will be better kept up with. Alot of the reason why my old one got to be so bad is because right as I started my business I also had to deal with moving out of a house and in to an apartment because I was getting divorced and now had all sorts of stuff to deal with while no longer having a basement and garage to use as a shop. In 4 months I have gotten more good reviews online than my previous boss got in 2 years with 5 employees and have customers asking for my businesscard because they want to refer me and 1 insisted on putting it up on 18, yes 18 bulletin boards at her place of work. I might not work full time yet but I have had nothing but extremely happy customers so far and that is with charging more than the plumbers around here normally do. So yeah I guarantee that your judgment of my work based on the old van would be your loss not mine.
> 
> ...


Criticism is not a bad thing. From your description of your work and the pride in what you wrote I will commend you. It's not easy. 

Taking care of people's homes and doing quality work does stand for itself.. 

First impressions are everything. I'm sure when you knock on the door you knock it out of the park. 

Since you are working on your own. Then good on you. You have more tools then I have ever really needed. Life gets easier with a lightly loaded van. 

I hope you get the time to get organized.


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## The Dane (Feb 19, 2015)

DogGod said:


> Criticism is not a bad thing. From your description of your work and the pride in what you wrote I will commend you. It's not easy.
> 
> Taking care of people's homes and doing quality work does stand for itself..
> 
> ...


Thanks. Sorry I got a little grumpy there. I do normally make a good impression when I knock on the door but I'm also sure I could do better. I would rather have a heavily loaded van (tools and material) and a lightly loaded main tool box. I'm trying to find the happy medium. For example I have a box for new construction layout such as string line that I really don't need to have in the van as that has never come in use unexpectedly. Now I'm sorting out and leaving that stuff out of the van.

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## DogGod (Jul 7, 2021)

That's what I would do. Keep a storage shed for stock and tools. Scrap copper and extra fittings. I keep heavy duty trash bags and I clean when I get the opportunity. I try to in between calls. Swing by a supply house to restock any used material an unload trash bags.. most the time I swing by the water heater drop off area and strip the brass or copper left on the units.


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## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

The Dane said:


> It mixed up the pictures a little but it should be easy to see what's what.
> 
> The box with random tools thrown in it is my "specialty tool box" it's the tools I don't use very often
> 
> ...


I dont mean to be critical here, no offence meant, but I would be pulling my hair out before half the day 
passed if I had to work out of a truck with so little stock like you have..... I dont like ever going
to a supply house for a part and you are certainly working with the absolute minimum possible
in your truck.... to each his own...

If it were not raining outside I would take some pictures of my stock


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## The Dane (Feb 19, 2015)

Master Mark said:


> I dont mean to be critical here, no offence meant, but I would be pulling my hair out before half the day
> passed if I had to work out of a truck with so little stock like you have..... I dont like ever going
> to a supply house for a part and you are certainly working with the absolute minimum possible
> in your truck.... to each his own...
> ...


Mark trust me I'm not all that happy about it either. I would prefer a tall long ford transit fully stocked like a supply house on wheels. That will be in the future. For now I am just working with what I have, low budget and a need to also transport kids as I can't afford 2 vehicles at this time. My previous colleagues use to always ask me if I had this or that on the jobsite as I stocked as much as I could. That was partly why my van was looking messy. I most times had what they needed and could tell them exactly where to find it to the point they all seemed very impressed by it whether that be good or bad.

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## Debo22 (Feb 15, 2015)




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## The Dane (Feb 19, 2015)

Debo22 said:


> View attachment 130087




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## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

The Dane said:


> Mark trust me I'm not all that happy about it either. I would prefer a tall long ford transit fully stocked like a supply house on wheels. That will be in the future. For now I am just working with what I have, low budget and a need to also transport kids as I can't afford 2 vehicles at this time. My previous colleagues use to always ask me if I had this or that on the jobsite as I stocked as much as I could. That was partly why my van was looking messy. I most times had what they needed and could tell them exactly where to find it to the point they all seemed very impressed by it whether that be good or bad.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk


Sorry, I did no tread your other post and I understand that you got a lot on your plate right now 
with a divorce and other stressors in your life.... I once worked out of a Toyota pick up truck with a 
camper top on the back while living out in Denver,.... 

You do what you have to do to get by and in a short while it will all come together....

good luck


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## goeswiththeflow (Feb 24, 2018)

No one is more critical than I, about things that affect me, my work and what I do, but I could not really give a rat's aspirine about how a guy half way acrosss the country keeps his van. Doesn't affect me in the least. You put yourself out there for us to learn, enjoy, ridicule, shake our head, whatever, but you you don't need to justify yourself to anyone. What I see in those photos is a guy killing it, juggling life, work, family, finances, and making it all work. Good on you. It's real easy to sit back on the keyboard and judge a guy from a few pictures, but another to understand who knows what and who is real by observing months of his contributions. Nothing says ignorance to me than thinking in absolutes; all Rooters are bad, you can't do a good job or don't know what you are doing unless your tools are all red, you can't work out of anything other than a fully stocked cube van.....bullschitt. It has been said that you can tell how hard a man works by looking at his hands. I look at his boots.


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## SchmitzPlumbing (May 5, 2014)

a dirty van always bugs me and i am sometimes in that boat as well. what irks me is when these jobs are time and material. put the stuff back where it belongs on the customers dime. cleaning the truck on company time, unbillable , should be on the employees dime.


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## goeswiththeflow (Feb 24, 2018)

Why the hell should it be on the employee's dime? He's on the job doing work, he should be paid. The employer should decide if he wants it to be on his dime or the customer's, but it should never be on the employee. I don't have a problem putting it on the customer's time. I show up there with a clean and organized truck ready to do the job for them. They need to pay for me to put it back in the same condition it was in when I arrived to serve them. I wouldn't be out there messing it up at all if they didn't request me to do the service.


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## DogGod (Jul 7, 2021)

SchmitzPlumbing said:


> a dirty van always bugs me and i am sometimes in that boat as well. what irks me is when these jobs are time and material. put the stuff back where it belongs on the customers dime. cleaning the truck on company time, unbillable , should be on the employees dime.


This is incorrect on very many levels. Most bosses and managers want to push the employee to work well beyond their limits. Vans get dirty it's a fact of life it's all apart and name of the game. If you don't want to pay me to keep the van clean then let me bring it in and you have a helper organized it and clean and wash it while we go over weekly paperwork. If a plumber hurts himself cleaning his van on a Saturday when he's not supposed to be working and let's say for example he falls and breaks his ankle. Like I did. You want to know what the boss says? He says sue me.

For all you Young Bucks out there. Take your time after every single call pull into a parking lot and organize and clean your truck. Do not let the Boss Rush you around. You will find yourself more organized and make more money and then the boss will leave you alone even more. Because you're doing well. He will see your truck and he will appreciate it. Take the time


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## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

DogGod said:


> This is incorrect on very many levels. Most bosses and managers want to push the employee to work well beyond their limits. Vans get dirty it's a fact of life it's all apart and name of the game. If you don't want to pay me to keep the van clean then let me bring it in and you have a helper organized it and clean and wash it while we go over weekly paperwork. If a plumber hurts himself cleaning his van on a Saturday when he's not supposed to be working and let's say for example he falls and breaks his ankle. Like I did. You want to know what the boss says? He says sue me.
> 
> For all you Young Bucks out there. Take your time after every single call pull into a parking lot and organize and clean your truck. Do not let the Boss Rush you around. You will find yourself more organized and make more money and then the boss will leave you alone even more. Because you're doing well. He will see your truck and he will appreciate it. Take the time


I need to wash my box truck, just looked at it today and thought it was getting pretty road grimey 
I am gonna have to find a bunch of high school cheer leaders doing a car wash in some parking lot 
and let them hose this pig down then give them 25 bucks for their effort .... 
maybe 50 if they are in swim suits....


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## SchmitzPlumbing (May 5, 2014)

DogGod said:


> This is incorrect on very many levels. Most bosses and managers want to push the employee to work well beyond their limits. Vans get dirty it's a fact of life it's all apart and name of the game. If you don't want to pay me to keep the van clean then let me bring it in and you have a helper organized it and clean and wash it while we go over weekly paperwork. If a plumber hurts himself cleaning his van on a Saturday when he's not supposed to be working and let's say for example he falls and breaks his ankle. Like I did. You want to know what the boss says? He says sue me.
> 
> For all you Young Bucks out there. Take your time after every single call pull into a parking lot and organize and clean your truck. Do not let the Boss Rush you around. You will find yourself more organized and make more money and then the boss will leave you alone even more. Because you're doing well. He will see your truck and he will appreciate it. Take the time


how am i incorrect? if you are doing time and material jobs, put the stuff back on your truck where it belongs on the customers dime. go back to the shop and throw away the garbage on the customers dime. restock the truck on the customers dime. then fill out the amount of time for the boss to bill it out. why is this so hard to figure out?


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## DogGod (Jul 7, 2021)

Whether a man is flat rate or hourly he should be cleaning his truck during the day. Not on his off time. Off time is off time. If you charge hourly then charge for a dump fee... if flat rate incorporate that into the fee and expect your employees to keep clean trucks. Responsiblity falls on both to acquire the time to make it happen.


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## Sstratton6175 (Jan 10, 2021)

Master Mark said:


> I need to wash my box truck, just looked at it today and thought it was getting pretty road grimey
> I am gonna have to find a bunch of high school cheer leaders doing a car wash in some parking lot
> and let them hose this pig down then give them 25 bucks for their effort ....
> maybe 50 if they are in swim suits....


It’s definitely a little creepy that you’re talking about looking at children in their swimsuits


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## DogGod (Jul 7, 2021)




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## skoronesa (Oct 27, 2015)

Sstratton6175 said:


> It’s definitely a little creepy that you’re talking about looking at children in their swimsuits


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## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

Sstratton6175 said:


> It’s definitely a little creepy that you’re talking about looking at children in their swimsuits


Creepy??? Its was supposed to be a joke....
Well, I guess you have never looked at the cheerleaders at football and basketball games
or ladies beach volleyball

so you keep your eyes on just the guys if thats your thing...

whatever


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## Sstratton6175 (Jan 10, 2021)

Master Mark said:


> Creepy??? Its was supposed to be a joke....
> Well, I guess you have never looked at the cheerleaders at football and basketball games
> or ladies beach volleyball
> 
> ...


This is not creepy. This is adult woman playing volleyball. The only thing I was calling out is that you were talking about high school girls, who are typically 14-17 years old. If you want the Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders to wash your truck in string bikinis I have no issue with that.


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## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

Sstratton6175 said:


> This is not creepy. This is adult woman playing volleyball. The only thing I was calling out is that you were talking about high school girls, who are typically 14-17 years old. If you want the Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders to wash your truck in string bikinis I have no issue with that.


Please Get over yourself... If it were offensive then no one would be having
car wash drives to earn money for some good cause....

.you are sounding like a democrat nit-picking everything and making
an issue out of nothing or everything....

I guess I am just not as woke as you..... real sorry about that... .... not.


Here are some guys to watch if you are more into that


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## Sstratton6175 (Jan 10, 2021)

Master Mark said:


> Please Get over yourself... If it were offensive then no one would be having
> car wash drives to earn money for some good cause....
> 
> .you are sounding like a democrat nit-picking everything and making
> ...


Yes! This South Park clip is hilarious.


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## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

I guess I am just a dirty old man....

but I know you are gonna watch a few minutes of this tournament.....


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## cutuzov (Feb 20, 2021)

How did "How to organize my van" discussion turned into that ?


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## skoronesa (Oct 27, 2015)

cutuzov said:


> How did "How to organize my van" discussion turned into that ?


This is a plumbing forum, eventually everything will devolve into one of four things;

Politics
T&M vs Flat Rate
Sex
My way to plumb is better than your way!


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## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

skoronesa said:


> This is a plumbing forum, eventually everything will devolve into one of four things;
> 
> Politics
> T&M vs Flat Rate
> ...



Now, I am offended by this.... 
all I put on here were some beach volleyball games for you all 
to watch..... and this has not got nothing to do with sex.... 

now if you see it that way you must 
be a pervert or a democrat....


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## Sstratton6175 (Jan 10, 2021)

Master Mark said:


> Now, I am offended by this....
> all I put on here were some beach volleyball games for you all
> to watch..... and this has not got nothing to do with sex....
> 
> ...


🤣 hahaha guns aren’t for Democrats … even water guns.


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## Candice (Jun 17, 2021)

I am in the office and I couldn't agree more with NOT on the employee's own time. Company van, as well as a company policy around here, is to keep a nice and clean van. We have days of the week scheduled for certain things to keep their vans stocked, cleaned, extra organized, etc along with the shop. Vans do get dirty A LOT in the profession and need to be kept up on the regular, not just a schedule or when someone feels like cleaning it. The company van, just like the person driving it, is a direct representation of what the company represents so that's something to keep in mind. We want our employees to value their job here and so we want to take care of our employees too. So clean away on our time  LOL


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