Our 16' mobile shop

[fshanno]

Back on topic.  How did you come by the van? 

My only shop is my garage.  My 12 trailer has essentially become a mobile warehouse.  I have some room for tools but it's mostly materials.  So I've been thinking about trying to pick up some kind of vehicle used uhaul or something.  Your video and the Paulk videos are very interesting. 

Ron's is a beautiful setup but the van is too big and too tall for me.  I think it has a lift gate.

How do you get in and out of the space.  Ramp? Steps?  Just step up please?

 

[Paul G]

can't see it, do i need a photobucket account to view?

Vid doesn't play on my iPhone either, but watched it on my laptop. If I was doing a lot of mobile work something like that would be a great option.

 

[Old School Carpenter]

Back on topic.  How did you come by the van?  

My only shop is my garage.  My 12 trailer has essentially become a mobile warehouse.  I have some room for tools but it's mostly materials.  So I've been thinking about trying to pick up some kind of vehicle used uhaul or something.  Your video and the Paulk videos are very interesting.  

Ron's is a beautiful setup but the van is too big and too tall for me.  I think it has a lift gate.

How do you get in and out of the space.  Ramp? Steps?  Just step up please?

We bought the cube van used about a year and a half ago just for a mobile shop. We have a 45' semi trailer and 24' box truck with liftgate for jobsite equipment /material storage/cabinet and millwork delivery. With another cargo/tool van and 2 pickups, various trailers and a semi/ trailer for day to day transportation and equipment needs, we needed something to be able to work out of the back of without a lot of setup.
Some of our work is equipment heavy, for some of the smaller jobs, the cube van and smaller trucks work well.
We currently just use the step in the back for access, but as I get older, a ramp looks more appealing every day. [smile]

Mike

 

[NYC Tiny Shop]

Well thought out set-up from years of experience.  The frig is a cool idea...no pun intended. I like those Rubbermaid hooks. I'm a one-man shop, so lending tools doesn't come into play. But, I remember hearing stories from my Dad regarding how tool lending, in his shop in the Bronx, could get downright ugly and violent...to the point where my Dad would never let people borrow his tools.  All of his tools had his name engraved into them.  It was a big deal when he started to let me use his. The first thing that he taught me was tool care.

 

[Tinker]

My son and several of his HS buddies worked for/with me for several years.  Son and best buddy were into working on their cars after work and weekends.  Niether one had much in the way of their own tools, so they would borrow mine.  my son worked mostly here in our own yard while his pal worked in his yard.  Often they would work together in whose ever yard the vehicle was in.  My son would just drop a tool where ever it was used.  I was constantly searching the yard for my tools.  The buddy, seeing as he was borrowing my tools to work in his yard was a little more caring for my tools. He would put them into his tool box.  I would do a peridic search and collect my tools from either my lawn or Joe's tool box.

i did not complain too much and the boys were welcome to borrow my tools anytime they needed.  When they finally were able to save enough to start buying their own tools, i could not wait.  I would borrow Joe's (not his real name) tools and absentmindedly drop them into my own tool boxes.  My son's tools, i just dropped where i had used them.  within a couple of weeks, i discovered both of the lads' tool boxes sporting brand new padlocks.  They do take better care of their tools now.
Tinker