Mobile Forklift mechanic van setup

[Brian247]

I have been doing some looking around and I don’t see a whole lot of forklift mechanics posting pictures of their van setups so I thought I would post mine.

I have been working as a mobile mechanic for about 8 years now and this is the best setup I have come to for now. I drive a ford transit 250 with the medium roof, and I actually love it. Being able to stand up in the back of my van saves my back a ton of aching after 60 hour work weeks.

In the small tool bag I have my most commonly used tools that I can take with me to do about 80% of the jobs that I do. I keep my 1/4 and 3/8 drive sockets, pliers, screw drivers electrical tools for troubleshooting and my 3/8 Milwaukee impact for taking off floor plates and panels. I keep all my wrenches in the other small tool tote and I carry both of these to the truck if I can’t get my van close by.

I have mostly husky, harbor freight and gear wrench tools all mixed together and after years of punishment I have broken very few tools, and the few I have I had no problem getting them warrantied at my local stores.

If anyone else has any pictures of their setups or advice on better ways to store tools I would love to see what you got! Thanks for checking out my van setup!

 

[KnurledNut]

Mobile setups are always unique. Yours seems well thought out for your trade. The van looks like a user friendly design.

 

[Brian247]

Thanks, yeah it seems like I find something that doesn’t work ever couple weeks and end up moving everything around. This setup seems to work for me and I can keep it somewhat clean and organized on a daily basis.

 

[uscarry45]

Looks very nice is that a ford transit?

 

[Brian247]

Yeah, it’s a transit 250 with the medium roof. I have worked out of E-250’s and a GMC savanna and this is so much better than having to hunch over and hit my head all the time.

 

[sberry]

Good room.

 

[Brian247]

Thanks, I try to keep it nice and organized

 

[KnurledNut]

Have any issues with the magnetic socket rails falling off the toolbox?

 

[RedneckWelder]

How is it working on the forklifts? I’ve thought about making the transition to them when I get too beat up for climbing on the big stuff all day

 

[SeisMec]

Have operated a fork lift on occasion, but never turned wrenches on on. Is the TotalLifter jack specialized to fork lifts or more general purpose? I've never seen a jack like that before. Would love to see a picture or two of it in operation.

 

[Brian247]

Have any issues with the magnetic socket rails falling off the toolbox?

I was worried about that when I first put them up there, but I’ve had them on the side of my box for about 6 months and not one socket has fallen. I’ve hit a few curbs too. Lol

 

[Brian247]

How is it working on the forklifts? I’ve thought about making the transition to them when I get too beat up for climbing on the big stuff all day

Most days it’s not too bad. Most of the time the repairs that I do are because companies let anyone drive these things and no one gives a damn about them. The worst part about working on them is getting up and down off the ground about 40 times a day because most of the time you can’t get to half the bolts from the top. I do love the days when it’s nice outside and I’m working right next to my van with the music blasting. What do you work on mostly?

 

[Brian247]

Have operated a fork lift on occasion, but never turned wrenches on on. Is the TotalLifter jack specialized to fork lifts or more general purpose? I've never seen a jack like that before. Would love to see a picture or two of it in operation.

It is mostly for forklift use. It is a low profile jack as most car jacks and bottle jacks won’t fit under the lift. Sometimes you only have about 6 inches to get under the forklift to jack it up. Plus forklifts weigh a lot and that jack will lift 7000 pounds. It is quite heavy to eat out of the van every day, that’s why it’s so close to the door

 

[Aileron]

Get some armaflex insulation in sheets and cover the back of the bulkhead. You would be amazed how quite the ride is afterwards. My transit had 4000 miles on it and the same shelves. Had a guy pull away from a curb about 50 ft behind it and hit the van. Buckled and bent all the shelving.

 

[Brian247]

Ah man, that really *****. I used to work out of a gmc Savannah and I love the headroom in the transit now. I would cry if someone hit my van and I couldn’t use it. That’s a great idea on the insulation, I can’t see out the back anyway so covering it wouldn’t affect anything in the safety area. I spend a lot of time hunting down the rattling tool that drives me nuts. Haha

 

[mwalsh9152]

Nice setup! I was a forklift battery tech for 8years before I started selling them. You guys definitely earn your money!

 

[Brian247]

Thanks man! It’s hard work for sure, but being able to go place to place all day is nice for working days. We work on batteries as well, it’s some hard work I tel ya

 

[IndyGarage]

What's the best (cheapest) way to buy forklift tires?

I often buy cheap forklifts and I can't figure out why, but nearly every single one needs the brakes bled, and have ragged out tires.

 

[madmanc]

good to see a propper working setup , in my experience forklifts always brake in the worst possable place eg out in the yard middle of a puddle in the rain miles from the van , i suppose snap on to flashy for this line of work . i know a few in this type of work and quite a lot seem to swear by bacho tools of which i have a few myself and as much as i dont like the finnish none have ever broke .great set up

 

[Aileron]

Ah man, that really *****. I used to work out of a gmc Savannah and I love the headroom in the transit now. I would cry if someone hit my van and I couldn’t use it. That’s a great idea on the insulation, I can’t see out the back anyway so covering it wouldn’t affect anything in the safety area. I spend a lot of time hunting down the rattling tool that drives me nuts. Haha

I drove e350' for twenty five years and had a chevy xpress the last 10. I had to duck my head to look at stoplights in the express Plus the express was too damn bouncy. felt like driving a pogo stick sitting as high up as it was. went into the transit and now into a E350 high roof KUV. The 350 is a more comfortable than a Transit to me, excerpt someone had the bright idea to put a plastic bulkhead and pass thru door in. Its screwed shut and insulated but its still a squeeker. I have to have the seat all the way back which make s my arms straight out to hold the steering wheel in a Transit.

 

[RedneckWelder]

Most days it’s not too bad. Most of the time the repairs that I do are because companies let anyone drive these things and no one gives a damn about them. The worst part about working on them is getting up and down off the ground about 40 times a day because most of the time you can’t get to half the bolts from the top. I do love the days when it’s nice outside and I’m working right next to my van with the music blasting. What do you work on mostly?

I gotcha. Sounds like pretty good work to me.

I work on mostly medium to large size construction and paving equipment. It’s good stuff but climbing up on excavator decks or up on the larger dozers all day can get old real quick.

 

[Nospig132]

I’m starting with Crown next week. Trying to get my rolling box set up. I’m obsessively ODD when it comes to having what tools I need in my rolling box. I’m trying not to overload it with unnecessary wrenches or sockets and whatnot.
long story short, what are some sizes of wrenches and sockets I can expect to use the most or not at all?
thanks!

 

[Bockscar]

When I was doing it....I had my toolbox mounted to the left of the sliding door....had a Kennedy hand box for my tools....also had a hand truck that would convert to a dolly if i was camping out doing pm's all day, could haul everything at once

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

 

[Jlarson]

Nice, clean setup, cool thing about a van is all the parts space.

I hate working on the little solid tire trucks, most of the forklift work I do is big diesel yard trucks, much easier.

 

[Ton ton]

Nice setup, OP.