Thank you!!!! I always believe a sign of a good craftsman is by his tools and how he keeps his truck in order. This truck is a real time saver and I feel totally prepared for any emergency that I will ever come across. I have a great boss that allows me build all of our new trucks custom designed for each of our mechanics and technicians . They all love their trucks. One by one, as our old truck goes, we build new ones. We have a few videos on you tube, I hope you got a chance to see all of them. Thank you for leaving a comment. It means a lot to me to see comments posted by people in the trade.

Looks so cool , wish I had this when I was in the trade .

@@nigelfrancis2261 since I spend so much time in this truck, why shouldn't I make it enjoyable to work in?

thank you

Thanks Brett!!!! Did you see my other videos too?

Thank you very much....you mean you are watching this video from the land down under? I'm happy that people from the trade appreciate a truck like this. thanks again

I do have OCD when it comes to working out of my truck. I get upset when helpers don't put things back where they belong. Thanks for watching the video. I love comments from the trade.

about 162 hours

+M Croley Thank you!!! Please look for a brand new redesigned truck that I finished for our service department in June. Thanks for watching

I should thank you...it is great to hear peoples comments...it makes my day

Thank you.....it comments from people in the trade that really makes my day.....guys that work out of their truck on a day to day basis and the challenges that they go through with regular metal shelves that don't conform to the walls of the truck. Good luck on your future truck plans!!!

+FIX IT HVAC Yes, they can be customized for other trades...where there is a will, there is a way. I am currently working on another sprinter with a lower roof but same length for our oil/gas service department with a new and improved design to maximize the space in the vehicle. Look for it within a month or two. Thanks for watching!!!!

thank you...I hope you saw all my other videos

I guess so...I couldn't figure out why anyone would not like a truck like this.....thank you for your support!!!

Thanks Gabriel......did you see the other videos of the other vans that I built? I love it when I get comments from people in the trade...people who know how difficult it can be to work in messy vans and trucks.....believe me, I seen enough of messy trucks to last me a lifetime. My next dream would be to build a full sized box truck....imagine, all the space to work with!!! Thank you once again for leaving a comment....it means a lot to me.

thank you very much sir

thank you....I love comments from people in the trade

I get approximately 14 miles per gallon city driving stop and go. The truck is pretty loaded but I take real care to be gentle with the gas petal. I never stop by the supply house...that would be a waste of time and money. Thanks for viewing the video, it means a lot to me to get comments from other plumbers . Did you see the other trucks that I built too for Ranshaw?

+Sean Mc Namara Sean, thank you for viewing the videos. Did you see the service van also? Look for a new video next month....I am just finishing two brand new sprinter 2500 for our service department. Thank you for leaving a comment!!!

,👍

Take a look at our newest video of my latest creation

thanks for watching and leaving a comment!

Thank you for viewing the video and for leaving a comment. This entire truck was built out in the open with a table saw, jig saw, sander, router and a radial arm saw. The design comes from experience from building so many vans ( 11 in all) so I actually make up the design as I go along. The ammo cans are indestructible and it is a source of pride for me. It really maximizes storage space because the length is only 11 inches in length. If I build another van, I will consider doing a time lapse video but the next truck may be a Ford transit. I was able to build this truck because of my cabinet making skills that I learned working part time during my college years and to design this plumbing truck, you have to be off course , a plumber ......so in essence, it takes various specific skills to be able to design and build something like this. Thank you very much for watching this video.

Hing Lai I’m an on-site carpenter myself - even more impressed now . Going to subscribe and watch out for your possible time lapse build out. Cheers

thank you!!!

Thank you!!!!! Did you also get to see the newest truck for 2016? It is a heating service van. You'd like that one two.....that one is a hybrid of wood and metal storage cabinets.

Thank you very much for leaving a comment.....I will be building two more trucks for our service guys this year in my spare time so look for it on you tube later this summer...Thanks again!!!

thank you !!! It's nice to get comments from different trades

I have two coats of poly to keep the wood clean and to prevent it from absorbing moisture....I don't want permanent oily stains on it from dirty hands and believe it or not, the poly reflects the light inside the truck at night and makes the truck even brighter...the latches have never failed me yet or opened by accident...the magnetic ones have opened up when the items inside are heavy and when you make a sudden stop or really fast turn. These latches have been most reliable for me, that's why I use them. These shelves will never come off the truck and we have seven vehicles to prove it...if you are ever in the neighborhood of Whitestone queens, please stop by and see for yourself in person. Thanks for leaving a comment

I hope I was of some help to you

It is fully loaded but the 3500 sprinter chassis can handle it...its a good thing that I did not get the super extended van because it would be impossible to find parking in NYC and the extra 4 feet would have meant that I would have carried even more stuff. The main issue has always been parking.....I can almost fit in any spot that a normal sized car or SUV fits into. I have seen the super extended ones and almost everyone said it is impossible to find parking so this one really fits the bill. Thanks for watching my video...did you see my others?

Thank you....I did all types of trades all though out my life but plumbing is my last and final trade that I love the most but all the previous things I learned in my life enabled me to accomplish what I can do today. All too many people were skeptical of what can be done in a truck with wooden shelves instead of metal shelves....it took many years to convince people that wood is much better, stronger and space saving if it is done properly. Did you see all my other videos? Just search up "Ranshaw". Thanks for leaving a comment

Luke, that is a very nice compliment...thank you. I love my job and most importantly, I love the man behind the company.....my boss, Rick. I get treated with a lot of respect among my peers and Rick allows me to be very creative with all the trucks I build. I am hoping to build a box truck eventually and really go to town on that one. I hope you got a chance to look at my other videos of the other trucks that I built. Thank you for leaving a comment!!!!!

You can do anything as long as you put your mind to it...but it also helps that I have built a total of 12 vans in my lifetime

Thanks for watching the video!!!

thank you for watching and posting a comment

If parking wasn't an issue in New York City, I would have gotten the longest sprinter that they make....it is almost 4 feet longer than this one...can you imagine how much more stuff I could have carried? Thanks for watching the video

+pttanz Thank you.....I built this truck this past July and it still looks like this because it is very easy to keep clean and organized since everything has a it's own special place. I always clean up the truck at the end of each work day so I always start each morning with a clean slate. On each alternate weekends, I am on emergency call so I have to make sure that my truck is fully stocked and prepared for any emergency. Thanks for watching the video. Check out the service van that I built this year also....it won PM magazines best looking van interior for 2015

Yea, use that pipe threader once and that drawer under it is gonna be full of threading oil and shavings. but, overall a beautiful truck.

Believe it or not, I seldom have to take out the Rigid 300 because of my nipple cabinet. The machine is for absolute emergency purposes but most of the time, I use my pre-made nipples and even if I have to thread a length of pipe, I take out my Rigid 690 instead. Even our boiler install guys hardly ever take out their Rigid 300 anymore because of all the pre-made nipples from 7 -18' in 1/2" increments...it is that easy. For larger jobs, then they take out the machine but guys love using the nipples first. If I do use the machine, my helper has to wipe down the machine completely clean and free of oil before it goes back on the truck.

That doesn't happen because I always wipe down the machine really clean before I put it back

Thank you

Thank you

Thank you, have you seen my other truck videos?

Thank you for watching....yes I have some carpentry background....I worked as a cabinet makers apprentice during my college days but I have been doing a lot of trades since I was in my early twenties....so it was a culmination of many different types of skills that I acquired over the years that enabled me to design and build this truck. I built a total of 11 trucks during my lifetime and I am currently working on my 12 truck. Thank you once again for leaving a comment

Yes it does encourage cleanliness and as of yet, nothing has ever fallen out of the cabinets and the items inside just do not move at all....thanks for watching and for leaving a comment. I hope you saw all of our other videos

+Cory Rogers Cory, the lights are from command electronics and they are made in the good ole USA and I tell you, I am very proud of putting these in because they are so bright and they draw very little amps as compared to the regular dome lights. They never draw down the battery. What do you think of the genuine US military 50 caliber ammo cans?

yes, I use this van every working day and merry Christmas to you too!! Thank you for your comments.

thanks!!!!

The plywood is not what weighs the most, it is the materials, tools and stock that makes this truck very heavy. You would be amazed on how much stuff I have on this truck...since it is very orderly, it is very deceiving on how much it weighs

I love the ammo cans too....they are indestructible, square and take up very little space. This truck uses a total of 45 50 caliber ammo cans. Yes, I built it too. I just finished two brand new sprinters for our service department and I will be posting the new video by the end of this month so be sure to look for it. You will love that truck too!!! Thanks for watching the video and for leaving a comment. Hing

yes it is, if it saves time from going to a supply house, it is a must especially if you found a parking spot and you don't want to lose it

no problem....thank you for leaving a comment!!!

No...I am sorry, most of the blue prints are in my head and I custom tailor each truck to the specific needs and the mechanic in mind. While certain trucks are similar, they all have slight differences....thank you for watching the videos.

it really does make a difference, at least to me....

+Jim Stohr Jim believe it or not , all the plywood that was used to build everything comprised of 7 sheets of 3/4" plywood and 4 sheets of 1/2" plywood which is nothing. This truck is the 3500 series with tandem wheels in the rear.....this one has the largest load carrying capacity. The most of the weight comes from all the materials, tools, supplies and stock that I carry on the truck which is a lot. I put all the heaviest items at the lowest level for stability and the lightest stuff up on the top. The truck drives really well and it is extremely stable and well balanced. The truck is loaded but I never bottomed out even when I had extremely heavy machinery equipment on board. This truck can handle anything and it drives like a dream.....never had it weighed though. I actually seen a lot of sprinters that tilted to the left because they built too many shelves on the left side but I compensated for that by putting my rigid 300, nipple cabinet and the pipes on the right hand side so the truck is well balanced. The older video with poor video quality goes into great detail in what I actually stock on the truck. This video highlights the improvements and changes that I made as compared to my older truck. The truck is well balanced because I carefully selected item placement for even weight distribution and there is no uneven wear on my tires. This was the 3rd out of 5 trucks that I have built already and I am starting on my 6th truck next week (sprinters of course). Look for it on you tube within a month or so.....did you see the ranshaw service van also? You should check that one out also. Thank you for leaving a comment...it is greatly appreciated because I know how difficult it can be for plumber to have a really clean and functional truck with a lot of interior working space. Take care and good luck with your endeavors. Hing

please take a look at our newest truck video

Wow!!! Good luck...I have seen a lot of the metal shelves in the transits....there is so much wasted space and the trucks fully loaded leaves you with no room inside. A custom built wooden interior specifically designed to suit your needs is so much better. My suggestion is to search up all the interiors and layouts for the transit and see which aspect of each different design suits you the best. Make sure you maximize every inch while leaving a clean working interior instead of throwing junk all over the place. Good luck!!!!

Thank you!!!

170 hours from soup to nuts

+JJ Botch Thank you...I am currently working on a new 2016 sprinter that will be added to our oil/gas service fleet. Once that it finished, we will be posting it on you tube so look for it in the near future. This next one will be is in a different category but it will be just as good as this one. Thank you for leaving a comment

Looking forward to it, thanks for the reply

We just posted our latest video, take a look

I do not leave the tools in their cases...they are too big , useless and take up too much space. I have all the tools in the cabinets and when I look at a job, I then go to the truck and take out all the tools I need to do the work. I use two 24" heavy duty stanley proto canvas tool bags that can hold anything. I have one tool bag with simple hand tools that can hold a lot of additional tools. The other tool bag has a sawzall, drill and impact driver....all my tools are dewalt 20 volt max so one battery can power multiple tools. I have dewalt band saws, chipping guns, right angle drills and a whole lot more in all the cabinets neatly tucked away. I always start of light and I only take in what I need to do the job...it doesn't make sense to carry toolboxes with everything inside it. Tool boxes are useless and so are buckets...I feel the canvas bags are the way to go and I've been doing it that way for the past 35 years. All my wrenches are aluminum for weight and I always buy the very best of tools that will never let me down. IF you do a lot of pvc work, then you should try to have separate cubbies for them so you can easily see what you have...always maximize your shelves. You can vary your shelf sizes to match the quantity that you need. I always believe that the center floor in the truck must always be free so you can always work like a gentleman. Any more questions?

Thank you....I recently just finished building 3 brand new trucks, 2 sprinter 2500 with medium roofs and a older style ford e-350. Look for the new video of the sprinter next month....that is a real beauty for our service department!!!

Thank you for the inspiration and explanation of "why" you put the different items where you did. I am outfitting my fist service van, this gives me something to reach for going forward.

Great!!!! Good luck to you on designing your first van.....you can also use a wood and metal cabinet hybrid like I did on my newest service vans, it worked out really well and saved me a lot of time and space for small parts metal cabinets with pull out draws. Good luck!!

I am a nut job because every time I see a plumbing truck, I always see so much wasted space and I am always looking for ways to make usage of space as efficient as possible.....thanks for leaving a comment

it is a work van but it is very easy to keep clean since there is a spot for everything

Hing Lai its a very good job !

Thanks!!!

look for a good company with a lot of skilled craftsman that really do take pride in their work, a company that takes care of their people, a company where they want you to learn and better yourself instead of keeping you down. A company that wants to do things the right way and will teach you to use your brains and your hands. Our motto is work smarter, not harder. Work like a gentleman I say. You have to screen the company to see how they operate. Our trade can never be outsourced and once you acquire the skills, no one can ever take it away from you. I hope that helps....good luck!!!!

At least a 1/2 hour daily because it only takes minutes the clean up the truck at the end of the day and I try to clean up after every job and make sure all the tools get put away after they are used. Basically, each day, I start of with a clean slate to start each work day. It really puts my mind at ease because I know where everything is during the course of the day

That's a problem some guys I know and myself a lot of time, not cleaning up the back of the truck at the end of the day because it's been a long day, thanks for sharing your truck design, I may have to borrow some ideas myself for my layout to make mine more organized and efficient

I used stainless steel large head rivit to secure the 1/2" plywood to the wall of the truck first and then I used glue, screws, angle brackets, biscuits and brad nails to build all the shelves, bins and draw fronts

Richard, it all starts with deciding which items are the heaviest so we can evenly distribute the weight evenly on the truck with the heaviest items on the bottom and the lightest items on the top. I select things that I use most often at the mid range level of the truck. Once I decide the biggest and bulkiest items on the bottom, I start to fill in the areas with other items . The most commonly used items are always waste level high or at eye level. Things that are not used as much are at the lower level by the floor level. Basically, I have been building plumbing and construction trucks for a good part of my life....I have built a total of 13 trucks with the 6 tucks being absolute masterpieces. The great thing about wood is that you can maximize every inch of usable space and my floor area is always free for walking and and putting in larger equipment, water heaters, sewer machine, water jetters, camera and even boilers. This truck is so easy to keep clean.... I hope you saw all my 4 videos on you tube. The first one had really poor video quality but it goes into depth on how much stuff is on the truck but the last three were so much better in sound and in picture quality. To build trucks like these require lots of field experience, common sense and the ability to take ideas in you head and to transform it into something that the trades really can appreciate. Each truck I built was better than the previous with fine tuning to the mechanic in mind and the specifics of the job. My last goal is to build a full sized box truck.

richard ordonez Z

They do not make any noise at all because they are spring loaded

Unfortunately, we only take videos of the finished product and I always build these trucks by myself with no one around. Check out our latest video

yes it was a labor of love because it is my personal vehicle to use and to take home every day after work. The brass latches are spring loaded so it is impossible for it to unlatch by itself. So far nothing has ever fallen off the shelves but there were times that a helper forgot to close the latch properly but that was far and few in between. The truck is extremely stable because of the weight distribution on the truck and the rear axle has dual wheels for better stability...it is the sprinter 3500 which has the maximum load carrying capacity so nothing really bounces around. I designed it such that the heaviest items were on the bottom for better center of gravity with the lightest stuff up on top so the truck does not have too much sway in it while I am driving it. I really like driving this truck around. It really was a labor of love and thank you very much for leaving a comment. I just recently finished three more trucks custom designed for our service department...two brand new sprinter 2500's and a older Ford e-350. I will post the new videos of the newest sprinter by mid July so look for it then.....once again, thanks for commenting on the video. I love comments from people in the trade. Hing

please check out our latest video

what type of tools do you have that can't fit on this truck? I am curious

you couldn't find it because I built it myself to fit the space above my head...thanks for leaving a comment...it is the only way I can maximize every inch of usable space

Hing Lai is there anything you can’t do! That thing looks like something you could purchase off of American van or something, absolutely amazing.

@@mike617 you are not the first person that also thought that I had bought the expansion tank holders....wood always works best for me and you can build almost anything to maximize the space...thanks for leaving a comment....I always welcome comments from people in the trade because they understand how difficult it is to keep a work truck organized and neat....you can only do that if you plan out your design on your truck to meet your needs

@@mike617 I can't weld

Hing Lai that’s ok, no good plumber wants to weld anyways!

Derrick, sorry we don"t have a how to video because it took me 180 hours to build and I built it all by myself at all different hours of the day. However, I can tell you that each truck that I have built for Ranshaw involved many hours of planning and designing. We start by deciding which is the most important feature that we need and how accessible it must be and we design the truck around it. The goal is to make sure that there is a clear walkway and the everything must have a place of it's own. We try to maximize every inch of usable space without overcrowding the truck. Everything must make sense and must be ergonomically designed. If you look at our other posted videos, maybe it may give you some design ideas. So far, I have built a total of seven custom made vehicles for Ranshaw and I hope that my next project will be a full sized box truck.....that would be really neat with all the space....I could really go to town on that. Wood is the only way to go if you have good cabinetry skills. On some of the other trucks, I made it a combination of metal cabinets and wood shelving. Thanks for viewing our videos and for leaving a comment.

I designed it and built it myself.....a carpenter or cabinet maker cannot build something like this....you need to be a plumber too in order to build something like this. I worked as a part time cabinet maker during my last two years in college. That knowledge enabled me to accomplish something like this. Thank you for leaving a comment

I built it myself....I worked in a cabinet shop for two years part time to help put my way through college....the design ideas come from me doing plumbing for at least 28 years....both combinations enabled me to design and build this truck totally by myself. Did you see my other videos? Thanks for leaving a comment

Thanks for viewing the video and your great comments. I chose to use 3/4 cabinet grade plywood because they are very straight with little or no warping . It made it easier to make nice straight cuts and the plywood did not warp so the cabinet fronts close properly. In terms of the ammo can, it is a source of pride for me to use genuine GI government issue items in my truck. They are square with the proper size and dimensions and they are indestructible. This truck can carry the extra weight...it has the largest load carrying capacity in the sprinter line . The plastic bins deforms if you put too much stuff inside. I have never caught my clothing on any handle on the truck. I really appreciate your comments and I feel good that there are people out there that appreciate good workmanship and a clean work truck designed properly. We did the best we could with the video...that is not our forte l

It is a lot heavier but this truck can handle the weight. The plywood is a lot stronger and I can do things with wood and maximize every inch of space that I cannot do with metal. The metal shelves always fall off over time..... but these shelves won't....it is a integral part of the truck. Thanks for leaving a comment

You can use lighter wood (african mahogany) or 1/2”-3/4” ply. Lighter wood is obviously more expensive The partition walls and doors can be 1/2” easily, it would sure reduce about 20lbs in weight

that's what the Harper convertible hand truck is for...to carry heavy stuff where it needs to go....trust me, I've taken the machine on and off several times and it is quite easy and is not time consuming at all. The 300 machine just sits in the slots and is not even anchored to the cabinet...the weight alone keeps it stationary. Thanks for leaving a comment

the bench seats were a option....it offers more sitting room and ample storage space underneath

Hing Lai awesome thanks, I really need that option in my next van. Sometimes I have a 3rd guy and I could use that area to stick my printer to print out invoices. Although right now I think a service body van best suits my needs as I often carry bulky items that can block interior shelving.

It works well on the occasion I have to carry a third person...good luck on your next van

every inch on the truck is valuable real estate and it is the key to keeping the truck clean and organized. I hope you saw all of our other videos....thanks for watching!!!

David Witt ask him where his tools or tool box is. I don't have time to climb into my truck every time I need another tool. Where was his either tote tray with those every day tools in or I've also seen guys take something like a small back pack full of tools in. Where is this? Tools. Tools, Tools....

LT's Garage I was thinking that too. Neat van though

I was thinking almost the exact same thing. its probably the cleanest van I've seen but I feel like it takes too much space in the van! its a dope setup but kind of overkill!

the open floor width is designed for max floor area for boilers, water heaters, water jetter, sewer machines, cameras and I have even put 275 gallon oil tank on my truck and still be able to maneuver around to get things from my shelves. Yes open bins may be more accessible but they do waste a lot of open space. My goal was to store as much material off the floor that would not fall out on bumpy roads while maintaining a wide open floor space for materials and to be able to walk around the truck freely even though you might be carrying a water heater or other bulky items. Yes,wood takes up more space than metal but they are stronger than the metal shelves and they have never fallen down unlike the metal shelves...there are a lot of creative things that you can do with wood that you can not do with metal as evidenced by my design of my truck. The goal was to be able to have a clear walkway and have a space for everything so it is easy to keep your truck clean. I hope I answered all your questions and thank you for taking the time out to leave a comment. I always welcome comments and suggestions from the trades.

@@joeg7171 take a look at the comment I wrote for Toby and you will understand why I designed the truck this way....real estate in NYC is really expensive, even on a truck....I have seen guys put a 55 gallon drum for scrap metal on their truck and they put it on the side door area making that door useless and they were not even able to put anything on their van....I do not like clutter and I am a neat freak...I clean out my truck and put away certain tools after each job and I go through my truck on the weekends to make sure all the tools are in the right place and are not missing. I work with different helpers from time to time and things get lost or misplaced...thanks for leaving a comment

+MrDjmurdock it took me 180 hours to build

the plywood used was about 8 sheets of plywood....the weight comes from all the materials and the tools that I carry....this is the 3500 series with dual wheels in the rear...it can handle the weight but the truck is pretty heavy. You would be amazed on how much materials I have on the truck. Thanks for watching the video

Hing Lai Thanks for reply, great job man. Best I have ever seen!

do you really? It is not a 9-5 job!!!

Hing Lai correct its an 8 to 4

7:30 - 4 with a half hour lunch break

Yes, it's either bulls eye flappers or genuine Kohler flappers

yes it does....you must have the extended version....I looked at that one too but it would be impossible to find parking in NYC....with this truck, I can fit in any parking spot so it is a trade off. If parking was not a issue, I would have gotten the longest one. If you looked at our other videos for our service guys, my new trucks totally changed the companies previous views on how a service truck should look like with all their parts and inventory...for their first time in their life, they actually know where all their parts are and they don't get damaged. Thanks for viewing but take a look at our other trucks that I built.