Your Van, your Mobile Workshop

There is a trend for #vanlife where individuals document the conversion of their vans so they can become places to live and travel free as the wind. The reality is #vanlife has been in place for decades, from the old fashioned Commer to the workhorse Transit. Conversion of working vans to become a place of work has increased in popularity in recent years with many tradesmen using it as a means of taking their service on the road.

It’s hardly a new trend, and van life has been around for centuries. But as more and more tradespeople discover this opportunity, it is disturbing the traditional working environment, for good.

Benefits of having a mobile workshop

1. Organised Storage

Any job that requires a load of tools would benefit from a mobile workshop. Having an organised mobile workshop allows you to keep all of your specialised tools in one place, safe from theft or damage. Having an organised workplace can also lead to increased productivity and therefore result in better customer satisfaction.

2. More opportunity

Having a mobile workshop allows you to travel anywhere you want, whenever you want. This opens up so many work-related opportunities for traders looking to expand their business and increase their income. By having the ability to travel for work, traders can offer their services in various locations increasing their potential customer base.

3. Customisable design

With the #vanlife trend becoming increasingly popular, there are more companies offering a van conversion service. This way, you are able to customise your van to suit the needs of your business and have everything in one place.

Things to consider when converting your mobile workshop

• Power

Whilst solar panels and natural sources of light may provide sufficient energy, some traders who are looking to work full time in their van may want a more reliable way of generating electricity.  If you are planning on using electrical equipment in your van, or even having an air-conditioner, adding an additional generator or shore power will definitely help.

If you use campgrounds as a means of staying overnight, many sites will have electrical hook-ups available that you can just plug into and charge up your batteries. For this to be effective, you will require a charging kit similar to this – 1000W PURE SINE WAVE INVERTER CHARGER.

• Lighting

LED lighting is definitely the best choice for your mobile van conversion, as they come in all different shapes, sizes and patterns. It’s recommended to go for LED lights that work on a 12V system.

LED lights are perfect for your van conversion for a number of reasons. These lights are very energy efficient, meaning they won’t drain out your battery. They will also last a long time too – on average, LED lights usually last around 50,00 hours. And the best part about it, they’re relatively cheap so it won’t cost a lot to light up the whole van.

Commonly used in van conversions, LED puck lights are fitted into the ceiling of a van offering a very clean look. These lights are also handy as they can run off different switches – meaning you can strategically create different lighting zones to compliment your trade.

• Adding shelves and drawers

If you’re looking to take your van on the road and live freely whilst doing your trade, you will need to create a practical working space. Adding shelves and drawers to your mobile workshop will make storing materials and equipment very easy.

Look for steel shelves that offer movable space dividers, complete with a non-slip mat – so when you’re on the road, you don’t have to worry about items sliding off. 

Shelves with doors are also favourable amongst van life traders and can be used to created enclosed compartments – ideal for hiding valuable items and eliminating any risk of movement. If you want to get really creative, you can install under-floor drawers, making a space for larger materials without taking up any additional room in your van.

Tempted to start your van life journey?

We don’t blame you!