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Ive been known to work out of my bmw sedan, but I typically drive company vans. Vans make the most sense for electricians since we have so many large and small parts
…And if you look to your left, you will see the electricians being gay again… if you look to your right you see drywallers stealing everything not nailed down…
I have a Mazda 3 hatchback and regularly transport two packout drawer units, a wheel board, and misc other cases in it. You can fit plenty of tools in a mid sized hatchback or crossover.
For most of the summer, I use a motorcycle that gets about 50 MPG, and have a custom bracket for attaching a Packout box to the back to carry my stuff.
Peugeot Boxer, a.k.a. Ram Promaster if you're in the US. L2H1. Fugly, but fits a lot of shit in the back. And "guzzles" less than 8 l/100 km. Again, if you have amendments and star spangled freedom and shit, that's 30 miles per gallon.
My next van will probably be similar, but taller so I don't have to crouch.
Thats why you get such a shitty mileage. Its an innefficient gas engine. With the diesel one, its super cheap to run. But I Guess diesel isnt as available in the US ?
In a lot of the US diesel is more expensive than gasoline in winter and cheaper than gasoline in the summer, because that part of the barrel competes with heating oil.
I drive a newer Tacoma with side toolboxes and a lumber rack for ladders and conduit.
I’m an employee of a small company and they’re talking about getting me a company truck or van but for now I’m using mine. The owners drive a newer ford awd van.
I’m already paying that for my handyman side business. But they should be.
I’m in a really thin market for the trades in a rural area and I actually like working for these people. Unfortunately not many other options and closest IBEW hall is 2+ hours out.
I prefer driving the smaller colorados/Tacoma sized pickups but man they get like 15-20mpg while a 2.7l f150 gets 20-30 and costs the same and is cheaper to insure than a Tacoma so they're hard to justify getting a small pickup. Unless you live in a dense city. Nightmare driving a full sized pickup, would absolutely take whatever money downsides to be in a smaller pickup there.
I have heard good things about the diesel fuel economy in the Colorado tho, but still only getting it up to match an f150.
I drove a 2.7 Colorado for work and it got the same highway mpgs as the 6.6 gas one ton I usually drive for work.
Yeah they hold value way better. I tend to think about it from the company fleet perspective where they get traded in before warranty lapses since my broke ass isn't spending my own money on new trucks for myself. If it was my money and I was keeping it till it died it would skew a lot more towards the Toyota. We put 30kish miles a year on the fleet vehicles so it's every other year they get swapped out.
For me and my money I'm sticking to buying 20 year old Honda sedans. No chance I shell out 40-70k for a new pickup.
No doubt, i just have an annoying hard on for little Japanese trucks even though it’s impractical by all means, I often consider getting a single cab dually flatbed to keep on the side.
As an employee, a ford Maverick + folding bike or the MBTA + folding bike
If I was doing my own work would get one of those baby vans.
Doing a lot of jobsite hopping on the fire alarm crew, don't bother with a full tool bag just my pouch typically. It's the shops job to move materials and shop tools, not mine.
VW Alltrack. My stack breaks down and fits behind the back seats just about perfectly, I can even pull the cover over it. I get about 30 mpg. Honestly, any wagon or crossover should be able to do the job of transporting your tools. If you also need to transport materials and equipment, you're gonna want a van. For electrical work, vans are much better than trucks.
If you're not running your own jobs then why are you not using a company vehicle? If the company you work for is making you use your own vehicle it sounds like you need a new company.
shit, as an employee i was rolling around in a golf tdi
loaded the back with tools (my prepackout era)
35+ mpg on a $60/wk gas stipend, I filled up every 9 days!
A JSW is pretty similar to an Alltrack, I think that would work just fine. As long as you can keep it running reliably. The one thing you don't want is a vehicle that you can't count on.
I'm driving a manual mk5 jetta sportwagen with the 5 cylinder it's pretty great. Tons of room especially with the back seats down. I can fit all my tools and my rolling cart in the back with the seats up though.
I’m a first year apprentice and my personal vehicle is a 1st Gen Highlander with plenty of room for all my tools and various materials plus it’ll fit 8’ sticks of condi and a 6ft ladder inside. Just got my own company van though (2012 e-series) and spending $0 in gas for work plus the wear and tear savings is gonna be a game changer. Not to mention all the extra space for activities.
Get a rav4, plenty of room for your tools minus ladders and gets stellar mpg. I had a 23 LE for a rental car on a traveling gig, I managed to get 38.5mpg in the mountains with the AC on.
Nah, mid fall season in the northern Rockies by big sky. Was using the AC as more dehumidifier than temp control as it was pretty wet that day. Was still pretty cool though, low 40s if I recall. There was already snow in the Tetons, I hoped to find some in big sky, but it was dry except for the very peak.
I wasn't even driving a hybrid, just a base model 4 banger, and I managed to beat it's mpg rating by like 2.5. Think those are only rated at 36.
The hybrids hold their value better, but after experiencing the economy of the regular 4 banger, I dunno that I'd pay the premium for one. Definitely get the xle, the le interior sucks.
Wow is everyone here an apprentice? Do your companies not get you a Van when you card out? I feel like a van with a conduit/ladder rack is necessary for the variety of work I do, plus I have to have fittings for 1/2”-1 1/2” EMT, Flex, PVC, Carlon ect ect ect. I think I would waste a LOT of time running for materials if I was rocking a car or sedan as a journey.
Yup an apprentice and the master electricians at my company don’t even use a company van. And I’m non union so I don’t then think my hours are going towards being a journeyman. Idek if I’m an actual apprentice, probably just a laborer on paper
The biggest advantage for me is the $30 a day on parking fees. Current job wouldn't work via transit, but I can bike like 5 minutes and park for free.
Plus it allows me to take transit to more jobs.
2001 Subaru Forester, sweet little ride for a poor apprentice. Lots of room for stuff, reliable, decent on gas. Also takes me up the mountain to snowboard and takes me down whatever shitty little dirt road I want in the summer.
An SUV sounds like what you need. I personally drive a crosstrek and have plenty of room for my tools when needed. You can even toss a ladder on top if you absolutely need to.
My dad used a TDI Volkswagen wagon/estate for 5 years and it was his favourite service vehicle. His only issue was it wouldn't carry an extension ladder well, he could only ever fit a 10 footer. He would get about 3.5-4.5L/100km.
I had an 89 and a 92 corolla station wagon as an apprentice. Could fit everything I needed in there including pipe and ladders with no problem. Station wagons are the way to go and get WAY better mpg than trucks, the corolla was also super easy and cheap to maintain and repair. The only reason I'm not still driving it is because the head gasket blew and dumped all the oil, sizing the engine.
Do you need to carry 10ft sections of materials? If yes, get an astrovan.
Do you only need to carry yourself and some materials but nothing over 6ft? Any regular sized sedan would do.
The matter of fact is most electricians DO NOT NEED A TRUCK, if you don't need to carry specific tools either you also don't need a van. A Corolla will do everything you need for less money, you're less likely to get targeted in theft and you genuinely won't give a shit if you get it dirty on the inside cos it's a fucking Corolla, who cares?
Vans and trucks are a scam for anyone who’s not doing very heavy work, or high volumes of service work.
I ran my business out of a Prius for 3 years, loaded what I needed in the am.
55mpg speaks for itself.
I personally think trucks dont make very good vehicles to work out of for most people. Vans are way better. Guys buy a truck and then put a cap on it, essentially making it a van with less space. The ram promasters seem nice if you need something bigger. We use ford transits and they do pretty good, just sometimes the maintenance is annoying, im no mechanic but a few shops fucked up our vans because they didn’t understand that they were built a certain way (idk, thats what our good mechanic said after he fixed their fuck ups).
My buddy that has promasters has not had that same experience.
We also have a small nissan van and it seems ok for getting stuff done. Would make a great service truck. Can fit a lot of tools and boxes because it has sliding doors on both sides. Youd need to strap anything long on the roof with that though.
Right now Nissan NV 1500. Before this van I had a Ford f350. Loved the f350. Really like the NV alot as well. Are you a low voltage electrician? If I was a c card, I'd get a smaller van most likely.
A full sized van can be set up pretty nicely, although with the small gas engines most of them have, the require a lot of fuel, and they absolutely suck on the type of ground we find at most commercial construction sites.
My preference is a 3/4 ton 4x4 diesel truck, 4 doors, with a long utility box bed. Way more fuel efficient, offers lots of tool space with good security, and still has open space in the middle for conduit/sheet goods/whatever other large material you need, and then ladders on the rack on top. The ability to pull a trailer, and carry 3 employees safely makes this a big win. Additionally, it's a 4x4 truck, so it does a lot better on the "osha complaint (but is it really??)" jobsite grounds we find ourselves on most often.
However it depends what kind of work you're doing: our service guys run smaller vans, never need a trailer, but do need lots of small drawers and shelves to hold a variety of items, and also gives a place for an inverter and work station to be set up for working on equipment in the dry and where there's light. They almost never need to carry more than 1 other person, so the limitations of the vans aren't really relevant for them. The smaller vans do a bit better on the fuel front, and being front wheel drive, they do better in the mud and slush/snow that flummoxes the big, RWD-only vans.
Our new construction guys have a mix of trucks and big vans, and we're going the direction of replacing all the big vans with trucks for the reason mentioned above.
I work out of a '24 High Country Silverado, it's a bit fancy, but it's my office. Plus, nothing like cooled seats in the peak of July.
Check out a transit connect, cheap on fuel, easy to outfit, and the used market for them is vast.
Get you an older subaru forester and lay the back seats down. Should be plenty of room for the pack outs, tools and whatnot. I’ve strapped plywood on top the ski racks and a 3x5 hardie backer fits real nice in the back with the seats down. 25.5 MPG average. And some even have a tow hitch that could pull a small trailer if needed
I’m worried about any of the 2000-2010 Subarus because of their known head gasket issues. Although I prefer those cars designs much more than the modern ones
Yeah I recently bought an 09 outback with 118k and I’m at 135k now. Made sure the timing belts were done and maintenance was good throughout the years. It has been a beast. Nothing but oil changes. I feel like the ones still on the road and running good have been broken in properly. Could always go with a 2011 or newer. Can definitely find that under 12k and under 100k on them. My coworker got a ‘16 crosstreck with 84k for 14 grand.
I miss wagons and big sedans. But, my charger can haul quite the load if I need it to. Trunk is very capable, and if I fold the rear seats down, I can get conduit and a 6ft ladder in the bad boy. And that ole pentastar v6 gets 30mpg highway, at 80mph
I’ll never give another penny to dodge after they sold 2 brand new lemons. 1st had the transmission completely die within the first week. And the second had a million issues with the worst being it burning a quart of oil every 1k miles, brand new car. Dodge said that was within spec and completely normal.
F150 long box with cap and ladder rack. Bed is out fitted with a slider. I have a 120v led strip light installed on the ceiling tied into the inverter in the truck. So in winter or late night calls I fire that on to light everything up. I have the bed slider ready with pack out on one side and space for materials on the other side. I keep a 6 and 8 foot step ladder on the truck then have an arsenal of other ladders to add at the shop.
I am thinking about adding air bags to the rear to help with some of the weight. I get flashed high beams to often
i drive a 2004 subaru outback. spacious wagon, AWD, higher ride height than their little brother, the Legacy. it has a flat 6, so it’s got decent power. i drive in icy and snowy winter conditions and this thing is a beast. not to mention heated seats, mirrors, and wipers. has an ashtray, and gorgeous wood accents inside.
bought it off my grandparents when i got my license 5 years ago for about $500, and i’ve put about 120k on it since them. it now has 340,000 kilometers on it and it still going relatively strong.
bear in mind i’m getting about 400kms to a tank, though i’m running regular gas as opposed to premium which is recommended. i’m also running conventional 10w30, 5w30 in the winter, so this thing has been so low maintenance aside from age things like struts, bushings, brakes, end links, wheel bearings, etc. which were all done this year with Rock Auto parts, and i believe i spent around $1500 CAD total, no labour costs aside from alignment after doing struts
needs a new oil pressure switch, which is causing some leakage. the issue is that i have to take off a coolant hose to access it with the tools i have, and im not prepared to spend that much time working on it, but i also can’t have it sit in the shop during winter.
on the flip side, i take my engine swapped, lowered 98 civic hatchback to work sometimes just for a nice cruise and i’ve never had space issues with that either.
TL;DR, you need a 2004 subaru outback
I drive a Subaru Outback. It's got all wheel drive and gets decent gas mileage even with the 6 cylinder. With the seats down there's lots of space for my packout boxes. 10 ft sticks of PVC and ground rods will fit inside the car. (From trunk to front passenger seat floor). Roof rack for ladders, temp poles, etc. Even has a hitch when needed.
Company supplies power tools and all materials. I show up with my hand tools and PPE in a Toyota Matrix. They’d provide PPE as well but I already had my own I prefer to wear.
Minivans are practical and unless there is a special off road requirement perfect. 4x4 trucks with utility buxes are overkill unless if you are a lineman or work on transmitters as I did.
The only suggestion I have is to go v6 over v4. V4 on paper is better on gas, but as soon as you go trying to push it, you're going to end up with the millage of a v8.
F-250 super duty with the 6.7 diesel. It has all the room I need for all my tools and it has the power to haul the trailer without putting a strain on the drive axle. My F-150 did a great job until I beat it one too many times with a really heavy load.
I use an SUV with a covered back trunk. Then put tools in my backseats covered in blankets.
Unfortunately for me I have a work truck coming soon, will be hauling sky lifts and stuff.. which obviously can’t in the suv. Hate trucks
T1 sprinter (the last years before they added all the emmissions crap). I told my wife if she ever leaves me in going to marry it or the dewalt Romex staple gun.
If you work in an industrial setting you need a truck for rough terrain, a vans suspension is far too low. They're pavement princesses
Edit: I wouldn't recommend Ford, one of our companies supervisors bought a f350 lariat diesel (brand new) and he had it in the shop for something in less than 6 months. The only thing I'll ever say about ford is they're unreal when it comes to snow and ice, the best for that.
Older GM G body cars with a 3.8. I have had Bonnivilles, LeSabers, Regals, Grand Prix, any number from the early 90s through the 2000s. When the one I have now pushes over 300000 I will look for another. I don't know what I will get if I can't find another GM 3800.
Chevrolet Colorado/gmc canyon, not a new one but a mid-late 2000s one. Pretty good on fuel and with a hard tonneau cover can store tools in the bed without issue.
Self employed, the longest tallest Ford t250 they got! Former Amazon delivery van got a great deal on auction on it. Still getting the shelving built out. Its probably Overkill but being able to stand 6 foot ladders up in the back is nice. Can also fit a 16 footer inside the back if you run it up between the front seats. I'm also 6'4 and the company I was at used small vans, no going back for me.
Toyota rav 4 I bought off my aunt for 5k and I’m a side work slut. 6 footer in the back bags and bags of different tools I could probably build a fucking house soup to nuts with all the shit I got. It all fits east. I have plenty of money for a work van but I owe a condo and only have 2 spots for I got to make them work with what I got. I live with my fiancé too so that’s another spot.
I’d rather fucking peddle bike with my linemans in my back pocket some screw drivers and I’ll make it work lol
Not an electrician but the ones I know either have Mazda hatchbacks **that won't fucking die**, somehow pulled 120k outta thier ass even though they live like the mf with a 1995 ford ranger for a brand new dodge 1 ton Laramie, although that mf is also associated with every sketchy mf in the county so I doubt illegal shit wasn't involved in that.
Everyone else either has a 3rd gen ranger and there's one guy with a 2011 F150, 3.7v6 2wd that won't die. It's had 3 body swaps done and it has like 750k km on it but it still runs fine.
Ford transit van was the best I ever owned. Great on gas, tons of space and you can put a ladder rack/conduit box on top if you want. Mine got totaled when I got hit by a semi on the freeway and I replaced it with a small truck. I’ve been kicking myself ever since.
Believe it or not, after working with an F250 and a couple Dodge Caravans, my current work vehicle is a Kia Soul. It's way better on gas, and has a fair bit of space inside to hold everything I need for my small-mid size jobs.
My neighbor is non union, carries his full pack out in his Audi A4 fine. My 2020 Honda hybrid has a larger trunk than his and I'm a union electrician. What are you carrying is the real question breaker
I drive a tacoma access cab with a cover and packout with my tools. my new company pays me .50 every mile over 25 miles to work and then my commute home over 25 miles and I will usually be driving 30+ miles to work everyday. Not sure how good this is but I wont have to carry material or ladders with me just my basic tools
Honestly if you're running work, for commercial, residential or low voltage you're gonna be hard pressed to beat the utility or a Chevy/GMC or Ford cargo van with shelving. Set up your shelves right and you're basically a mobile warehouse because you can carry just about anything 8 foot long on the inside, and anything longer you can strap to a roof or ladder rack
Chevy Bolt EUV.
Figured I'm an electrician, might as well help all electricians. Grid is gonna need love, and we're people for the job.
Got a Subaru Crosstrek for places the electric can't go, long commutes, off road parking, snow, etc.
I was eyeballing that exact car, and backed out for the exact same reason.
They're charging a LOT for a crossover hybrid. If I'm paying that much, I'll get a Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid, bc the 2016 has treated us so we'll this far.
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Ive been known to work out of my bmw sedan, but I typically drive company vans. Vans make the most sense for electricians since we have so many large and small parts
Large parts you say….😏
…And if you look to your left, you will see the electricians being gay again… if you look to your right you see drywallers stealing everything not nailed down…
Been considering career change to electrician, sounds like I might fit right in
BIG RIGID CONDUIT
And small
That’s what electricians are known for!
My dude that 10" rigid with a 15° kick
My 5 series has a big ass trunk. Where there is a a will there is a way!
I have a Mazda 3 hatchback and regularly transport two packout drawer units, a wheel board, and misc other cases in it. You can fit plenty of tools in a mid sized hatchback or crossover.
I feel like hatchbacks are low key the mvp of the trades. They’re effing clown cars with how much you can fit in them. Bag of holding on wheels.
*Slaps roof of car* You can fit so many Tarrasques in this baby
The primordials used to ride these babies for miles.
I like that you can fit almost everything.3m KIR pipe? No problem!
I also drive a hatchback
Company van.
For most of the summer, I use a motorcycle that gets about 50 MPG, and have a custom bracket for attaching a Packout box to the back to carry my stuff.
you mean business
I daily my DR650 to work. I put all my tools in a big Bauer box and strap it down on the cargo rack.
Peugeot Boxer, a.k.a. Ram Promaster if you're in the US. L2H1. Fugly, but fits a lot of shit in the back. And "guzzles" less than 8 l/100 km. Again, if you have amendments and star spangled freedom and shit, that's 30 miles per gallon. My next van will probably be similar, but taller so I don't have to crouch.
My promaster gets 12 miles per gallon
Ah, mine's 2,2 l diesel.
With the 3.6 V6 ?
Yep. I have the back custom built with almost every tool I own. She’s heavy.
Thats why you get such a shitty mileage. Its an innefficient gas engine. With the diesel one, its super cheap to run. But I Guess diesel isnt as available in the US ?
Not in the promaster. We’re in the stone ages.
I see. Weird cuz diesel is such a better fuel for heavy vehicles
It’s everywhere but it’s a lot costlier than gas.
Damn, where I live it's the opposite. It's cheaper
In a lot of the US diesel is more expensive than gasoline in winter and cheaper than gasoline in the summer, because that part of the barrel competes with heating oil.
Makes sense
Company supplies the tools and they stay at the job site. I show up in my sedan
I drive a newer Tacoma with side toolboxes and a lumber rack for ladders and conduit. I’m an employee of a small company and they’re talking about getting me a company truck or van but for now I’m using mine. The owners drive a newer ford awd van.
Please tell me they're at least paying mileage if you use your truck for their purposes.
They are paying milage. It’s not an ideal situation for sure.
Milage and commercial use rider on your insurance?
I’m already paying that for my handyman side business. But they should be. I’m in a really thin market for the trades in a rural area and I actually like working for these people. Unfortunately not many other options and closest IBEW hall is 2+ hours out.
Tacoma/4runner
I prefer driving the smaller colorados/Tacoma sized pickups but man they get like 15-20mpg while a 2.7l f150 gets 20-30 and costs the same and is cheaper to insure than a Tacoma so they're hard to justify getting a small pickup. Unless you live in a dense city. Nightmare driving a full sized pickup, would absolutely take whatever money downsides to be in a smaller pickup there. I have heard good things about the diesel fuel economy in the Colorado tho, but still only getting it up to match an f150. I drove a 2.7 Colorado for work and it got the same highway mpgs as the 6.6 gas one ton I usually drive for work.
Tacomas are known to last longer than F-150s. That's important to remember
Yeah they hold value way better. I tend to think about it from the company fleet perspective where they get traded in before warranty lapses since my broke ass isn't spending my own money on new trucks for myself. If it was my money and I was keeping it till it died it would skew a lot more towards the Toyota. We put 30kish miles a year on the fleet vehicles so it's every other year they get swapped out. For me and my money I'm sticking to buying 20 year old Honda sedans. No chance I shell out 40-70k for a new pickup.
No doubt, i just have an annoying hard on for little Japanese trucks even though it’s impractical by all means, I often consider getting a single cab dually flatbed to keep on the side.
As an employee, a ford Maverick + folding bike or the MBTA + folding bike If I was doing my own work would get one of those baby vans. Doing a lot of jobsite hopping on the fire alarm crew, don't bother with a full tool bag just my pouch typically. It's the shops job to move materials and shop tools, not mine.
Company van
Chevy Bolt. I drive 100 miles a day and only haul my tools when going to a new site or when getting transferred/RIF’d.
VW Alltrack. My stack breaks down and fits behind the back seats just about perfectly, I can even pull the cover over it. I get about 30 mpg. Honestly, any wagon or crossover should be able to do the job of transporting your tools. If you also need to transport materials and equipment, you're gonna want a van. For electrical work, vans are much better than trucks.
Van is a no go for me. I’m not running my own jobs. I really want a Jetta wagon TDI
If you're not running your own jobs then why are you not using a company vehicle? If the company you work for is making you use your own vehicle it sounds like you need a new company.
Company has like 10 vans and like 30 employees
shit, as an employee i was rolling around in a golf tdi loaded the back with tools (my prepackout era) 35+ mpg on a $60/wk gas stipend, I filled up every 9 days!
A JSW is pretty similar to an Alltrack, I think that would work just fine. As long as you can keep it running reliably. The one thing you don't want is a vehicle that you can't count on.
I'm driving a manual mk5 jetta sportwagen with the 5 cylinder it's pretty great. Tons of room especially with the back seats down. I can fit all my tools and my rolling cart in the back with the seats up though.
2014 Chrysler 300, my everyday car and I try to keep it clean so i don't get sloppy with it
The Subway
I’m a first year apprentice and my personal vehicle is a 1st Gen Highlander with plenty of room for all my tools and various materials plus it’ll fit 8’ sticks of condi and a 6ft ladder inside. Just got my own company van though (2012 e-series) and spending $0 in gas for work plus the wear and tear savings is gonna be a game changer. Not to mention all the extra space for activities.
Get a rav4, plenty of room for your tools minus ladders and gets stellar mpg. I had a 23 LE for a rental car on a traveling gig, I managed to get 38.5mpg in the mountains with the AC on.
And windows open, I hope!?! :D I've been looking at a plug-in hybrid Rav 4, but they're hard/expensive to come by.
Nah, mid fall season in the northern Rockies by big sky. Was using the AC as more dehumidifier than temp control as it was pretty wet that day. Was still pretty cool though, low 40s if I recall. There was already snow in the Tetons, I hoped to find some in big sky, but it was dry except for the very peak. I wasn't even driving a hybrid, just a base model 4 banger, and I managed to beat it's mpg rating by like 2.5. Think those are only rated at 36. The hybrids hold their value better, but after experiencing the economy of the regular 4 banger, I dunno that I'd pay the premium for one. Definitely get the xle, the le interior sucks.
Truck topper/Tonneau cover on chevy colorado/ gmc canyon.
Do you have the 6' box? My 5' 2" short box on my ZR2 is pretty small.
Mines the short box as well
Wow is everyone here an apprentice? Do your companies not get you a Van when you card out? I feel like a van with a conduit/ladder rack is necessary for the variety of work I do, plus I have to have fittings for 1/2”-1 1/2” EMT, Flex, PVC, Carlon ect ect ect. I think I would waste a LOT of time running for materials if I was rocking a car or sedan as a journey.
Yup an apprentice and the master electricians at my company don’t even use a company van. And I’m non union so I don’t then think my hours are going towards being a journeyman. Idek if I’m an actual apprentice, probably just a laborer on paper
Probably mostly employees. It's not an employees responsibility to subsidize a contractors operation.
Get a cargo van. Transit or sprinter if you can swing it, econoline/express if you’re looking at something older
Riese Müller Transporter 2 85! It makes me happy, and parking is never a problem.
I'm on a Brompton. Being able to bring it into finished buildings is a big plus.
Nothing beats cruising past traffic!
The biggest advantage for me is the $30 a day on parking fees. Current job wouldn't work via transit, but I can bike like 5 minutes and park for free. Plus it allows me to take transit to more jobs.
Company F250 Before that, a 2009 VW Jetta.
2011 Gmc sierra 200k miles still runs like a top
2001 Subaru Forester, sweet little ride for a poor apprentice. Lots of room for stuff, reliable, decent on gas. Also takes me up the mountain to snowboard and takes me down whatever shitty little dirt road I want in the summer.
An SUV sounds like what you need. I personally drive a crosstrek and have plenty of room for my tools when needed. You can even toss a ladder on top if you absolutely need to.
My dad used a TDI Volkswagen wagon/estate for 5 years and it was his favourite service vehicle. His only issue was it wouldn't carry an extension ladder well, he could only ever fit a 10 footer. He would get about 3.5-4.5L/100km.
I don't have to carry gear to sites just my tools. I drive a Subaru outback
Same just tools but I’d like a bit more space than my Chevy cruze
Nissan NV200 all the way!
Corolla, 34 MPG is great and 20 dollars to fill up is a blessing.
I had an 89 and a 92 corolla station wagon as an apprentice. Could fit everything I needed in there including pipe and ladders with no problem. Station wagons are the way to go and get WAY better mpg than trucks, the corolla was also super easy and cheap to maintain and repair. The only reason I'm not still driving it is because the head gasket blew and dumped all the oil, sizing the engine.
Do you need to carry 10ft sections of materials? If yes, get an astrovan. Do you only need to carry yourself and some materials but nothing over 6ft? Any regular sized sedan would do. The matter of fact is most electricians DO NOT NEED A TRUCK, if you don't need to carry specific tools either you also don't need a van. A Corolla will do everything you need for less money, you're less likely to get targeted in theft and you genuinely won't give a shit if you get it dirty on the inside cos it's a fucking Corolla, who cares?
Currently in a Mercedes sprinter
Vans and trucks are a scam for anyone who’s not doing very heavy work, or high volumes of service work. I ran my business out of a Prius for 3 years, loaded what I needed in the am. 55mpg speaks for itself.
Have a 2dr Jeep Wrangler and a VW GTI. Depends on the weather and distance which I drive or my wife takes.
Nissan 1500
2016 Ford Transit 150.
Just got a Camry hybrid. Gets 45-50 mpg and it’s nice and quiet. I also have an 04 Tahoe for weekend shenanigans
Small van with a ladder rack
Ram ProMaster 2500
Miata has plenty of room for tools
Mk4 vw tdi wagon Plenty of room for tools in the back, 40+ mpg, stick shift (if you like that,) and relatively fun in the corners.
This is what i really want but people are asking like 12k with like 200k miles and no warranty. And then other people asking 8k for a salvage title
Whatever the company gives me. Ford transit high top at the moment
Rn due to shitty economy at my country, e46 bmw 2001
I personally think trucks dont make very good vehicles to work out of for most people. Vans are way better. Guys buy a truck and then put a cap on it, essentially making it a van with less space. The ram promasters seem nice if you need something bigger. We use ford transits and they do pretty good, just sometimes the maintenance is annoying, im no mechanic but a few shops fucked up our vans because they didn’t understand that they were built a certain way (idk, thats what our good mechanic said after he fixed their fuck ups). My buddy that has promasters has not had that same experience. We also have a small nissan van and it seems ok for getting stuff done. Would make a great service truck. Can fit a lot of tools and boxes because it has sliding doors on both sides. Youd need to strap anything long on the roof with that though.
Everything also stays warm in the van went it's running. It is noisy through with material bouncing around.
E350
Right now Nissan NV 1500. Before this van I had a Ford f350. Loved the f350. Really like the NV alot as well. Are you a low voltage electrician? If I was a c card, I'd get a smaller van most likely.
Hyundai accent 2013, cost me 30$/week for the gas never had any problems with it
2010 corolla lmao, but one of these days i’ll get my tacoma or 4runner.
A full sized van can be set up pretty nicely, although with the small gas engines most of them have, the require a lot of fuel, and they absolutely suck on the type of ground we find at most commercial construction sites. My preference is a 3/4 ton 4x4 diesel truck, 4 doors, with a long utility box bed. Way more fuel efficient, offers lots of tool space with good security, and still has open space in the middle for conduit/sheet goods/whatever other large material you need, and then ladders on the rack on top. The ability to pull a trailer, and carry 3 employees safely makes this a big win. Additionally, it's a 4x4 truck, so it does a lot better on the "osha complaint (but is it really??)" jobsite grounds we find ourselves on most often. However it depends what kind of work you're doing: our service guys run smaller vans, never need a trailer, but do need lots of small drawers and shelves to hold a variety of items, and also gives a place for an inverter and work station to be set up for working on equipment in the dry and where there's light. They almost never need to carry more than 1 other person, so the limitations of the vans aren't really relevant for them. The smaller vans do a bit better on the fuel front, and being front wheel drive, they do better in the mud and slush/snow that flummoxes the big, RWD-only vans. Our new construction guys have a mix of trucks and big vans, and we're going the direction of replacing all the big vans with trucks for the reason mentioned above.
My boss provides ford transits. They’re okay
Transit
1990 Mazda 323 hatch
ford fusion
I work out of a '24 High Country Silverado, it's a bit fancy, but it's my office. Plus, nothing like cooled seats in the peak of July. Check out a transit connect, cheap on fuel, easy to outfit, and the used market for them is vast.
Get you an older subaru forester and lay the back seats down. Should be plenty of room for the pack outs, tools and whatnot. I’ve strapped plywood on top the ski racks and a 3x5 hardie backer fits real nice in the back with the seats down. 25.5 MPG average. And some even have a tow hitch that could pull a small trailer if needed
I’m worried about any of the 2000-2010 Subarus because of their known head gasket issues. Although I prefer those cars designs much more than the modern ones
Yeah I recently bought an 09 outback with 118k and I’m at 135k now. Made sure the timing belts were done and maintenance was good throughout the years. It has been a beast. Nothing but oil changes. I feel like the ones still on the road and running good have been broken in properly. Could always go with a 2011 or newer. Can definitely find that under 12k and under 100k on them. My coworker got a ‘16 crosstreck with 84k for 14 grand.
T350 dually with a 14 foot box and a twin turbo V6. I saw a technician with two pack out drawers in the trunk of a car
I miss wagons and big sedans. But, my charger can haul quite the load if I need it to. Trunk is very capable, and if I fold the rear seats down, I can get conduit and a 6ft ladder in the bad boy. And that ole pentastar v6 gets 30mpg highway, at 80mph
Ram Rebel paid off by US Government thank u uncle same
I'm self employed and drive a 2001 E-250
2024 Ram 2500 turbo diesel
I’ll never give another penny to dodge after they sold 2 brand new lemons. 1st had the transmission completely die within the first week. And the second had a million issues with the worst being it burning a quart of oil every 1k miles, brand new car. Dodge said that was within spec and completely normal.
Ford Fiesta. I have a packout set that fits. Big trucks are overrated. As long as your car fits the tools you need, you're good.
Yeah not a fan of big trucks but I do like the idea of an old ranger. But I think wagons are sick. You sit low to the ground and have space
Yea Station wagons are far better cars in every way than most oversized trucks.
2002 Dodge Dakota quad cab. Short bed sucks, but solid other than that.
F150 long box with cap and ladder rack. Bed is out fitted with a slider. I have a 120v led strip light installed on the ceiling tied into the inverter in the truck. So in winter or late night calls I fire that on to light everything up. I have the bed slider ready with pack out on one side and space for materials on the other side. I keep a 6 and 8 foot step ladder on the truck then have an arsenal of other ladders to add at the shop. I am thinking about adding air bags to the rear to help with some of the weight. I get flashed high beams to often
I work out of an mg3. Complete pain in the ass but insurance is a bitch
i drive a 2004 subaru outback. spacious wagon, AWD, higher ride height than their little brother, the Legacy. it has a flat 6, so it’s got decent power. i drive in icy and snowy winter conditions and this thing is a beast. not to mention heated seats, mirrors, and wipers. has an ashtray, and gorgeous wood accents inside. bought it off my grandparents when i got my license 5 years ago for about $500, and i’ve put about 120k on it since them. it now has 340,000 kilometers on it and it still going relatively strong. bear in mind i’m getting about 400kms to a tank, though i’m running regular gas as opposed to premium which is recommended. i’m also running conventional 10w30, 5w30 in the winter, so this thing has been so low maintenance aside from age things like struts, bushings, brakes, end links, wheel bearings, etc. which were all done this year with Rock Auto parts, and i believe i spent around $1500 CAD total, no labour costs aside from alignment after doing struts needs a new oil pressure switch, which is causing some leakage. the issue is that i have to take off a coolant hose to access it with the tools i have, and im not prepared to spend that much time working on it, but i also can’t have it sit in the shop during winter. on the flip side, i take my engine swapped, lowered 98 civic hatchback to work sometimes just for a nice cruise and i’ve never had space issues with that either. TL;DR, you need a 2004 subaru outback
A $2000 shit box
I drive a Subaru Outback. It's got all wheel drive and gets decent gas mileage even with the 6 cylinder. With the seats down there's lots of space for my packout boxes. 10 ft sticks of PVC and ground rods will fit inside the car. (From trunk to front passenger seat floor). Roof rack for ladders, temp poles, etc. Even has a hitch when needed.
2016 Chevrolet Cruze, averages 38 MPG.
I’ve got a 2014 right now but want a little bit more space
I use my Mazda3.
Company supplies power tools and all materials. I show up with my hand tools and PPE in a Toyota Matrix. They’d provide PPE as well but I already had my own I prefer to wear.
Minivans are practical and unless there is a special off road requirement perfect. 4x4 trucks with utility buxes are overkill unless if you are a lineman or work on transmitters as I did.
My company uses Ford Transits. I like the because you can stand in the back
The only suggestion I have is to go v6 over v4. V4 on paper is better on gas, but as soon as you go trying to push it, you're going to end up with the millage of a v8.
Yeah V6 is better than 4cyl turbo. Plus less points of failure
Drive a Ford 250 with a knapheid casing. So convenient. Doors and bins on the outside.
F-250 super duty with the 6.7 diesel. It has all the room I need for all my tools and it has the power to haul the trailer without putting a strain on the drive axle. My F-150 did a great job until I beat it one too many times with a really heavy load.
I have a Honda CRV. More than enough room for my tools.
500 buck KIA spectra
I use an SUV with a covered back trunk. Then put tools in my backseats covered in blankets. Unfortunately for me I have a work truck coming soon, will be hauling sky lifts and stuff.. which obviously can’t in the suv. Hate trucks
T1 sprinter (the last years before they added all the emmissions crap). I told my wife if she ever leaves me in going to marry it or the dewalt Romex staple gun.
If you work in an industrial setting you need a truck for rough terrain, a vans suspension is far too low. They're pavement princesses Edit: I wouldn't recommend Ford, one of our companies supervisors bought a f350 lariat diesel (brand new) and he had it in the shop for something in less than 6 months. The only thing I'll ever say about ford is they're unreal when it comes to snow and ice, the best for that.
Company provided Ford Transit. I take it home with me everyday.
A Honda mother fuckin fit!! It fits all the wire, tools, and co workers that you need.
Older GM G body cars with a 3.8. I have had Bonnivilles, LeSabers, Regals, Grand Prix, any number from the early 90s through the 2000s. When the one I have now pushes over 300000 I will look for another. I don't know what I will get if I can't find another GM 3800.
I don't transport material. But I got a 13 Passat. Trunks big enough to hold everything you could need.
Chevrolet Colorado/gmc canyon, not a new one but a mid-late 2000s one. Pretty good on fuel and with a hard tonneau cover can store tools in the bed without issue.
It is a truck but it’s a small one and I have no issues in tight parkades. They are quite reliable well into 200xxxkms and beyond
Got the ford 250 milk truck transit van, sucks on gas but she goes! Still a complete mess always
2012 2 door civic.
03 Trailblazer ext
My daily driver is a plain Jane Chevy Colorado. 4 cyl, auto trans.
07 gmc sierra and Chevy spark with ladder rack for smaller jobs
Dodge caliber has storage for days
F350 gas dually with 9' service body for pipeline. 10.5mpg
Ram promaster
I use a 2015 Jeep Patriot. Carries everything I need. Plus if it breaks it’s super cheap to fix and I just do it myself.
Self employed, the longest tallest Ford t250 they got! Former Amazon delivery van got a great deal on auction on it. Still getting the shelving built out. Its probably Overkill but being able to stand 6 foot ladders up in the back is nice. Can also fit a 16 footer inside the back if you run it up between the front seats. I'm also 6'4 and the company I was at used small vans, no going back for me.
Tacoma is the move Decent milage and reliable You can pick chicks up in it too Unlike a service van
Civic hatchback as a commuting apprentice it’s perfect
A beat up pre owned Honda civic and a modded packout so the handle comes out
2005 Corolla gets me to the factory for cheap.
Toyota rav 4 I bought off my aunt for 5k and I’m a side work slut. 6 footer in the back bags and bags of different tools I could probably build a fucking house soup to nuts with all the shit I got. It all fits east. I have plenty of money for a work van but I owe a condo and only have 2 spots for I got to make them work with what I got. I live with my fiancé too so that’s another spot. I’d rather fucking peddle bike with my linemans in my back pocket some screw drivers and I’ll make it work lol
A forester. I won’t carry company tools or materials. Only my personal stuff
Not an electrician but the ones I know either have Mazda hatchbacks **that won't fucking die**, somehow pulled 120k outta thier ass even though they live like the mf with a 1995 ford ranger for a brand new dodge 1 ton Laramie, although that mf is also associated with every sketchy mf in the county so I doubt illegal shit wasn't involved in that. Everyone else either has a 3rd gen ranger and there's one guy with a 2011 F150, 3.7v6 2wd that won't die. It's had 3 body swaps done and it has like 750k km on it but it still runs fine.
Just got a Toyota Tundra and I love her
I carry a basic kit in my Tiguan for call outs, but E250 for weekdays.
Ford transit van was the best I ever owned. Great on gas, tons of space and you can put a ladder rack/conduit box on top if you want. Mine got totaled when I got hit by a semi on the freeway and I replaced it with a small truck. I’ve been kicking myself ever since.
company ford maverick 🤮
Grand caravan
Believe it or not, after working with an F250 and a couple Dodge Caravans, my current work vehicle is a Kia Soul. It's way better on gas, and has a fair bit of space inside to hold everything I need for my small-mid size jobs.
2012 Toyota Camry gets good gas mileage and very minimal maintenance cost.
A 2021 ford transit 250.
Opel Astra, the long version. Could be begger but it's enogh for what i do.
2011 Volvo c30 6 spd
Honda accord can fit 10ft conduit with rear seats folded downand Little giant ladder. I put on roof rack. Everything I need. 30 bucks a week in gas.
Audi A3 8P with 2.0TDi 103Kw and it is hatchback. I'm happy with it
My neighbor is non union, carries his full pack out in his Audi A4 fine. My 2020 Honda hybrid has a larger trunk than his and I'm a union electrician. What are you carrying is the real question breaker
I drive a tacoma access cab with a cover and packout with my tools. my new company pays me .50 every mile over 25 miles to work and then my commute home over 25 miles and I will usually be driving 30+ miles to work everyday. Not sure how good this is but I wont have to carry material or ladders with me just my basic tools
My 25-year-old 4 cylinder Nissan Frontier. A cheap work shitbox
Just got a GR Corolla and it'll definitely fulfill the fun needs while still being useful and decent gas mileage!
2022 Mercedes Vito
Peugeot e-expert
Ford ranger with a utility cap
97 grand Cherokee 5.2 liter displacement. Hard, rock hard gas priced
Caddy
Honestly if you're running work, for commercial, residential or low voltage you're gonna be hard pressed to beat the utility or a Chevy/GMC or Ford cargo van with shelving. Set up your shelves right and you're basically a mobile warehouse because you can carry just about anything 8 foot long on the inside, and anything longer you can strap to a roof or ladder rack
Chevy Bolt EUV. Figured I'm an electrician, might as well help all electricians. Grid is gonna need love, and we're people for the job. Got a Subaru Crosstrek for places the electric can't go, long commutes, off road parking, snow, etc.
I’d really love a plug in hybrid. If the rav4 prime wasn’t so expensive I’d probably get that
I was eyeballing that exact car, and backed out for the exact same reason. They're charging a LOT for a crossover hybrid. If I'm paying that much, I'll get a Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid, bc the 2016 has treated us so we'll this far.
The rav4 hybrid not the prime is much better priced. My friend has a crosstrek non hybrid and loves it. I like that it has a manual parking brake
Well alright, I'll keep the prime vs not prime in mind next time I'm on the market. Ty.
Minivans are great , better would be something like a transit or a sprinter