Have I got the smallest...

rig/van?

With my Transit just about managing 28mpg and diesel at nearly 6 quid fifty (ten dollars) a gallon, I decided that I would try to do something about my fuel costs.

I saw this little beauty on the side of the road in my village with a for sale sign in the window:



2003 model, 90k on the clock, 1500cc turbo diesel engine. 1200 quid.
So I thought I would give it a go as I should get that for my transit.
It's a bit of a squeeze:







but everything goes in and early guesstimates show about 50mpg...
I do miss the space to be untidy though!

Thinking about a moped myself .mabe become a hoofer then all i need is a sanding block and an opinion .lol on second thought there might not be enough room on a moped for all of those.seriously though i think a lot of us ar thinking of downsizeing our riggs and that looks like the ticket

I went and did a bunch of trims on my motorbike once!

Some one on another sight was shoeing off a motercycle with a trailer looked like a plan but with as far as i go and some of the things i get into id have a hard time being that mutch of a minamalist

I love doing trims off the back of the Harley.

Been thinking along the same lines.
Does the forge pull out or do you use it where it is?

Sounds like a personal problem to me!!!! roflmao

Gary,
Regarding your question "do I have the smallest", The answer is a resounding YES.

As for shoeing rigs, I shoe out of a Chrysler Town and Country (fancy mini-van). I do believe you have me beat slightly in girth but I'm sure mines a bit longer.

Of course we all know that it's not the size of your tool, but how well you use it.

it stays where it is

Righteo.

Its funny, a lot of the guys here drive whopping big 4wd utes, but only have a couple of off the shelf tool boxes on the back, and the forge (if they have one), just sitting out in the open, boxes of shoes and crap all over the place. Then sneer at us guys with vans which are generally organized with shelves, racks etc.

You little van there would easily carry more stuff around than they do.

If only i was that orginised . Finding my self going farther and farther theas days.lookiing at a trailer with a bunk as im thinking of taking on a few in el paso would have to spend the night if i do (dont want to sleep in the truck anymore)

Bill it must be awful waiting for breakdown recovery to come get ya on the way home though

Class job who ever fitted it out Gary! Thats the only job with petrol prices the way they are now

Hey David,
I'll have you know that 85% of all Harleys are still on the road today! The rest of them made it home.

Brilliant Bill Il have to remember that one

The harley i had allways made it home and hardly used any fule ( just what sloshed out on the bed of our trailer)

Thanks! I did it myself
The hardest part was figuring out how to make most efficient use of space and being able to use the forge without setting the van on fire.
To achieve the latter, I made heat shields out of some ally chequer plate I had lying around and put a mat of flame retardant/heat absorbent material that plumbers use for soldering water pipes in confined spaces behind the rear port of the forge:



but the first time I used it I found that the heat from the front was damaging the door seals of the van, so I had to make a heat shield for that too:

I would think a swing out arm would work for you?

This is pretty simple to make and works well:



Regards

What is it your refering to Rick you made?

The slide-out for the forge and grinder. For the slide Gary could use a square stock ( hollow ) sliding inside C stock, with the C stock firmly anchored in the van.

Regards