By Tanya Olckers

Getting the right branding and customisation for your vehicle is important for your business.

No tools being converted to flying projectiles.

No tools being converted to flying projectiles. Image supplied by Tanya Olckers © RACA Journal

At Custom Mobile Converters in Boksburg, Gauteng, there is a great deal of activity. Customised vans are being prepared to head off to their owners in Mozambique. Three Mercedes Benz vans that are no more than shells, are waiting to be transformed into ambulances that will also be making their way to another African country once they are done.

“We’ve also done HVAC and refrigerated vehicles,” says Willie Roets, owner of Custom Mobile Converters as he shows off the latest custom build he’s done: a mobile office, complete with aircon, fridge, microwave and storage space.

Roets, who originally started out his career as a paramedic, has been working on custom vehicles for the past 20 years. “Customisation, first and foremost, needs to be done according to the legal specifications,” he says.

Vossie Barnard of Vestronox is also busy preparing vehicles for customisation. “Most people do their own customisation,” he says, “But, it really is better to get a professional to do the customisation for you.”

Both Roets and Barnard point out the value of having vehicles customised by professionals. For one thing, they know precisely how to design and plan for the right kind of shelving, rigging, tools and additional equipment that will be needed for the busy contractor. The client gets to have their input on the customisation as well, because ultimately, the equipment, layout and accessibility has to suit the needs of the technician using the vehicle.

Cherie Mostert’s top three tips:

  1. Wash your vehicle regularly, with ordinary car shampoo and polishes. Don’t let marks lie on the vinyl for a period of time – ensure you wipe these marks off as soon as you see them.
  2. Vinyl takes around seven days to settle. Always take your vehicle back after seven days for a post inspection, where any lifting, bubbling and other issues can be attended to before any damage to the vinyl occurs.
  3. Check your mock-ups and colour samples thoroughly. Check the spelling and the contact details and make sure the colours print to your specifications.

Contractors’ technicians typically drive around with a large amount of equipment and tools. What’s more, there are those days when a condenser, insulation rolls, pipes, fans and ducts that need to be accommodated. All of that has to go somewhere, and simply piling everything into the back of a bakkie or panel van in a haphazard way is not going to save the contractor time nor make his or her job any easier if they have to dig around for that one wrench, valve or nozzle.

Vehicle wrap brings the brand together.

Vehicle wrap brings the brand together. Image supplied by Tanya Olckers © RACA Journal

However, there are a number of contractor vehicles out on the road that resemble a crazed jumble sale. Refrigeration and HVAC maintenance is a mobile business, and time is money. Even just fitting a set of drawers and shelves can go a long way to getting more organised, which will make your business more efficient and could translate to repeat business and more clients.

Vossie Barnard’s top three tips:

  1. Everything has a place, and everything in its place.
  2. A van or bakkie is a confined space so you need to be sure what tools, equipment, spares, consumables need to be kept in the van.
  3. Be disciplined to keep it neat and organised – it saves time, spares don’t get damaged and it’s a cost saver.

“Customisation is more than just putting a canopy on a bakkie,” says Barnard. “You’ve got to take into account what the vehicle is being used for and what’s best for the company and the worker.You’ve also got to look at the client’s budget so that you can guide him to what would work best for his business according to what he can afford.

“I always get a new client to bring at least one person who will be working in the vehicle along to design and planning meetings,” says Roets, who has kitted out mobile kitchens, offices, ambulances and police vehicles. “Sometimes, what management thinks will work best for the guy doing the job isn’t necessarily what will actually work best in the field.”

Getting a basic idea of the needs of the contractor is a great start – whether focused on installation or maintenance. Drawers and shelving may cost a little more for the customisation, but knowing exactly where things are cuts down both time and frustration. It’s also helpful to see precisely what stock you have and when you will need to stock up on disposables or other items, which means fewer emergency runs to wholesalers so that you can get on with the job.

Branding tells people who you are

Branding tells people who you are. Image supplied by Wrap-My-Ride

Roets points out that an unsecured toolbox or piece of equipment can easily be turned into a projectile should the driver break suddenly. This could result in catastrophic injury – or death – if this strikes the driver or anyone else in the van. Roets is painfully aware of these kinds of accident from his time as a paramedic.

Willie Roet’s top three tips:

  1. Determine the kind of work you are doing and the equipment you are carrying. This will determine the kind of customisation. Also take into account if you will be transporting pipes or other materials on the roof of the vehicle.
  2. Decide on your budget and work with the professional according to that.
  3. Take into account the legal requirements for customisation

This is also a good reason to use a professional who is certified and registered, who complies with the rules laid out in SANS 10319:2006 (The registration of manufacturers, importers and builders of categories M, N, O and L motor vehicles and agricultural tractors) and SANS 20048:2017 (Uniform provision concerning the approval of vehicles with regard to the installation of lighting and light-signalling devices).

Drawers and shelving may cost a little more for the customisation, but knowing exactly where things are cuts down both time and frustration.

Drawers and shelving may cost a little more for the customisation, but knowing exactly where things are
cuts down both time and frustration. Image supplied by Tanya Olckers © RACA Journal

Another part of customisation is vehicle branding. Vehicle branding is essentially a moving advertisement that people get to see as you go about your business. Not just that, but some businesses will only allow a branded vehicle on site as part of their security measures. Branding also acts as a possible deterrent to hijackers and thieves. It is also a part of your company’s brand – it’s personality that is an extension beyond the office walls.

Wrap-My-Ride is a branding specialist that works with vinyl wrapping on a vehicle. This popular style of branding makes your brand stand out as you make your way through traffic. “If you’re going for a vinyl wrap, insist that the installer lets you know exactly what kind of vinyl they plan to use on your vehicle,” says Cherie Mostert of Wrap-My-Ride. “You want to make sure the warranty you are given is relevant to the African climate and not the European climate. There are many kinds of vinyl on the market, not all vinyl is suitable for vehicles. Some are made for signage and if applied to a vehicle you run a high risk of damage to the paint when removed.”

A more affordable vinyl is polymeric vinyl which can work well on a flat surface like the sides of a truck. Cast vinyl, which is a conformable vinyl, would work well on curves and recesses.

Mostert also recommends using a preferred installer for vinyl brands (for example, Avery Dennison, 3M and Hexis) so that you know they’ve got the backing of respected providers. She also suggests that before you get the wrap on your vehicle done that you ask for references and do a site visit to see the premises and the work for yourself.

 

 

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