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Av Owners That Happen To Be Plumbers

D

DoogieDobe

SM 2003
Full Member
Joined
May 12, 2002
Messages
329
Location
Lancaster, PA
I have had 0 success at finding a job in my field of computers. An opportunity has been presented to me to become an apprentice plumber. I have never thought of this profession but this is probably a one time opportunity that I am going to take....

Now here is the question how will my SOM Fully Loaded Av make it as a daily truck used as a plumbers work vehicle. My gut feeling is I'll end up trashing it. My alternative is to get a used Chevy/GM pickup and save my Av. Although I have been told I can claim expenses on the Av if used for work.

Please send some opionions....


Thanks,

DoogieDobe
 
DoogieDobe said:
I have had 0 success at finding a job in my field of computers.
Click to expand...

In Lancaster? Have you considered moving to a more technology based area? ;D What kind of IT job you looking for? Development? Testing? Management?

We should start a forum where Av owners help each other find jobs. I'm sure there wouldn't be a lot of traffic, but we're all one big happy family and networking with several thousand people can't be bad.

I know I didn't answer your question about using your Av for plumbing... I'm sorry. I don't have any valuable input to give you there. Good luck, though!
 
Rewbob said:
In Lancaster? ?Have you considered moving to a more technology based area? ?;D ?What kind of IT job you looking for? ?Development? ?Testing? ?Management?

We should start a forum where Av owners help each other find jobs. ?I'm sure there wouldn't be a lot of traffic, but we're all one big happy family and networking with several thousand people can't be bad.

I know I didn't answer your question about using your Av for plumbing... ?I'm sorry. ?I don't have any valuable input to give you there. ?Good luck, though!
Click to expand...


Relocating is not a possibility since wife has an established career and has 15 years in at her current employer. I'm pretty psyched about a new career cause afterwards I'll have a trade and IT experience. And the new employer has a plan for me to combine the two.

Thanks RewBob I do like the job forum idea. Cause no job = no av to take to GTGs. I spent 2 weeks as an Av fan then luckily I got my Av. Now to see if I can be a plumber with it.

DoogieDobe
 
Rewbob said:
We should start a forum where Av owners help each other find jobs. ?I'm sure there wouldn't be a lot of traffic, but we're all one big happy family and networking with several thousand people can't be bad.
Click to expand...
Since you are both Supporting Members, there is a thread in the SM area, in fact started by Doogie, that I thought was going to head down that line.

Employment Help
 
Many people in the IT world have been displaced in this faltering economy (myself included, when funding for the start-up I was with dried up last year). Some have been creative and have pursued other career paths. This is definitely a good thing. I'm also seeing more and more IT people taking up trades, while they are still employed, as sort of a layoff insurance policy.

I've been looking at a limited number of very good IT jobs for myself. The difficulty is that there are so many people in this market that employers are being VERY selective regarding functional area experience or other specific criteria.

Recently, out of a field of 100 highly-qualified candidates, I made it to the last round of interviews involving myself and another candidate. The other candidate got the job, based on his higher level of DoD clearances.
 
Hiya Doogie,
My advice would be to use the AV at first. If this is your first adventure into Plumbing you may not be sure how you will like it. I would not go out and take on the expense of purchasing another vehicle until I knew that it was a job I would love. Besides, if you have been unemployed for some time it may be a financial burden to do so. Waiting will make sure you do not blow your money or cause un-needed stress on your finances. Besides, plumbers need a lot of other tools and such that you will need to spend money on to be able to do the job correctly. Buy the tools first, and wait for the work truck.

Also, you never know when you will get the call to offer you a job back in the IT field. I was also unemployed last year. I eventually got a job at a company I had applied to 4 months earlier (I was working a contract IT Job at the time). They had actually turned me down because I was "over qualified" for a PC Repair Tech job. They had a Network Admin job open up that suited me better and called me too offer the job based upon my previous application.

I would say give the new job a few months to make sure you will like it. If the AV starts showing premature signs of abuse, you can always go out and instantly pick up a used Chevy Pick-Up from any used car lot.

Another item, do not overlook the prospect of using contacts from the new job to find openings in the IT field. If you do commercial plumbing repairs for businesses you can always "network" while you are un-plugging their toilet!! ;D

And, if you are doing residential repairs you can always pick up small repair jobs to keep your skills sharpened.

Thats my thoughts on the matter, Hope it helps.
Reidan
 
Reidan said:
Hiya Doogie,
My advice would be to use the AV at first. ?If this is your first adventure into Plumbing you may not be sure how you will like it. ?I would not go out and take on the expense of purchasing another vehicle until I knew that it was a job I would love. ?Besides, if you have been unemployed for some time it may be a financial burden to do so. ?Waiting will make sure you do not blow your money or cause un-needed stress on your finances. ?Besides, plumbers need a lot of other tools and such that you will need to spend money on to be able to do the job correctly. ?Buy the tools first, and wait for the work truck.

Also, you never know when you will get the call to offer you a job back in the IT field. ?I was also unemployed last year. ?I eventually got a job at a company I had applied to 4 months earlier (I was working a contract IT Job at the time). ?They had actually turned me down because I was "over qualified" for a PC Repair Tech job. ?They had a Network Admin job open up that suited me better and called me too offer the job based upon my previous application.

I would say give the new job a few months to make sure you will like it. ?If the AV starts showing premature signs of abuse, you can always go out and instantly pick up a used Chevy Pick-Up from any used car lot.

Another item, do not overlook the prospect of using contacts from the new job to find openings in the IT field. ?If you do commercial plumbing repairs for businesses you can always "network" while you are un-plugging their toilet!! ? ;D

And, if you are doing residential repairs you can always pick up small repair jobs to keep your skills sharpened.

Thats my thoughts on the matter, Hope it helps.
Reidan
Click to expand...


Hey Thanks for the info. I agree and that's what I'll do. That does help!!!!

DoogieDobe

 
Have fun with your new job, BUT be ready to get dirty the boss ain't gona dig that hole or trench when doing water services and taking out old soil pipe and laying new pipe when i was learnig the trade (two years) i even went to school at night to learn to wipe a joint and use lead on soil pipe (they don't do that any more) have fun
 
I started plumbing when i was 17, I am now 64 and retired. Plumbing is a great trade. I have worked out of many types of vehicles and I dont think that the AV would work out very well. You would need pipe racks and a bed slide. The bed does not hold enough with the covers on. You would really mess up the truck in a short time.
 
It depends upon whether you'll be doing residential, commercial, or industrial. Residential is very dirty work
commercial , indusrtrial not so bad . Just remember half of a plumbers job is the underground and thats all in the dirt .
Just get ya some carhart bibs and you'll keep everything pretty
clean . Welcome to trade work !!! I've been an electrician for 10 yrs I love it
 
ORANGE_1 said:
I started plumbing when i was 17, I am now 64 and retired. Plumbing is a great trade. I have worked out of many types of vehicles and I dont think that the AV would work out very well. You would need pipe racks and a bed slide. The bed does not hold enough with the covers on. You would really mess up the truck in a short time.
Click to expand...

Thanks Orange....I stopped at a Chevy dealer tonight just to see what a business truck would cost. Found a real sweet one that is me to a T. (I tend to like tools and tools boxes. This one is the ultimate. My Sweet Work Truck (Someday) And that's on a GM 3500 Frame. But I have to grow into that. If not htis year maybe in a few.

MtnMaster...The plumbing work I'm learning is new industrial government construction. Hey but I'm into learning all that the trade has to teach me.

I just don't want to trash my SOM Av baby. I will use it carefullly and eventually get a work truck. Definately GM/Chevy product and both Av and Work ride with have Red White and Blue Flames!!! ;D

Thanks guys for your input!!

DoogieDobe

 
2 things to remember:
sh** runs downhill and payday is on friday :D
are you going to be part of the plumbers union?
in my trade, apprentices aren't required to carry much in their personal vehicles. you sure that you are going to have to carry large tools, gang boxes, material etc. in your av? guys hauling around that much stuff usually get a company truck. especially if they work for a large company. you didn't say that the place you are working is large, but i assume it is based on the job being, " new industrial government construction".
have fun with the new career
 
woodman said:
2 things to remember:
sh** runs downhill and payday is on friday :D
are you going to be part of the plumbers union?
in my trade, apprentices aren't required to carry much in their personal vehicles. you sure that you are going to have to carry large tools, gang boxes, material etc. in your av? guys hauling around that much stuff usually get a company truck. especially if they work for a large company. you didn't say that the place you are working is large, but i assume it is based on the job being, " new industrial government construction".
have fun with the new career
Click to expand...

Hey Woodman...
No Union...50+ Plumbers...You are required to have your own tools (I find out today what tools I'm required to have) and you are responsible to get yourself to the jobsite (within 1 hour from homebase) I don't know if as an apprentice you car pool with the Journeyman Plumber you are learning under.

Thanks again for the info...

DoogieDobe
 
Go for it, use the AV! I know plumbers that make somme good cash, and if you trash it a bit, you custom paint it later. And it gives you one hell of a good reason to get yourself a bedslide.
 
I'm not a plumber, but my dad is, uncle, grandpa, his dad was, etc... sort of a family thing. I worked for a fairly large plumbing company doing drafting work and other work in the tool shop and from what I know of plumbing you're not going to want to use your avalanche for this. It's going to get filthy, scratched, dented, etc... Most job sites are dangerous places and there is a lot of stuff going on, big trucks and other heavy equipment rolling around and it's all just a recipe for disaster.

I would suggest finding a used chevy express van w/ some bins inside and a ladder rack for traveling to job sites. If you don't have to carry a lot of tools you may want to find a junker SUV to use for a few grand that you don't mind getting messed up. Not to mention that you'll be dragging all sorts of mud (and who knows what else) inside the truck with you.

Maybe I missed it, but what type of plumbing work does the company do? I saw that you had posted it was 50+ plumbers, but are they residential, commercial, or what?

From personal experience apprentices at the company I used to work for were only required to take there plumbers hand box which contained basic hand tools and only weighed about 80-100 pounds with them in there personal vehicle to job sites and all other tools were stored in trailers or gang boxes on site. Other than that if they had to pick up anything like 20' lengths of pipe there was always the journeyman plumbers truck/van to use for that.

Hope this helps and if you have any more questions let me know.

Good luck in this new field and remember, bend with the knees ;D
 
Im a Apprentice Plumber also, but I have the Luxury of travling around in my dad's new 3/4 ton Chevy Express Van ;D. I would never use the AVY for work like that.
I think you will like the job, I have been doing it since I graduated in 2000 and I love it.

Josh
 
2 things to remember:
sh** runs downhill and payday is on friday, you forgot the third:
the boss is a pr**k :eek: at least that's what I was told. After 27 yrs in wholesale plumbing DON'T USE YOUR AV. It'll be trashed in no time. Can you get a work truck from the company for back and forth ???
 
Hey thanks again for the info guys....

I start on July 14th. I may not actually be doing pliumbing work until Sept I am ready....

Chevy4X4
It's new government construction

JJ
I saw a Chevy Express Van yesterday. I was drooling. I also saw a Chevy Van with the Utility Service body on it. He had a used one for $23,000 I don't know how I could swing that.

Mellow Yellow
Unfortunetly I am responsible for getting to the job site. Which could be up to 1.5 hrs away. The employer has no plumber trucks.


I still need to hear from my accountant what I can deduct via taxes and what I can't.

Thanks again guys...

DoogieDobe


 
Mellow Yellow said:
2 things to remember:
sh** runs downhill and payday is on friday, you forgot the third:
the boss is a pr**k ?:eek: at least that's what I was told. After 27 yrs in wholesale plumbing DON'T USE YOUR AV. It'll be trashed in no time. Can you get a work truck from the company for back and forth ???
Click to expand...

Also forgot:
"hots on the left, cold's on the right, sh...
 
Although I am not a plumber,I am an electrician,I can give you my 2 cents. ?You should not be required to carry anything that would damage your Av. when working for a contractor. ?If you will be required to then I would go elsewhere. ?Usually if you need to carry larger tools you are working out of a company truck. ?If your tool list contains much more than hand tools and pipe wrenches I would go and look at the Plumbers and pipefitters local union. ?Of course I have no idea what your ralationship with the employer is. ? Just my 2 cents . ?Not trying to start a labor war online.

Happy Aving to all!!!!!
 
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