A workshop in a van: how mobile hose service works
A burst hose stops an excavator, a crane or a combine — and every hour of downtime costs more than the repair itself. This is what the mobile service business is built on: the workshop comes to the machine. We look at what equipment fits in a van, what powers it, and how Link Technology builds such a line for a specific van.
A stationary workshop waits for the customer, while a mobile one works where the breakdown happened: at a quarry, a construction site, in a field during harvest. A machine with a burst hose stands still, hydraulic oil leaks, the crew is idle. The owner of such a machine will not haul it a hundred kilometres — he will call whoever can arrive within an hour or two and assemble the hose on site. Speed in this segment is paid for without argument, and competition in most regions is still lower than in stationary repair.
What fits in a van
A complete hose assembly line fits in an ordinary van — provided the equipment is chosen for mobility. The core of the kit looks like this:
- A CS-series battery crimping machine. Runs from a 12/24 V vehicle supply — from the socket of a truck or Your own van. LT-P20CS covers hoses up to 1 1/2", LT-P32CS up to 2" with four spirals, and the CSD versions add numerical control with programme memory.
- The LT-P18XL hybrid — an option for those working both in the field and in the garage: powered by an 18 V battery or 110–220 V mains.
- The LT-C250CS battery cutter — a clean cut up to 1" without mains power. For large hoses a mains cutter is installed in the van and run through an inverter.
- The LT-SH50 manual skiver — compact, bench-mounted, needs no power at all.
- The LT-C2 cleaning gun with a small compressor: driving a projectile through the assembled hose takes half a minute, and the customer's hydraulic system stays clean.
- Consumables: reels of running hoses (1SN, 2SN, 4SP), fittings of common sizes, die sets. Practice shows that 15–20 items cover nine call-outs out of ten.
A line in a van — turnkey
The main difficulty of a mobile workshop is not the machines but their placement. Van bodies all differ, the equipment must be secured for travel, the bench must withstand the crimping force, and the aisle must stay free. Home-made benches from angle iron usually do not survive long journeys on rough roads.
A few practical layout rules, proven on real vans:
- The crimping machine — closer to the rear doors. A long hose sticks out during crimping, and it is more convenient to work with the doors open.
- Heavy items — low and close to the axles. A machine weighing 60–90 kg noticeably affects vehicle handling.
- Everything secured. Drawers with closers and locks, machines on studs, reels on axles: after driving on a gravel road there must be no loose items in the body.
- Light and a socket outside. A significant share of call-outs happens after dark.
The economics of a call-out
A typical call-out is one to three hoses. The assembly itself takes minutes: cut, skive, crimp, clean. Most of the time is the journey, which is why the mobile tariff is built from a call-out fee plus work, not from the hose price alone. A workshop based on LT-P20CS pays back faster than a stationary point: no premises rent and no three-phase supply are needed, and the customer base grows with every quarry and construction site within an hour's drive.