Dj Van On The Job
Dj Van On The Job

Being a mobile DJ is fun! You start out with the basic gear that you can probably fit in your car. However, as your experience progresses, your budget increases and your business expands, you won’t be able to fit all the things you need inside a car. You could think of hiring a van to fit all your stuff. But why would you settle for that when you can create your own mobile DJ van. 

Move over food trucks, my mobile DJ van is here to bring life to any party. It is one of the best things that has helped me with my DJ business. It just makes everything more accessible. It’s convenient and it also helps with my DJ brand. However, before you think of customizing a van, you first have to find the right vehicle. Is a van really the most suitable vehicle? Let’s help you find out.

Types Of DJ Vehicles

You could actually use any vehicle for your mobile DJ business. The key factor here is the amount of space it has to offer vs the amount you need. For this, I had a few considerations and they left me with 3 choices, a trailer, a box truck, or a cargo van. 

Trailers

Trailers are great because they are not that expensive. Plus, they are also lower to the ground, which makes loading and unloading a whole lot easier. However, one thing that made me think twice about it is how difficult it is to park and maneuver. Sure you can learn how to do that in time but I need something I can use right away.

Box Trucks

Another option that crossed my mind is box trucks. They aren’t that expensive plus they can also come with ramps to easily load and unload my DJ stuff. They do offer a lot of space and they are also my second choice.

Cargo Vans

As you can tell, I chose to go with the cargo vans. They may be more on the expensive side but they feel more convenient and comfortable to use. They fit all my equipment securely and they are easier to drive and fit into almost any parking space. Trucks on the other hand may not be able to fit small spaces so I decided to go for a van. 

Protect Your Investment

So you’ve decided on the type of vehicle to make your business mobile, next part is ensuring that your investment pays for itself, and then some.

After all, it’s not only transporting you and your precious gear, it’s also a great big advertisement for more business.

Sure, keeping your DJ vehicle functioning properly and looking great, show after show, takes some work, but it’s work that’s more than worth it.

So in this section we’ll discuss some common-sense step you can take to ensure that your transportation investment stays in tip-top shape.

Get Insured

Your business van is a vital asset to a growing DJ business, so it pays to purchase business insurance to make sure you’re properly covered, just in case. While there’s a number of different policies available for business transportation, a policy that covers “Carriage of Own Goods” (COG) makes the most sense for DJs. COG policies cover not only the vehicle, but any “tools of the trade” carrying with you including your speakers, turntables, music and any personal items in the vehicle.

Have A Maintenance Plan

Vehicles aren’t made to last forever, but with some planning and a nominal budget for maintenance, your vehicle can last as long, or longer, than my trusty 2001 Honda Pilot (350,000 miles and still going!). Spending money upfront with preventative maintenance schedule may cost a little money and time up front, but it will save you from a lot pain down the road in the way of lost gigs and major repairs.

Roadside Help

No matter how careful you drive or how well you keep to your maintenance program, accidents and breakdowns happen. When they do, its usually at the most inconvenient times – like right before a gig!

When unexpected roadside assistance is required it is a good idea to have a plan in place for quick turnaround. Time is money and having a towing service or emergency roadside assistance readily on hand is key to getting back up and running again fast. While we have used AAA and services that come with our credit card or insurance, we’ve found that they’re extremely slow to respond and end up costing more than a local towing service you’d find in the Yellow Pages, Yelp, or Google.

Our advice – work with a local towing company or roadside assistance service that is insured, has access to a repair shop and uses flat bed trucks for transport. Why flat beds? Flat bed trucks have a large flat trailer bed behind the cab which keeps all 4 of a vehicle’s wheel off the road to limit further damage during transport.

Customizing Your Wheels

Loading Ramp

This has to be superb quality. DJ gear is quite heavy and expensive too so you won’t want to accidentally drop it due to a faulty ramp. Additionally, the ramp will help you easily load and unload it to the van. This prevents you from requiring help to carry all your equipment. If you have a dolly, life would be much easier with this ramp as well. 

Foldable ramps are the best as they are always there with you so you won’t risk leaving them when you really need them. Just make sure to designate space for it in your van.

Partition

Although you’d like to fit everything you need in your car, you also want to ensure your safety as you drive this vehicle. A partition prevents all your gear from flying forward while you are driving. It is also another space where you can attach safety straps to secure your other equipment. 

Flooring

You’ve got a sick loading ramp to make loading and unloading easy. Don’t stop there, make rolling that heavy equipment easier for you inside the vehicle as well by getting better floors. Select non-slip flooring that is sturdy enough for heavy materials to roll over. Also, make sure that they are easy to clean. 

Shelves

You just can’t place your equipment on the flooring of your vehicle. Shelves will help you keep things organized and they are also space savers. It would be great if you can find shelves that will fit your gear perfectly. If not, the best alternative is to have customized shelves. You can also build them on your own.

Safety Straps

Putting your equipment on shelves and driving off will only lead to a disaster. You have to make sure that they do not move or fall off. You can do that by using safety straps and anchors. Make those strap attachments secure. Add them to the shelves and onto the floor. Ratchet straps are great safety straps and they fit well in D-rings that can serve as your attachment points. 

Exterior Paint

You can save this for later when you have a bigger budget. Think of placing your brand over your vehicle. Customize how it looks so it can also act as an advertisement. While driving to your destination party, make sure it catches the eye of other potential customers. 

https://www.studiodelphin.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/white-passenger-medium-size-commercial-german-luxury-minibus-van-parked-city-street-with-blurred-silhouettes-pedestrians-moving-car-green-trees-1024x682.jpghttps://www.studiodelphin.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/white-passenger-medium-size-commercial-german-luxury-minibus-van-parked-city-street-with-blurred-silhouettes-pedestrians-moving-car-green-trees-150x150.jpgAlex FigueroaDJ Advicedj van,dj van maintenance,mobile djDj Van On The Job Being a mobile DJ is fun! You start out with the basic gear that you can probably fit in your car. However, as your experience progresses, your budget increases and your business expands, you won’t be able to fit all the things you need inside...DJ Delphins Professional DJ Blog