October 2023 - 58

BIG TIME BOXES
MAKING ROOM
When it comes to organizing his tools,
one way that Vandenheuvel ensures his
organization grows with him is by using a
peg board in his toolbox. If he were to add
new tools or rearrange his existing ones,
it would take little effort to get his stuff
moved around.
In each drawer, the tools are neatly laid
out so that when Vandenheuvel goes to grab
something he won't need to dig around and
waste time searching.
Vandenheuvel is a stickler when it comes
Photo courtesy of Theo Vandenheuvel
Frankenstein's toolbox
Made up of three different brands, technician
Theo Vandenheuvel's toolbox is something of a
Frankenstein creation.
By Elli Carder, Assistant Editor
T
hree brands make up Theo
Vandenheuvel's toolbox:
Matco, Snap-on, and
Harbor Freight. His toolbox, which he
lovingly refers to as a " Frankenstein box, "
clocks in at 150 " wide and 80 " tall.
In 2020, after struggling with the minimal
amount of room his old box afforded
him, he set out to make a toolbox that
would fit his needs while also remaining
cost efficient.
IN THE LABORATORY
The first purchase Vandenheuvel made
for his toolbox build was a Matco Tools
MB8535, a custom three-bay rollaway in
black and silver, which came with a tall, black
locker that fits nicely onto the side of the box.
He then added a 30 " Matco 5S side cabinet,
which originally used to be a cart, to the
main box. A Harbor Freight Icon overhead
cabinet sits on top of the Matco boxes. The
Theo Vandenheuvel
Shop: Country Mile Garage
Location: Bluffton, Indiana
latest addition, and what Vandenheuvel says
will be the final, was a used Snap-on Power
Locker Cabinet.
All in all, Vandenheuvel spent around
$6,600 for his entire toolbox setup.
Over the years, the journey to price conscientiousness
has helped Vandenheuvel save
money left and right. The biggest lesson he's
learned is to see value in old things.
" My main box that I started with, that
thing is like 20 years old, " says Vandenheuvel.
" ... there's nothing wrong with working with
old stuff. "
The way Vandenheuvel sees it, by saving
money on the storage front, he's able to spend
more where it really counts: his tools.
58 PTEN OCTOBER 2023 www.VehicleServicePros.com
Want to show off YOUR Big-Time
Box? For more information, email
Editor@VehicleServicePros.com.
to the color of each box in his setup. Black
and silver handles are an absolute must. He
advises anyone thinking about starting a new
toolbox to choose one color-red or black-
and stick to it. The technician recommends
those colors because " it's really easy to find
add-on pieces. "
THE MAN BEHIND THE BOX
When we first reached out to Vandenheuvel
to inquire about an interview with the magazine,
he warned us that his answers would
be different than the average person's. We
were introduced to the enigmatic technician
through his first-person videos of tool
reviews and repair walkthroughs on his
YouTube channel, @CountryMileGarage.
Through his YouTube videos,
Vandenheuvel seeks to help his audience in
several ways, whether that be giving them
advice on the efficiency of certain tools or
walking them through a particularly challenging
service problem.
" There's a lot of people out there that
want to fix their own stuff and sometimes
they run into a snag, " Vandenheuvel says.
" If my video can make it happen for them, I
am very happy that I could help somebody
to save a dollar and get their vehicle back
on the road. "
Want to see more photos of
Vandenheuvel's box?
Visit: VehicleServicePros.
com/53073161
http://VehicleServicePros.com/53073161 http://www.VehicleServicePros.com
October 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of October 2023
