Service van or truck, which one to buy?

[HVAC/Stud]

I'm going to buy a work truck/van. Should I get a van,truck with side doors or something else.
What say y'all?

STUD

[oldblue]

I'm going to buy a work truck/van. Should I get a van,truck with side doors or something else.
What say y'all?

STUD

I say both nice van for all the dry space for tools and parts. Then a cheap rusted out old pick up for hauling stuff. Then you can let the helper drive it. If he breaks it or rolls it not to expensive to replace.

Not to many guys into trucks around here. I started a truck thread in off topic figuring a lot of us guys own our own and work on them ourselves. Didn't seem too be much interest.

Heres my fleet(2 counts right?) as you can see both my van and truck are old and rusty.

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6087/6123805873_424ed802fd.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/58640175@N05/6123805873/)
IMG_20110818_102708 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/58640175@N05/6123805873/) by oldblue2011 (http://www.flickr.com/people/58640175@N05/), on Flickr

[Southern Mech]

I've had all scenario's. 1- had a truck with toolboxes, sucked badly. 2- had truck with contractor style cap, side doors with bins, double back doors that took place of tailgate, not bad but was a pain to get in and out of. 3- A van what a dream, get an enclosed trailer to pull to c/o's and if you do new construction.

[walterc]

Have a pickup with a lift to do change outs and do service with this;


http://www.google.com/url?source=imglanding&ct=img&q=http://carguideblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010-ford-transit-connect.jpg?cda6c1&sa=X&ei=7jBpTqSdEeyOsALEz-yDDg&ved=0CAkQ8wc&usg=AFQjCNHiWOh4HFePCR-IWdJdXHoLRfLUIA



May not have enough room or power though! :grin2:

[ascj]

I'm going to buy a work truck/van. Should I get a van,truck with side doors or something else.
What say y'all?

STUD

If you're just doing service......then there is a reason why most drive vans. If you are a small operation and do service and installs......then I would suggest van cut away with utility box.

[McLean Air]

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/298798_2054560452216_1490707586_31913339_393840448 _n.jpgI have had regular cargo vans before. I hate trying to crawl in and dig for a part or something that fell off the shelf. Also not enough room for me. Pulling a trailer around here sucks. (Traffic and tight spaces) I have the best of both worlds. Utility boxes, (they are great, esp for putting things away) and enclosed space.

[ararams]

Just a quick note. If you are thinking of getting a chevy van check the amount of suspension travel they have in the front. They only have one inch of travel before using the bump stop as an active part of the suspension. both the 2500and 3500 ride is really bad in rough road loaded .

[CraziFuzzy]

Gotta be more specific with your intended usage.. for instance, I get buy pretty well with this...
http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m294/dulude_2006/FathersDayLaynieCart017.jpg
...not that it would work well for everyone...

[man from trane]

I love my F-150 Supercrew long box. There's room for all my tools and parts in the rear cab. The box easily fits a couple of 5 ton condensing units or a pallet of minisplits. Good to throw the old junk in and haul it away, too. I've had vans and just never liked the way they drive or park. But then my long truck parks like a Winnebago so that's not much better.

[meplumber]

Well. I have both. I have an 2003 E350 with a Supreme box on it. Loved it.

That truck is still in service with another tech. I now drive an F250 4x4 diesel with a commercial cap.

I like the traction in the winter of the 4x4. The truck serves me well. I mostly do white glove stuff now. A lot of call backs and follow ups. I do the AC startups. Stuff like that.

When I was doing service and installs, the cube was the way to go. I have driven vans, and at 6'5" 245 lbs, crawling around in the van wasn't much fun.

[Pion]

Vans have more room to store and organize parts and tools, etc., but I'd much rather drive a truck.

[chuckcrj]

I'm going to buy a work truck/van. Should I get a van,truck with side doors or something else.
What say y'all?

STUD

Here's a thread I started that got 82 replies a month or two ago. http://hvac-talk.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=864352 Lots of opinions.

[bob_the_builder]

As primarily a plumber/gas fitter who does service, I drive a Ford E-350 Cargo Van. Yes, its not as cool to drive as a truck. However, with all of my shelving space fully stocked, I don't make as many trips to the wholesaler. The gas mileage on the other hand...well lets just say I am glad I don't pay it.:grin2:

[Gross]

just bought 3 transits...gas savings pay for them easily.

[ga-hvac-tech]

Gotta be more specific with your intended usage.. for instance, I get buy pretty well with this...
http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m294/dulude_2006/FathersDayLaynieCart017.jpg
...not that it would work well for everyone...

Appears to be a variant of an electric golf cart... What was its service use before it became a 'project'... just curious.

[CraziFuzzy]

Appears to be a variant of an electric golf cart... What was its service use before it became a 'project'... just curious.

That's not actually mine, just a image i found in a hurry of the same model. Taylor Dunn B2-10... yeah.. just an electric truck. Works for getting around the medical campus here. We've actually got a fleet of 5 longbeds like that, and 8 short beds - y'know, for sportiness - all with varying level of 'customizations', ladder racks, boxes, air compressors, etc.

We do have a few vans for off-site work (regional medical clinics), and one GMC pickup for hauling stuff.

[ga-hvac-tech]

That's not actually mine, just a image i found in a hurry of the same model. Taylor Dunn B2-10... yeah.. just an electric truck. Works for getting around the medical campus here. We've actually got a fleet of 5 longbeds like that, and 8 short beds - y'know, for sportiness - all with varying level of 'customizations', ladder racks, boxes, air compressors, etc.

We do have a few vans for off-site work (regional medical clinics), and one GMC pickup for hauling stuff.

I can understand on a medical campus (multiple buildings to maintain)... an elec cart would be a bonus.

A while back I had a string of customers out in the country (in my case the N GA mountains)... gas costs got the best of that gig. Most of the folks had acreage, and each of those had a golf cart to run from here to there. One of the retired folks (guy) liked to follow me around... he would ride his golf cart here and there... and sit in it to watch/talk. Guy had a heart condition and could not walk too far... but he still could smoke... Guy did not make it... Shame, he was a wise person; and I enjoyed talking to him.

[CraziFuzzy]

Appears to be a variant of an electric golf cart... What was its service use before it became a 'project'... just curious.

That's not actually mine, just a image i found in a hurry of the same model. Taylor Dunn B2-10... yeah.. just an electric truck. Works for getting around the medical campus here. We've actually got a fleet of 5 longbeds like that, and 8 short beds - y'know, for sportiness - all with varying level of 'customizations', ladder racks, boxes, air compressors, etc.

We do have a few vans for off-site work (regional medical clinics), and one GMC pickup for hauling stuff.

EDIT: Our newest longbed cart (couple years old) is actually rated to tow 8000lbs, albeit slowly. They are amazingly sturdy trucks. One of them got run over by a tractor trailer, and just needed some body work.

[ga-hvac-tech]

That's not actually mine, just a image i found in a hurry of the same model. Taylor Dunn B2-10... yeah.. just an electric truck. Works for getting around the medical campus here. We've actually got a fleet of 5 longbeds like that, and 8 short beds - y'know, for sportiness - all with varying level of 'customizations', ladder racks, boxes, air compressors, etc.

We do have a few vans for off-site work (regional medical clinics), and one GMC pickup for hauling stuff.

EDIT: Our newest longbed cart (couple years old) is actually rated to tow 8000lbs, albeit slowly. They are amazingly sturdy trucks. One of them got run over by a tractor trailer, and just needed some body work.

One of my 'transitional' jobs (things to hustle $$$ while attending college) was maintenance at a wholesale tropical indoor plant growing nursery. They had a couple of elec carts, and they were VERY handy. One of them was 30" wide... just the right size to drive down the isles between plants.

What was nice about them was; almost zero maintenance (as well as no exhaust). Just plug it in every nite and check the battery water once a week. We had 3 carts and replaced batteries in one each year (each cart got new batteries every 3 years).

Whom-ever thought to produce elec utility carts was a wise person.

[icesoft]

One of my 'transitional' jobs (things to hustle $$$ while attending college) was maintenance at a wholesale tropical indoor plant growing nursery. They had a couple of elec carts, and they were VERY handy. One of them was 30" wide... just the right size to drive down the isles between plants.

What was nice about them was; almost zero maintenance (as well as no exhaust). Just plug it in every nite and check the battery water once a week. We had 3 carts and replaced batteries in one each year (each cart got new batteries every 3 years).

Whom-ever thought to produce elec utility carts was a wise person.

And they likely made a killing in the process... We attend LasVegas for a big trade show once every 3 years, and the convention center is covered with them by all the contractors for setup/teardown.

[PremiumServices]

2007 E-250 with shelfs and ladder rack. Stronger than E-150 and not as expensive on gas and maintenance as E-350. I mostly do residential so its very good. I will probably buy a trailler for installs and for hauling scrap to the scrap yard. Last time I rented a trailler and got $1200.00 for the scrap. I could have used that money for the trailler.

Drove a Chevy a couple times on last employer and didn't like it at all. It was too long and suspension was a nightmare. My regular van was a 1998 E-250 and other than the lack of maintenance (read no AC) it was good that's why I got one when I started my business.

Those transits seem to be good for guys doing sales or maintenance. No way I could do service calls out of that think - not room enough for all tools and parts.

[Capz]

I drive a Ford Transit everyday. It drives & handles great on flat roads and goes really fast downhill!


Have a pickup with a lift to do change outs and do service with this;


http://www.google.com/url?source=imglanding&ct=img&q=http://carguideblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010-ford-transit-connect.jpg?cda6c1&sa=X&ei=7jBpTqSdEeyOsALEz-yDDg&ved=0CAkQ8wc&usg=AFQjCNHiWOh4HFePCR-IWdJdXHoLRfLUIA



May not have enough room or power though! :grin2:

[keith w]

I have a Sprinter van, which is a completely different beast than a standard American van (I had a Chevy before, for example): MUCH more standing room, easier to get around in. That said, it's crazy expensive to fix when your helper smashes it, and then it's out of commission for weeks and you have to keep going and so you buy an old Town & Country and it turns out that with the side doors on both sides, with all the rear seats removed there's a crazy amount of room in there. So I feel like a poser but it's working well for me, until I get my Sprinter going again. If I'd been planning on living with it, I would have gotten an all-wheel so I could (sort-of) pull a trailer, which I do any way but with front wheel drive I can't expect much.

I'm pretty much completely urban, so the smaller vehicle is a real advantage. It's more space than the new Ford truck pictured above.

[wogpa67]

my old boss always said " everyone always tries to turn a p/u into a van"

[wogpa67]

this is my ride but like keith w said expensive and timely repairs. luckily pretty much once a year.212662

[bigsky2011]

I have an e-250 service van, truck with lift gate, and e-350 cube van with lift gate for installs.

[code1]

E-250 is what I use, but in these days you need a armored car!

[adam812]

I use my truck and pull a trailer that is 7x14 with a ramp door for moving equipment in and out of it has room for everything i need to do a job and cheaper on fuel and insurance. I also have a van that is used but when you put your things in there your pretty much out of room. As stated when you need repairs done it gets costly.. I use a flat bed trailer when im sitting pac units then you can roll the trailer close and push off the unit..

[Glennhvac]

By now you have probably made up your mind. I had Ford 250 vans when I first started working for someone and stuck with them after beginning on my own about 25 years ago.
The van I have now is about 8 yrs old and hope they continue with what I did like.

All of my shelving/bins/drawers were custom by me and they fit perfectly in the four vans I had purchased since rigging the first one. Having the inside specs of the van stay consistent over decades saved a ton of work and expense.

[ga-hvac-tech]

By now you have probably made up your mind. I had Ford 250 vans when I first started working for someone and stuck with them after beginning on my own about 25 years ago.
The van I have now is about 8 yrs old and hope they continue with what I did like.

All of my shelving/bins/drawers were custom by me and they fit perfectly in the four vans I had purchased since rigging the first one. Having the inside specs of the van stay consistent over decades saved a ton of work and expense.

I moved my shelving from a 'G' series Chevy to an Express series Chevy a while back... had to do some minor mods... but it fit fairly well. About half the work was modifying the subtle details to the Express... the other half was the Express is a LWB... so I got to add some shelves. And I can say without hesitation: I really like having the extra room.

It did take a while to get used to the wider turning radius of a LWB Express... One simply has to think ahead and not park or drive into a place where one will have a time getting out. I have a back-up camera... so backing out is not that bad.

[luv2cruiserccl]

I personally like a van with a enclosed trailer for doing installs and just the van for service or small jobs

[BigBacardi]

i gota 2008?ford armidillo....

awesome....just like a sprinter only better

v10 sux alota gaz tho....good thing i dont pay for it....but the cab room is insane....im 6ft 4...300 lbs....big bastard....

sure is nice having the headroom in the box as well....

[mike dixon]

as I continue to say, 05 sprinter 118 wheel base, high top, 25 mpg, doesnt get any better:grin2:

[LibertyTree]

If you're doing service then any van will do. If you are doing installations then a box truck is the only way to go. I worked out of a chevy astro doing installs for the first 5 years of my career, then I went to work for a company who knew better. From that time on I have never installed out of anything less than a 15' box truck. I have room for a 3x8 metal table, a 4' brake, a Pittsburgh, 10' of shelving that can hold any/everything small you would need for an install, drawers in the metal table for commodity items, 10' of pipe storage, 6x3 cabinet for 5' sections of pipe, full lighting and electrical outlets, and room for the kitchen sink... Plus you can fit all the garbage from a big install into it in one trip.