30 mpg chevy hhr for commercial service ?

[supertek65]

I am thinking of getting a 30 mpg chevy hhr for a service verhicle.
ofcourse no ladder rack.
panel van, no windows.
2 side doors open with a button and are suicide doors
with passenger seat folded down a 8 foot ladder fits.
rear door opens upward
I am borrowing one for a week from the dealer.
going to load it up with tool box oxy/acc, nitrogen, coil cleaners etc.
tool box, belt gages, chain falls, cumalong. straps. drills, bansaw,sawzall, impact, pneumatic tool kit, backflow tester, megger. cart, etc,etc,etc,
drive it for a week and see how it goes?
also see what the milage will actually be?

st65

[chlosum]

won't you need an extension ladder if this is going to be a commercial service truck?
all the gas you save with it will be used up by running back and forth to get things that you don't have room for.

I don't have enough room for everything in full size van.

Look into dodge sprinter or new freightliner service vans
lot's of room and good on gas. cost more but better investment than HHR.
small regular use vehicle like this most likely won't hold up to abuse a true service vehicle endures.
HHR would make better parts runner or sales call vehicle.

[supertek65]

won't you need an extension ladder if this is going to be a commercial service truck?
all the gas you save with it will be used up by running back and forth to get things that you don't have room for.

I don't have enough room for everything in full size van.

Look into dodge sprinter or new freightliner service vans
lot's of room and good on gas. cost more but better investment than HHR.
small regular use vehicle like this most likely won't hold up to abuse a true service vehicle endures.
HHR would make better parts runner or sales call vehicle.

I agree!
although I was going to keep ladders at all of our customers that have agreements with us and keep a full size van for the on call guy.
what do you think about that?

[Dallas Duster]

Waste of money for commercial if you ask me. That 30 miles is going to signifacantly decrease when you load it up just like a van does and doubt it will hold up to the strain of the extra weight.

[Pneuma]

That 30 miles is going to signifacantly decrease when you load it up.

That's an excellent point.

The wear and tear is also a big issue. I just can't see the brakes holding up. Even an E150 will go through brakes pretty quickly if you load it up like a normal service van, and that is actaully a truck.

[BaldLoonie]

My neighbor gets upper teens from his HHR empty just putzing around town. He got 31 on the interstate alone, no weight. So don't expect good gas mileage from this thing in town with anything in it.

[DesMech]

all the gas you save with it will be used up by running back and forth to get things that you don't have room for.

I don't have enough room for everything in full size van.

Bingo! That's why I am looking at bigger trucks. Gas is expensive, but labor wasted driving around is even more expensive.