Utility Body Vs Van

[2story]

I know guys another truck thread.

I have found a truck that I like it is a F-250 with a Knapiede utility bed & lift gate, it is like a KSS style but not that fancy looking though, I personally think the best way to go for me is a KUV, but right now for what I want I believe this will do fine. Will my recovery tanks and nitro tank fit in the boxes?
I really do not want to have a refrigerant bottle rack in the bed but I am thinking it may come to that.

Truck guys is the storage enough? For resi/light comm service & installs

http://www.knapheide.com/products/se...pe=utilitybody

[mo-flo]

over the years i have worked out of vans,pick-ups,utility beds.......i have an older chevy with a utility bed on it now and i prefer it [utility bed] hands down to anything else....plan on putting one on the 06' when i get the dough.

[DesMech]

I know guys another truck thread.

I have found a truck that I like it is a F-250 with a Knapiede utility bed & lift gate, it is like a KSS style but not that fancy looking though, I personally think the best way to go for me is a KUV, but right now for what I want I believe this will do fine. Will my recovery tanks and nitro tank fit in the boxes?
I really do not want to have a refrigerant bottle rack in the bed but I am thinking it may come to that.

Truck guys is the storage enough? For resi/light comm service & installs

http://www.knapheide.com/products/se...pe=utilitybody

Installs and service? I highly doubt you could stock that for both, unless you just install thermostats. Maybe if you haul a trailer for installs. I would still rather have a covered bed though.

[dec]

I really like pickups with utility boxes, could be thats what I'm more use to.

Here is the problem tho, you want it for service and install. In my opinion the two don't fit all that well out of one truck.

Ya I know you want parts with you in the case your a one man shop and get service calls when your out on installs.

Trouble is that your always dragging around a tommy lift, pipe threaders, a ton of stuff for installs ....... on every service call. Your really don't have enough room to carry everything for both sides of the business on one truck.

Now you can carry a small assortment of real common service parts on an install truck , that might get you out of a bind but if your thinking of reclaim equipment , torches, Tanks, everything else.......... you don't reall have the room.

Honestly I think its the same with a van. Doing both out of one vehical you better plan on taking stuff on and off every night depending on what your doing the next day.

Oh and if you go to lunch you better plan on someone eating in the truck or only going where you can set looking out the window to make sure no one is stealing anything out of the back of that utility truck if anything worth anything is in the back of it.

There are crooks out there everywhere waiting to see guys go in a resterant for the daily spcial ......... so they can empty your work vehical.

It will only get worse in this economy.

[dec]

I never owned any of the utility boxes that had a metal cover over the open box area.

I did know a guy that had one but for some reason it seemed to me that the way it folded back didn't really get it out of the way if you needed something tall in the back of the box. Now you need that space if your packing in boxes of fittings , boots, duct , and everything else. You usally have stuff stacked up to the ladder rack.

At least if you had that cover snow and rain wouldn't be getting on everything a lot of the time.

I have always thought about a big job box in the back of a utility box. Keeping all the refrigerant , reclaim machine, vacum pumps, torches, things like that. Problem gets to be your adding a lot more weight if your talking a truck with ladder rack (with ladders), Tommy lift, utility box, all the installation tools, all the service tools, Parts for service, material for installs, everything else , ........... now your gonna puct a job box in the back

Might as well be driving a semi
I never cared for cube vans being it seems like its a constant game of replacing trannies. there fine for hauling stuff but by the time you fill them full of racks it seem like you hauling way more stuff that doesn't get used as often as justifying it being on there all the time.

[spotts]

I dont know how anybody does installs with a van. All of our trucks are 4 door long box with utility boxes, ladder racks, and eagle lifts. I wouldn't take a work van if ya gave it to me. You can keep the expensive tools and the ones you want warm in the back seat.

[dec]

I dont know how anybody does installs with a van. All of our trucks are 4 door long box with utility boxes, ladder racks, and eagle lifts. I wouldn't take a work van if ya gave it to me. You can keep the expensive tools and the ones you want warm in the back seat.

Got to give you credit if you can drive around it traffic in one of those 4 door trucks. I thought about getting one and putting a utility box on it, I was going to take the back seat out and put in shelving and keep parts there.

I had a friend that had one that was a ford without the utility bed, and he let me drive it around a little to see if it was going to be a hassel being there so long. Wouldn't be interested in one now.

Like I say ......... I gotta give you credit being able to drive one of those around doing service calls. Now if its new construction ........ that would be a differant story. Not like don't have all kinds of room for parking and turning around.

[DesMech]

I dont know how anybody does installs with a van. All of our trucks are 4 door long box with utility boxes, ladder racks, and eagle lifts. I wouldn't take a work van if ya gave it to me. You can keep the expensive tools and the ones you want warm in the back seat.

I don't know how anyone could work out of pick up truck with an open bed. I guess it would be kind of nice not to have to unload it since most of the garbage just blows out after you leave the job. How do you keep the materials and stuff from getting wet in the snow and rain?

[dec]

Well I can see a van on service but as far as installs a utility truck or cube van will put van to shame.

Might also want to look at who's knees and back will last longer if their using common sense. Its not gonna be the guy in the van.

[DesMech]

Don't get me wrong, I am not very fond of crawling around in my van and trying to pack it to the gills with everything I need, but I think it is better than a pick up with an open bed. There is a local company that uses pick ups for their installers, and at least once a week I see a box of material laying on the side of the freeway. Now, having said that, I would drive a truck like in the op's link, if I towed an enclosed trailer for installs. I still would want something to cover the bed though. I think the best set up is what Heybob has. A small, single rear wheel cube van.

[2story]

Yes a trailer is in my future, installs are less common for me at this point it is a load the night before unload the night after kind of deal at this point.

I am a one man show, so one vehicle has to do the trick for now.

[t527ed]

did the utility body on f-250's for close to 30 years, service only.

switched to a kuv body on e-350 3 years ago and love working out of it.

most of my new common use refrigerant tanks are in the outside cabinets.

built a shelf across the back up by the sliding door to put my filters on, recovery machine and bottles under that.

we have done all installs since 1985 out of a cube van, latest one is a 16' isuzu with a power lift gate. 99.9% of the time we don't have to leave an install till its done, everything we need is in the truck.

[HeyBob]

I think the best set up is what Heybob has. A small, single rear wheel cube van.

Man, I am telling you why didn't I buy one of those 20 years ago. Best thing I have ever done was switch to cubevans for everyone.

The one I drive is the only 10' that we have. The rest are 12' and I have one 15'