Replyover 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.
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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
Still learning opinions welcome.
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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.
Professional Member*
Installs and service? I highly doubt you could stock that for both, unless you just install thermostats.Originally Posted by 2story
Maybe if you haul a trailer for installs. I would still rather have a covered bed though.
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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.
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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.
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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.
My doctor gave me six months to live, but when I couldn't pay the bill he gave me six months more.
Walter Matthau
Professional Member
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.
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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?
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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.
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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.
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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.
Still learning opinions welcome.
Professional Member*
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.
Global Moderator
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'
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Good for installs Not so good for service. Purchased a new utility truck in 05 not enough room for all service stock had to add boxes to make room for all of it.
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I think you will be happy with the utility bed, just so many times you cannot get stuff in a van. I cannot imagine a one-truck operation and having only a van unless you have a trailer and intend to use it often.
You will little doubt end-up wanting [if not require] a job-box to stick up near the cab. Trust me. I ran service in one for about 4 years and had by company policy an exceptionally well-stocked truck for resi and light comm service. I liked it better than any van I have ever worked out of. I have never worked out of a cube-van, just the usual style vans. I personally would not want to drive one of those in my local traffic, might consider it elsewhere.
DesMech made an excellent point about the open bed problem, but there is a solution. get a custom made tarp from a tarp and awning shop. I do not know what they call the material, but it is good stuff that will last for 10+ years. They can make it size/color to order, bolt near cab and bungee chord near tail-gate. I am guessing a hundred or 2 dollars but worth every single penny. Keeps stuff dry, secure, and out of sight. Seriously worth every penny. Friggin leaves
If you find yourself running very tool-heavy [lotta commercial work and long commutes can force you to carry every tool you own] you might get a little short on storage for those residential parts. If it ever became a problem you could probably stick one of those "rat-pack" sliders in the bed.
If I was doing residential and found a good deal on a truck with a utility-bed, I would snatch it up without hesitation, lift-gate is a nice bonus.
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one thing i would do again if i was to go back to a utility body is bolt a set of the side body pick up boxes on top of the cabinets. it made it a little high to get some stuff out of but the extra storage space and the extra height in the bed for hauling tall items were worth it.
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currently driving
The truck I drive is a 5500 GMC with a KUV181DHK. It is by far the best thing on the market for me. The RV air unit on the roof and electric heat in the back keep things climatically controlled. The engine driven rear unit help when on the road. I made a bracket to carry a generator on the rear bumper vice mount. We had to send it back and installed the powered ladder racks. I could not reach the old ones from the ground.
Mike
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Now that's a truck! Not only could I not afford the truck, but I couldn't afford to stock it.The truck I drive is a 5500 GMC with a KUV181DHK. It is by far the best thing on the market for me. The RV air unit on the roof and electric heat in the back keep things climatically controlled. The engine driven rear unit help when on the road. I made a bracket to carry a generator on the rear bumper vice mount. We had to send it back and installed the powered ladder racks. I could not reach the old ones from the ground.
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stock
Not that bad was cheaper to operate than buying fuel to fetch parts. Also allows use to reduce inventory at the main office. We have no local supply house. The closest is nearly 2 hours round trip.
We think tools and stock are about 200-250K. We have others newer units
Mike
Professional Member*
The truck I drive is a 5500 GMC with a KUV181DHK. It is by far the best thing on the market for me. The RV air unit on the roof and electric heat in the back keep things climatically controlled. The engine driven rear unit help when on the road. I made a bracket to carry a generator on the rear bumper vice mount. We had to send it back and installed the powered ladder racks. I could not reach the old ones from the ground.
got any pictures of that beast??
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