# utility body or van



## pwregan (Apr 13, 2011)

I am at the point of buying a utility body pick up and loosing the van- the van is a catch all of questionable material that i think i may have a use for and generally ends up in a dumpster- i dont want to warehouse any material anymore- it can be delivered to the jobs- the less i handle material the better- tools and self in truck only from now on!
anyone been down this road before me with any advice?
i just want to lighten up and free my vehicle of hundreds of pounds of crap and not dread getting in a messy work truck anymore


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

pwregan said:


> I am at the point of buying a utility body pick up and loosing the van- the van is a catch all of questionable material that i think i may have a use for and generally ends up in a dumpster- i dont want to warehouse any material anymore- it can be delivered to the jobs- the less i handle material the better- tools and self in truck only from now on!
> anyone been down this road before me with any advice?
> i just want to lighten up and free my vehicle of hundreds of pounds of crap and not dread getting in a messy work truck anymore




This is what i have exchept mine is a 2004 F350...:thumbup:


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## Jlarson (Jun 28, 2009)

I think it depends on what kind of work you do. What kind of work do you do, lot's of resi service, new commercial, industrial, controls?


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## nrp3 (Jan 24, 2009)

Tough to do any service work without any stock. If you don't do service, you'll probably be ok. I can live with the mess. Not proud of it, but can live with it.


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## macmikeman (Jan 23, 2007)

Its my warehouse that needs desperate help. Man I can hardly walk around in that mess I have singlehandedly created.


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## nrp3 (Jan 24, 2009)

Too much throw and go at night, my fault, no one to blame.


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## Jlarson (Jun 28, 2009)

nrp3 said:


> Too much throw and go at night, my fault, no one to blame.


That happens with service bodies too. Only thing is the guys have to clean the bed out when they get back to the shop or house unless they want thier tools stolen. :laughing:


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

Jlarson said:


> That happens with service bodies too. Only thing is the guys have to clean the bed out when they get back to the shop or house unless they want thier tools stolen. :laughing:


Yea the cab ends up with tools stock paper work coats hats coffee cups ,beer cans:laughing:

Till there is no more room for the driver then its time to clean it all over and make a new mess..:laughing:


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## B4T (Feb 10, 2009)

If you are going to do lettering on the truck.. than a van is the way to go..

You can get aluminum ladder racks for the top and IMO it just works better in the long run..:thumbsup:


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## captkirk (Nov 21, 2007)

I could see going to a utilibody if you do mainly industrial work, but if you do resi....forget it...Vans just need to be kept up daily... My helper spends a few minutes every morning putting things back, making stock lists, and at the end of every job he makes sure all the tools are back in place. A few minutes a day goes a long way....
Im waiting for someone to come out with a reusable container to hold devices. something that has the same dimensions as the cardboard box they come in, but plastic with a removable lid.. After all this time I still havent found anything good. Because once the box falls apart its only a matter of time before they get all scuffed up.


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## macmikeman (Jan 23, 2007)

Vans suck when it comes to downtown or highrise hotel service work. For those type of jobs you need to fit into drive up parking garages and the typical 8' high van (racks and ladders) doesn't fit well into those 6.5' high garages.
It all depends on the target market mostly. Or better yet, some of each.


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## nitro71 (Sep 17, 2009)

If you don't keep a van picked up you won't keep a truck picked up. Can't see it being a sound business move to sell and buy another vehicle based on that.


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## Demac (Apr 28, 2010)

captkirk said:


> <Snip>
> 
> Im waiting for someone to come out with a reusable container to hold devices. something that has the same dimensions as the cardboard box they come in, but plastic with a removable lid.. After all this time I still havent found anything good. Because once the box falls apart its only a matter of time before they get all scuffed up.


Total shot in the dark, but how about plastic travel containers for bar soap. Going purely off memory, they might be big enough. If you could find them anymore, bar soap isn't used as much as it used to be.

A quick search showed most of them to be too round now, not the old brick looking things they used to be.

Here's kind of what I was thinking of...


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

macmikeman said:


> Vans suck .



Yes they doo...:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

nitro71 said:


> If you don't keep a van picked up you won't keep a truck picked up. Can't see it being a sound business move to sell and buy another vehicle based on that.


You are better off with a utilty body truck with 4 weel drive because that is FORD'S top of the line truck and you will get the most miles out of it...:thumbup:


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## nrp3 (Jan 24, 2009)

True, I'm not going into any parking garages or drive throughs with a high rise sprinter, but I like it. I can stand up in the back and everything stays dry. Been a few times that four wheel drive would have been nice this year. Sometimes its just better to stay home when the snows that bad. I need to find some better tires this go around or a second full set of snows. Truck tires aren't cheap.


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

HARRY304E said:


> This is what i have exchept mine is a 2004 F350...:thumbup:



A ridiculous choice of vehicles for an electrician in New England.


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## GEORGE D (Apr 2, 2009)

HARRY304E said:


> You are better off with a utilty body truck with 4 weel drive because that is FORD'S top of the line truck and you will get the most miles out of it...:thumbup:


Agreed 100%, I have a utility body f250 with all the racks and pipe boxes on it and wouldn't ever go back to a van. BTW, nice truck you got man, I'm jealous. Vans were a pain for my back, I'm pretty tall, and when it got loaded down, I'd have to hunch over and climb on top of everything to get to stuff. With a utility body, everythings accessible from the outside.


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

GEORGE D said:


> Agreed 100%, I have a utility body f250 with all the racks and pipe boxes on it and wouldn't ever go back to a van.


Wet, snow covered, frozen in place ruined supplies suck worse than vans, which is why very few service contractors in this area (where Harry lives) use open trucks.

Our construction foremen use pickups, service people vans. 


Harry's truck does look sharp, I would be happy to own it and drive it. It is still IMO the wrong choice for a service contractor in New England.


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## nrp3 (Jan 24, 2009)

Everything is a compromise of some sort. Vans are reasonably priced but I hate the bending over in the back to find stuff. Utility bodies rust and don't have enough room for all the @hit I tote around and I want it covered. I can get the fully covered utility bodies but they still rust. I have to carry the kids to daycare. I need a crew cab and now it won't fit in my driveway. The sprinter wasn't cheap especially after I set it up with a bench seat, divider and shelving, but it was about the only way I could get everything I wanted. To each their own.


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## Southeast Power (Jan 18, 2009)

I have used every type of truck out there for service and construction, this is what I ended up with:









I would not consider an open bed truck, I have seen too many things stolen or ruined. The interior of this truck is wide enough for standard side pallets to be loaded in. I have had several small generators (40kw) in and out of the back of it with no impact on the driveability or suspension.
All of the exterior compartments can be locked and unlocked with a key fob remote.
Also, I will not go back to gasoline engines.

This is what works for me in the environment I work.


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## gizmo21187 (Aug 11, 2010)

VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN VAN BAM

We

Silly rabit, crack is for kids.

Sent from my M80 using a lighter.


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## K2500 (Mar 21, 2009)

HARRY304E said:


> You are better off with a utilty body truck with 4 weel drive because that is FORD'S top of the line truck and you will get the most miles out of it...:thumbup:


Don't they make 4x4 vans as well? I hope you truck has heavier springs than the one pictured.


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## HugoStiglitz (Apr 11, 2011)

K2500 said:


> Don't they make 4x4 vans as well? I hope you truck has heavier springs than the one pictured.


I believe GM makes (made?) a full size AWD van. Considering they only made it in a half ton, this wouldn't cut it for the person who is serious about his work and maximizes space efficiently in a full size van.


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## gold (Feb 15, 2008)

jrannis said:


> I have used every type of truck out there for service and construction, this is what I ended up with:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


These are nice. I working toward one, right now tho its an e250 and it does a fine job. I'm with Bob tho the open body or utility body could mean damaged material.


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

BBQ said:


> A ridiculous choice of vehicles for an electrician in New England.


I hate vans allways get stuck in snow ,mud even dry pavement:laughing:

It works well for me and as you know i go out and snow plow during the snow storms.

I have a cover on the back so every thing stays dry.


If i was going to buy a van i would buy one of these they are a little cheaper then the f350.http://showroom.auction123.com/nort...ventory/3891/2011/Ford/1FDSE3FL3BDA16648.html


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## nrp3 (Jan 24, 2009)

My van gets stuck pretty easy and hills can be challenging in the snow. Get a running start. New tires, something better for snow this year.


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## Jlarson (Jun 28, 2009)

BBQ said:


> Wet, snow covered, frozen in place ruined supplies suck worse than vans, which is why very few service contractors in this area (where Harry lives) use open trucks.


You can get covers for service body beds if you need to store things in there. Only thing don't like about them is then you can't get plywood and such in there.


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

HARRY304E said:


> I hate vans allways get stuck in snow ,mud even dry pavement:laughing:


Learn to drive. :laughing:


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## Southeast Power (Jan 18, 2009)

HARRY304E said:


> I hate vans allways get stuck in snow ,mud even dry pavement:laughing:
> 
> It works well for me and as you know i go out and snow plow during the snow storms.
> 
> ...


Nice truck but buying a gasoline engine would be a mistake.

BTW, What is snow? If its such a problem, why live in it??:whistling2:


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## nrp3 (Jan 24, 2009)

I lived in southern FL for a brief time. We loved it. It wouldn't take much convincing of my wife to move. I have a good established customer base and two aging parents to care for. I don't really mind the winter too much, the driving can get hairy sometimes regardless of how good you are.


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## doubleoh7 (Dec 5, 2009)

BBQ said:


> Wet, snow covered, frozen in place ruined supplies suck worse than vans, which is why very few service contractors in this area (where Harry lives) use open trucks.
> 
> Our construction foremen use pickups, service people vans.
> 
> ...


 
I think Harry's truck is perfect for New Engalnd. Except he just needs a cap on the service body. I think an F350 of Silverado 3500 12 foot box truck would be a great work truck. They all suck in one way or another. Every option is full of compromises.


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

BBQ said:


> Learn to drive. :laughing:


 .



No way...:laughing::laughing:


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

jrannis said:


> Nice truck but buying a gasoline engine would be a mistake.
> 
> BTW, What is snow? If its such a problem, why live in it??:whistling2:



Yeah my next truck will be diesel......:thumbup:


Snow is fun...:thumbsup:


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## nrp3 (Jan 24, 2009)

Just order a different model service body and you get whats on those vans. One that fits the box size of the pick up. If I didn't have to move kids around I'd get a box truck with the tools boxes on the side.


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## doubleoh7 (Dec 5, 2009)

Jlarson said:


> You can get covers for service body beds if you need to store things in there. Only thing don't like about them is then you can't get plywood and such in there.


 

Just keep a cheap utility trailer for moving material like plywood. You don't have to hook it up everyday. Or get a pickup bed trailer. Around here, it seems like a guy is a queer if he doesn't have half a pickup truck sitting somewhere on his property.


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## B4T (Feb 10, 2009)

HARRY304E said:


> This is what i have exchept mine is a 2004 F350...:thumbup:


That is a cool looking truck.. but throw an extension ladder and a 12' step ladder on it and it looks out of place..


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

B4T said:


> That is a cool looking truck.. but throw an extension ladder and a 12' step ladder on it and it looks out of place..


My 12' step ladder is on it right now my 28' extension ladder is at the shop till i need it .

I don't like driving around with the ladders unless there is somthing comming up that i need them and so i can just go to the shop and get them.


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## nrp3 (Jan 24, 2009)

One thing with the Sprinter is the need for a step ladder to get the 8ft step ladder or 22 ft extension ladder off the top. Those fancy crank drop down racks are nice, but didn't have the coin.


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## Spanky (Feb 10, 2009)

jrannis said:


> I have used every type of truck out there for service and construction, this is what I ended up with:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I personally think this type of rig is the best of both worlds. You get the access to commonly used items from the outside compartments, and you get plenty of inside storage also.


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