What do you guys think is the most ideal truck,van setup for general building needs? Do you guys like pickups with toolboxes and ladder racks or, do you prefer pickups with a shell. Most of the guys I’ve worked with like Toyotas and Nissans with camper shells. I’m an old truck guy. I have a 68 Ford but don’t know whether I should buy a shell or not. What do you guys think.
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I'm not in the biz, but I thought that slide out unit advertised in FHB looked kind of interesting. Would make a pickup/topper almost as accessable as a well-organized van (and more accessible than a disorganized van).
Just to satisfy my curiosity, has anyone tried one of those?
opie.. i think the most practical one is the truck you like, towing a box trailer..
the small ones are a breeze to tow.. and you can get all the tools you own in one.. say a 6 x 8...
that leaves your truck free for picking up materials or hauling stuff
Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
Thats a good Idea I totally forgot trailers. You can also leave your tools in a more secure place than the local lumber store parking lot.
Thanks
I posted a thread , discussing our differences and this seems to be another one .
Please , no body get mad at my editorial.
In a city where parking is a problem I understand a van. Then there are lots of sizes of vans. People here swear by them ! I guess I swear against them, but still apreciate them. I posted the truth negatives before and was strongly disagreed upon. <G> They are wonderful for carring tools in one trip and back to the shop and park inside. Big plus for painters and drywallers. Plumbers like um and sparkies too. Signage will pay for one for they are moving billboards. They are the poorest vehicle I know of for pulling trailers on soft muddy, or steep job sites. Takes a acre to turn one and a trailer around. They dont like swamps and snow/ice.
Camper tops seem like washing your foot with a sock on , but some pros here use them like Pro Deck. I once asked him where his hand tools were kept . He has a slide out. He informed me I carried too many. But then Sonny was working out of an open S10 I think with 5 gallon buckets?
Ive heard up north , they like bread trucks and such. They haul a lot of weight and pull more than they can haul. UPS etc, too.
Large utility trucks with boxes like utility comapnies?
I like a four wheel drive short wheel base pick up with a hitch reciever loaded with boxes on sides and arcross the bed and in the bed, with a trailer in tow if necesary. It will put a trailer between trees on the side of a hill or back it through the same in swampy conditions. But that would be useless in the city wouldnt it ?
Tim Mooney
Something that wasnt clarifyed was the type of work i do :(
i do lots of interior renovations kitchens mostly i need some of everything LOL and the sprinter can carry it . the turning radius on the sprinter is greater then on the mitsubushi or izuzu trucks
i dont work on sites where there is mud otherwise i would agrree about 4 wheel drive most times clients are living in the home however there are days after dealing with the client s i whish i did have 4 wheel drive so i could get far away where they can not find me LOL
crosscutter...
sounds like you're in the same game as i am... I run a utility body pick-up. I find that i am able to carry just about everything i need in it and i still have the open box and rack to carry stuff that will go to the job and stay for a bit ( like t.s., mitersaw, compressor, etc). You may want to consider it if you find yourself moving sheetgoods and lumber ( framing or trim packages) with any regurlarity.
james
That old Ford sounds awesome, old trucks are great and I think a well maintained one with a vintage looking sign on it would be great for business. It would definitely make you stand out, people would remember that great old truck and thus whatever the company name was. I've also found a pickup convenient enough for my use, I don't like the looks of vans or the noise level in them so I couldn't imagine ever driving one. I have a crossbed toolbox and just throw additional tools/boxes into the bed as necessary, I have an extended cab so I put them in the backseat if I'm at the hardware store. I used to have more equipment than the truck fit without a shell but some time spent building smaller toolboxes and simplifying the amount of things I needed to carry has paid off quite a bit. I found there were alot of tools I lugged around for 1 use that were accomplishing tasks that could be done with multi-purpose tools if I took the time to learn the proper technique, having less items to weed through makes setup and breakdown time much quicker.
-Ray
She's a pretty good truck, I'm going to do some work on it this year after the 1st. One good thing about old trucks is there usually aren't any payments. This one has been faithful for almost 6 years. She's like a part of the family.
I work out of a F-150 w/cap. Its OK but you're ducking your head on your knees trying to find something.Caps are not cheap unless you find a used one. They are nice for cover when a rain shower comes up.
I didn't do it....the buck does NOT stop here.
> old trucks are great and I think a well maintained one with a vintage looking sign on it would be great for business
I met a guy once who did exactly that. A perfectly restored 1950's pickup with his business name and number on it. He's a sort of cabinet maker to the stars, did Madonna's kitchen.
-- J.S.
There is a guy around here that has a basement business and operates out of one of those old....dang I can't remember what they are called...they look like hearses and they open up...overgrown station wagons.
Anyways, it's a quirky look and it does catch your eye.
blueJust because you can, doesn't mean you should!
Warning! Be cautious when taking any framing advice from me. There are some in here who think I'm a hackmeister...they might be right! Of course, they might be wrong too!
panel van.
My dad worked out of one when I was about 10 ....
I loved that truck.
saw one for sale a coupla years ago ... old and needed restored ... already a 4x4 project ... woulda been a killer work truck ... but common sense prevailed and I bought something that actually ran ...
some day ... when I have a place to play with a third vehicle ....
I'd love an old hot rod truck all lettered up and flamed.
Jeff Buck Construction
Artistry in Carpentry
Pgh, PA
Panel Van...that's it jeff!
I actually thought about getting a vintage truck and using it too, when I remodeled, but I came to my senses and got out of remodeling.
blueJust because you can, doesn't mean you should!
Warning! Be cautious when taking any framing advice from me. There are some in here who think I'm a hackmeister...they might be right! Of course, they might be wrong too!
If you're going to stay with the pickup (as opposed to getting a van) I second the idea of a trailer. A decent camper shell will be close to a grand, and I bought a 5x8 single axle for about $1400. Wish I had one slightly bigger, but it's a nice combo of size, weight, and volume. Big enough to almost stand up in, so access is reasonably easy ... especially compared to on your knees in the back of a pickup. Carries all the tools I need, but it's not big enough to work in or carry materials ... but then it's easy to tow and park.
I'm sorry, I thought you wanted it done the right way.
I just traded it in but , I bought it new in 1997 . Ford Ranger 4 cylinder with a/c . 7 foot bed , construction cap 42" off bed . 2 tool boxes one on each side with locking door . Cost 10,200.00 for truck . 1300.00 for cap . I had it for 7 years and its made me just as much money as my friends 32,000.00 dollar truck . Actually more he has no cap .
Mike - Foxboro , Mass.
I have done all of the combo's and even a 14' NPR ..I'll stick with a van and a pickup w/o a cap, AND a trailer..covers almost all bases.
My daily driver is the van (all wheel drive GMC Safari, not too big, not too small) hauling large stuff or heavy, I have the F350 duelly, and for debis and other chores a modified boat trailer with stake sides that is 5x8. It also has a toolbox mounted on the tongue to hold odd stuff assoc. with it's job that day.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations.
I think first you have to figure out how much stuff you need to cart around and then go from there. If you can survive on a pickup with a cap, outstanding. I like the van idea; it's not for me, but there are some trades where that seems to be the ticket - like carpet installers, tile setters. You can get tools and usually the bulk of your materials in there. I don't know a lot about the new Dodge van thing but they look at first glance pretty slick. Cross between a van and a box, kind of a high sided van. I started with a truck. Then I got a bigger truck. Then I got a cap. Then I got a trailer. I have mixed feelings about the trailer. I love having the ability to actually take it all with me and still be able to throw 16 footers in and shut the doors, but I always seem to outgrow whatever space I have, so now truck and trailer are full to the gills, and turning corners and parking with a trailer can be a challenge. Think narrow residential streets and cul de sacs. The bane of my life. I think the Shakers were on to something.
"If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and a man." - Mark Twain
i am in the market for a new truck soon and i am considering the new dodge sprinter van they have a 5 cylinder mercedes diesel engine and get about 22 miles to the gallon lots of head room check them out online
I too have been eyeing the Sprinter. We are thinking along the lines of the 158" wheelbase high roof unit. We figure it would be a wonderful mobile billboard and able to store lots of equipment and parts inside.
We spent a considerable amout of time at the Remodeling Show in Chicago in the ones they had on display. The best we ever saw was at the Indy Remodelers show though. They had an awesome setup inside. You could just move your stuff in and head off to work.
You could just move your stuff in and head off to work. What kind of money were they asking?I'm sorry, I thought you wanted it done the right way.
Ed
If I remember correctly the price was about $32,000 and up from there depending on options and interior setup. We are considering the one with no windows in the back for security. Insulation is important to deaden the sound and protect the sidewalls. Florecent lights are available as are skylights like you would find in a trailer.
With 22mpg in the city and 28mpg on the highway, that is way better than my F-150 gets.
GS Wilke
Well, $32K is out of my price range...
I've been thinking seriously about one of these:
http://www.4are.com/product/dcu/
They cost about $1600 with most options. Matt
We considered getting one of those when they were still being sold under the Freightliner brand. We decided against it because just about all our work is local and we rarely have to drive 30 minutes to work, but . . . .
a good friend of mine is a carpet cleaner who drives all over the place. His old Ford van was getting about 9-10 mpg. I told him about the Sprinter and he ended up buying one. His fuel savings (he figured it all out) makes up a little less than half his payment on the Sprinter and that Mercedes deisel will last him a long long time. It is a cool van. Looks like and airplane without wings :-)
I prefer to keep all of my tools and equipment in my truck cab, I find that makes it completly impossible to find anything I need when I need it. I have so many tools in there I have to push stuff over to even have a place to sit and drive. :)
Full size truck, custom rack, side tool boxes, angle attached to side boxes, 1"X2" tube crosses over from side to side, box cover (3/4" plywood, painted, wrapped in 6 mil, or glassed), rack made so boxes are high--making cover high (about 5" above tailgate), tools fit under cover (like compressor), 4X8 ply, rock, etc carried on top of cover between tool boxes, lumber on rack, the tailgate has a lock, and a homemade (welded) bed slider rides on the liner and gets armorall regularly. Trailer (small, a '61 Chev step side) makes a great dumpster. Added a steel rack 24" tall after land fill started measuring everything. (Same fee if trailer made from an 8' pickup bed!)
Dreamed about a bigger office (extended cab) but I don't owe anybody anything.
Could you maybe send pictures of your set up? I was thinking along the same lines.
Thanks
I'll see if I can figure out the digital camera my wife got for Christmas after the sun comes up and see if I can send something to you--problem is that it is supposed to snow tomorrow. Life is like that sometimes! Thor
I'll take a picture too, if you can figure out the camera. LOL. We can build thing but can't work cameras.
Tyr, paid for trucks just seem to feel better than those with monthly payments!
You set up sounds interesting. I bet it would be sweet if it was all done in black diamond plate aluminum sitting on a red pu.
blueJust because you can, doesn't mean you should!
Warning! Be cautious when taking any framing advice from me. There are some in here who think I'm a hackmeister...they might be right! Of course, they might be wrong too!
I got some pictures into the camera--now maybe I can get them out. I had to get the red cans of paint out make things look like Blue wanted. There is diamond plate but it isn't black yet. I didn't pull the cover because of the snow. Thor
Well, I don't see any pictures so I'll keep trying!
Edited 1/13/2005 6:04 pm ET by Tyr
I'll try replying to my own message and try the photos again.
Thanks for the pictures. You definitely gave me some ideas.
Nice setup Tyre. If I was serious about remodeling, I might consider a set up like that.
blueJust because you can, doesn't mean you should!
Warning! Be cautious when taking any framing advice from me. There are some in here who think I'm a hackmeister...they might be right! Of course, they might be wrong too!
Suhweeeeeet !
The person you offend today, may have been your best friend tomorrow
no mini trucks or short bed pickups. if it doesn't have an 8' box, its virtually useless.
no mini trucks or short bed pickups. if it doesn't have an 8' box, its virtually useless.
And no 'sport' side crap (with the wheelhubs on the outside). Makes for a worthless bed.
jt8
But absolutely nothing compares with how neatly you can arrange you stuff in a van! Have a good look! LOL ; )
First pix looks like the front seat of the truck today.
I know...sad but true in my case! When you've been working all day and into the dark hours...just pitch the tools in and head for the barn! LOL Just gotta make sure you get em all in and they're not all damaging each other! Sort them out later.
Peace
Dez, thats funny!
I used to use a van when I ran a crew and carried all the tools. They'd pile them in any which way and it was always awful. The shelves would be unorganized and it was always like musical chairs...nothing went back to its original spot.
ONe day, after I cleaned and organized it, I got the bright idea to take polaroid pictures. I snapped a picture of each wall and the bed of the truck and I stapled the pics to the shelves and warned everyone that if they put something out of place, the #### would hit the fan.
My van stayed organized after that!
blueJust because you can, doesn't mean you should!
Warning! Be cautious when taking any framing advice from me. There are some in here who think I'm a hackmeister...they might be right! Of course, they might be wrong too!
Hey Blue,
I was in a hurry...what can I say. just gonna pull out all the same stuff the next day on that job anyway! Truth be told, I had just pulled off of a trim job temporarily, and wasn't real happy about it when I was loading the stuff that I had left onsite.
Took the pic's because I was laughing at myself. Looked kinda like a bomb went off in there! LOL
Peace
Hey that was a good dose of "reality"! Thanks for sharing. Here's my setup. Some guys would say it doesn't count if its not a full-size pickup, but I can carry full sheets of drywall or plywood, lumber on the rack, and a good array of tools inside (that you won't see when you peek in the camper shell window!).
View Image
View Image
Nice set up. Do those bins just slide out? When you built all this, did you consider those extra heavy duty slides, made by Accuride (I think)? I recall they are about $160-200 per pair, but made for this exact application.
No slides, glides, or hardware of any kind. The drawers slide all the way out without drawer glides. I just ran the sides a couple inches longer, and that holds it fine. I don't have to pull it completely out to get to the verrrry back. The frame at the bottom is 1x2's (to minimize friction), I put a strip of melamine along the bottom where it rides on the 1x2's, and I give it a shot of silicone spray to keep it smooth when it starts to get a little rough. It got soaked awhile back, and I had to replace some ruined bottoms, other than that its been going strong for almost 20 years now. The boxes are heavy, because I carry a lot of tools: sawzall, jigsaw, circular saw, corded drill, cordless drill, 1/2" hammer-drill, small grinder, variety of handsaws, drill bits, hand-tools, 5 different size levels, framing square, numerous power cords, four small-parts organizer bins, several different style and size clamps, broom, dustpan, pole-sander, paint roller and extension pole, drop-light, flashlight, and a whole bunch of miscellaneous. Then on top I often throw my power-miter saw, box of nail-guns, air compressor (I keep those covered with a sheet if I'm going to be anywhere in the public), bucket of mud, taping tools, folding sawhorses, etc.Ladder and any lumber on the rack above, and I'm loaded for bear! You can see why I had to beef up my suspension with Helwig helper springs!I can pull the whole thing out of my truck by myself in about 10 minutes, with a helper I can do it in 5.
Edited 1/19/2005 8:20 pm ET by Huck
I can pull the whole thing out of my truck by myself in about 10 minutes, with a helper I can do it in 5.
Then where would you put it ?
DW says , you need to sell that boat ! But honey, where would we keep the lawn chairs?
Nice inovative idea for a small truck . Looks like a lot of thought went in it.
Tim Mooney
Nice that you can get in there from the sides too! I have a full size canopy ('Cap' for you right coasters) on my pick-up. It's tall with a full back door with a man door in it. I always hated it when I had to work out of it because of only one way in. A real PITA!
I want to know how you put a pic directly in your post! Care to share?
Peace
I envy that van with tools all dry and cozy . No unloading . Can actually pull into a parking lot with other people and have lunch inside a resturant with out worry. Or on Blowes parking lot.
But I cant get no satisfaction because its got no traction.
Tim Mooney
I have a short wide bed 91 Silverado and today I picked up 12 sheets of osb, a dozen 14' 2x6's, two 8' 2x6's, three rolls of 30#,two squares of ice shield, 4 -14' deck boards, all with two Contico boxes on the left side. Sometimes I would like to have long bed but like my short wheelbase. With the ladder rack I built I carry long stuff on top. If I need a lot of crap I get it delivered.
I realize the thread is almost a month old already....thought I`d add my two cents anyhow.
My last pickup had a cap....I hated it...cursed it everytime I had to climb in to get something.
I posted, not too long ago asking similar questions when I bought a new pickup. I want my bed open to allow easy access. I inquired about the bed boxes....those that have them seem to love them.....but they didn`t sound like they`d work for me. Too many, too large, tools.
I ended up getting the Roll-N-Lock turneau bed cover. Not sure if it`d work on your model. So far, I love this thing. Its like having a tool box the size of your entire truck bed. Added it up one day last week.....I was carrying about $8,000 worth of tools. And unlike a cap, no one can see in to know it.
I`m working on finding a ladder rack system that will work with the cover...if I can`t, I`ll end up making one of my own.
J. D. Reynolds
Home Improvements
"DO IT RIGHT, DO IT ONCE"
I have a Toyota 4wd which is on its last leg (250k mi), but it has served me very well, a lot of tools in a little truck. I have a stockland camper shell (I think they're out of business now) with side-hatches that open up similar to the DCU that someone posted http://www.4are.com/product/dcu/ (thanks for that link!). It has a lumber rack that I had made to mount on top (the shell I bought was rated to carry up to 500 lbs or something like that), and slide-out drawers like the old doughnut delivery trucks used to have (showing my age here). I have so many tools I had to beef up the suspension with Helwig helper springs. I definitely wouldn't do a camper shell without opening side hatches and pull-out drawers.I'm just freshly back-in-the-business now, and if work continues steady like it has been I plan on getting a new(er) vehicle. The nice thing about the pull-out drawers is that it doesn't look like a toolbox when you peek in, so it minimizes temptation when parked. I like my Stockland because the shell goes up in back, so even with my tool drawers, I still had room for a wheelbarrow inside the shell, and 4' wide clearance to stack drywall or plywood. Only problem with my truck is that the rebuilt motor I had put in a few years back just doesn't have enough power for the load I carry.
My current setup works great for me, doing trim and punchlist stuff with some general carpentry and some shopwork. Small tools and supplies go below; tablesaw, chopsaw, folding horses, and depending on the day either a box of routers, router table, planer, or baby jointer fit on the shelf above the slideouts.
Material, up to several sheets of plywood, go on the van racks mounted low on the cap on false gutters.
The cap windows are tinted pretty dark, and the back window has two locks and the tailgate locks. I don't leave stuff on the shelf if I'm in a sketchy area, but with the tailgate locked there's no way to get to the hand tools.
This is an old photo; the slideouts are better organized now, and as long as I have a clue what I'll be doing on a given day I usually have the tools I need on board.
The great thing about having a system is it makes it easy to stay organized. Most of my vehicles in the past, and most other guys trucks and vans, look like the previous poster's van, no offense. I like for everything to have it's place.
I would like one of those fancy expensive systems, but this works fine and was very cheap. I'll usually find a way to pay for quality if it's worth it, but this system works fine for me.
Hey now! If you look really close, you will see that everything in my van has it's own place in the pile!
What I really hate is when I open the slider to have a bunch of stuff fall out. Did ya notice the horseshoe magnet right there handy? : )