# Truck or Van ?



## Alan

Inspired by 'service guy' who referred to his van as a truck :whistling2::no::laughing:

We drive extra cab F-150's around with weather guard boxes mounted on the side rails. Sometimes I wish we had vans, and other times i'm thankful for the truck. 

Anybody ever had an opportunity to work out of both at one time or another? Which do you prefer?


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## user4

When I did service work the company provided us with vans, in the job I have now my boss offered me a mini van, and I opted to use my own pickup truck with an ARE contractors cap on it.


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## Bill

VAN! I had a PU, and it was a mess. van I can have shelves and things where as the PU and job box everything was a mess. best thing I had and wished I kept it was a 1 ton truck with a Reading service body. I got rid of the truck, but kept the body.


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## 22rifle

Alan said:


> Inspired by 'service guy' who referred to his van as a truck :whistling2::no::laughing:
> 
> We drive extra cab F-150's around with weather guard boxes mounted on the side rails. Sometimes I wish we had vans, and other times i'm thankful for the truck.
> 
> Anybody ever had an opportunity to work out of both at one time or another? Which do you prefer?


Box truck. 14' on an Isuzu chassis. Not now but it was my favorite.


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## service guy

I like my TRUCK...I mean van. Its a one-ton rated truck with a 300 HP 6.0 litre V8....thats a truck in my book. It ain't your momma's mini-van.:whistling2:


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## rex

i call my cube van a truck.......


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## WestCoastPlumber

I have done the truck thing, the van thing, and the cutaway thing, the truck is great when I did new construction, not so many repair parts to stock and the contractor back was great.

The van thing is great, what I have now, love it, but at 6'3", it is tough to get around inside, especially with messed up knees already.

When I move and get out of my association regulations, I will be buying a cutaway, this is the best! I can stretch, everything is right in front of me, interior pipe rack, exterior bins / boxes etc. Bad thing in my current situation, it won't fit in my garage :furious:


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## Herk

I have used a number of different kinds of trucks over the years. Early in my house plumbing years I had a big step van and that was just fantastic. I'd back it up to a loading dock at the supply house and had wooden bins for fittings and a huge pipe rack on the roof. I could carry enough stuff for about five houses at a time.

But my first truck was a service body pickup. I learned to hate it. You can't remember where something is, you're walking all around the truck opening one box after another looking for it. There were hooks in one box and I hung pipe wrenches on them. The nuts and jaws would vibrate off and fall to the bottom of the box. Anything in the bed was exposed to weather and theft.

PIckup trucks with a good rack are also good for plumbing houses, but not so good for service work.

I had a Dodge Maxivan that was pretty good but I'm getting a bit old to be lifting plastic crates full of galvanized fittings while I'm all bent over. I don't like being all bent over very long anymore!

So my next truck will be an Isuzu box truck. I'm planning on a 14' with a ramp for sewer machines and water heaters and tubs and will probably set up my own shelves to suit. Soon, I hope. 

No smelling the sewer machine like in a van. Lock it up when you stop in a parking lot to keep thieves out. Billboard sides. Not narrow like a Sprinter.

I wouldn't mind a Hackney, but we have a lot of wind and I wonder about the big swinging doors. And I think the Hackneys are usually only 12' long.


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## 3KP

I have been in trucks mostly. One company I use to work for had vans. I like the vans because everything stays dry and have more places to put things. But I don't like hearing all the wiggles and jiggles in the back as I drive down the road.


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## Plumberman

We have Ford trucks and Vans. All the plumbers drive trucks for now. A/C guys drive the vans. Im partial to the truck. Had a van when I first started srevice. Im like west coast, Im 6'5" with bad knees as well. So I feel your pain bro! Too loud back there and how do yall keep the van form smelling like death after you unstop the mother of all sewers? Thats my only complaint about a van.... If I get one Im rigging something on the outside to carry my cable


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## threaderman

I have partial plastic shelves and my van is packed tight so there are no rattles.

I paint my cables with snake-oil after every few uses.Works great,smells great!


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## Plumberman

Seen that stuff in town. Good idea. Have to remember that if and when they put me in a van


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## WestCoastPlumber

My van is also packed tight, I have used every inch I have been able too, 2 reasons, I have alot to carry, and it cuts down on the noise.

I have this spray stuff I spray int he back, it works for awhile. I am not very good about cleaning my cables with snake oil, but I do wash my drums out. :thumbsup:


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## Song Dog

I call my cut away with a KUV body the "Truck". It has a small slider door between the cab and the back. Does pretty well. I have enough stuff on it to do just about every repair I run into here.

I started spraying my cables and it seems to really help. There is times I will take the machines out and clean them. I take dawn and pour some in the 2001 and 100 drum and then add hot water and let them set. I then drain them out, let them dry and spray the tar out of them. They sure do smell good when I am done:thumbsup:

I have heard good things about gas mileage w/ the Sprinters but I wouldn't have the van. I would look at a Sprinter chassis with a hackney box or a Ford chassis. My KUV has a Chevy chassis. I would like to be able to carry 2 stools, 2 water heaters and my drain equip. 

In Christ,

Song Dog


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## hepco

how bout a freightliner FL-70 with a 24 ft box van....greatest service truck ive had...yeah its big but when we show up we dont have to leave for parts...even with major jobs. its large but we make up the fuel milage by staying on the job. the truck is dock height so working industrial is so much better because when you do back to a loading dock we just have our shop on wheels. everythings dry and secure.


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## Plumberman

Just got my diesal work truck. They finally put me in it after some rearranging of hands. I have had a wore out 01 model ford for 2 yrs with 221,000 miles on it. This diesal is power stroke with 70,000 on it. Its clean!! Truck boxes on both sides. Two gang boxs in back with plenty of space....


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## ILPlumber

My avatar is my work truck. Had it for almost 2 years now. F-650 with Cat diesel, Allison 6 - spd auto, Air ride suspension ,cab, and seats. Knapheide 14' KUV body. I went ahead and got all the options. Figured George W. was buying half, I'd get my money's worth. 9 mpg , weighs 21,6xx lbs. Pulls anything I can get hooked on it. 

Had a 3500 Chevy van before. I was constantly over gross vehicle weight rating. Over that + have a wreck = no insurance coverage.


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## rex

diesel....

ive had a hell of a week with trucks......my cube wentdown on wednesday fuel pump and when that went it killed #5 and #7 cylinder so its stil in the shop costing me alot.... my diesel dually is my back up went to start that and starter was dead so off to get a starter couldnt get it till the next day....went to borrow my heat guys cube van with a diesel that get 8 mpg driving down a 3 lane highway today front tire blows out im stopped for 2 hours and out more money.....

get back and start working on starter on a 90+ day on black top finally get it running and leave it so i can take buddys cube back trans drops out of drive going 60 on expressway milk it back to my house and here i am stuck and didnt bring in a dime this week and have lots of people mad at me.......


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## 22rifle

rex said:


> diesel....
> 
> ive had a hell of a week with trucks......my cube wentdown on wednesday fuel pump and when that went it killed #5 and #7 cylinder so its stil in the shop costing me alot.... my diesel dually is my back up went to start that and starter was dead so off to get a starter couldnt get it till the next day....went to borrow my heat guys cube van with a diesel that get 8 mpg driving down a 3 lane highway today front tire blows out im stopped for 2 hours and out more money.....
> 
> get back and start working on starter on a 90+ day on black top finally get it running and leave it so i can take buddys cube back trans drops out of drive going 60 on expressway milk it back to my house and here i am stuck and didnt bring in a dime this week and have lots of people mad at me.......


I am truly sorry to hear all that.


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## Bill

I got a Chevy Express 2500 van. Since I do all kinds of trades I have those box's from lowes, they are on wheels and I have one for carpentry, one for drywall, and one for plumbing. They work pretty good, keeps things together and has a handle so I can carry it into the house.


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## ToUtahNow

I use to have 14' Isuzus but now I have a one-ton Ford cutaway.

Mark


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## Bill

Ahh, so thats a cut away, a van with the rear section cut away. So like you can walk from the cab back to the body then?


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## ToUtahNow

USP45 said:


> Ahh, so thats a cut away, a van with the rear section cut away. So like you can walk from the cab back to the body then?


Yes there is a bulkhead with a door in between but you can still see in the back as the door has a window. The bulkhead helps keep the noise and smell down.

Mark


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## ILPlumber

Smell? What smell?? My wife won't get in my truck. I don't smell a thing


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## 22rifle

ToUtahNow said:


> Yes there is a bulkhead with a door in between but you can still see in the back as the door has a window. The bulkhead helps keep the noise and smell down.
> 
> Mark


Why that over the Isuzu?


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## ToUtahNow

22rifle said:


> Why that over the Isuzu?


I no longer do new or service work I only do consulting so all I carry is sewer cameras, locators, meters and such. The Isuzu was just too big for what I needed. While working out of State I found my old Isuzu body which was installed on a newer chassis. I sold the truck in 1999 to a guy who worked for me in the 70s. The hand painted signage he put on in 99 while the vinyl letters were mine from 94. Can you tell which signage held up the best? I'm a little disappointed he such a slob with the truck but what are you going to do?

Mark


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