rex

im well over 6foot and fit look like im getting into a clown car....yea its gay i know but it suits my needs for small service and running around

Master Mark

my father had a mini van that he loved to drive for plumbing, he had the thing so crammed with tools
that I feared for his life if he were ever to get into any kind of violent wreck.. he had wood drill bits
hanging right behind the drivers seat, a k50 sewer machine flying through the truck in an accident is
like a lethal weapon in any crash over 25mph....

also the men working with him would have to literally unload the truck every morning just to be able to load a water heater into the back end.... it was too much work keeping it clean

in his mind all he could th ink about was the 18mpg he was getting in it....


this is what I am getting next.. an 07 with .22,000 miles on it and it
is presently bidding on e-bay at
$7000

__________________
God created man, Sam Colt made them equal."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swkq2E8mswI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQMO1eyMRuM

ChrisConnor

I used to work for a guy that used Astro vans for service trucks. Sewer machine, sink machine, toilet parts, p-traps,water line stuff, a couple of common faucet parts and a couple of faucets is about all that was on it.

It didn't even have a ladder rack. The ladder was a cut off aluminum ladder. When there was a sewer line replacement, either the pipe was delivered or ten footers was extended into the driver area.

service guy

That is how I started out, and let me tell you, it was awful. Now I have an extended 3500 with a 10 foot + bed and it still tight. My drain equipment alone takes up a huge area, add shelving, inventory and other tools and I can barely move. What I carry nowadays wouldn't even fit in an astro. I am getting a boxtruck like yours next Chris.

__________________
Water Heater Reviews and Water Heater Information

Master Mark

With a box truck.....you can keep the SMELL
and odors of nasty things in the back....
and you are insutated in the front
.

with a little Astro or one of those Fords,
you got the smelley sewer cable whipping around
right behind the drivers seat....or at your elbows..

or some old nasty toilet you have to get rid of
steaming away right behind you...


there is nothing better on a hot day than rideing
around town with something like that...with or without AC..

__________________
God created man, Sam Colt made them equal."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swkq2E8mswI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQMO1eyMRuM

SewerRatz

My dad is looking at one of these to set up for himself as just a drain cleaning van. He was going to load it with a Spartan 300, a K-50 and an Eel Model N along with a few other basics like a Ro-Pump ,closet auger, and an air gun. Then stock the shelves with a few tubular products for those that are rotten or installed wrong, and clean out covers.

If you go with the mentality that you do not need a super stocked truck you can make this thing work. heck I ran off a S10 pick up for 3 months with a cap that was all of 6" higher than the cab. Had to do it while my old 85 box van was in the shop. Shortly latter I gave up on the 85 and bought a full size pickup and had an ARE cap put on that was 4 foot taller the the cab. Now that truck held more stuff than a full size van.

__________________
Ron Hasil Lic #058-160417
A-Archer Sewer & Plumbing specializing in:
Tankless Water Heaters | Drain and Sewer Cleaning
Sump and Ejector Pumps | Backflow RPZ Testing

Colgar

How cute.

Does it come with one of these?

para1

..........well, I guess it's true, all real plumbers drive box vans.

__________________
www.paradiseplumbinganddrains.com


ft. worth plumber . plumber dallas . keller plumber . plumber benbrook. plumber arlington

ChrisConnor

Another thing to consider with those little Transits is what is the GVWR?

I doubt they are as much as an half ton van and most of the "rooter" companies learn quickly that a modern half ton van takes a beating on brakes and shocks just carrying three machines, a ladder and an extra reel. I've been there and done that.
I remember the old eighties model half ton work vans that handled better than a new 96 E150 work van that I used to drive.

Not to mention it's a front wheel drive, not exactly the workhorse platform in the truck world.

There's a guy here that does HVACR that has an Aeromate. He says he puts transaxles and cv joints in regularly. I'd suspect the same from this front wheel drive worktruck.

Considering you can buy a full sized van for about the same price, I think these novelty trucks will go the way of the Edsel. At least with people who carry heavy loads all day.

ChrisConnor

I just checked the payload on the transit and it's only 1600 lbs
while the E150 is 3240,E250 is 3610 and E350 is 4040.