What Options Do You Have In Your Service Truck?

S Ebels

F-350 diesel with power you name it, 4 door, Lariat trim level, yes Hot Rod leather is nice, cleans up better than cloth and lasts better than vinyl, Hypertech 3 level chip with 4" exhaust improved mileage to a little better than 19 around here, over 20 on the highway, 14-15 towing one of the work trailers. As far as power.......let's just say that the 20' 5th wheel trailer with the Kubota on it doesn't fight with the truck anymore.

Haulin' my sorry butt out of bed for a 1:30 AM service call isn't quite as bad when I've got something nice to jump into.

Tom_22

How Comfortable Is Your Service Van?

What kind of options do you have in your service van? i.e. Air Conditioning, power door locks, power windows, cruise control? Radio, cassette, CD, mp3, and/or satillite radio? VHS, DVD video, gps? Captains chairs? Custom wheels? Security alarm system? (You might need one if you got all the above.) Any other goodies?

If you would like to have something you don't have now, what is it?

Just curious for kicks and giggles.

Mike T., Swampeast MO

Does \"Running\" Count as an Option?

If so, that's about the only one on mine. A/C died years ago. Tape deck lost it when someone ("nobody" did it of course) tried to extract an "eaten" tape. Radio succumbed to a ladder. Handle for adjusting the seat fore-aft movement is "somewhere in the back"--we think...

Oh wait, it does have "Captain's seats". Of course the way they sway and the way the van rides it does feel like you're on the high sea.

hr

I'd like to have

heated seats! My wifes car has heated seats and they are great. Nice to keep the heat low and the air cool in the car on long trips to stay alert, but keep a warm butt!

My Dodge work truck has the Larime SLT package which has a lot of the stuff you mentioned. Didn't think I would ever need all the bells and whistles but I have really enjoyed the upgraded cab options. My next truck will get the top package, maybe even leather seats

More power outlets would be nice for phone and assorted chargers. Think the newest versions have additional outlets.

Supposed to be some retro fit heated seat kits available somewhere. Maybe santa is listening

hot rod

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Scott25

yeah but..

Does it have a thermostat wire jumper installed across the starting relay, so the rig can start... I have heard fuses cant be written off as a business expense. :-)

Paul Bock_2

Heated Mirrors

If I were to get another service van I would not settle for any option package that did not include heated mirrors. ( are you listening GM) One good Ice storm here in NE and motorized mirrors are never quite the same.

Paul

DaveC

In the late 80's...

my dad had one of those Toyota minivans that looked like the shuttlecraft from Star Trek. What a P.O.S! The doors were shaped in away that you couldn't swing your feet in without crossing your legs, and the windows only rolled halfway down. It wasn't any more comfortable once you wiggled inside, and of course there was little storage space inside - every thing had to be stacked up. For music there was non-stop whistling of beloved tunes such as "Winchester Cathedral" and "Flowers on the Wall".

Ted_9

I drive a Chevy 2002 3500. A/c is a must and I just installed a Alpine cd /mp3 player(after 2 years). It has a remote and at first I thought is was stupid to use, but if you can control volume and change track without looking at the player. It ends up being safer to drive that way. Regular seats and no power windows or heated mirrors, but if I had the option I would have.

Pete Groenewold

Service Van Accessories

Tom, I have a Ford E250 with A/C, cruise, the factory bin package, and an AM/FM/Cassette/CD player with extra speakers. My opinions:

For me, A/C is necessary even in NE Wisconsin. I don't like arriving at jobs drenched in sweat when my vehicle's been sitting in the hot sun for hours.

The cruise is also nice when I'm putting on highway miles, although when I'm fully loaded and towing an enclosed trailer, the transmission does have a tendency to downshift frequently when going up long inclines.

The factory bins aren't bad. While the bins around the wheel wells are pretty useless, at least the whole setup doesn't look "butchered in" like some I've seen.

Finally, the fancy radio doesn't help me. At highway speeds, there is so much wind noise from the ladder racks and the sheet metal van body that I have to play CDs at a near-painful volume just to hear them.

On a related note, a recent rental car I drove had a Sirius XM satellite radio installed. I thought it was great in principle (just about every kind of music/news/programming you could imagine, and no ads), but every three or four minutes the radio would fall silent for about five seconds as the antenna lost and then reacquired its satellite signal. XM seems like an intriguing idea... once they get the bugs out.

YMMV,

PG

joel_19

sprinter!

We have two Sprinters. they are the way to go. You can actually drive it while STANDING UP in the cab. legal disclaimer: this can only be accomplished by a pro on a closed road as it is too difficult for mear mortals to acomplish while talking on the phone and ballancing a Dunkachinno. The seats adjust about a jillion ways and the power mirrors are very handy esp for backing up. Unfortunately I don't get to drive one. My ride is a Toyota Tacoma, but I just drove a new Nissan Titan that is one sweet ride with a nice price as well. Maybe i can get one????

Geo_2

trucks

a remote starter !!!!, the best $150.00 you'll ever spend.A Sprinter is on my list for next van.The opptions for off the lot ford vans I have bought over the years are limited but a/c has always been a must.

joel_19

sprinter

We have two one for about 1.5 years the other 4 months. they turn much tighter than a regular van, very manuverable. Ours are the dual wheel version and get 20-21mpg loaded around town. a little less in the winter. i've heard guys with the single whl get 23-25mpg i think they are geared a little different. Get the seats with the adjustable arm rest. Don't bother with the CD player the radio stinks anyhow just get the cheapy unit and upgrade yourself if your into music, skip the hitch and get the step bummper, our second one has the ambulance prep pack gives you some nice stuff like dual batteries,nice if your in the great white north.

Wethead7

> We have two one for about 1.5 years the other 4

> months. they turn much tighter than a regular

> van, very manuverable. Ours are the dual wheel

> version and get 20-21mpg loaded around town. a

> little less in the winter. i've heard guys with

> the single whl get 23-25mpg i think they are

> geared a little different. Get the seats with the

> adjustable arm rest. Don't bother with the CD

> player the radio stinks anyhow just get the

> cheapy unit and upgrade yourself if your into

> music, skip the hitch and get the step bummper,

> our second one has the ambulance prep pack gives

> you some nice stuff like dual batteries,nice if

> your in the great white north.

Wethead7

Options

We have one truck less A/C. All the others have a/c. The sprinters have limited options. The radio's are poor, but recently had the body replaced on the older unit. The road noise went down(lot's). The body came apart(not an M-B problem). Most new units come with these options. A/C, large amp charging system, Cruise control(not always),AM/FM radio, Rubber floor mat(sometimes carpet) Cloth seats, Towing package.

We have two sprinters(the boss did not want the first one, but bought another when I was away.), Several chevy/gmc hicube vans(both single and dual rear wheel models), one ford F-450, one ford E-550(mine),two ford E-450(E-550 was not avaible) one Frieghtliner fl-40(large and powerful service truck), several 3/4 and 1 ton vans.

When purchasing service trucks we look at the tech. is trained for and workload. The vans days are numbered. Vans do not have enough storage for wide range of work we do. The tech has some input on options on the replacement unit. We are currently looking to replace the last of the single rear wheeled hicubes. The replacements are either more fordE-450 or sprinters. The replacement units will be dual wheeled. Niether tech wants cruise, They are spilt one wants sprinter the other was an ford. Both units mostlikely to be ambulance packaged.

The construction guys get pu's. They also have one four wheel drive unit. Options normaly are A/C, FM radio, tow package,cloth seats,& cruise. The field staff does not have much say on these trucks as they mostly interchangable. We have a standard unit here.

We have stopped purchasing lite /34 ton and 1/2 ton trucks. These lite trucks do not hold up very well. We prefer to purchase desiel or cng fueled trucks. All trucks have a reciever hitch. The FL-40 was purchased for less than a new hicube van. The current body we use on service trucks is form Knaphied. The KUV provides stand up hieght inside and quik access to parts and tools outside. This bed also allows us to keep gasses out of the rear compartment.


Mike