Truck advice [RE-wrenches]

[Daryl DeJoy]

Hi Travis,
   Just relaying my own experience! It could be just that the winters we
get up here are tougher on them.
Daryl

>
> I'll beg to differ on the Isuzu.  We have had two Isuzu NPR's with 14'
> Boxes
> and lift gates and loved them.  They had over 300k on them when got them
> (after years as Rent-to-Own delivery trucks, talk about abusive service)
> and
> they were just great for us.  I've got a friend who put a homemade dump
> bed
> on one and takes the truck way past anything it was ever made to handle
> and
> it just keeps coming back for more.  We'd still have them today if they
> weren't so cosmetically beat up.  They just wouldn't die and we opted not
> to
> refurb them.  I've sold one to friend in the vending business and another
> who is an electrician and they use them every day.
>
> We moved on to late model F250's (one with 7.3 powerstroke, one with 5.4
> gas) with custom built contractor shells from ARE.  Plenty of towing power
> for our backhoe and have been very reliable.  We will probably buy another
> NPR this year or enclosed 16'-20' trailers outfitted with every thing we
> need to be towed to job sites and left there until the job is done.
>
> We are preparing to play around with homebrew Biodiesel as I also have 84
> Mercedes 300SD.
>
> Travis Creswell
> Ozark Energy Services
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Daryl DeJoy [mailto:penobscotsolar at midmaine.com]
> Sent: Saturday, January 20, 2007 11:09 AM
> To: RE-wrenches at topica.com
> Subject: Re: Truck advice [RE-wrenches]
>
>
> Hi Allen,
>    We have a Mitsubishi cab-over 4 cylinder diesel (13,500 gvw) that is a
> rolling workshop. Plenty of head room, storage, bench and cabinets,
> etc. We currently have a 12 foot bed but I am looking for a 14 foot bed
> for the next truck. It seems like you can never have enough room.
>    The truck runs very reliably and we get 15 mpg around town with it. It
> also has a 1 ton lift gate that doubles as a step when we're not moving
> batteries. I would stay away from turbo models, as well as Isuzu made
> similar trucks. They do not have the reliability of Mitsubishi's. I
> have 270,000 miles on this one and it doesn't even burn oil. One friend
> had one that was still going at 500,000 mls!!!
> Daryl
> Penobscot Solar Design
> NABCEP Certified installer
>
>>
>> Wrenches,
>> One of our planned capital expenses for 2007 will be a new(er) truck. We
>> are
>> small, with only two trucks, so this will replace the oldest. I'm
>> writing
>> for suggestions.
>>
>> Both of our current trucks are one-ton conventional Chevys with utility
>> boxes (in place of beds) and overhead racks for conduit. Both have been
>> set
>> up in similar arrangements, developed over many years, of wire spool
>> racks
>> and bins and boxes for fittings and small parts. As such, unless there's
>> an
>> approach that is so super-outrageously-wonderful that we should start
>> over,
>> we'll keep the same basic service-body approach so part locations remain
>> familiar.
>>
>> What would your next truck look like if you had $25,000 to invest? (This
>> would probably start with a late-model used something.) What if you
>> chose
>> to
>> spend ~$40,000 and could choose something new? Make, model, engine...
>>
>> We're tired of ten mpg on gas, but unsure about the time investment for
>> veggie-diesel (one +E owner drives a veggie-Rabbit, and I am nearly done
>> converting my old diesel Mercedes, so we're not ignorant about doing
>> this)
>> on a commercial truck.
>>
>> Both trucks weigh 8,000-10,000 pounds ready to work, so a small truck
>> isn't
>> an option.
>>
>> Isuzu or GM diesel? New Freightliner/Mercedes? Dually pickup with bed
>> conversion? 4WD would be nice but not essential, as the newer existing
>> truck
>> is 4WD, and most of our business growth is grid-tied, not remote.
>>
>> I have the job of recommending what we get, and I'd like to hear what
>> works
>> well for you. Thank you for any good advice.
>>
>> Allan at Positive Energy
>>
>>
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>
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