Share your service truck modifications and setup ideas

[treemuncher]

I have finally gotten around to changing out my service truck body (11' Reading) and I was thinking that now is the time to make any updates before I fill it up again. Please share your ideas on what works best for your truck to inspire others here on this thread.

Nothing was wrong with my old bed but when I purchased the new 2019 F550 C&C, I found an excellent box on a used truck a day after purchasing the new truck. So, I purchased the used truck, kept the box and flipped the used C&C for a low cost, upgraded box with better locks, slide out tool trays and less wear & tear. After 6 years of that box in storage, I had some cold and wet weather offtime to get the swap done. Prior to the mounting of the box, I did reinforce the known weak points that would crack in the future if they were not built up a bit thicker - the main cross beams. After over 25 years of use, this style of utility bed has served me well with minimal problems.

#1 mod for me is running water for washing my hands - an 8 gallon plastic water tank and an on-demand RV or sprayer pump has treated me well for over 25 years. Even through nmerous annual freezing events, the plastics chosen do not split and the pump continues to work fine once defrosted. Nothing better than running water on the truck when it's in the 90's or higher before getting into the truck or machine after maintenance work. I will post pics of that system later.

This better bed came with some drainage tiles in the bottom of some of the lower boxes - great idea to keep the condensation to a minimum. I ordered a box of 50 12"x12" tiles for $76 from Vevor. This will go in my most used boxes. Only the smallest of parts will pass through these slots so no worries for what I work with.




Other items that I "must have" in the box:
Internal lighting in main box (LED), 12V power to transfer tank and internal lighting, cord reels for air, pressure washer, greaser and 120v electric, fuel transfer tank, air compressor, air powered grease keg, welder/generator/ pressure washer system that runs off of the truck's PTO, pole saw storage tube, funnel mount/drain.

As I get the box outfitted, I will try to remember to take pics as I go. I am interested to see what others add to make their trucks more useful. And I now have an extra box that will go up for sale as soon as I have everything moved out of it!

My welder/generator: Miller Big 40 welder shop converted to hyraulic drive with switch over valve to operate 4 gpm/ 4000 psi pressure washer. Hydraulic tank mounted above generator. Quick disconnects on pressure and return lines so I can pull out of truck as needed.

 

[materthegreater]

Wow, I'm always impressed by how well thought out your truck and equipment setups are. Thanks for sharing.

 

[thepumpguysc]

X 2..^^

 

[treemuncher]

Thanks, guys. I am sure there are others on here that have plenty more ideas than just me.

Internal box LED strips mounted to shine light forward in the box, wired in with a door switch (upper left corner of door). 12v outlet at right rear for the diesel transfer pump (mostly hidden behind spring in pic). 120v outlet wired in at lower front running along right upper rail - this gets plugged into the drum heater for the 120 lb grease keg for colder nights when less than 50 degrees. This line also powers a small space heater to keep the pressure washer pump from freezing. (More severe weather gets antifreeze in PW pump) Main 120v line goes to front of truck. Plugs into extension cord mounted to heavy post with bungee cord - just back up and I never have to manually unplug in the mornings.

Bed has since been brushes and given a Naval Jelly treatment. Ready for a quick coat of paint.


I came up with an improved mounting idea for the hand washing water tank (8 gal) so that any leaks from the tank hosing get dumped outside of the box. I built a frame with a plastic liner sloped to one corner with a drain tube. The pump is mounted below the tank and fits within the framed portion. I just have to get some new tubing to finish the install. Hard to believe that I've had this tank and pump system working for 25+ years with only one pump replacement so far. Hard freezes have never killed this system yet. Once it is defrosted, it works fine. Why can't all water systems work so well?

Frame drains to lower right corner



Tank and pump test fit onto frame. I just need new hose and wire in to complete the install of this component.

 

[treemuncher]

Finished wiring and hosing today to complete the installation of my wash station. I put a long paddle microswitch on the right door. Once the left door is opened, power goes to the on-demand pump. I also usually keep a short, compact 25 foot garden hose on the truck that I can thread onto the hose bib outlet when low pressure water is needed at the back of the truck.





The only problem that I ran into was the clearance with the lid and the lower shelf. I had to cut out a circle for the lid to poke through but a divider will keep anything from falling down through. I'm satisfied with the install.

 

[treemuncher]

I've been busy taking off the old painted on lettering from the previous owner. Red and black painted on business name and phone numbers - enamel paint as far as I could tell. What a pain that was to get removed without tearing up the white base coat! Easy Off Heavy Duty Oven Cleaner did the best overall with minimal damage to the base. I tried mixing up some home mixed lye from some Red Devil Sodium Hydroxide that I already had but it was too strong and started in on the base paint. I did not have the means to properly set the strength so I just continued with the Easy Off and finished off specs of paint with a buffer and heavy polishing compound.

I'm satisfied with the results after I did a heavy cut buffing on the entire box. Getting ready for a good polish and then signage for the exterior.


I've also de-rusted the interior and bed, then painted with primer and a hardened exterior white tank paint. I painted the ceiling white near the lights to reflect more light into the box. I'm tired of working in the dark!


Ready to start loading the interior with the welder/pressure washer, fuel tank/greaser, air compressor, hose reels and more. I am planning on E-track along the left side and the ceiling. The ceiling track mounts will allow me to lift heavier items into the box with less effort.

 

[treemuncher]

So I got the reels installed yesterday. Electric, pressure washer and air. This time I put a drip tray under the PW hose reel to keep any water drained off instead of pooling up within the truck bays. I reinforced the base with an old piece of Lexan that used to serve as a windshield. No worries to stressing the box as stout as that stuff is. All three reels were mounted on the one piece. I also mounted the E-track - looks like that should work out well.



I got the 3 main components of the truck loaded in today. I had to make some minor modifications as the box dimensions were not truly identical so the right fender was hitting the fuel tank until I cut off the obstructions.

Loading the welder into position over the hydraulic connections. It was slid in on some slick pressboard from a shipping container.


At the end of the day, the welder, compressor and fuel/lube tank were all in place and secured. I'm really liking the bright interior this time. It was always a drag to have a dark cargo box. The LED strips and white paint really make a difference.




For those looking for ideas on fuel and lube, I run a 120 lb keg with air operated greaser mounted on the back of the 200 gal tank. There is a heating blanket at the base of the drum (specifically made for grease drums) to keep the grease warm when nights are less that 45 or so, when the grease really stiffens and pumps really slowly. Once I plug in the front of my truck, the orange 3 way connector on top of the tank is live to energize the blanket and, if cold enough, a space heater to keep the PW from freezing. If the weather gets too cold, I draw in RV antifreeze into the PW pump.

There is a combo water filter and air oiler on the greaser pump. This makes a huge difference on reliability and keeping the pump working rather than getting gummed up and quitting. The grease reel works fine on its side - been doing it that way for close to 20 years now. I recently replaced the old reel with a new Vevor unit. It was cheaper to purchase a new one with 50' hose than to replace the hose on the antique that I had been using. The grease hose roller unit will be mounted on the ceiling when I complete the install.

I run a 30 GPM dispenser pump on the main tank. I usually have to pump 100-150 gallons on refills and time is money so I went with a faster pump instead of waiting on fuel to pump after completing greasing. 10 minutes of wasted time per day is nearly an hour per week. Being efficient will save time and money that pay for improvements and bank more cash in the long run.

 

[treemuncher]

2 Mondays in a row this week. Set up the fill on the transfer tank Tuesday AM and went into the shop for a minute to get a few things for the day. Just before I got back to the tank, the auto shutoff refused to work and the overflow went into the service body. Just a couple-3 gallons or so, so not a huge deal but really sucked to stain that new white paint with off-road red dye. I parked it on a slope and gave it a good rinse with degreaser and dawn followed by a heavy water blast. That got most of it out and I went out to work for the day.



If you look closely, you will see my saw tucked into its scabbard, mounted along the side of the fuel tank. It's a simple design that keeps it handy and fairly well protected. It is nothing more than a 2x6 routed out for the blade to sit in with a heavy plastic cover attached to the outside face. It will keep the 20" and 28" bars encased but the 52" bar will hang out of the end. Normally, I don't have all of these tool bags and containers on the floor but I am still trying to get moved into the new body. It takes quite a bit of time to get everything in its place. Right now the truck is mostly empty.

This go around, I have been installing E-track. I have found numerous accessories and components for this system and the prices are quite reasonable. I have the grease hose roller on the ceiling mounted to E-track. That roller has to be removed before I can pull out the tank so E-track is simple and fast to hook up or remove. The other ceiling mount is for lifting heavy items into the bed. The track along the left side will hold a scabbard for the pressure washer with a drainage tube, as well as securing my ladder along the left side. I've purchased lock units that bolt onto custom bins and others that can be welded onto custom components.



I'm quite satisfied with the paint restoration of the body. After a really difficult time of removing the previous owner's business name and phone numbers (painted on lettering), I was able to polish out the blemishes with heavy cutting compound and get an almost freshly painted finish on the box. I even went over the entire cab and brought that back to factory fresh pearl white finish. I need some stickers on the back glass - maybe a hostage peering out might look good? No one needs to see what's in the back and I can't see back there anyways.



I made an order for diamond plate rubber floor matting from Vevor to use as a liner in my tool trays. This should minimize metal to metal contact of tools bouncing around on steel trays. The bottom layers of each compartment get the drainage tiles. This should alleviate condensation problems that have a tendency to soften cardboard and encourage rust.


Ok guys, I've been listing my ideas on setup. Where are yours? I don't know everything and I sure would like to learn some new ways to set this up. Please post what works best on your trucks.

 

[crane operator]

You have to climb up in there to adjust welder settings? Exhaust? I'd prefer the welder to the rear and the tank in the front if that's the case, but I'm sure you've got a reason.

We don't have a dedicated service truck with tools. The closest we have is a f450, its got a crane, fuel tank, and a aluminum tommygate. I don't think we've used the crane 3 times, but I love the tommygate. No more lifting tires, jobboxes or anything else, everything gets rolled onto the tailgate and up to the back.

I'll have to take some pictures of it. It works pretty good for our uses, better than a toolboxed up true mechanics truck would. In that its a little more multipurposed.

 

[treemuncher]

You have to climb up in there to adjust welder settings? Exhaust? I'd prefer the welder to the rear and the tank in the front if that's the case, but I'm sure you've got a reason.

We don't have a dedicated service truck with tools. The closest we have is a f450, its got a crane, fuel tank, and a aluminum tommygate. I don't think we've used the crane 3 times, but I love the tommygate. No more lifting tires, jobboxes or anything else, everything gets rolled onto the tailgate and up to the back.

I'll have to take some pictures of it. It works pretty good for our uses, better than a toolboxed up true mechanics truck would. In that its a little more multipurposed.

The welder is PTO driven so no exhaust in the box. See pic on bottom of post #1 on this thread. The previous Lincoln diesel powered unit had the exhaust piped through the ceiling as well as intake/exhaust air vents for the radiator flow in the old box. When I get all things transferred over, I have a remote welder adjustment dial on the left door for fine tuning the heat. I don't even have to weld once a month in the field these days so not a big deal for me. I do not mind the exercise of getting in/out of the box.

I used to work quite a few jobs 3-6 hours from home so I carry everything I could possibly need to be job efficient, on the truck. Cheaper to tote it around than have to find a supplier and purchase it out on the road. Lost time chasing simple parts is a real time killer. This type of service bed has saved me countless dollars by keeping me efficient.

 

[crane operator]

We're scattered 3 different directions every day, anywhere from 15 minutes to at most a hour - hour and a half away. So whenever we have problems, someone is bringing parts. So we usually have a idea of what we are going to go do. Gather up tools at the shop before the help leaves.

 

[CM1995]

View attachment 336689

Nice set up. Really like the hydro welder/pressure washer retro that's pretty damn slick.

Side note - Built a townhome project downtown across the alley from Alabama Truck Bodies when they were on Powell Ave in B'ham. I guess they moved to Oneonta. Their old place is now Sanson Equipment.

 

[treemuncher]

We're scattered 3 different directions every day, anywhere from 15 minutes to at most a hour - hour and a half away. So whenever we have problems, someone is bringing parts. So we usually have a idea of what we are going to go do. Gather up tools at the shop before the help leaves.

That is where employees help efficiency. Working alone, my time is critical and why I carry it with me. I have to do more with less help.

As per my usual response to clerks, "Can I help you, sir?" I always respond with, "Thanks, but I am beyond help!"

 

[treemuncher]

A quick update on the Big 40 welder that would not weld properly. I was finally able to diagnose the problem as a missing diode. Only 5 of 6 were present. The missing diode was likely pulled for parts as I purchased the unit from a welder repair shop with a blown motor and a good price. Once that was replaced, it now holds 83.5 volts and a steady arc. The generator portion, what I use the most, has always worked fine. It's nice that I will now have up to 400 amps available for the Air-arc to cut with when needed. You might be surprised at what sort of things a mulcher will suck up and jam into the intake! It does not happen every week but when it does, a grinder won't always fit into the tight places where cutting is required.

The diode on the bottom with the clean, blue insulation is the new one. Well worth the $75 to get it back to working order.

 

[HarleyHappy]

How’s the body layout working for you?

 

[treemuncher]

How’s the body layout working for you?

Really well. It is difficult to remember where everything is now that a few locations have been changed in order to balance the load a bit better and make it more efficient/logical. I really like the slide out drawers - those are a total game changer and make things a lot faster/easier. The gas springs on the doors are really nice, too.

One of the other updates that I installed, that I forgot to upload to this thread, was the removal of the back seat. It's always just me unless the wife is helping me move something so no back seats required. I installed 1/2 of a rolling rack system (Sam's Club) and wired it down tight. Fits perfect and keeps a bunch of stuff organized (somewhat) and locked up in the cab.

The seat covers are ballistic nylon with Molle strap system on the back side. They are not great for the heated/cooled seats but protect the leather really well and add more storage.

 

[B&B]

A quick update on the Big 40 welder that would not weld properly. I was finally able to diagnose the problem as a missing diode. Only 5 of 6 were present. The missing diode was likely pulled for parts as I purchased the unit from a welder repair shop with a blown motor and a good price. Once that was replaced, it now holds 83.5 volts and a steady arc. The generator portion, what I use the most, has always worked fine. It's nice that I will now have up to 400 amps available for the Air-arc to cut with when needed. You might be surprised at what sort of things a mulcher will suck up and jam into the intake! It does not happen every week but when it does, a grinder won't always fit into the tight places where cutting is required.

The diode on the bottom with the clean, blue insulation is the new one. Well worth the $75 to get it back to working order.
View attachment 352986

Did you plumb the hydraulics for the welder yourself? I have 2 ranger 8's and pto hydraulics on my truck and always wanted to make one of them hyd drive

 

[treemuncher]

Did you plumb the hydraulics for the welder yourself? I have 2 ranger 8's and pto hydraulics on my truck and always wanted to make one of them hyd drive

Yes. I designed and built the conversion in my shop. It is fairly simple and straight forward. Remove the engine, build a new mounting plate (bell housing), shaft adapters, hydraulic motor, hydraulic pump, hydraulic reservoir, filters, hoses and a 2 way valve. The valve allows the oil to flow to either the welder or to the pressure washer. The PTO has to be shut down to throw the selector valve. The only real math involved was deciding what size pump to go with and then from that, which motors to provide desired speed and hp within the required parameters for proper operation. I think the truck runs about 1200-1300 rpm when the PTO is engaged.

 

[treemuncher]

I don't think that I shared my electric hook-up / quick disconnect that I use for winter weather at the shop. It is simply a piece of rebar set into the ground with a pvc pipe over top of that (larger diameter = less stress on the electrical cord) to anchor my electric hook-up wire. With a triple tap adapter mounted at the front of the truck, I can select block heater, grease drum heater and/or pressure washer heater and the small, on-board battery charger that keeps my batteries topped up. I usually keep the truck plugged in for the grease drum heater and pressure washer freeze protection when the temps fall below 50 degrees overnight. If it is well below freezing, the block heater will get plugged in if I am working the next morning.

The best part of this post is that to disconnect, I just back up the truck. The wire is tied to the post with a bungee cord to absord the shock load. The post is tall enough to see to pull up close enough to it for connection. Simple, easy, fast and less labor. Nothing much better than warm grease on a cold morning to make maintenance faster.

 

[treemuncher]

Idea to keep the rock chips and bug guts from showing so much on the front of the utility bed.

The used bed had a small piece of aluminum tread plate where the majority of the rock strikes happen. Above that, you can see where lots of others have hit. My old box was peppered pretty badly in these areas.



Looks like that strike plate was installed after a lot of dirt roads. I cleaned up the box as best as I could and coated it with wax prior to new plate installs.


I purchased some new 0.045" plate over the weekend. First two pieces cover the bottom corners completely.



I also added a top piece to take the majority of the bug guts that I will be collecting in the warmer months. I had always thought of doing this to the old bed. $150 worth of materials for lasting protection for the bed. No more chipped paint will be showing on the bed front. If I feel the need, I can always add another piece to the front sloped panel. For now, this should be good. I'm satisfied that the install came out clean. I have some stainless rivets on their way that will replace the aluminum rivets and galvanized screws temporarily used for the install. Note: I doubt anyone will want to hit me with high beams at night!