[Richard Joyce]

I am about to buy a new van to house a truck mount later in the year, the van is a new shape Peogeut boxer medium roof medium wheelbase I need to house the truckmount, porty, hose reel and all the other gear that we have do you think this is an ok van for the job and also the guys with a truckmount what vans do you have any pictures of your set up and layouts would be fantastic and much appreciated. 

[steve prince]

Hi richard
I think a lwb would be better as you will get more room for your extras!
Mwb on that type of van aren't massive as I used to have a Citroen relay

[maxcampbell]

We run a mwb Citroen & a lwb vw, both with TM's. You will find a mwb cramped even before you try & carry a porty.

On the other hand, you will manage, and after a month or 2 you'll leave the porty where it belongs, in the shed, because you'll find a way to use the TM.

[derek west]

I would recommend taking your HGV license and getting an articulated lorry, you can never have enough room.

As you can see, ive just got room for 2 stacking blowers and a rotary on the roof, now wheres those bunji ropes 



yes its a poohole, 

[Adrian Walton]

It also depends on what type of truck mount you end up buying, if you get one of the bigger heavier machines i would go for a mwb as the van weighs less than a lwb also i found with my blue wave in a lwb vw crafter the van was always front heavy but now in a mwb crafter it carries the weight better as it sits more in the middle of the front and rear axles.

[slioch]

As Adrian says, the machine is important.  Having said that, long experience tells me to look for the following:

Weight - believe me you will run close to and above the legal spec if you get a 2.8 ton van so go for the heaviest version available, 3.5 being the best.  If you don't you will pay in tyre, suspension and brake wear, handling and legality.

FWD rather than RWD. I know this will get people going suggesting that Mercs & VW are the best (both being RWD) but FWD means easier loading of gear through rear doors (no kerb to assist unlike side door). 

Length - modern terminology is L2H2 for the van you suggest. It is tight on space for a TM but going to L3H2 makes parking very difficult in such long wheel bases as the Peugeot/Citroen/Fiat and Renault Master. 

Layout of van - sub-mount if you can - reel or no reel - shelving - position of fuel tank - heating and/or insulation

We have an Everest 650HP in a Renault Master L3H2.  Machine is too heavy for a sub-mount tank so we have a 650L tank across the middle.  The van is a pig to park and manoeuvre but anything shorter would compromise what we can get on and the way we work. Hope the photo displays!
Don't skimp on the set up as it will affect how you work for years to come.

[Richard Joyce]

Thanks for all your replys, I think a lwb would be just to big, the gross vehicle weight is 3500kg and the payload is 1575kg I am not looking for a TM like the Everest ( but I wouldn't say no) something mid range I would like it sub mounted and to have the hose reel raised and over the wheel arch also a thin style hose reel to save on space then put racking over the other wheel arch. I am right in thinking that the mwb boxer is the same length as the lwb traffic ?

[Richard Joyce]

What size reels do you guys have ? And that is a serious question thank you

[Brendan (chem2clean)]

I have a mwb semi high room Transit,great van.

[Richard Joyce]

Is that a similar size to the boxer mwb m roof ? What equipment do you have in it?

[Brendan (chem2clean)]

everything,i build a frame which my hose reel sits on,about 3 ft high. i can fit my porty under it. Rotovac,air mover .It does the job,would i like a lwb ,yeah,but parking etc would just be a problem.

[Shaun_Ashmore]

I have vauxhall movano mwb it house my tm it's not a small one but you may have to look at the weight issue.

Shaun

[Richard Joyce]

Hi Shaun what truckmount do you have do you have a hose reel if so what size also can you fit a porty in there as well.

[clive ware]

Ive got a swb citroen relay and in it have a Prochem Blazer, Amtech Powerflite porty, Sebo vac, turbo drier and an Orbis rotary plus chems and wands, tools etc. Whole lot falls out everytime I open the door tho!!

[Richard Joyce]

Hi Clive what is the longest hose run you can get off you blazer.

[Dave_Lee]

These first pics are of my old Citroen Dispatch Van with TM, as you can see everything is quite compact, I was on the weight limit all the time. Being told to follow police car once to the weighbridge. Fortunately I was only 5kg over, so they let me off, but it served as a wake up call.
Other photos are of my Citroen Relay with bigger, heavier TM, lots more room, but still on the weight limit.
200 ft 2" hose reel.
Cant load Citroen Relay Phots;

[Dave_Lee]

Citroen relay Photo

[Len Gribble]

I run a Merc Vito with a blazer! 1st thing I done was up rate the rear springs! Back heavy a tell tale sign!

Then I don’t put all and sundry in it!

[Richard Joyce]

Hi Dave what hight and wheelbase is your relay?

[Shaun_Ashmore]

Hi I've got a Titan 575 it fits in a mwb vauxhall movano the lay out it very similar to Dave Lees.