Alright so I’ve been working out of my new sedan for the past 5 years (bad move) and now that I’ve scratched it all up I’m finally looking to upgrade to something a bit bigger. I do mostly route work with a lot of driving and then about a day a week of residential as well during the warm season. Looking to keep growing the residential and invest in WFP that I can fit in the back.
Keeping it compact so for me it’s between a Scion xB, Ford Transit, Honda Element or any other SUV or even a mini van. Budget is under 10k but the cheaper the better.
I know there’s other threads on vehicle setups but this is a special call for all the smaller vehicle users.
Bigger than a sedan but smaller than a pickup.
Anyone that has or is working out of an SUV or small van of any kind I’d love to hear what you like and don’t like about it. And what you can fit in it.
The transits are the best period. But they’re expensive.
The scions are no longer being made but they’re cool. The souls get great gas mileage.
But for cheap, you can’t do better than a caravan. It will hold a ton of stuff plus four cleaners. And junk yards are full of them in case you need parts.
Just get a good wrap and it’ll pay for itself real quick.
I started out with a 2006 Scion XB and it worked out well. I put a Yakima rack on top to strap the ladders down. In the back I removed the rear seats and built a shelf to give me more storage. I was able to carry my screen cleaner, RO filter, 2 water fed poles and all of my equipment in the back. XB’s are a great reliable vehicle. I got great gas mileage and was easy to maneuver around in tight areas. After about four years I upgraded to a 2016 Transit Connect XLT, family version. I was running out of room with the XB and wanted to have the option of using the rear seats if need be. The Transit family version has two rows of seats in the back, but they fold down almost flat and still allow a ton of room. I added a ladder rack and this setup has worked out great for me. One of the biggest selling points for me with the newer Transits is that I can keep my ladder on the rack and put it in to my garage for added security at night. The older Transits have a very high roof and they won’t fit in a standard height garage. Of course the price will be a pretty big difference. They are both great choices. Good Luck.
Thanks for the info, thats great you stepped up to the Transit. With the scion did you have a tank mounted in the back? Im thinking if i keep the tank mobile I can just pull everything out and put the seats back if I really need to.
Well I’m just starting out. So I don’t have alot of equipment just basics no ladders just my tool belt,bucket,pole etc. So pretty good for the time being
I had a 60 gallon tank that I bought at Northern Tool, it came with everything including a pump. I honestly didn’t use it a whole lot. I tried it on a few store fronts and found it was much more efficient to just use my hand tools. I really wanted to use it, but it just didn’t work out for me. Maybe everyone’s case is different. I would try to leave the rear seats in if you think you may use them again. Still a pretty good amount of room. @Infinity has a good write up on how he did his early model XB, and I kind of went off of his ideas. I will post a few pics later.
i have been using my pontiac montana since 2013. just traditional window cleaning it’s fine but i tend to bring everything plus the kitchen sink so during gutter cleaning season with leave blowers, more hose etc sometimes it’s packed beyond the nuts.
in 2014 i got my wfp and xero pure which fit in the back fine with room for normal other tools and still 4 seats.
biggest down is that my 28 foot ladder (rarely used anymore) hangs out a bit over the back preventing the tail door from opening all the way. after a couple years and losing most of my scalp i started wearing a light hardhat.
one of the largest companies here uses all used mini vans i think they have 6 or eight.
if you want to haul a lot of water you will run into trouble with weight.
also being enclosed easy to lock up and also throw a heater in as the weather cools. i would love a full size cargo van but alas i have been to slack in my business building…this year though…
