Does anyone here work out of a service body truck with the side compartments?ÿAND?ÿwill a 4 wheeler fit? Is it wide enough to fit a 4 wheeler??ÿ
I have looked into this.
I'd suggest a flatbed, 8' wide.
Custom side boxes.
Cross box, with drawers that slide out.
Umderbody boxes. Ramps. With cables.?ÿ
Utility or service bodies just are not made for surveyors, stock configuration.
But, I've not done it yet...
Do as I say, not as i do...
🙂
N
Nate?ÿ
I would offer that nothing is good for a surveyor. I prefer a Suburban but I can't carry a 4x4 in it.
I have been looking at flatbeds though. And I do feel like a good service body or utility body bed would be a darned good survey vehicle. Especially if a 4x4 fits.
Polaris 850, 48" wide. That leaves room for 2 boxes 23.5" wide on the sides.
Polaris Ranger 5' wide.
Leaves room for 2 boxes 17.5" wide.
Have the boxes made by someone with bending brake. Lighter, more rigid.
(hey it's free advice!)
Expect to pay maybe 400 ea or more for the boxes.
N
I have one of these covers (diamondbackcovers.com) for my truck without the ATV option. Big boxes on the sides for tools, paint etc. Then I added some pull drawers underneath accessible from the tailgate for legs, rods, etc. The ones that hold an ATV look pretty cool.
Here is what i did.
Stinkin boxes are narrower at the back, due to bed taper.
Flatbeds require a longer set of ramps. ?ÿNot ideal. ?ÿI've seen a set up very similar to Nate's work well with an extended cab. ?ÿPlenty of room in the extended cab for tons of supplies, ?ÿTripods fit well alongside the 4X4. ?ÿOne side box works well for bars/pipes and shovels.
Service bodies come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. So do 4 wheelers. I'm sure if you got a service body on an F350 you would have no problem getting a 4 wheeler aboard.
I work pretty urban so I don't have a 4 wheeler and never had one to use routinely. But if I did I'm sure that I would haul it around on a trailer. That doesn't seem to be a popular solution. Why not??ÿ
I agree on the trailer, a lot easier loading in and out of the trailer and you can tow the trailer with the ATV.
US Fish & Wildlife surveyor we did a project with loaded an ATV into a u-box pickup.
Mark, I used a trailer for a long time but it is a P.I.T.A..
Easy to load but cumbersome for maneuverability and backing and quite frankly I want the 4x4 to be with me all the time and not have to load it on the trailer and hook the trailer up.
The crews worked out of a rig like this when I was up in the British Columbia gas fields off the Alaska Highway. Custom box underneath (snowmobiles instead of four-wheelers from October until March)
James
I have looked at those but darn that seems like an awfully steep loading angle.
I think I like the service body better. Something like this has real potential.
Kinda became the local industry standard, I like having it secure inside the box, not on a trailer. If you need a sidexside then the trailer gets hooked up.
?ÿ
?ÿ
Mark, I used a trailer for a long time but it is a P.I.T.A..
Easy to load but cumbersome for maneuverability and backing and quite frankly I want the 4x4 to be with me all the time and not have to load it on the trailer and hook the trailer up.
My truck is already fully loaded with the survey equipment.?ÿ There just wouldn't be room for a 4 wheeler. Not for the kind of work I do.?ÿ
If?ÿ you went with a custom flatbed with storage, there is no reason the atv needs to be loaded in the middle.?ÿ You could offset it to one side and have larger boxes on one side.
?ÿ
FWIW I am in the pickup crowd, with cap, with barn doors, and use a trailer for atv.?ÿ I use the atv 2-3 times a month.?ÿ If I were to carry the atv all of the time, I would want it enclosed.
This is darned close to what I was thinking but it needs lockable storage boxes on the side.
I want the ramp to be built in so I can load the four wheeler and go as needed without having the hassle of a trailer. If I wanted I could leave the 4 wheeler on it and simply cover it with a tarp real tight.
I am on the right path. Although that truck sits far too high for me.
This one was custom built on a F-450 for underground work, the 4x8 work deck is about a foot higher than the frame.
Older photo, but shows the ATV in the back of my custom built bed, still have the truck 18 years old and going strong. I think a lot of the off the self utility beds may be too narrow, but as I did, you can certainly get a nice solution built.
SHG
Shelby, will you send me or post more pictures and any details you can pass on.?ÿ
I am interested in what doesn't work as much as what does.
Who made it, all the details, please.
I am gonna send you a PM with my email.