There's gotta be a better way

Billy The Impaler · Sep 17, 2023

...to haul more pallets (not weight) in a small vehicle. This is a shot from a review of of class A van-life like RV. I don't know if the weight could be kept around 6500 curb weight. But imagine ordering one that's essentially gutted. Everything behind the driver compartment is gutted. You put in a floor and e-track, and everything behind the corner of where that counter/cabinet is now would be an area for 3 pallets deep, 2 wide. Then you still have a buttload of space up where he's standing to have a Murphy bed or similar. Add house batteries, a generator for roof top AC, a light chest type refrigerator... I know, you'd have to have the rear doors custom made.

Assuming the empty weight is under 6500, why not? Or has anyone looked into modifying an airport shuttle that's under 6500 or so, something wide enough for 2 skids?

Ragman · Sep 17, 2023

Billy The Impaler said:
...to haul more pallets (not weight) in a small vehicle. This is a shot from a review of of class A van-life like RV. I don't know if the weight could be kept around 6500 curb weight. But imagine ordering one that's essentially gutted. Everything behind the driver compartment is gutted. You put in a floor and e-track, and everything behind the corner of where that counter/cabinet is now would be an area for 3 pallets deep, 2 wide. Then you still have a buttload of space up where he's standing to have a Murphy bed or similar. Add house batteries, a generator for roof top AC, a light chest type refrigerator... I know, you'd have to have the rear doors custom made.

Assuming the empty weight is under 6500, why not? Or has anyone looked into modifying an airport shuttle that's under 6500 or so, something wide enough for 2 skids?

Remember, everything you add to your gutted van weighs something. This weight must be accounted for.

I'm not and never was a van driver, but it sounds like you're trying to reinvent the wheel.

LDB · Sep 18, 2023

It's Aerocell or maybe Unicell, company up in the northeast, already making what you are talking about. Considered one myself for a while.

Billy The Impaler · Sep 18, 2023

Unbelievable. Only made at 10,360 GVWR. No other design.

brokcanadian · Oct 2, 2023

Billy The Impaler said:
...to haul more pallets (not weight) in a small vehicle. This is a shot from a review of of class A van-life like RV. I don't know if the weight could be kept around 6500 curb weight. But imagine ordering one that's essentially gutted. Everything behind the driver compartment is gutted. You put in a floor and e-track, and everything behind the corner of where that counter/cabinet is now would be an area for 3 pallets deep, 2 wide. Then you still have a buttload of space up where he's standing to have a Murphy bed or similar. Add house batteries, a generator for roof top AC, a light chest type refrigerator... I know, you'd have to have the rear doors custom made.

Assuming the empty weight is under 6500, why not? Or has anyone looked into modifying an airport shuttle that's under 6500 or so, something wide enough for 2 skids?

Huh?

Hauling more weight under 10,000 has been solved; a Promaster is about 4200 lb curb and a 3500 can take 3 skids

Why I said "huh" I'm trying to understand why you would want to haul 6 empty pallets

What is the question, how to haul 6 skids while the truck stays unregulated?

Even if they were small skids at only 1000 lbs that's 6000 lbs and a truck that can carry 6000 lbs daily with no complaints, itself weighs more than 6500 empty. It's physics, a frame strong enough to carry weighs a lot

I fit 5-6 skids regularly in a 2005 extended Sprinter last year.

You do that by taking each individual item off the skids and piling it up in the Sprinter, takes 1-2 hours and a lot of sweat. It made sense because I was delivering 1-5 of those individual boxes to each location out of the 110 it held - I was not delivering skids

The best vehicle for what you describe is called a 5 ton. They've been around about 100 years. Yes you probably need a CDL but at minimum you run HOS

Billy The Impaler · Oct 3, 2023

brokcanadian said:
Hauling more weight under 10,000 has been solved; a Promaster is about 4200 lb curb and a 3500 can take 3 skids

it can take 3 skids if you take your bed apart. I'm trying to find a way to haul more skids while having a permanent bed. That means adding width, 2 across, at least 2 deep plus room for a bed.

brokcanadian said:
What is the question, how to haul 6 skids while the truck stays unregulated?

brokcanadian said:
Even if they were small skids at only 1000 lbs that's 6000 lbs and a truck that can carry 6000 lbs daily with no complaints, itself weighs more than 6500 empty. It's physics, a frame strong enough to carry weighs a lot

Yes, hence the dilemma. I'm trying to come up with a light weight box for a cut-away that's at least 2 skids wide and 2 deep, plus room for the bed. I saw one the other day and took pictures. He said the weight works but he messed up and ordered it too narrow. He's 80 wide instead of 96. I'd have asked him more but his English was only so-so.

brokcanadian · Oct 3, 2023

Billy The Impaler said:
it can take 3 skids if you take your bed apart. I'm trying to find a way to haul more skids while having a permanent bed. That means adding width, 2 across, at least 2 deep plus room for a bed.

Yes, hence the dilemma. I'm trying to come up with a light weight box for a cut-away that's at least 2 skids wide and 2 deep, plus room for the bed. I saw one the other day and took pictures. He said the weight works but he messed up and ordered it too narrow. He's 80 wide instead of 96. I'd have asked him more but his English was only so-so.

I haven't personally seen one under 10,000 lb manufacturer plate WITH dual wheels (but I get you might be just trying to show the box)

Try and rent something.

Last week I got 10.3 mpg in my E250 with the short body.

You don't want to be stuck with a combo that is too expensive to make money with for the sole reason of avoiding 11 hours driving time

brokcanadian · Nov 2, 2023

Ok, update

I saw one of the Promaster cab chassis with Volens sleeper units...

WITH A HARDSHELL BOX.

So it exists.

Previous comment applies, I don't think it was traveling even 50 mph; he was probably trying to not spend everything he just made getting back home