HVAC Guys

Anyone use a taco for HVAC work? I've had my own business for a long time, and I've been driving a 1986 Jeep Comanche pickup until now. Yep, 29 years in the same truck. I take care of my stuff. My Comanche has a 7' bed with low mount side boxes on each side, stuffed full of tools and parts, some of which I haven't needed in years.

I'm a month into a 2010 taco AC, and it has an Undercover SE tonneau cover on a 6' bed. I love the way this truck drives, and with the cover it looks slick. I don't want to take off an $800 cover just to spend $800 or so to put side boxes on it. Right now I'm hauling stuff in milk crates in the bed, and after removing the jump seats and headrests my toolbag and test instruments ride behind the seats.

So, if any of you guys have this figured out, even if you are in a different profession, how the hell did you get your stuff organized under a tonneau cover?

tyia

 

I have a base model 2.7 and auto trans. Although now I wish I'd gone with an access cab. I would have gutted and put shelves behind the seat.

I started with a tonneau, then went to a basic cap, but now I have an all aluminum cap with a full ladder rack - over the cab too. Tool / parts cabinets on both sides. It's a Jason commercial cap.

Look here:

The top picture of the black truck with the guy working out the back doors is the exact cap I have.

http://www.jasoncaps.com/sites/default/files/Swiss Brochure 9-06.pdf

I built an all aluminum bed-slide as I wanted to save weight over using a commercial slide - but I have some 8" aluminum channel sitting in my shop now that I am going to use to raise the bed-slide rails and then put an aluminum drawer underneath the slide. I should have thought of it originally but . . . I didn't. <g>

I added air suspension bags to the rear because sometime I Stack the weight onto this puppy. <g> But I mostly run almost no air in it - 5-6 lbs.

I have a heavy duty frame hitch and tow one of three trailers whenever I need to pick up anything bigger than a single coil or condensing unit.

I run LT235/75-15 Michelin (street tread) tires on the stock steel wheels. 2200 lb rating EACH - so I'm pretty safe that way. <g> The truck handles well, rides well, tows well, and is surprisingly fast.

144K miles so far and I'm happier with it every day. 18 mpg loaded and I can run Philadelphia to Tampa in 14 hours. Although the mpg is about 15 at those speeds. <g>

I got out of two Ford E-350 diesels so it's quite a change - but as I say; I like the truck more and more each day. I could never work out of an open pickup - I'm too used to vans. But this utility cap seems to be to be the best of both worlds.

What kind of work do you do? And where?

PHM
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PHM, thank you for your response. I'm a bit short on time atm so I will answer your questions tomorrow.

Have a good one.

 

I've seen those work caps before. They look like they work well, but I'm more interested in downsizing. That is why I want to make the tonneau cover work for me. I just need to decide what to haul with me and how to organize it under the cover. Height is a bit of a problem because my oxy/acc torch won't fit upright under the cover. I may have to fab a new rack for it.

I'm out in the sticks of SE KS. Through the years I've worked on all kinds of equipment, but mostly AC. I used to do refrigeration work on 7 small grocery stores in my area. All but one are gone now, thanks Walmart!

Thanks again PHM.

 

Not to hijack the thread..but wow...you just don't see that kind of longevity in those vehicles

 

Maybe something like this would help?
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200337928_200337928
I'm in hvac too and there is no solution. I use an in closed trailer on installs and a topper on the taco for service. In northern ohio we have to lock it or it walks off. Snow and salt don't help.

 

I'm not in the buiz, but I have gave this much thought over the years. I always come back to thinking a covered trailer would be the answer. Get home from work, back the trailer in the garage, unhook the trailer and off to clubbing in the truck only.

I think it would look absolutely awesome if someone had a trailer made out of the same bed as the truck with a bed cap.

 

Better yet buy a tool box bed and make it a trailer.
http://www.nextechclassifieds.com/listings/view/657436/

 

lol I'm downsizing so I don't want a trailer, although I've considered one in the past. I pick and chose my jobs now according to whether I think my knees can handle it.

Those sliding drawer boxes would hold a lot of stuff, more stuff than I need these days, and they are a bit pricey.

I'll get something figured out that works for me, prolly on revision # 10

Thanks fellas.

 

edit: Didn't read your post well the 1st time!

 

If the inside fan is for sure running, you have some sort of blockage. Check the filter first. If there was ice outside, the A-coil inside most definitely got iced up too. Make sure it is thawed out completely.

If the filter is clean, the unit is probably slightly low on refrigerant, causing the A-coil temp to drop below freezing.

 

Ok, turn just the inside fan on. If the A-coil is not iced over you should get air from the vents. Let it run for at least an hour, to see if it stays running, at full speed. If it does, you likely need a tech to check the refrigerant level.

 

Not an HVAC guy but a Consulting Engineer in the Construction industry so I also have to carry a bunch of shit with me all the time. Maybe not as much as you, but I have a UWS tool chest in my bed that I love. Fits under my tonneau as well!

 

I am an electrican and i used my truck for a while till i got a van that is way better than crawling into the bed with a leer topper full of shit

 

Ah, didn't realize the air handler was in the attic, don't see that much around here and if I do, I run away! So the return duct disconnected from the air handler and has been pulling unfiltered (and hot!) air from the attic... ouch. No wonder the evap coil was dirty. I'm glad you got it fixed, and it sounds like you got a decent and honest tech. Not all of them are.

 

Thanks for the reply, but my tonneau cover is one piece. It would be impossible to get anything out of that box in the front of the bed. The lid wouldn't open.

I have ordered 2 six foot side boxes. They came last week, beat all to hell. They were just slipped into cardboard boxes with no protection. I called to have them picked up and replaced. Can't wait to see how bad the next ones look. Warm weather has arrived and I need to get my truck set up asap.