treadmill Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 Also remember when deciding mileage deduction versus all costs, per IRS rules once you start doing one you cannot change to the other and back and forth just to make it to your advantage. Just my .02. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AZVendor Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 Also remember when deciding mileage deduction versus all costs, per IRS rules once you start doing one you cannot change to the other and back and forth just to make it to your advantage. Just my .02. Thank you for the reminder Treadmill. I forgot that just this year I had the option to change from the expense deduction to mileage deduction because I got a different truck. My accountant reminded me that whatever election we took now was what we had to follow until the vehicle is disposed of. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chocolate Bar W / Nuts Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 A friend of mine has been using 14 & 16 ft. trailers for years and it's the only way he'll roll. He has his trailer built out and utilizes every square foot to the max. He uses dual axle, v-nosed trailers. He started out using flat nosed trailers and said the wind would drastically shorten the life of the trailer and his gas mileage was horrendous! In the rear of the trailer, he's built an area designated for cases of cans & bottles. Inside the side door, he has aluminum shelving for pastries and more beverages. He's built shelving out of plywood & 2x4's to accommodate chips, cookies and miscellaneous snack items. He had a fridge in there back in the past, but he's taken it out and currently uses coolers & blue ice packs. He can load 3-4 Sam's Club flatbed carts stacked high with product ($3000+ worth) into his trailer! Amazing! I told him he should buy trailers and finish them out and market them to vendors. He also does office coffee service and stocks some of that inventory in the trailer too. Large paper goods boxes, such as cups and plates, ride in the back of his Chevy pick-up. He's got a great system in place that he's tweaked to his exact specification. Give the trailer a shot & see if it works for you. If you have any questions about it, I can bounce them off of my friend for ya...good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyinchville Posted March 24, 2013 Share Posted March 24, 2013 Hi, I've tried everything from pre kitting, working out of small cars, working out of station wagons, working out of pickup trucks with caps, working out of vans, working out of a pickup truck pulling a trailer, working out of the box truck, but the thing that I found works, the absolutely, positively best is..... (Drum roll). ...... a fully shelved step van (like a UPS truck). No climbing in and out of vehicles in the weather to get to your supplies, no struggling inside smaller vehicles…(You're able to fully stand up inside a step van), vehicle gets decent mileage, If you opt for a diesel and if you get a step van large enough, you can use it as your rolling warehouse and save on separate storage costs… Not to mention that it's a great billboard for advertising your business name or get paid for advertising other people's businesses while you roll around town servicing your route. I currently run in 1997 Freightliner MT 45, 18 feet behind the driver seat, wide bodied, roll up rear door with lift gate ( the smaller lift gate is great for allowing you to run with your rear door rolled up part way to let air circulate when it's hot out. However, a full-size lift gate would be more practical for moving heavy machines soda machines, etc.), It has a translucent center roof and e track on the side walls. (I have not messed with the shelves came with the truck when I got it but I plan on tearing out everything and building a full compliment of shelving when time permits.). Hope this helps you. Andrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beejaykc aka Munch A Bunch Posted March 24, 2013 Author Share Posted March 24, 2013 Hi, I've tried everything from pre kitting, working out of small cars, working out of station wagons, working out of pickup trucks with caps, working out of vans, working out of a pickup truck pulling a trailer, working out of the box truck, but the thing that I found works, the absolutely, positively best is..... (Drum roll). ...... a fully shelved step van (like a UPS truck). No climbing in and out of vehicles in the weather to get to your supplies, no struggling inside smaller vehicles…(You're able to fully stand up inside a step van), vehicle gets decent mileage, If you opt for a diesel and if you get a step van large enough, you can use it as your rolling warehouse and save on separate storage costs… Not to mention that it's a great billboard for advertising your business name or get paid for advertising other people's businesses while you roll around town servicing your route. I currently run in 1997 Freightliner MT 45, 18 feet behind the driver seat, wide bodied, roll up rear door with lift gate ( the smaller lift gate is great for allowing you to run with your rear door rolled up part way to let air circulate when it's hot out. However, a full-size lift gate would be more practical for moving heavy machines soda machines, etc.), It has a translucent center roof and e track on the side walls. (I have not messed with the shelves came with the truck when I got it but I plan on tearing out everything and building a full compliment of shelving when time permits.). Hope this helps you. Andrew Sounds like a killer setup. There's a few of those Freightliner's for sale on eBay. Too much truck for me right now probably.....but I like the concept. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sprint54fan Posted March 24, 2013 Share Posted March 24, 2013 I have a 4 cylinder Chevy HHR Panel wagon.. its small but works great for what I need and IM doing 29=32 MPG! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TKK Posted March 27, 2013 Share Posted March 27, 2013 I'm thinking of selling my crv they offered me $5000 I paid $3000.,I was thinking of a scion xb or Honda element. Or a cargo van would probably be best. Has anyone heard of a good cargo van that gets decent millage? Looking at this 03 astro I heard NOT to get any dodges because of the tranny? http://elpaso.en.craigslist.org/ctd/3697611770.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moondog Posted March 28, 2013 Share Posted March 28, 2013 I'm thinking of selling my crv they offered me $5000 I paid $3000.,I was thinking of a scion xb or Honda element. Or a cargo van would probably be best. Has anyone heard of a good cargo van that gets decent millage? Looking at this 03 astro I heard NOT to get any dodges because of the tranny? http://elpaso.en.cra...3697611770.html That's what I'm using (mine's a GMC AWD) - it's big enough to service about 30 machines a day and easy to park. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TKK Posted March 28, 2013 Share Posted March 28, 2013 How's the gas and tranny and maintenance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bulkjake Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 I was a mechanic/smog tech for 12 years. The Chevy/GMC Astro/Safaris are really great vehicles. Transmissions are good and the engines are bullet proof. For the size/gas mileage you can't go wrong and there isn't a better vehicle I could rec. in terms of cost/size. Stay away from Dodge. I also agree with the large step van/lift gate setups. If I ever get into full line, thats what I would buy. The Grumman step vans are solid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TKK Posted April 10, 2013 Share Posted April 10, 2013 Ok guys do u reccomend a Chevy Astro or e150? I'm also thinking of getting a grand caravan or town and country. The crv doesnt serve me at all anymore. Too many snacks and cokes... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ANDERSONVENDING Posted April 10, 2013 Share Posted April 10, 2013 Ok guys do u reccomend a Chevy Astro or e150? I'm also thinking of getting a grand caravan or town and country. The crv doesnt serve me at all anymore. Too many snacks and cokes... I'm not a Ford fan but I'd go with the E150 with the 4.6,its roomier than the Astro and mileage should be better when its loaded and still have more power. Forget about the other 2 they're both front wheel drive.John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TKK Posted April 10, 2013 Share Posted April 10, 2013 The only thing that sucks is my girlfriend has a point...why not get something we could actually use later on when not vending. I.e. something with seats. I'm looking at a safari passenger could easily be cargo by removing the seats, its a 2003 with 120k for $3500 has rear ac. I'm also looking at some grand caravans and town and countrys for $4-5k. Comparing them safari has 170 feet of cargo Grand caravan 155 But g caravan gets 16/25 mpg and safari 15/20 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bulkjake Posted April 11, 2013 Share Posted April 11, 2013 The only thing that sucks is my girlfriend has a point...why not get something we could actually use later on when not vending. I.e. something with seats. I'm looking at a safari passenger could easily be cargo by removing the seats, its a 2003 with 120k for $3500 has rear ac. I'm also looking at some grand caravans and town and countrys for $4-5k. Comparing them safari has 170 feet of cargo Grand caravan 155 But g caravan gets 16/25 mpg and safari 15/20 The Astro/Safari and the E150 are both great vehicles depending on what size you need...The full size Chevy Express/G1500-G3500 vans are really good too. I can appreciate wanting something with seats for dual purpose/usage which is why I just bought a Suburban however, even after buying that I am still wondering if I should buy a van or a trailer too due to my recent growth. (I am leaning towards a small trailer) I think I mentioned I was a mechanic for over 10 years. BTW...don't even think about the other two POS. Chrysler Corporation makes horrible vehicles for even light-duty grocery shopping/soccer mom type usage. I worked for an independent Chrysler garage and we were doing more transmissions on Caravans, Voyagers, Town & Countries, than I care to even remember. They also tend to have more (serious) engine failures/problems. I still have battle scars...Lots of repeat transmission failures too. (We did NOT rebuild, just removed/replaced with factory new/rebuilt) I wouldn't worry too much about gas mileage...when you really load down a small van (less than half ton) that isn't made to be loaded down, your gas mileage will get reduced tremendously anyway. Hope that helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moondog Posted April 11, 2013 Share Posted April 11, 2013 The only thing that sucks is my girlfriend has a point...why not get something we could actually use later on when not vending. I.e. something with seats. I'm looking at a safari passenger could easily be cargo by removing the seats, its a 2003 with 120k for $3500 has rear ac. I'm also looking at some grand caravans and town and countrys for $4-5k. Comparing them safari has 170 feet of cargo Grand caravan 155 But g caravan gets 16/25 mpg and safari 15/20 Man TKK, with all those cars you've got why would you need something with seats? Get a cargo van and stop diddling around! And while you're at it, get at least a 3/4 ton one - if you get to hauling a load of sodas you'll be glad you did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TKK Posted April 12, 2013 Share Posted April 12, 2013 I know I have 4 vehicles right now. But I'd like to be able to put seats. Anyways I made up my mind. I'm going to get an astro or a safari. Not a cargo but the passenger which to me is the same thing except the option to put the seats if I ever want to use it for travel. Anyways I'm looking at 2000-2004s. Some are awd, some have 120-160k miles. I'll put like 4 links I think they r cheap too. I'll just sell one of my quads. Which one do you guys think will do good from the following? Is there something I should look at when buying one of these? http://elpaso.en.craigslist.org/cto/3668462853.html http://elpaso.en.craigslist.org/cto/3720702930.html http://elpaso.en.craigslist.org/cto/3737213797.html http://elpaso.en.craigslist.org/cto/3730416173.html http://elpaso.en.craigslist.org/cto/3706182570.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moondog Posted April 12, 2013 Share Posted April 12, 2013 I know I have 4 vehicles right now. But I'd like to be able to put seats. Anyways I made up my mind. I'm going to get an astro or a safari. Not a cargo but the passenger which to me is the same thing except the option to put the seats if I ever want to use it for travel. Anyways I'm looking at 2000-2004s. Some are awd, some have 120-160k miles. I'll put like 4 links I think they r cheap too. I'll just sell one of my quads. Which one do you guys think will do good from the following? Is there something I should look at when buying one of these? http://elpaso.en.cra...3668462853.html http://elpaso.en.cra...3720702930.html http://elpaso.en.cra...3737213797.html http://elpaso.en.cra...3730416173.html http://elpaso.en.cra...3706182570.html I don't know which one's best from the pictures..I got mine for $3,800 a couple of years ago with 110K miles. It's an AWD and rated at 3/4 ton. I'm betting that if you get one with all the seats, they'll just end up sitting in your garage forever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ANDERSONVENDING Posted April 12, 2013 Share Posted April 12, 2013 I know I have 4 vehicles right now. But I'd like to be able to put seats. Anyways I made up my mind. I'm going to get an astro or a safari. Not a cargo but the passenger which to me is the same thing except the option to put the seats if I ever want to use it for travel. Anyways I'm looking at 2000-2004s. Some are awd, some have 120-160k miles. I'll put like 4 links I think they r cheap too. I'll just sell one of my quads. Which one do you guys think will do good from the following? Is there something I should look at when buying one of these? http://elpaso.en.cra...3668462853.html http://elpaso.en.cra...3720702930.html http://elpaso.en.cra...3737213797.html http://elpaso.en.cra...3730416173.html http://elpaso.en.cra...3706182570.html #3 is the better looking and price as far as I can see. If you get one with seats there may be studs sticking up out of the floor that's the reason I put 4 2x2's down on the floor to lay plywood on and then I built a frame to hold totes.John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TKK Posted April 13, 2013 Share Posted April 13, 2013 Do you have pics of yours? How many accounts do u guys do a day? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ANDERSONVENDING Posted April 13, 2013 Share Posted April 13, 2013 HERE'S MINE. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Golfdogs Posted April 13, 2013 Share Posted April 13, 2013 HERE'S MINE. John I don't miss those days. I've had a box truck for 11 months now and wish I had gotten it sooner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TKK Posted April 13, 2013 Share Posted April 13, 2013 How many machines do u service Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ANDERSONVENDING Posted April 13, 2013 Share Posted April 13, 2013 I don't miss those days. I've had a box truck for 11 months now and wish I had gotten it sooner. That's my next move but I actually want a step van similar to what the post office uses. There was one another vendor was selling about a year ago but I wasn't prepared to spend 6 grand on it,maybe in the next year or so.John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TKK Posted April 13, 2013 Share Posted April 13, 2013 A box truck would be cool but it looks like crap outside a home, and I'm not that big right now. My route is only like 500-600 miles of driving a month. 13 locations 25 machines. I want to be able to load it up and be able to do the full route from say 9am-7pm. Once a week. There's like 5 locations that I service once every 2 weeks..just today I was able to fit only enough for 6 locations in my crv and took like an hour to load it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Golfdogs Posted April 13, 2013 Share Posted April 13, 2013 How many machines do u service I've got 28 locations with 55 machines. I acquired a route last April that had twelve accounts. When I did that, it forced me out of my Tahoe. My main reason for getting the box truck was so I could stand up while building my orders. I parked it in my driveway until winter came. Now I rent some warehouse space and store it inside. This also allows me to get and store deliveries from Coke and Pepsi. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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