Payloads aren't what they used to be. BROKEN FRAME ON CHEVY

[B&BGaryC]

Missed out on a 6 hour $2100 tile job.

At 4pm on a Friday out idler arm bracket broke completely off the frame as we were dropping out of a steep driveway. (Something else must have cracked it before).

Anyway, nobody in town could get us fixed before noon the next day so we could drive to the next town and clean up on some tile. Well, using the tile tool. It was a pea gravel epoxy floor. The poor bastard put his neck out for us, got his customer to fire the cleaner they had booked so we could do it, and now he is over there spraying it all with a pressure washer and sucking it up with a shop vac so he can re-seal it on Sunday. Probably the last time we will ever hear from them.


We run a 2003 one ton extended Chevy.

 

[Art Kelley]

Re: Payloads aren't what they used to be. BROKEN FRAME ON CH

That's pathetic Gary. No backup van, no rental vans available, no portables. Just an 03 Chevy working it's ass off. That's what I have. What kind of a brokedick operation you guys running there? Sounds like me. LOL There must be a lesson in there somewhere.

 

[cleann4kids]

Re: Payloads aren't what they used to be. BROKEN FRAME ON CH

You should update your trucks every 5 years

 

[Jimbo]

Re: Payloads aren't what they used to be. BROKEN FRAME ON CH

I have a friend in Reno whose two CC/WDR Vans got flooded in the New Years day 1998 floods...He had a mechanic service the TMS...cleaned out the fuel system...then hired a tow truck company to pull both vans around for several days to do Water Extractions...and got the jobs done.

TOW TRUCK, Gary

 

[Out of Character - 0]

Re: Payloads aren't what they used to be. BROKEN FRAME ON CH

Thank you Jim. You have to think sometimes.

I've done the same thing. $350 got me a flatbed tow guy from Craigslist for a full day.

 

[Lee Stockwell]

Re: Payloads aren't what they used to be. BROKEN FRAME ON CH

At least you didn't cause a potential fatality accident.

I thought I was the only one to hire a wrecker to get to a job. Pfred thinks I do it regularly...lol

 

[rwcarpet]

Re: Payloads aren't what they used to be. BROKEN FRAME ON CH

Wow....I've got that same van. I will be checking out the frame. With all the crap salt they use on the roads up here in NE Ohio, corrosion is a big problem. I usually hook up the Genesis and pressure wash (top and underside) the van a few times a week before I put it in the garage.....no matter the temp. Nothing like a clean van when all the other vehicles are covered in salt!

 

[B&BGaryC]

Re: Payloads aren't what they used to be. BROKEN FRAME ON CH

Sad thing is we are in the process of buying another van.

 

[Doug Cox]

Re: Payloads aren't what they used to be. BROKEN FRAME ON CH

You should update your trucks every 5 years

Says someone who's been in this biz for 2 years? How about just maintaining the equipment you have.

 

[Doug Cox]

Re: Payloads aren't what they used to be. BROKEN FRAME ON CH

Missed out on a 6 hour $2100 tile job.

At 4pm on a Friday out idler arm bracket broke completely off the frame as we were dropping out of a steep driveway. (Something else must have cracked it before).

Anyway, nobody in town could get us fixed before noon the next day so we could drive to the next town and clean up on some tile. Well, using the tile tool. It was a pea gravel epoxy floor. The poor bastard put his neck out for us, got his customer to fire the cleaner they had booked so we could do it, and now he is over there spraying it all with a pressure washer and sucking it up with a shop vac so he can re-seal it on Sunday. Probably the last time we will ever hear from them.


We run a 2003 one ton extended Chevy.

I'm sorry, fill me in, what does a broken idler arm bracket have to do with a broken frame?
By the sounds of it all you needed was a welder to fix this problem.

 

[B&BGaryC]

Re: Payloads aren't what they used to be. BROKEN FRAME ON CH

It broke off along with some of the frame. Only one shop in town will touch it. Maybe it isn't a big deal but all the machine shops are acting like it Is. Have an appointment on Monday.

 

[rwcarpet]

Re: Payloads aren't what they used to be. BROKEN FRAME ON CH

Although it's 8 years old, I'd still go to GM and bitch about the frame rotting.

 

[Contemporary Carpet Clean]

Re: Payloads aren't what they used to be. BROKEN FRAME ON CH

You do not need to update your fleet every 5 years! You can get 10 years out of a van and machine and keep it working and looking great that whole time!

We have vans that are 10-13 years old. They work fine and look good still. The 13 year old one is really just a back up and is starting to look ratty (we live in the Northeast with salt and snow). We do not bring that one to high end houses. If one of the newer trucks break, we swap it out with the back up and one of the newer trucks goes to the residential and the old van goes to the apt complexes/commercial work.

We maintain the heck out of the truckmounts and vans!...Its money in the bank. We drive Fords so ball joints are always a problem. Even if you put greasable replacement ball joints in they still wear out every 40-60k miles. We have had the Shackles that hold the rear leaf springs in place replaced (they rot out) after about 8-10 years. We wash the vans down every day in the winter at the shop. All of our vans have original paint still. Getting the salt off really makes a difference.

I like someones idea of hiring a tow truck (if your van breaks) to go from job to job if need be. That is truely thinking out of the box!

 

[Newman]

Re: Payloads aren't what they used to be. BROKEN FRAME ON CH

At about 300,000 miles the steering gearbox ripped out of the frame on my 92 Ford cargo van. My 16 year old son was driving it. He took it to transport his Heavy Metal band and gear to a gig. We were lucky that it happened in the neighborhood at low speed. Rust was not the issue.

hired a tow truck company to pull both vans around for several days to do Water Extractions...and got the jobs done.

TOW TRUCK, Gary

Would I have thought of that in the event I ran across this issue? Now I will.

Mikeys Board is such a great asset to the industry. I get the procedures before I have the problems. I thank you all. Carry on.

 

[Lee Stockwell]

Re: Payloads aren't what they used to be. BROKEN FRAME ON CH

We had a similar issue with a 93 Ford van once. Turns out there was previous collision damage. Fortunately for Jason the steering box separated from the frame rail at low speed.

 

[ruff]

Re: Payloads aren't what they used to be. BROKEN FRAME ON CH

Lee.
Sorry to barge on this thread. Tried to send a PM however messages are stuck in my outgoing tray so they are not going out.
Could you please check what is going on in my account.
Thanks