Non expiditor requesting purchasing advise

Dog Nerd Daily

Rookie Expediter
Researching
Hello and thank you in advance for taking the time to read this. I don't work in the trucking industry but I am in the market for an expiditor truck, and I'd very much appreciate some input on the matter.

I am a professional pet dog trainer and currently own a converted freightliner sprinter van that I use both as a motorhome and my work vehicle. It currently houses myself, my Golden Retriever (Jack Bowwower), my Belgian Malinois Shepherd, (Starbuck), my Blue and Gold Macaw (Marty McFlight), and temporarily also a Siberian husky who found me at the lake (Riker) who I am presently training up before rehoming. It will not come as a galloping shock to you that I need more room.

After considering my options, and based on the advise of one of my mentors who is a very well regarded parrot trainer who also lives and works out of his truck conversion, I have decided on purchasing an expiditor truck and converting the box into living quarters and training space. I would be using the cab to sleep, prepare food, etc, which would leave a ton of room in the box for animal transport, training, and storage of personal items. My buddy is an owner operator so I have had exposure to these vehicles.

My sprinter is worth about 15-16k, and I would like to spend no more than 26-30k on my truck with a 12k down payment and financing the rest.

My question is how do you determine the condition of an expeditor truck? My yearly mileage will be maybe 3000, and I just want something that isn't going to break down all the time. I see so many differently priced trucks around and I don't know how to interpret that.

If you were shopping for a truck for the above purposes, what would you be looking for?

I know some may not understand or agree with converting an expeditor truck for my purposes, I respect that and just ask that you move on along.
 

Turtle

Administrator
Staff member
Retired Expediter
I know some may not understand or agree with converting an expeditor truck for my purposes
Oh, I dunno. Expediting is pretty much founded on converting other trucks into expedite vehicles.

If you were shopping for a truck for the above purposes, what would you be looking for?
Well, I'm pretty ignorant on straight trucks and pricing and what to look for, but I do think that the cab alone is going to be too small to live in and for preparing food. A day cab would certainly fit the bill mileage-wise, since those aren't really designed for high miles. It sounds to me like what you need is a straight truck with a sleeper and then a 16-foot box or something like that. But I have no idea how that would work financially, much less on insulating and outfitting the box for climate controls. Hopefully someone else will chime in. But it sounds interesting.
 
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Ragman

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
I know some may not understand or agree with converting an expeditor truck for my purposes
Oh, I dunno. Expediting is pretty much founded on converting other trucks into expedite vehicles.

If you were shopping for a truck for the above purposes, what would you be looking for?
Well, I'm pretty ignorant on straight trucks and pricing and what to look for, but I do think that the cab alone is going to be too small to live in and for preparing food. A day cab would certainly fit the bill mileage-wise, since those aren't really designed for high miles. It sounds to me like what you need is a straight truck with a sleeper and then a 16-foot box or something like that. But I have no idea how that would work financially, much less on insulating and outfitting the box for climate controls. Hopefully someone else will chime in. But it sounds interesting.
Or perhaps converting a step van...

p32-diesel-step-van-box-truck-camper-conversion-office-surveillance-sleeper-202024668442-0.jpg
 

BigStickJr

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
He makes perfect sense to me.
A 96 inch sleeper is livable.
Maybe an older reefer for insulation of the box.

Or he needs to talk to our aquatic expert WOM.
They can discuss trolling motors.
Spoke to him this afternoon. Not a troll.
 
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BigStickJr

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
I may have a great truck for you.
PM me.
It’s a 2007 one owner. Great shape. Very dependable. It wont work with Qualcomm and is not Ca Compliant. Both things that wouldn’t bother you.
 

Dog Nerd Daily

Rookie Expediter
Researching
I know some may not understand or agree with converting an expeditor truck for my purposes
Oh, I dunno. Expediting is pretty much founded on converting other trucks into expedite vehicles.

Hi sorry, I meant sleeper not cab!

If you were shopping for a truck for the above purposes, what would you be looking for?
Well, I'm pretty ignorant on straight trucks and pricing and what to look for, but I do think that the cab alone is going to be too small to live in and for preparing food. A day cab would certainly fit the bill mileage-wise, since those aren't really designed for high miles. It sounds to me like what you need is a straight truck with a sleeper and then a 16-foot box or something like that. But I have no idea how that would work financially, much less on insulating and outfitting the box for climate controls. Hopefully someone else will chime in. But it sounds interesting.
 
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T270_Dreamin

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
Trade/sell the Sprinter in this fall on the newly redesigned Sprinter coming fall of 2018. Make sure to get the diesel engine suspension seats air ride and all the high end options as well as the extended model.
 

Dog Nerd Daily

Rookie Expediter
Researching
The sleeper cab is a big deal for me. It means my living quarters are pre fab out of the gate and I have the entire box to work with for other stuff. The other piece is that a converted school bus is not what I want in terms of professional image.

But thank you very much for your suggestion I definitely briefly considered a skoolie.
 
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