Turtle Top van

Monty · Mar 12, 2012

I have been talking with Turtle Top about an expediter conversion with a sleeper.

They have one on the ground now at their plant in Indiana .... but all they did was copy the Midway Conversion.

I have been discussing the 10,000 pound model for both a Ford and a GM product. Both manufacturers offer a single wheel, and a dual wheel, model.

My discussion with them involved the loading of a max 10,000 pound load on a single wheel. I had three points of concern.

1. Stability .. especially in crosswinds.

2. Traction .. in snow and mud

3. Overload .... while none of us, (I think), would consistently load to max weight, and beyond, it does happen. And that ocassional overload on a single tire, (in my opinion), would place to much stress on the vehicle.

Anyway, my conversations with them continue .....

Any thoughts from the rest of you?

cableguymn · Mar 12, 2012

I had a hi-top E350.. Not sure exactly how tall but I could stand it in and have 6+ inches above my head. It was a single wheel. Crosswind affect was no different that a sprinter. Noticeable but it did not feel unstable.

The only other thing that would need to be addresses is HVAC if the sleeper is above the cargo area. It can get darn hot up there.

Monty · Mar 12, 2012

No, the sleeper is a direct walk in from the cab .... with a bulkhead in the rear.

chefdennis · Mar 12, 2012

Wait!! I swear i seen a post that you were retiring and your Sprinter was up for sale...I see it is still in the "classifieds"..yea if i remember it wasn't going to happen "right now"....but a new truck!?! LOL, I have retired twice also!!

Anyhow, a 12 ft cube in SRW if it has "wheelwells" in the box, I think actually has a lower overall height then a sprinter...if the box is mounted on top of the frame rails, and as a "flat floor"...then you can get into some "stability" issues, id think...Personally thinking, with you already use to a sprinter, none of the issues you brought up would be a concern for me...they wouldn't be any worse then a sprinter...

As far as the sleeper, The guys for Tenn. had a SRW 12 ft Cube with a Turtle Top sleeper in it at the Expo last yr..it was nice, high dollar, but nice...not sure on the weight.

Before I spent any money for someone to put in a sleeper, id take the time to look at Bolt..they are in Ind and have a Good history behind them...they do sprinters, so i am sure a cube would be nothing that they couldn't do or may have already done...Id take them over Turtle Top strictly because they have been doing the "Expedite" industry sleepers for a longgggg time and this industry is their primary outlet for their work..They know our industry...

Bolt Custom Trucks & Manufacturing - Expediters and Integrated Sleepers 96" - 150"

Monty · Mar 12, 2012

The retirment is still on ... I was in talks with them before I decided. (However, ya never know, I might want to test my ideas in the real world! Diesel fuel is harder to purge than nicotine!)

Turtle Top had zero to do with the boys in Tennessee .... and for the life of me I can't understand why they named their product to make eyebrows raise. The Tennessee unit is manufactured by Unicell.

The couple of Benz, (Bolt), conversions I have seen in Sprinters have been of metal, and honestly, looked cheap.

It is my hope to have my, and your, input into Turtle Top so an alternative is available to the expediter vans, that do not involve foreign technology and supply chains. In a Sprinter that is a major cost factor!

LDB · Mar 12, 2012

I wish their website was more detailed on their van offerings.

chefdennis · Mar 12, 2012

Its my understanding that the group from TN is no longer handling the Ultra/Terra Maxx at all and they haven't been associated with Cargo Max for more then a few yrs.

As to the cubes that they had at the Expo, i should have said i wasn't sure on the manufacture, but their story was the "sleeper" was their own in conjunction with Turtle Top...It looked nice and was finished nice..i am not sure of the construction detailsand materials used or to the weight of the finished product and what it took from the GVW. But i do remember it was high dollar...

I have no connection to "Bolt" at all, and wouldn't know any of them if they stood in front of me face to face..But i have heard nothing but good things about them and their product..yea there webpage leaves a bit tp be desired, but i'd call them and see just what they had to offer before id write them off..

Now that being sid, if you can drag another upfitter to the expedite party, More power to you!!

Moot · Mar 12, 2012

Does anybody know if the Vision HCV is still being produced?

Monty · Mar 12, 2012

Here's a link to the pdf for the specs ..

Downloads

Slacktide · Mar 12, 2012

Notanewbie said:
The couple of Benz, (Bolt), conversions I have seen in Sprinters have been of metal, and honestly, looked cheap.

Bolt does use aluminum in the construction of their sleepers but they are as far from cheap as you could get. ALL of the fasteners that they use in the construction of their cabinets/compartments are aircraft grade. Don and his crew at Bolt are top notch and they produce a product that stands the rigors of the road as well as the test of time. Of all the trucks/sleepers that I have traveled the country in that were a product of Bentz/Bolt I have NEVER had a rattle come out of their workmanship. Point of fact their sleepers improve the structural integrity of the vehicle they are installed in. They had an SST that had been laid against a tree in an accident and the construction within the sleeper is what kept the truck from being a total loss.

I have to agree with Chef, to build a custom sleeper in anything and not at the very least talk to the folks at Bolt, you would only be doing yourself a disservice.

Monty · Mar 12, 2012

I'm not down on Bolt .... but .. the only unit I have seen of theirs in a van was a Sprinter at Stoops. It had sharp metal edges, and simple vinyl coverings for the cabinets that were held in place by snaps.

Perhaps they do much better with their own built sleepers, as opposed to modifying a van, and perhaps, also, I was not seeing their best effort.

It could have been that Stoops had ordered the "basic" model. I have no clue.

I do know that Turtle Top, building busses for sometime, has their own "in house" team, but they seem to be misguided about what an expediter needs. Which is why I solicited comments ..

greg334 · Mar 12, 2012

Benz = Junk

scottm4211 · Mar 12, 2012

Monty, what kind of insulation pkg are they proposing? That'd be important to me.

Monty · Mar 12, 2012

I dunno Scott .... we havent gotten that far .... but I'm sure they insulate those shuttle busses of their's well enough ... I asked them to read this thread ..... maybe they will respond, or send me the answer.

But I do know they build YOUR unit, whatever you wish ... so insulation should not be an issue. I was going to suggest they use the foam .. it has a higher R rating, and will never shake loose.

scottm4211 · Mar 12, 2012

I know the Cargomaxx replaces the 16" DRW with a custom 17.5" single. I imagine that would take care of any weight concerns.

chefdennis · Mar 12, 2012

Moot said:
Does anybody know if the Vision HCV is still being produced?

Ok Moot, heres what i found...Vision Manufacturing Ltd., Danielville, GA 706-795-5100 ExpeditersOnline.com Expedited Trucking Owner Operator Careers and Truck Sales....

Phone #...disconnected
Web Address....no longer works

The Georgia Manufacturing Directory no longer has a listing for them..

I talked to the operator of a commerical truck body website that had Vision listed...they can no longer verify the company...

sounds like they are no longer in business.....

Moot · Mar 12, 2012

Thanks Dennis. My limited research was pointing in that direction.

chefdennis · Mar 12, 2012

Notanewbie said:
Here's a link to the pdf for the specs ..

Downloads

Monty, that link is fir the Ultra / Terra Maxx those are not "cube vans"...those are the 2nd generation of the Cargo Max..they are nice trucks and we have discussed them at length. Is that the truck you are thinking about??

Oh and those were the units that Mr. Meeks and the group from TN had at the Expo last yr...along with a few other "Cube Vans"...

Monty · Mar 12, 2012

Yes, that is the van. I never said it was a cube van ....

I'm saying it may be good replacement for the Sprinter. That's all.

I know if I was replacing mine, I would be purchasing one, on the Ford chassis.

chefdennis · Mar 12, 2012

Ok, I believe those start as a 12.300 gvw shuttle bus chassis and they re-certify when they go to the SRW, just as mine is...now, keeping that van at the 10,000 gvw...it is a bit heavier then the Cargo Max and id want a for sure curb weight empty and then a weight of the conversion..reason being you can eat up that available cargo payload in a hurry. A Midway type conversion, id bet would leave you with maybe 2000 lbs available for cargo...as long as you want to stay "legal" and not exceed the 10,000 lbs..

Those units were nice and had a few features id like to have...I am pretty sure that there will be the same FORD dealer Pallotta Ford from Wooster Oh at the Expo as was there last yr and they had the "TerraMaxx" there..you might contact them and see what they have to offer, they have been selling them for 2-3 yrs now....

New Ford Econoline Commercial Cutaway | For Sale | Wooster

Oh and the duallie, is a killer on the 10,000 gvw....the only way the duallie makes since is to let it go to the 12,000 gvw and deal with all that comes with it..and that goes for the Cargo Max also...But they are a nice truck...but as i found out when i looked at them and got a price quote, a tad expensive...then add in the price of the conversion if you don't do it yourself...

The sight above has a few of them listed with the prices...