Service body manafacturers

[simonsrplant]

Its been a while since I've been online... As mush as being busy is good, it seems to detract oneself from other activities!

I would really like to hear feedback from people with experience having dealt with service body manufacturers. This year I have every intention of drawing up some ideas of what I think I want and then running them by the guys that can make my crayon sketch a reality.
I suspect that each manufacturer has its strengths and weaknesses and they may be related to the type of build?

As an insight into what I currently run, I have an all aluminium 56" cab/axle body sat behind a PM 4 stage knuckle boom. I intend on keeping the cab chassis and picker for maybe two plus more years but replacing the box to better suit my personal needs and limitations.

Late last year I returned to General Body and Equipment, Calgary to have some "factory" drawers added to aid my space limitations. Since then I received a seemingly universal fit drawer section which was badly installed at best. It was not what I wanted, and certainly not worth what I had paid for. General body and Equipment are not interested in making this right.

That takes me to where I am now so I would really like to hear from those who have had experiences both good and bad.
I should add that I am based in Alberta, Canada but am not afraid of travelling or sourcing build from far afield.
Thanks, as always, in advance.

 

[funwithfuel]

I don't know what is available up there. I had an IMT 16' box with teleboom crane . It was good, crane was strong. We replaced them with summit truck bodies on dodge 5500 chassis. Trucks and boxes were great, crane and controller left a bit to be desired. Now, with emissions, I wouldn't buy a new truck. I'd repower a good chassis , do some repairs and keep rockin.

 

[92U 3406]

I'm based up in the sands in Alberta. I've run trucks with a few different bodies. So far my least favourite are Venture bodies. They just don't seem to hold up in the bush/mines. My last 2 trucks had Thermoking bodies. They seem to be ok but this company I'm with doesn't do much mine or bush work. When I first started in the field with a previous company I was assigned a 7 year old Topkick with a Pride body. I was told the body was refurbed when the truck was new so it could have been 15 years old at that point for all I know. It was rock solid. That truck saw mine and bush use everyday and that body still looked pretty darn good even after I ran it for another year and a half.

 

[Junkyard]

Both trucks I've run were IMT. One we bought well used with over 300k miles. It was in good shape, doors were still tight, square, no broken welds etc. My truck now has 115k on it, IMT as well. Both were IMT cranes and worked well although the hydraulics were a bit weak on the older truck, 3,500+ hours on the crane/compressor. I would buy another one for myself. Even the door latches seem to hold up well. We do have one on our smaller 4500 Dodge, I don't recall the brand but it ain't worth a plug nickel. Maybe for an electrician or something but not heavy equipment or hard use. I know lots of guys swear by Maintainer.

Junkyard

 

[Welder Dave]

Here's a few in or around Edmonton. Western has been around for a long time.

http://westerntruckbody.com/

http://bodenfab.com/

http://www.milron.ca/

http://www.dematco.com/

 

[JPV]

I love my IMT Maintainer, it was installed new in 1999 on the truck and has seen hard use. Everything still works great but the hydraulics are slowing down a little. I will be keeping this one going for a long time, no sheet metal anywhere on it. I haven't really found anything on it I would change given the choice. It is the truck in my avatar pic.

 

[PJ The Kid]

A few guys around here are running palfinger or imt bodies with cranes and love them. Not much mine or bush work but I'm going to look into palfinger for my next rig

 

[hvy 1ton]

I really liked the couple of summit bodies i've been around, other than i'm weird and would rather work out of a montezuma box.