Cleaning and maintaining your tool truck

LDV has been the leader in tool trucks for over 45 years. Since the beginning, we have been firm believers that a little TLC every now and then will keep your truck in tip top shape. Here, we talk tool truck detailing and component maintenance to ensure your truck is ready to hit the route every week.

Before performing any maintenance on your truck or any of its components, be sure to consult the operational manual for that particular product and follow the manufacturer's guidelines and recommendations. You can find the required chassis maintenance and intervals in your chassis owner’s manual.

The machinery

Heaters

There is nothing worse than being cold! We have assembled some heater maintenance tips for both Webasto and Espar units to help you avoid being left out in the cold when winter rolls around. The most important thing you can do for your heater is run it regularly, even in the middle of July! Be sure to let the heater run a full startup and shut-down cycle before killing power to the unit. The Webasto thermostat has a programmed reminder to run your heater once every month for 20 minutes to circulate fuel through the system. Espar doesn’t include the reminder, but those heaters should be run, too. Performing this simple maintenance task will go a long way to ensuring your heater is ready come the cold winter months.

Additionally, be sure to keep the 4” heater outlet free from obstructions during operation. This vent gets extremely hot and can cause a hazard, as well as block air flow. Both units should be serviced annually. The Webasto heater has a fuel filter located on the inlet side of the fuel pump that should be replaced. Espar heaters have two screen filters that need to be replaced. One is a screen filter on the fuel pump, and the other is a screen filter on the glow-plug (glow-plug screen replacement requires a split 12mm socket).

Finally, remember to keep your fuel level above 1/4 tank. The fuel pickup tubes generally sit at this level to prevent you from running your chassis out of fuel. Keeping the fuel level at 1/4 or higher will prevent the unit from sucking air into the fuel lines.

Liftgate

You should operate your liftgate weekly for safe and smooth operation. Operate the cart stops and know the location of your transition plate. To give your gate a deep cleaning, spray the chains, cart stops, and slider rails with a degreaser, let them sit for 20 minutes, and pressure wash them. Once cleaned, remove the pump cover and lubricate the chains with a lightweight motor oil. Use the same lightweight oil to lubricate the cart stops and slider rails as well. To view our video on the proper cleaning and lubrication of your liftgate, visit youtu.be/hukNKIDbAOw.

Locks

Believe it or not, your locks need periodic maintenance, too. Use a dry graphite spray with the straw inserted into the door lock mechanism. A couple of short spray bursts are plenty. Don’t use WD-40 or other spray lubricants because they trap dirt. Watch the how-to video here: youtu.be/QY1E55hb7LU.

Batteries

Flooded lead-acid batteries need to be watered regularly. Get into the habit of checking and topping off your batteries at least once a month or more as needed. To water your batteries, make sure they have a full charge — if the batteries are not fully charged before watering, they could boil over during the next charge cycle. Next, remove the caps and fill each cell using distilled water. If you want to simplify this process, look into a battery watering kit. These add-on kits make watering your batteries a snap.

The kits replace the battery cell caps with individual valves. Each cell on each battery connects to a hose that can be used to water the entire battery system by simply squeezing a hand pump; no more removing caps! Keeping your battery water level topped off drives peak performance from them long term and will extend the life of your battery system. LDV supplies a watering kit with every truck we sell. To view a how-to video on the proper technique to use our kit, visit youtu.be/hRO40uu8eN4.

Air Conditioning

Take the time to perform routine maintenance on your air conditioning system to ensure it works properly when you need it. Cleaning the filter in the Evaporator and the intake of the rooftop A/C units prevents your system from becoming clogged or overworked. We recommend cleaning your filters at least annually, more often if you are in a dusty area. The filters can be cleaned using any mild dish soap and then rinsed with water.

Chassis air tanks

If your truck has air ride suspension, you need to drain the auxiliary air tank on the chassis regularly. The tank should have a valve (some trucks will have pull cords as well). Manually open the valve (or pull the cord) and allow the tank to fully drain. This allows moisture that builds up from condensation to exit the tank, preventing corrosion/rusting of the tank. A good rule of thumb is to do this weekly. If you live in a high-moisture climate, you should drain the tanks more often.

The exterior

Exterior washes

We recommend washing the exterior of your tool truck bi-weekly, or more frequently if possible. Take your truck to a local truck wash, wash the vehicle at home, or at a coin-operated wash stall. Also, be sure to hose down the underside as best you can. When washing, remember that a little soap goes a long way; too much can cause premature spotting and corrosion on the body and exterior components. Be sure to check the labels on any cleaning products to ensure they are safe to use on your truck, and follow recommendations regarding dilution.

The interior

To keep your truck's floor looking great, all you need are a good aerosol APC (all-purpose cleaner), a stiff bristle scrub brush, and some elbow grease.

Sweep the floor

Sometimes, the simplest things are the best! One of the easiest things you can do for your truck is sweep out the interior every day. Rocks, trash, and debris can accumulate on your tool truck’s floor, making it look unsightly. Keep a dust broom and pan in the truck and use them often.

Clean and maintain your floor

Most tool truck floors can benefit from some periodic cleaning. A good aerosol APC (all-purpose cleaner), a stiff bristle scrub brush, and some elbow grease can have that floor looking great. If your floor is older and needs to be resealed, we have you covered. We created a how-to video to show the proper procedure (youtu.be/QnBRddkgXWI). This applies to both black dot and vinyl plank flooring.

Wipe down shelves and drawers

Another simple but effective task is daily wipe-downs of your product display shelving and drawers. Aerosol furniture polish and a microfiber towel will tidy things up while not being abrasive on the materials. Consider also cleaning any glass display cases you have with SprayWay, Windex, or another glass cleaner.

To keep your shelves spick and span, use an aerosol furniture polish and a microfiber towel to tidy things up.

Windows

We recommend using a glass cleaner and 0000 steel wool to properly clean your truck’s windows (inside and outside). First, spray some glass cleaner on the window, use the steel wool to remove any contaminants from the glass, and then follow up with a terry cloth or clean paper towel to buff to a shine.

Restock often

The best-looking mobile tool stores are ones that are organized and have a lot of products displayed. Utilize the ceiling lace, promotional shelves, slatwall, and product displays to keep your inventory fresh for your customers. Some tool truck owners do this weekly, while other high-volume owners might have to do this nightly.

These tips should help your truck look its best for your customers and operate 100 percent for you. When you show your customers you take pride in your business, they are more likely to shop with you.