How to buy a lawn care business van
A lawn care business vehicle needs to fulfill the particular needs of your lawn care business. A specific truck or van that is perfect for one lawn care business might not fit the needs of your lawn care business.
In my lawn care business, I have used vans, large pickup trucks, and small Ford Rangers. None of these individual vehicles fulfilled all the needs of my lawn care business. Vans are good work vehicles because you can lock your weedeaters, leaf blowers, and other equipment inside the van. Trucks are versatile in their hauling capacity. Small pickups can be kept looking nice and they offer gas mileage that helps with running around town doing mowing estimates. All my vehicles have been rigged with tow hitches to facilitate pulling a trailer.
I have been shopping for an additional vehicle this summer. I need versatility in hauling capacity but this vehicle is not going to haul particularly heavy equipment. I also need this vehicle to get good gas mileage and be able to keep my gear safely locked away. Also, since this vehicle will not be a “heavy work” vehicle I need it to look good and offer a comfortable ride. One more thing, I have a limited amount of money to spend.
In my search, I found a 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan.
Although this style of van is normally for passengers, this particular van has been outfitted as a utility vehicle.
Lawn Care Equipment would be protective with an inner cage.
The seats and carpeting have been removed and a protective inner cage has been installed that will help protect any equipment and gear locked safely inside.
It comes with the 3.6L engine that Dodge puts in some of its heavy duty vehicles. Though 3.6L Dodge engines have some issues reported online, this engine seems to not have the rattling that affects other engines. In addition to the positives, this van is affordable enough for immediate purchase.
When I started my search for a new vehicle, I never thought I would consider a Dodge Caravan. I started by looking for a standard work truck or work van like I have purchased in the past. However, I believe it pays to be flexible and purchase the equipment and vehicles that “fit” into your particular need. This vehicle will fit nicely and perform the “non-heavy duty” tasks that will be asked of it.
In your lawn care business, how do you make purchasing decisions for your lawn care equipment and vehicles? Do you simply purchase whatever comes along at the cheapest price or do you have a structured plan in your purchase strategy to help you make purchases that “fit” into your lawn care business? I see many lawn care business owners purchasing the wrong equipment and the wrong vehicles. This costs them money in the long run and negatively affects their business.
If you would like to learn how to make better buying decisions in your lawn care business, our Lawn Care Business Strategy Guidebook & Estimating Software package includes a very handy equipment buying guide that will help you buy the RIGHT equipment for your lawn care business.
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