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 "How
many vans do you build?"
This is a common question.
Inside our facility we typically have six units
in process each week and have existing additional space to expand our
production up to 15 units on any given day. At the current growth
rate we are anticipating yet another mobile production expansion in 2008
that will require us to move production into the second half of the
facility. The picture to the left is an early example of our production
layout. If you visit our facility, you will actually see the "in
process units" separated into groups of two throughout this half of our
facility to help us accommodate our addition of new builders to our
construction teams in an effort to shortening our delivery times.
The picture below is a snap
shot of SOLD mobiles waiting in line to be built. Some mobile
builders store stock or unsold units on their lot but due to the volume of
our sales we require our van dealer to keep all unsold units on their lot.
"a snap shot of SOLD mobiles waiting
in line to be built."
On the day this picture was taken we had even
more mobiles inside. We had two vans in spray-up, two vans in primary
build and one trailer and one van being "roughed in" inside the building
and two trailers waiting to be processed and one mini school bus
conversion in progress (visible outside). You will also notice
that the 20-22 mpg Sprinter is the most common choice of grooming van. The
fresh new design and the simple fact that it is a real, long life, low
maintenance, tough Mercedes van hidding behind Dodge Ram badges is one reason. The
other reason.... the final cost of a loaded Hanvey Sprinter HGV is about
the same as a WagnTails TM FORD Pro van comparably equipped.
Our pricing structure is part of the reason we have such a long line
of clients waiting to move into production.
"If you attempt to build with an
old Ford interior design inside a Sprinter you will get strange design
failures."
Now that our only real competitor has finally see
the light and issued their first Sprinter grooming van, you have to
choose.
Keep in mind that Sprinters grooming vans cannot be built
like the old format Fords. They are very different and demand an
engineered redesign of everything. If a builder attempts to build an
old Ford interior design inside a Sprinter you will get strange design
failures such as:
1. No longer having a
door between the drivers cab and the grooming area.
2. Cabinets in front of the only exit door.
3. No secondary exit in case of an emergency. (this is a big one)
Parked vehicles can sometimes roll. What if it happens to you in a van
that has not secondary exit and the door gets damaged in a crash.
4. Standing floor space reductions to less than half that available for
standing space in a Hanvey HGV.
5. Combination generator/inverter designs where the generator comes on
anytime the dryers, A/C or any significant load comes on. Doesn't it
defeat the purpose of an inverter if the generator has to come on every time you turn on equipment? Why bother putting these devices through
the inverter system? If the generator runs anytime these devices are on,
just put the devices on the generator. This is one of the most common
equipment mixing errors that you would not expect from an
experienced grooming van designer.
6. Having so little space remaining for the table that the only place left
to put the table is on the passenger side blocking direct access to the
only exit door.
7. Breaking the most important
rule of Sprinter 'unibody' modification. Cutting out important Sprinter
unibody
structural steel just to install a generator housing. Any engineer
knows that you never remove a single portion of the "unibody" structural
support. Installing a larger generator housing behind the drivers seat
requires the removal of a huge section of unibody support structure that
can not be supplemented. An engineer can do this in a Ford because
it is not a unibody. Doing this in a Sprinter changes the vehicles basic
framing design and is not allowed. By the way, unless something has
drastically changed recently, a dodge "T" number does not mean a builder
has been approved to modify and redesign a Sprinters body structural
design. If you ever see a Sprinter with a portion of it's body cut
out, make sure they give you a copy of their written approval to have done
so. Otherwise, you may learn later that your structural body strength has
been permanently damaged and certainly not covered under any warranty.
8. The hot gases from
the generator are discharging in the area of the vans fuel tank. This is
another huge design error.
We could go on but as
you know, the choice is yours. Buy from experience or buy from a
lack of experience.
One thing
for sure, we are the
world's longest standing, largest builder of Mercedes/Dodge Sprinter grooming vans
in the US.
Everyone else is still learning. Have any doubts, ask them how many they
have built and for how long.
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