Need Advice on Box Truck Purchase

Hi All:

I hope I came to the right place. I am in the market to purchase a box truck to retrofit and use as a retail space, servicing cities on the East Coast to start and nationwide in the coming year(s). As someone who is completely uneducated about specifications, classes, etc., I wanted to reach out on the forum to see what advice I could get to start my search. The more I know the better! I intend to have a mechanic present when purchasing the truck, though I'd like to have some idea of what to ask about and look for.

Anything you can suggest would be greatly appreciated! I'm a non CDL driver so I would be purchasing something under the current weight/size cap.

Thanks!

 

Wow, quick reply!

It will be a mobile book store, so it will function as a walk in retail space. I'm estimating that at any time there will be about 1,000 books needing to be displayed or carried. Most of the titles will be about 1-2 pounds, but to err on the side of caution, I'll round up to 4 pounds each (design and art tomes can be heavy!) which would mean that cargo would weigh around 4,000 pounds at any given time. Fixtures will be minimal, some side shelving and lighting.

Ideally the truck should comfortably hold 3-6 persons/adults, though I'm not totally sure if this is a realistic estimate or not, given that I'm considerably smaller than the general populace.

At present, it will be traveling back and forth from Miami to Boston for shows, festivals, and University events.

I'm assuming it is advisable to look in the South where the wear and tear isn't as great as it is in the North because of harsh weather and winters? I'm open to buying new too, given that I'm planning on putting in a considerable amount of mileage.

I'm really excited about the project, and I really appreciate your thoughtful response!

If there's anything else I should clarify, please let me know.