30 years in Business-And we're still using these trucks!

[Chevyland]

Thanks for the comments everyone.
I wish I kept more pictures over the years.
Here's a few when we moving our Christmas tree lot a few years ago
We were loading any truck available

[Chevyland]

I thought this pic was pretty cool
When we dropped the windmill
I made it black and white for the vintage look

[68panelman]

So cool to be running the same era fleet work truck, the pics are awesome. Do you and the crew do your own maintenance on them?, Are they kept warehouse/indoors?, Or the just the Cali weather doing them justice?

[Chevyland]

Originally Posted by 68panelman

Very cool indeed, man you retired that door cause a little corner rust?, Kidding aside, this doesn't happen in the Northeast

I used the door for my sign when I took the truck Out of service
I still haven't had the heart to get rid of the truck.
I don't have a pic of it on my computer, but it looks just like the rest of them
White with yellow logo.
Here is the spid. So many cool options for a dump truck!
It looked exactly as listed, when I bought it, 25 years ago
Man, if I bought it today I would never have painted it or put it to work.

[Chevyland]

Originally Posted by 68panelman

So cool to be running the same era fleet work truck, the pics are awesome. Do you and the crew do your own maintenance on them?, Are they kept warehouse/indoors?, Or the just the Cali weather doing them justice?

We are so lucky out here. The trucks just last.
Most all of them were outside their entire life.
By the end of the 90's most all the rockers were getting bad, rarely cab corners. But they are work trucks, it hardly matters
I was also lucky because we do all of our work in the same town.
Never really had to put a lot of miles on them.
It's a smaller town so I have a couple friends who are mechanics.
They do the maintenance.
Another buddy has a tow truck company, which is more important.
I can't even count how many tows we have had over the years
Here's a couple that lost there life. It usually wasn't because of rust.
Both of these I yanked the drive train for nicer trucks
And used the other good bolt on parts too.

[68panelman]

Very cool story, something I wish I could of done, keep em working!

[special-K]

I know it isn't always easy, and it's not all about the money, but figure the dollars ahead you are in 30 years. Enough to go across the country and drive an original SWB Cheyenne Super back home..... maybe a couple few beers and a hamburger

[dirtwork]

Its great to see these old trucks still working. I started my business (also landscaping) with my 71 C10 25 years ago. I used the truck for the first 5 years, summers only, before "retiring" it to just a pleasure vehicle. A couple years back I built up a c30 that looks similar to yours that I use at work here and there during the summer months. I wish our climate was better on vehicles here. I agree with Tim on how much money would have been saved over the years on vehicle costs.

How many c30's do you have total in your fleet?

[Chevyland]

There's no doubt about it
These trucks saved a lot of money over the years
Nearly all of them were bought from $1500-$2500
The last couple years I've been upgrading the fleet
And have sold some of the more beat ones
I advertised them for $1500 each
They sold like hot cakes, usually by knocking off $100 bucks

That was a good investment
It was like using
The trucks for over 20 years for $1000 dollars

I sold this one recently to a young kid just going into business ($1400)
Picture was one taken for Craigslist, after removing logo
I never had to replace the engine in it.
In fact I don't think this truck was ever towed.
It was a true workhorse!

[Chevyland]

Here's some pictures of one the trucks having some fun.
Our town has a parade each year, held at night.
"A light parade"
I put a killer stereo in this truck.
And cranked Christmas music the whole loop.
It wasnt even December
People loved it, and cheered the whole time.
What a blast!

[Chevyland]

Christmas trees are an easy time.
This one has seen very little hauling of gravel and such.
Maybe a pallet or two of material every once in a while.
By the time it ended up in the fleet, these trucks were becoming collected.
It is to nice of a truck to destroy.

[Ken B]

Total coolness all the way! Now that is what I mean when someone says their trucks are part of the family... I was born in 68 and I recall seeing these trucks at work... I can recall how thrilling it was to drive by the small local Fire Dept. I'd always get to see the 66 and the 1970 K20 brush trucks always out on display for all to see. I can remember sitting on the snow bank for hours watching the plow guy clearing the church parking lot with his 71 K20 in the mid to late 70's. I just loved watching this guy give it hell, his truck had a 4 speed with glass-paks. He knew I loved watching him at work, when the snow was deep and heavy he would put on a good show, total awesomeness! Its like everyone KNEW these trucks were special, even so long ago....

[special-K]

These trucks have surely been special since day-1. There are many who have known it all along. I've never seen so many of any other single vehicle held onto by original owners till the end as these trucks. And I watched them stay on the job many years on and just general use.

I remember my neighbors in the 67/68 era were big brick masonry contractors. I played with their sons. They had all the new C/30-50s in medium green with door lettering. The dad always had a '68 K/20 with plow rig sitting at the house. I can picture that truck clear as can be with black wheels and silver lugs and lock rings. That is what started it for me on the K/20s.

I have a friend who works for a county parks dept and does tree work on the side. His work truck is an ex-VFD '71 GMC K2500 with a stake body dump with a dual rear under it. It might be a C3500 converted to 4wd using a single wheel front end. It's sharp, though...red with chrome. He has been running it for years. It has an easy life for a work truck, but he does haul a stump grinder or a skid loader with it.

[Coley]

Originally Posted by Chevyland

I have a couple friends who are mechanics.
They do the maintenance.

Another buddy has a tow truck company, which is more important.
I can't even count how many tows we have had over the years

...what? really?
I would have thought they would have been fairly reliable and rugged all in all.
Maybe not great on gas like new vehicles or with quite the comfort and amenities...but usually they are pretty reliable.
Kind of sorry to hear that...

All Good
Coley

[67ChevyRedneck]

Great story! I might have missed it, but are you only using 67-72s for work trucks or do you have a huge fleet and these are just an awesome part of it?

[kehstr]

cool thread, good read!

[Chevyland]

The trucks were always pretty reliable, like all chevys.
But they end up with a lot of work/miles on them.
Daily driven, little stuff always happens.

I remember one time, one of the c30's was having center support problems.
The guys were on there way to one of the shopping centers we take care of. In rush hour traffic. Somehow the driveline fell out of the back of the tranny. Right in the middle of the intersection. They always call when a problem arises. I told them to push it out of the road, but they said the driveline was dragging and the rear of it was still connected so it was binding and the truck wouldn't budge. Plus they were towing a trailer. I ran over to where they were with a chain to hook on to it. By the time I got there a AAA tow truck was pulling it into the shopping center. Clank, clank,-clank, clank with every revolution. The driveline sprung from the pavement and back up to the floorboard. Oh well I guess I need to balance the driveline now. But at least we got A free tow out of the intersection! In our town, one person knows the other, and people are willing to give a lending hand. We didn't know the guy personally, but he sees my trucks and I see his trucks.
He Just did us a favor!

That was kind of the start, of the dump truck upgrade plan.

[67ChevyRedneck]

Cool! I liked the 2014+ trucks so much I bought my first brand new truck ever, a 2015 5.3L double cab Z71. They actually look really great as work trucks too.

Just like in your pic above, it makes my 67 look tiny next to it!

[el_fantasma]

Good stuff, I've really enjoyed the truck you sold me.

[Chevyland]

Originally Posted by el_fantasma

Good stuff, I've really enjoyed the truck you sold me.

Sweet.
Glad you are liking it.
That's, another one, I never had the heart to put logos on it.
I thought about it, just as a run around estimate truck.
Once you do that, though you start hauling stuff around in it.
And driving it on rainy days.
It would have been down hill from then on.

[Chevyland]

Originally Posted by 67ChevyRedneck

Cool! I liked the 2014+ trucks so much I bought my first brand new truck ever, a 2015 5.3L double cab Z71. They actually look really great as work trucks too.

Just like in your pic above, it makes my 67 look tiny next to it!

Yea.
The new trucks dwarf the old ones.
But the oldies still can carry as much weight.
Brakes are a bit sketchy though.
But, Check this out.
69/70 grill shells are very similar to 14/15 grills.
Proof, how well styled they were.
45 years ago

[Chevyland]

Through the 80s and 90s,I continued to buy trucks.
By then several of them were square bodies.
They were never my favorite, but they Were Chevy's.
I only looked to buy Chevy
I don't have any pictures digitally of any of them.
When I get back to Ca. I'll look for some past photos
We then moved on to the next generation of trucks

Yesterday, I had my son send me a picture of these.
They are both 2004

This morning he called me all upset!
Ironically enough someone stole the one on the left, his
truck, out of his driveway. Last night

My guess is, it will be recovered with the box doors torn off

[el_fantasma]

You seem so calm about it