october2023 - 24

Adve r t o r i al | S p on so r e d b y B e nd P ak
Big Lifts for Big Vans
One of the lasting effects of the
pandemic is the proliferation of fullsize
vans. While big vans have been
popular with plumbers and other
service providers for many years,
the growth of home delivery of, well,
everything, combined with the popular
#vanlife movement, have driven
van sales to levels unheard of since
the 1970s.
Many of the hot " European style "
vans - Ford Transit, Mercedes-Benz
Sprinter, Ram ProMaster, and new
EV models - that dominate fleets
are available with high roof heights.
These roofs, which can be more than
9 feet high, enable the vans to carry
more cargo and equipment while also
allowing drivers to stand up and walk
around inside, making the vans useful
as mobile offices or shops.
If your fleet includes full-size, highroof
vans, having the right lifts to
service them can help maximize technician
productivity and vehicle uptime.
In the U.K., where the Transit van is
as common as a pickup truck is in the
U.S., many workshops have installed
two-post baseplate lift models instead
of the clear-floor models that are more
popular here. That's because clearfloor
models have a top beam that can
get in the way when lifting tall vans.
So, does that mean servicing vans
requires buying baseplate lifts? No.
Baseplate lifts have some drawbacks.
The steel cover plate that
mounts on the floor spanning the two
columns in a baseplate model sits
about two inches off the ground. Its
primary purpose is to protect the lift
hydraulic lines and equalizer cables
running between columns. And while
it's fairly easy to drive over, it can be a
hindrance when trying to push a nonpowered
vehicle into the bay. It also
gets in the way when moving oil drains
or transmission jacks under the raised
vehicle. A clear floor model, on the
other hand, has an unobstructed floor
between the columns.
While it may appear that the cover
plate provides support for the columns
when the lift is loaded, it does not.
Without the bolstering advantage of
a top beam, the anchor bolts holding
the columns are always under extreme
load as the columns tend to lean
inward toward each other. That's why
two-post baseplate lifts require a very
solid concrete foundation.
Fortunately, it is possible to get all
the advantages of a clear-floor design
in a two-post lift designed to accommodate
taller vehicles. A traditional
two-post lift has a top beam positioned
around 12 feet high, which limits a technician's
ability to raise a high-roof van
to around 55 inches. That's less than
ideal for anyone over four feet tall! But
a two-post model with an extended
height top beam that's 13 to 14 feet
high will provide more working room.
There are plenty of options. Many
commercial vans weigh less than 9,500
lbs., so a lift with 10,000 lbs. rated
capacity and extended height top beam
could be a good choice, if it can reach
the manufacturer-recommended lifting
points and the van isn't carrying a heavy
load. The triple-telescoping nested
swing arms on the new BendPak 10APX,
for example, reach more pickup points
than ever. Plus, it offers the versatility of
both symmetrical and asymmetrical lifting
with a 13-foot-high top beam.
For the biggest vans and those
with heavier upfits, consider moving
to a lift with at least 12,000 pounds
rated capacity. Lifts like the BendPak
XPR-12CL let you handle full-size vans
and trucks, as well as smaller passenger
vehicles.
If your shop has ceilings that are at
least 14 feet high, don't limit yourself.
When you're in the market for a new
lift, consider those with higher-positioned
top beams.
24 Fleet Maintenance | October 2023
october2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of october2023
