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Before you buy · Guide

How to vet a specialty vehicle builder

You do not need to be an engineer to buy a specialty vehicle well. You need the right questions, asked before the contract, and the willingness to walk away from a vague answer. Every question below has a specific, checkable answer. Put them in writing, ask every bidder the same list, and keep the answers in the procurement file.

Structure

  1. What is the body frame made of, and what gauge? You want steel tube, the size and gauge stated. “Steel frame” alone is not an answer.
  2. How is the frame protected from corrosion — all surfaces, or the visible side? The right answer is a coating applied to every surface before assembly (powder coat). Primer sprayed after welding protects the outside of the tube only.
  3. Is the body built on the chassis or lifted onto it? Both work; ask so you know what you are getting and how the body is mounted to the frame.
  4. Is the skirt welded to the structure or screwed on? A screwed-on skirt creates a floor-line seam.
  5. What is under a roof-mounted air conditioner, mast or antenna? The right answer is a steel plate in the roof structure. “It bolts to the roof” means fiberglass and plywood.

Walls and roof

  1. Is the sidewall one piece or assembled from panels? Count the seams on a delivered unit.
  2. What is the wall made of, layer by layer, and how are the layers bonded? You want an inner layer that does not wick water, an exterior thick enough not to oil-can, and a pressure-applied bond.
  3. What is the roof material and thickness, and does it crack when bent? Ask for a sample. Bend it.
  4. What insulation, and is it cut to the cavity or stuffed? Board cut to fit, glued in place, full depth.

Floor

  1. What is the subfloor material and thickness? If the answer is plywood, ask what happens when it gets wet, because it will.
  2. How is the floor edge sealed, and how are the wheel wells sealed?
  3. Is there a separate subfloor warranty, and for how long?

Electrical

  1. Are harnesses built in-house or assembled on the vehicle?
  2. What connector type is used on exterior connections? You want sealed, marine-grade connectors.
  3. Are butt connectors or tap splices used anywhere on the vehicle? The right answer is no.
  4. Will I receive a wiring diagram for this unit?

Testing and process

  1. Is every unit water-tested before delivery? For how long? Is someone inside during the test?
  2. Is there a road test, and is there a written final inspection? Ask to see a completed inspection packet from a previous unit.
  3. Can I visit the plant and watch a unit being built? If the answer is no, that is the answer.
  4. Who does warranty work if I am 800 miles away? Ask about road technicians and whether a local shop can be authorized.

Documents to demand before signing

  • The warranty documents themselves — every one of them, not a summary. See what a warranty actually covers.
  • A materials specification for the body: frame, coating, wall layers, roof, insulation, subfloor.
  • A sample final inspection packet.
  • The wiring documentation standard.
  • Three customer references for units at least three years old. Ask those references the questions above; ask what has been repaired.
  • For FTA-funded or publicly bid vehicles: FMVSS certification, Buy America documentation, and the applicable test reports.

How HLE answers

Every question on this list is answered on how we build it, and we would rather you asked them of us in person. Schedule a factory visit · 574-343-2150

The construction column

Run the column against any proposal

Seven parts decide how a specialty vehicle looks in year five: cage, sidewalls, roof, floor, cabinetry, electrical and the water test. HLE publishes its answer for each one, with the question to put to any other builder next to it.

Request a proposal

Tell us the vehicle. We tell you what it costs and what to attach.

Pick a plan or describe the program. Say whether you need a price, a bid package, a grant kit or a formal proposal. A person at HLE reads every request; nothing goes to a queue.

Start a request

Or call 574-343-2150, 7:30 to 4:30 Eastern, and ask for Tabatha.