CMX 2004 - Plumbing & HVAC

Trucks for the Trade
(continued from page 55)
be required if the graphics have been in
place longer.
Hand-painted graphics
Prior to vinyl, graphics were painted
right on the truck. The cost and the difficulty
in finding a good artist made
many contractors shy away from elaborate
designs. However, the art isn’t totally
lost and it does offer advantages.
Peter Archdekin, owner of Pete the
Plumber in Calgary, has artist Valerie
Nimchuk of No Limit Artistic Design,
Calgary, do the superhero figures on his
cube vans. The lettering is vinyl, but the
figures are air brushed with some of the
details painted by hand.
Archdekin and partner Andrew
Prince like the airbrushed graphics
because the colors are vivid, durable
and each truck is an individual and
identifiable work of art that typically
costs about $2,000 to decorate.
Working with an artist like Nimchuk
is the same as working with someone
who does vinyl graphics. She typically
does the Pete the Plumber cube vans
over one three-day weekend at
Archdekin’s shop. The areas to be
painted are sanded, she draws and
paints the design based on sketches she
has worked up with the customer and
then applies a coat of clear to preserve
the image and bring out the colours.
The key to successful truck graphics
is in knowing what is possible and tying
it in to an effective marketing campaign.
It pays to spend the time and
money to do it right.
Truck bed coatings
Dupli-Colour is a durable, highimpact,
sprayable vinyl polymer coating
that protects truck beds from
impact, scratches, weather and rust.
The skid-resistant barrier also reduces
road noise, takes the shape of the
vehicle, can be used under conventional
liners, or on other parts such as
inner fenders and running boards.
Apply as an aerosol, spray gun or
roller kit.
Sherwin-Williams Canada Circle no. 350
Cube van shelving
Weather Guard has introduced a special
line of shelving for taller vehicles
such as cube vans. Special bulkheads
are available to fit the new Dodge
Sprinter. The powder-coated shelving
is available in two different heights,
three depths and three lengths to
cover most applications. Features
include pre-punched shelves and end
panels for easy attachment of accessories,
adjustable shelf dividers, steel
straps to anchor shelves to the side of
the van, formed steel mounting
brackets that run the full depth of the
shelf unit and 3” shelf lips, notched on
We are the solution.
Partitions
CANADA’S PREMIERE SERVICE VEHICLE
COMPONENT SUPPLIER:
Shelves, Bins, Cabinets, Partitions, Aluminum Ladder Racks,
Data Desks, and our DuraFloor Floor System
Literature Racks
Drawer Cabinets
3” centers for dividers. Units are
shipped knocked down and require
assembly that, the manufacturers
reports, can be done easily by one person.
Knaack Manufacturing Circle no. 351
Aluminum truck rack
This new heavy-duty truck rack from
Weather Guard is available in two
models for full-sized and compact
pickups. High-strength extruded aluminum
construction allows a load
rating capacity of 800 lbs. Built-in
ladder stops adjusts easily. Quick
Thank you for demanding the best.
THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE WARRANTY IN THE INDUSTRY.
Shelving Units
Please contact us
at 1-800-668-7942 for a
Distributor in your area.
w w w . v a n t e r i o r . c o m
release clamps are available as optional
extras. An anodized finish keeps
this unit shiny for years.
Knaack Manufacturing Circle no. 352
Circle Number 160 for More Information
56 Plumbing & HVAC Product News – March/April 2004 www.plumbingandhvac.ca