Buying a Used Work Truck? Ask for the Body and Equipment File

Identify the whole vehicle before pricing the equipment

Start with the VIN and the truck’s model-year/configuration records. Then ask who made the installed body and each important equipment item, and where their identification information can be found. A recognizable chassis does not identify every later addition.

For your own comparison, draw three columns: chassis, body and equipment. Put a service body, platform, liftgate or other item in the appropriate column. Mark an unknown maker, model or record as unknown rather than filling the gap from a similar truck’s advertisement.

Request applicable instructions and installation records

RAM’s body-builder material illustrates why added bodies and attachments need application-specific engineering and instructions. The referenced design notes are dated December 7, 2022; they are not a universal instruction sheet for another truck, year or installation.

For an actual purchase, request the records that apply to the specific body and equipment: maker identification, available installation documentation, operating and maintenance instructions, ratings and service history. Ask which documents are missing and who can resolve their applicability. This article does not approve an installation or assign the completed truck a rating.

Separate demonstration from inspection

If you want to see equipment operate, arrange a demonstration by an appropriately qualified person using the applicable instructions and safe conditions. Do not improvise an equipment test, work beneath an unsupported body or operate unfamiliar lifting equipment because it is offered for sale.

Discuss the inspection scope in advance. Does the proposed inspector have the facilities and expertise for the chassis and the added equipment? Are the work body, mounting, electrical or hydraulic systems within the assessment, or excluded? A report about one part of the vehicle should not silently become a certificate for the rest.

Match the completed truck to the actual job

List the crew, tools, supplies and trailer you intend to carry together. Added equipment uses space and carrying allowance; do not assume an empty compartment means unlimited usable capacity. Obtain the applicable completed-vehicle information and evaluate the whole load with qualified assistance where needed.

Also compare practical access. Can your normal items be stored and secured appropriately? Can the regular crew enter and leave the cab? Record measurements and observations rather than treating a photograph as a fit test.

Before booking work with any shop, confirm which parts of the vehicle and equipment it can inspect or maintain. This guide does not promise that Bonham Chrysler stocks a particular upfit or services every body, liftgate or specialty system.

Questions worth asking

Does a working liftgate demonstration establish the whole truck’s condition?

No. Establish the scope of a qualified assessment and obtain the applicable records for the chassis, body and equipment.

Can I use another model year’s body-builder guide as approval?

No. Applicability must be established for the specific vehicle and installation. This article supplies a request method, not engineering approval.

Continue with the question that comes next

• Buying a Modified Used Truck? Ask for the Build File.
• The Hitch Is a Chain of Parts. Check the Whole File.
• Read a Repair Estimate Before You Approve the Work

From our existing guides: Budgeting for a Used Truck: Price, Repairs and the Work It Must Do · Choosing a RAM 1500, 2500 or 3500 in Bonham.