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Upfitting 101
Everything You Need To Know About Vehicle Upfits
December 18, 2020
When you're shopping for a work vehicle, you want it to suit the needs of your job. This might mean customizing using accessories, working with a dealer to find cargo solutions, or exploring aftermarket vendors. But, when the task at hand calls for something more heavy duty, you and your employees might want to look into upfitting.
Picking the right vehicles for your large or small business can be crucial for success. At Nissan, we promise you the Nissan Business Advantage, in which we make sure to offer you upstanding assistance with your business vehicle from before the purchase, during the upfitting process, through to long after the sale. This includes individual vehicles, small fleets ranging from 2-10 vehicles, or large fleets on 11 vehicles or more.[[3297]]
What is an upfit?
An upfit is a set of vehicle accessories or augmentations for an existing vehicle that are customized to the worker's needs. Upfits can include shelving, roof units, cooling units, hangars, and more. Upfitted vehicles are designed with efficiency and ease in mind, and can allow workers to bring that extra edge on the road and to the job site.
Benefits of Upfitting for Business and Fleet
- Custom-made to your job
- Can be made standard across a fleet for all employees to ensure a standard of service
- Creates an efficient work environment on the road
- Better fitted vehicles make for more productive drivers and can attract more qualified employees
What to consider before upfitting
Before upfitting, there are a couple of things to think about. Because upfits are custom, there can be so many options to filter through. It is important to know what you need for your job before looking for an upfit solution. Vehicle style, number of vehicles, your budget, and amount of time you need your upfit to last can all impact the upfit that you choose.
Upfits and your job
Some jobs or vocations lend themselves to upfits more than others. If you work in real estate, then an upfit might not suit your needs in the same way that it would these vocations:
- Electrician
- Plumber
- Contractor
- HVAC Specialist
- Internet & Cable Installation
Electrician Van
With the available Electrician Starter Package for NV Cargo and NV200® Compact Cargo, get a cargo partition, three 44" wide Adrian Steel® AD Series shelving units, three drawer units, two door kits, two parts bin systems, wire reel holder, literature rack and 4-hook bar. [[1217]]
Plumbing Van
The NV Cargo is ideal for installing shelves and storage units with Nissan's Upfit Engineering packages. It's designed to let you create a workspace that fits the unique demands of plumbers, like hosing hangers, organized drawers for smaller parts, and even rooftop storage for larger items if you need it. [[1217]]
Upfits and body styles
The body style of your vehicle can impact which upfits are available for it, if any at all. For instance, upfitting a sedan to the needs of a plumber is not feasible, but doing so with a van is. At Nissan, vehicle upfitting is only available for the truck and the van body styles.
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Upfitting Suggestions: The Do's & Don'ts
Do's
- Explore available upfits before you purchase a vehicle
- Know your budget before you kick off the process
- Make a plan for how you are going to manage the upfitting process
- Understand the specifications of your vehicle
Don'ts
- Make the decision on your own, especially if you are managing a fleet. There are many parties that should be involved, and employees should be represented in the decision.
- Be afraid of the investment. Sometimes upfits can be costly, but, when properly planned they can make up for it in the long run.
- Try to make the upfit suit individual employees. Though you shouldn't make the decision on your own, taking in the recommendations of everyone is nearly impossible and can be costly.
How to upfit a commercial or fleet vehicle
Vehicle upfitting can be an intimidating process, but there are lots of helping hands available along the way. Engaging a Fleet Sales Manager or Dealer can help you from start to finish. They can help you figure out what vehicles, accessories, upfits, and benefits will suit your work.
- Find your Vehicle
- Find the upfit based on your work needs
- Work with your vehicle dealer or aftermarket provider to figure out the cost and implementation details
- Get your vehicle(s) on the road
Commercial vehicle accessories
In order to upfit your work vehicle, it's important to explore commercial vehicle accessories, such as shelving, hooks, or industrial roof racks.
Truck upfit accessories
- Bed Drawers
- Ladder Racks
- Lighting
- Snowplow
- Industrial running steps
Van upfit accessories
- Loading ramps
- Refrigeration racks
- Lighting
- Flooring
- Cargo units
How to upfit an NV200
Let's use the Nissan NV200 Compact Cargo for an example. If you were a caterer, you might be looking for a couple of things, like refrigeration and cargo solutions. In this case, you could look to an aftermarket provider for a storage solution and a refrigeration component. After this, you would work with your dealer to execute to upfit, and then you're good to go.
