“With a good maintenance program starting when the vehicles are new, the fleets are going to have something worth refurbishing after 10 years,” he said.

Beyond that, look at the truck to evaluate the length of service that can be obtained after refurbishment compared with the vehicle’s replacement cost.

A service body truck with crane “can be sandblasted, repainted and equipped with all-new hydraulic lines for $10,000 to $15,000, compared to $60,000 to $70,000 for a new body and crane,” Thomas said.

It makes sense to refurbish if you can get an additional 10 to 15 years’ service out of a vehicle, Thomas said.

Dump trucks and plow trucks are the most popular models as customers move long-lasting stainless steel dump bodies and spreaders over to newer chassis, Thomas said. A plow truck, for example, can be refurbished for 30% to 40% of the cost of a new one, he said.

“A lot depends on the life cycle on the truck,” he said. “If you can keep the refurbishment cost at 50% or less of a new truck, you’re ahead of the game.”