Breaking up is hard to do, and that includes letting go of an old and reliable combination truck. Just ask Sean Fucarile of Culpepper Plumbing Inc. in West Palm Beach, Fla., who couldn’t bear to end his eight-year relationship with a 2000 Vactor 2100.

Instead, Fucarile spent $155,000 in late 2008 to have a Vactor facility in Alabama refurbish the vehicle, which Fucarile depends on to clean lift stations, grease traps and commercial and municipal drain lines.

“This baby now has a new motor, a new transmission, new hydraulic lines, new air lines, a new paint job, new air-ride seats – you name it, we had it done,” says Fucarile, who co-owns Culpepper with his father, Tom. “The truck was paid for, so refurbishing was a better road for us to take. It was like getting a brand-new truck for half the price.”

The best equipment

Fucarile chose a complete overhaul because he refuses to skimp on equipment. “We do a lot of jobs that no one else will touch, and we can only do that because we have decent equipment,” he says. Based on a Sterling chassis, the truck has a 12-cubic-yard debris tank; a 2,500-psi/80-gpm water pump; a Roots blower by Dresser Inc. that generates 3,500 cfm/15 inches Hg; and a 12-foot boom with a 6-foot extension.

The main reasons that Fucarile bought the truck, for its large debris tank and water tanks (three that hold 1,500 gallons), remain valid. “The debris tank capacity was a big plus,” he says. “We can do anywhere from four to six jobs a day without going to the dump to unload, as opposed to two, maybe three jobs a day, with less capacity.

“That saves us from blowing two hours at the treatment facility, which is what it usually takes by the time you drive there, check in, wait in line, dump and get back on the road. We can go almost a full workday without dumping. And without the large water capacity, we’d have to run out and keep finding fire hydrants to refill.”

Fucarile likes the extendable boom because often fences and shrubs surround lift stations, keeping drivers from pulling up close to work. He also likes the truck’s internal tank washer, which removes debris that sticks to the tank. “Once you engage the cleaner, it sprays water under high pressure, which does 90 percent of the work for you,” he says.

Always eye-catching

Thanks to some creativity, the truck also advertises Culpepper, which has been in business for more than 30 years. Dottie Stonestreet, general manager, came up with an eye-catching, trademarked company mascot: a red pepper holding a telephone. It’s a visual and phonetic play on the company name (as in “call pepper”).

“Our trucks are on the road all day, every day, so a lot of people see them,” Fucarile notes. “The logo and slogan get a lot of attention. I definitely think we get business calls from people because they see the trucks on the road. The trucks also look great because we keep them clean. I’m pretty particular about keeping them washed.”

The Vactor unit is clearly Fucarile’s pride and joy, and he’s delighted that he could keep it in the family. “It looks like a million bucks,” he says. “It’s my showpiece – my baby.”