A plumbing service truck lives a different life than a general contractor’s flatbed. You are carrying pipe, fittings by the hundreds, a pipe threader, a jetter or camera reel, and often a water tank — and you need every bit of it locked, sorted, and reachable from the curb. That points to a specific truck and a specific body, and it is usually not the biggest truck on the lot. Here is how we spec plumbing trucks for customers across Texas.
In stock now in Wharton, TX — real prices, installed in one business day.
Shop CM from $3,950 | Shop Norstar from $9,550 | Shop RKI from $8,500
Browse all in-stock truck beds and bodies or call (979) 532-1486 for a same-day quote.
Start with the payload math, not the truck
Add it up honestly before you shop: a steel 8-foot service body runs roughly 1,400–1,900 lb bare. Tools, fittings, and pipe stock in a working plumbing truck routinely add 1,200–2,000 lb. A 200-gallon water tank is another 1,700 lb full. That is 3,000–5,500 lb of load before the driver. A three-quarter-ton pickup with a 2,800 lb payload rating is already over its limit once the body is bolted on.
| Truck | Typical payload (cab & chassis) | Realistic plumbing use |
|---|---|---|
| F-250 / Ram 2500 / Silverado 2500HD | 2,600–3,300 lb | Light residential service, no water tank |
| F-350 SRW / 3500 SRW | 3,600–4,300 lb | Full service body, moderate stock, city driving |
| F-350 DRW / Ram 3500 DRW / 3500HD DRW | 5,500–7,000 lb | Service body + tank or jetter, best all-around pick |
| F-450 / Ram 4500 / 4500HD | 8,000–12,000 lb | Drain cleaning, hydro-jetting, heavy tank work |
Our recommendation: F-350 DRW or Ram 3500 DRW cab & chassis
For most Texas plumbing companies the sweet spot is a dual-rear-wheel one-ton cab and chassis with a 60-inch CA frame and an 8-foot service body. You get 5,500 lb or more of real payload, a stable platform for a tank, and a truck that still parks in a residential driveway. Step up to a 4500-class chassis only if you jet drains or haul a large tank full-time.
Cab-to-axle: get this right or the body won’t fit
- 56″–60″ CA — pairs with an 8′ service body. The most common plumbing configuration.
- 84″ CA — pairs with a 9′ or 11′ body. Only worth it if you carry 10-foot stock pipe inside the body.
- 60″ CA DRW gives you the widest body choice on our lot in any given week.
- Measure from the back of the cab to the center of the rear axle. On a dually with a factory pickup box removed, verify before ordering — trims vary.
Which body to put on it
- CM SK — six lockable, shelved compartments and a factory gooseneck. Best installed price on our lot and the easiest brand in Texas to get parts for.
- Norstar SB — deeper vertical boxes swallow pipe wrenches, threader dies, and a full fitting inventory without stacking.
- RKI service bodies — built in Houston, TX, with enclosed and high-side configurations if you want everything behind a door and out of the weather.
Options that pay for themselves on a plumbing truck
- Pipe rack or ladder rack over the body — keeps 10′ and 20′ stock off the deck and legal.
- Master-lock or single-key compartment locks. One key for the whole truck saves real minutes per stop.
- LED compartment and flood lighting for after-hours calls.
- Bumper receiver and gooseneck if you tow a jetter trailer or mini excavator for yard lines.
- Interior shelf and bin kits — the difference between a stocked truck and a rolling junk drawer.
What it costs
In-stock service bodies at our Wharton, TX shop start around $3,950 installed for a CM unit, with Norstar from $9,550 and RKI from $8,500 depending on configuration. Most in-stock bodies go on in one business day, so your truck is earning again the next morning.
Related reading: all service bodies for sale, truck beds for sale, and crane bodies if you set water heaters or pumps.
Talk to Someone Who Installs These Every Week
Bring us your truck’s year, cab, and wheel configuration and we’ll tell you exactly which bodies fit. We stock, spec, and install these bodies at our shop in Wharton, TX, and we serve buyers across Texas and Louisiana. Call us to discuss which is right for your truck — we’ll go over cab-to-axle, wheel configuration, hitch rating, and total installed cost before you commit.
📞 Call (979) 532-1486 — Star Truck Equipment, 2507 County Rd 231, Wharton, TX 77488. Most in-stock bodies are installed in one business day.