Emergency Response

Dive & Rescue Trucks

At Summit Bodyworks, we are a leader in specialty vehicles. We can equip your team with the perfect dive truck upfit for your needs.

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A dive truck is a critical portion of many law enforcement fleets. This vehicle is designed to ensure efficient dive and rescue operations, helping to ensure public safety. At Summit Bodyworks, we are an industry leader in the design, manufacturing, and installation of specialty public safety vehicles, including dive trucks. For the rescue teams who depend on these vehicles, having a properly outfitted rig is a must.

Our team will work with you to ensure that no detail is left unnoticed. From customized seating options to oxygen refilling stations, we will work to provide all the necessary components to make your dive truck the perfect fit. We can work to engineer custom equipment storage and emergency lighting options. If power is a concern, we can also equip the upfit with additional generators. Our designers will walk through your team’s use case and ensure that everything is built in the best way possible to match your workflow. From shelving space to wet gear storage, we won’t leave a single detail unnoticed.

At Summit Bodyworks, we offer a variety of truck chassis sizes and styles to act as the basis for your vehicle upfit. We can work with you to determine what vehicle is the right fit for your team’s needs, whether that is a van, truck, or otherwise. From there, we will customize the dive truck from the chassis up, ensuring that the vehicle you end up with is reliable, functional, and perfectly equipped for the road ahead.

Custom Equipment Storage

Dive teams require a lot of heavy and specialized equipment. From oxygen tanks to wet suits to salvage equipment, the right storage will ensure that your team can work efficiently under pressure. We will work with you to build customized storage options.
Variety of Available Truck Chassis Sizes

When you work with our team at Summit Bodyworks, you will have access to an array of truck chassis sizes. From small van builds to large semi-trailer builds, we can customize your dive truck for the needs of your team.
Emergency Lighting and Generators

Many dive operations take place during the night or early morning hours. For this reason, emergency lighting and generator options are critical for your team’s success. We will equip your dive truck with every necessary power and emergency lighting feature.

Featured Builds

Check out some of our recent favorite builds for some satisfied customers.

Frequently Asked Questions

How large are most dive trucks?

Mobile dive trucks vary in size depending on the build. A dive truck can be upfit on any chassis. From Ford E450s to Freightliner MT-55s, dive trucks are customized to meet the needs of the team that will be utilizing the vehicle.

In some cases, a dive truck is actually built in a van or even a trailer. The more personnel that will be utilizing the dive truck, the larger the vehicle will need to be. When customizing a dive truck, be sure to consider both the people who will utilize the truck, as well as how much equipment will need to be carried. Additionally, many public safety departments take into consideration what maneuverability will be required for the dive team. In some locations, it is critical that the vehicle is small enough to maneuver tight spaces or is equipped with four-wheel drive for rough roads.

How long does it take to build a custom dive truck?

The time it takes to build a custom dive truck will vary depending on the upfit company chosen to do the work. It is critical to inquire early on about any lead times involved in the process. Before choosing a custom dive truck designer, be sure you have taken the time to outline exactly what you will need.

The following two tips can help cut down on the time needed to customize a dive truck:

Decide on equipment: Before you hire a team to build your custom dive truck, be sure you know what specific equipment you will need to be included. From oxygen refilling stations to wet gear storage, knowing what equipment is necessary ahead of hiring a team will cut down on build time.
Pick a chassis: Early in the process, decide what chassis you want your dive truck built on. This will help narrow down inventory and speed up the build process.

What features are most common on a dive truck?

Dive trucks are unique emergency response vehicles, customized to meet the needs of the specific team utilizing them. For this reason, the exact features on a dive truck will vary depending on the upfit. However, there are a few common features most dive trucks will include.

Oxygen refilling station
Wet gear storage
Shelving
Seating area for personnel
Emergency lighting
Generator or another alternative power source
Salvage/overhaul equipment
Electric winch
Tool storage

The purpose of dive trucks is to make it easy for rescue teams to arrive on a scene with all necessary gear and equipment. Depending on what features will be required, different size vehicles are utilized for the upfit of the dive truck. Not only that, but dive trucks can be equipped to assist in the salvage of materials, such as a submerged car. During the upfit process, features can be selected and modified as needed.

What customized doors are used on a dive truck?

Dive trucks utilize an array of customized doors. While the cab of the truck will generally feature standard automobile doors, the rest of the truck often features custom doors. The following are all different door types you could incorporate on a dive truck upfit:

Exterior storage: A common place to find custom doors on a dive truck is on the outside of the truck where exterior storage is located. Here, small doors that swing out, roll up, or open upward, provide easy access to wet storage and other equipment.
Back doors: Common to many emergency response vehicles, dive trucks will often feature back doors that swing outward. These doors make it easy for personnel to exit and enter the vehicle.
Double cab doors: While cabs traditionally feature one set of doors, on larger dive trucks, a secondary set of cab doors might be added to allow passengers quick access.

How many team members can be accommodated in a dive truck?

Dive trucks are designed to carry an entire team of personnel to a specific location. Depending on the dive and the work to be done, this could be as simple as transporting four people or as complicated as hauling a dozen people and their equipment.

For this reason, the number of team members that can be accommodated in a dive truck is highly dependent on the type of vehicle chosen for the upfit. For smaller emergency response departments, a single cab Ford E450 with a customized body might be adequate, allowing for 3-5 passengers. In other cases, an entire Freightliner might be outfitted as an underwater recovery unit.

When upfitting a dive truck it is important to note that it is not just the number of passengers you need to consider when deciding on the size of the vehicle. More team members also means more equipment.

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We operate at the highest level

At Summit Bodyworks, we don’t take no for an answer. We innovate and problem-solve. We don’t follow industry trends; we create them. We serve our customers with smiles on our faces and integrity as our foundation. When it comes to our work, decades of blood, sweat, and tears have gone into perfecting our crafts. Our team of project managers, engineers, account managers, and technicians work together to ensure our quality is excellent and our process smooth. As an industry leader, we’re confident that the service and support you’ll receive from Summit Bodyworks simply cannot be matched.

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