VINTAGE FOOD TRUCKS
SOME THINGS JUST NEVER GO OUT OF STYLE
Vintage food trucks are classics for a reason. Some old-timers’ design is timelessly attractive and is an added value to your food truck brand. The vintage look can up your ability to attract and convert customers, from their first impression boosting CTR on Instagram or Facebook, right through to seeing your vintage food truck out in the wild at a festival or working your concession, and deciding to walk over and order.
Karpatia restores retro food trucks to a premium finish, 100% guaranteed to please inspection by both connoisseurs and the DOT (or MOT, RDW or TüV for European customers) and your local health and fire departments.
All aspects of a conversion can be handled by Karpatia, from sourcing the best fit, to restoration of the vehicle, drafting the design and building it out to a food truck including the installation of the kitchen equipment.
POPULAR VINTAGE FOOD TRUCKS
Some of the most popular vintage food trucks are great classic icons, such as Airstream trailers, Citroen H vans, VW bus conversions and Piaggio Ape’s. Each has their own signature look and is best suited to a particular niche.
As great as these classic food trucks are, don’t be afraid to go retro. A Studebaker or 1920’s Ford Truck, Spijkstaal “SRV” wagon, or even a school bus, KAZ, Barkas, or Kamaz Truck can give a really unique flavor to your brand. Just about every type of vehicle can be, and has been, converted to a vintage food trailer or food truck at one point. We love to work with unique and retro vehicles and the visionary operators that want to convert them!
HOW WE RESTORE AND BUILD
VINTAGE FOOD TRUCKS
A complete restoration of your retro food truck includes revision or replacement of all necessary mechanical, motorized, and electrical parts. Everything is dismantled, revised, or replaced. Bodywork is sanded and recoated before painting and reassembly.
That is an extensive and not always entirely necessary approach. Vintage food truck units that haven’t been converted to a food truck yet, come in all quality levels, and there will be instances where one part or another, be it the body work, engine, brakes, or mostly all of it only needs a brief inspection to be able to reassure you and us it is still a well-functioning part that will last in a food-truck-quality build and pass inspection for the foreseeable future.
A vintage food truck build can be staggered, meaning you do not pay it all up front, but we invoice you separately for every step of the process. Your initial deposit allows us to purchase or reserve the vehicle for your conversion and finish the design. After that it is a step-by-step process.
Staggering a conversion is an important way to save on your budget, leaving more for your marketing and food-related equipment, and on the time we need to pull off the conversion. We make this decision together in advance – to do a staggered restoration and check in concerning every step over a specified discretionary amount or if you give us carte blanche to revise and replace where needed with a fixed budget cap.
As we work together on your project we will consult you on every important step of the process, as restoring a classic food truck is a journey of discovery. We try our very hardest to spot all issues during the initial search or inspection of the vintage truck but are not infallible. For example, problems with the transmission might be easily spotted, but during the revision we discover an issue with the clutch. We will then call and ask if you want to keep the original part or go for replacement/revision and inform you of the cost, just like a regular garage.
One important caveat is that we can not and will not guarantee the parts of a vintage unit that we did not revise or replace. The exception is for regular customers with a multi-unit plan. If you plan to purchase five or more vintage food trucks we provide an appropriate service agreement (SLA).
UNDERSTANDING YOUR CONCEPT
What is important to you in a build and why? Your product range, how you source ingredients, how much prep you do outside the food truck, and how much cooking you do on the truck greatly influence all further decisions.
From floor plan to signage, all aspects of the build must pass your initial review. Our process starts with identifying your desired specifications, functionalities, and product and positioning, based on which we make conceptual sketches.
Once agreed on the sketches, we review the concept and dive deeper into the operational efficiency and the necessary layout and equipment for a given amount of volume or capacity, regarding both output production and the corresponding energy, water, and airflow required.
As boxes are checked off for materials and equipment, implementation starts to take form and sketches become floor plans, inventory lists and detailed 3D renders that we can test in VR or as a cardboard setup.
SEARCH & PROCUREMENT
Our accountant likes to remind us, if you are building inventory you might just be building the cemetery of your business. This means that Karpatia, for financial reasons, does not stock a lot of vintage vehicles.
At any given point there are a few hundred Airstreams for sale in the US and hundreds of Citroen HY’s in Europe. Our costs for logistics of getting the unit from its location to our workshop and travel expenses to do on-site inspections pale in comparison to keeping inventory.
With our multilingual crew and our own transport service, forwarding and mechanics, we reference an insane amount of (inter)national listings sites, local Facebook groups, and more to find and present a great selection to you.
Based on those we pick some potential candidates for on-site inspections where we travel together or send you the videos. Initial inspections for the first line of selection are on us.
Found a vintage food truck or trailer you like? We confirm our offer to you and secure a deposit, procure the unit, and get to work.
RESTORE AND BUILD YOUR
VINTAGE FOOD TRUCK
FULL REVISION
Our most common process is the Full Revision of a classic food truck. Everything from the paint to the wiring is subject to scrutiny and expertly restored, or done as a quality replacement leaving no part of the truck untouched.
The engine is lifted from the truck and all systems, brakes, steering, etc. are disconnected and separately inspected, cleaned, restored, or replaced. Engines are revised or in many cases replaced with more modern and economical units. Power steering is added for vintage units that did not have it before.
Every non-mechanical part, doors, windows, and wiring, is detached and given similar treatment while the body is sandblasted clean and recoated, with replacement parts welded into the body where necessary.
Once we are done, everything is reassembled and professionally sprayed in your desired color or an inoffensive base color and protective coat if you opted for a full vinyl wrap. For Airstreams and other trailers the process is much the same, although less intense, as it concerns mostly body work and there are fewer mechanical parts.
PARTIAL REVISION
Not every retro food truck requires a full revision. Working through our experience-based checklist we work out what is needed and what can be left as-is with a good amount of certainty that it will not cause any issues further down the road.
On the interior checklist are lights, electrical wiring, brakes, ignition, starter, fuel lines, and tank, engine, gear box, cooling, steering, and the drive shaft.
Exterior includes checking the underside for the necessity of tectylation (coating) and body work inspection for scratches, dents, rust, and more to see how deep it runs and if parts have to be replaced with a new plate welded in.
BUILDING THE KITCHEN
Leading in the layout of a food truck kitchen is the “flow” . The first variable the build is optimized for is your ability to push product out with as little friction as possible. Among other things, that means that staff does not have to move criss-cross through the truck ever and that inventory is kept close to where it will next be used and is cooked and served as soon as possible.
Next we optimize for regulation – insulation, flooring, and the necessary ventilation and water systems are put in place to ensure everything is up to code. The last phase of optimization is the price to value ratio to ensure you get the biggest bang for your buck.
Some US states require specific items such as the ANSUL system to be installed by a state-licensed installer and some merely recommend it. If there is such a requirement for your state we find and contract that state-licensed service installer for you.
WHAT TO KEEP IN MIND WHEN
BUYING VINTAGE TRAILERS OR
FOOD TRUCKS
All classic car salesmen are, in their very essence, usually a subspecies of car salesmen. Some commonly used tricks are talking up the specific year or factory of the build, such as a 1973 model being better than a 1971 model or implying a German-built VW Kombi is better than a Brazilian one.
This might all very well have been true once upon a time back in 1973. For example, Citroen improved quite a lot on their Citroen Type H vans over the years and the ’50’s models are much lower quality than the 70’s models. So it can be true! But what you need to keep in mind is that we are revising the whole thing together with you more than 50 years later so it does not matter all that much. You are getting new brakes, power steering, transmission, and fuel lines, so whatever was or is now faulty, is 100% revised or replaced.
That goes hand in hand with another frequently used tactic: implying the rarity of your vintage find. Use common sense and Google before buying, and/or enquire with us. And just because something is rare where you live – e.g. Airstreams in Europe or Citroen H vans in the US, does not mean the logistics of getting it to you or local code-necessary adaptations are insurmountable or that they justify price gouging.
One added benefit is that the veracity of information given by a seller on the rarity of a find often corresponds to their claims about the pristine condition the previous owner(s) are supposed to have kept it in. If someone just told you early ’70’s Airstreams are rare (false) and this one is in great condition, we can likely spare the both of us the trouble of going over to inspect it.
Bargains and great deals exist, but in our experience these are mostly a result of luck, being willing to travel that bit further out to nowhere, and geo-arbitrage, be it exporting & importing from France to the US or efficiently hauling from the middle of nowhere in the Midwest to a big East Coast metro area. You bring the luck, we get the sourcing and transport done.
REPLICAS AND NEW VINTAGE
VINTAGE REPLICA TRAILERS
If a vintage food truck is out of your budget, or an authentic vintage restoration takes too long, we can provide the option of a replica. Karpatia makes replica trailers fully in-house in our Mexico City production facility.
Replica trailers are available for the popular vintage trailer caravans and food truck classics such as the Citroen HY. We also make our own fully stainless steel trailers, a great alternative to traditional Airstreams.
We are aware our starting ticket for such a replica may look steep compared to others offering them, but there is a reason: quality.
Karpatia makes everything 100% in-house using custom and proprietary engineering, models and tools. Every custom trailer is built to US or EU standards specific for your state or country, which included doing all the electric, gas, and water lines to code.
Don’t take our word for it, ask the over 100 people that buy a trailer from us every year! Pick a trusted Karpatia brand trailer that was upgraded locally to have that peace of mind that you got a great value and not a cat in the bag and have a chat with a local owner near you about the process.
P.S. Did you already buy a replica, not from us, and NOT upgrade it? Contact us as we can almost always provide a fixer service.
NEW WITH A VINTAGE FOOD TRUCK LOOK
For a supremely reliable motorized food truck that still has the charm of a vintage unit, there are options there, too.
Citroen offers cosmetic corrugated panelling and a new nose hood on a Citroen Jumper. Jumpers start at around $25k; with the added cost of the panelling and converting it to a food truck, a new vintage look will run around $85k.
Airstream also builds new, and we’re happy to convert them for you. With their popular Flying Cloud model starting at $78k pre-conversion, you’re looking at $120-150k or more, depending on equipment, for a brand-new Airstream trailer in the 23-30 ft range.
Classic American step vans (like 18-ft Freightliner P1000s or later new models) are around $65-80k new and unconverted, and will end up around $120-150k or more depending on equipment.
For the very patient, even a new VW Kombi with a vintage look is possible. Volkswagen is releasing their e-Kombi in Australia available from 2022 if it all goes to plan. Prices are not known at this time.
WHY A VINTAGE FOOD TRUCK?
ADVANTAGES OF A VINTAGE FOOD TRUCK
The ability to build your brand with a familiar and beloved style that makes an impression before your customers know you is the biggest advantage that an Airstream has over a regular box trailer and a Vintage Citroen H Van over a new Mercedes or Step Van. It really does start converting customers for you right from your Facebook and Instagram down to the split-second decision made in a food truck park or as they walk past you on the corner.
You will secure more work – especially event gigs – with a vintage unit.
Barring the Airstream, quality restorations are also optionally cheaper than many newer units and many locales have tax breaks for oldtimers.
DOWNSIDES OF A VINTAGE FOOD TRUCK
There are drawbacks to older models. The most obvious ones are their increased maintenance and operating costs, which increase even more with intensive use. To reduce the burden we recommend operating a vintage model with a car transport trailer or second vehicle to do many of the resupply trips and long-haul gigs.
Less immediate but very real is that older models also tend to be smaller. And if you’re not buying it cash, it is harder to get a good financing rate on a vintage model, meaning it might end up costing you comparatively more than a new unit unless buying cash.
Insurance is also a grab bag – many classic car and oldtimer insurance policies are cheap and great deals but fly out the window when you put the classic to commercial use and drive it for thousands of miles a year.
LOGISTICS
DO YOU DELIVER TO THE UK, AUSTRALIA, AND CANADA?
Yes, we do!
Google has correctly picked up on our site being very US-targeted – and we are. With the world’s largest food truck market, this focus was a given, and we have a workshop in the USA in Atlanta GA after all.
But as many of our vintage conversions of Citroen type H vans are originally French or Belgian and VW Kombi’s are usually sourced from Germany, we can offer UK customers very competitive pricing and certainly much faster shipping times than our US customers.
Please note many vintage models are an absolute nightmare to source with a right hand drive though. For example, the vintage Citroen H catering van. AU and UK customers will learn to have to live with a left hand drive old-timer, or wait forever and (not or) pay double, or we have to convert it, which is not a complicated process but again a few thousand pounds and months of extra build time.
We are always happy to work with Australians too, but as you know from experience, shipping will be extra, both in time and AUD.
WHY KARPATIA?
Our Karpatia core value and satisfaction is hitting that nail of quality to value on the head.
What we mean by that is anyone can make a great food truck for $120k+. We are prouder to deliver something exceptionally good given a budget of $75k.
If you do have that $120k budget to spend, we are of course more than happy to take your order and will take your return on that investment to the moon, offering unparalleled quality engineering, design, equipment, service, support, and materials for your build.
extra services
pre-configured
It might be your first vintage food truck, but it’s not ours. From coffee to ice cream and more, we have a basic plan to get you rolling quicker.
financing
No cash, no problem! Get pre-qualified by our finance partners or see if we can negotiate a more affordable loan option.
Financing is possible for both new and used models.
website included
Learn More →Starting a new business or doing a major upgrade?
We include our deluxe Food Truck Website package with any purchase of a vintage food truck.
For more information about vintage food trucks or to request a free quote, call us anytime at 404-999-1864 or fill out the form on our contact page.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUTVINTAGE FOOD TRUCKS
Learn more in our knowledge center ►Not universally and not without effort, but after a full revision we fully expect to pass every road authority’s test.
Note that there are countries in South America and Southern Europe where the test is effectively passed but there is still always some “issue” that amounts to forking over a small incentive to the authorities’ representative. To make it explicit, our guarantee does not cover this specific type of issue with road admittance in countries like Spain or Brazil.
Yes, of course. We will happily restore it for you. If you had bad luck and bought something that requires inordinate amounts of maintenance vs a “normal” vintage food truck, we will let you know and advise to buy a different used model.
Absolutely. Our specialty is sourcing the best vintage units for conversion. And we do the onsite inspections ourselves too.
Not for free and unlimited – 10’s of hours of driving, flying, and manhours aren’t free but serious buyers get the first inspections and trips on us.
Depending on how fast a quality starter is sourced, production is from 20 weeks and up.
Replica units take 90-100 days to manufacture and New Vintage units are 6-8 weeks of production after the body kit arrives.
Shipping for your restored vintage truck into the USA from Europe takes up to two months at the time of writing this (May 2022).
Maye?
We usually source the vehicle together with you and arrange viewings and logistics together so we are all well aware of the original purchase price of the vintage unit and you’re not taken for a ride.
In this process, the initial consults are free. Of course, if you want us to go look at 5+ Airstream listings spread out over several states then we would charge you for that and doing it yourself instead saves money.
If you have a really decent truck already in your garage, it might be a good place to start.
Not at the moment, but we are working on an Amazon Prime FBA powered store to get any and all food truck, trailer and concession necessities and parts delivered as fast and affordably as possible. Stay tuned!
IS A VINTAGE FOOD TRUCK RIGHT
FOR YOUR BUSINESS?
Click below to get a quote and start the process.