• The Upfit Insider
  • Posts
  • How Vanair’s PTO Drive and Underdeck Air Compressor Redefine Mobile Power for Service Trucks

How Vanair’s PTO Drive and Underdeck Air Compressor Redefine Mobile Power for Service Trucks

An engine-driven underdeck air compressor system that replaces six tools, saves weight, and delivers smarter mobile power for service trucks.

Vanair PTO Drive Powers Smart Underdeck Systems

Sponsored by Vanair®

Most fleets don’t need more tools — they need smarter mobile power solutions that save weight, open space, and keep uptime high.

That’s exactly what the Vanair® PTO Shaft-Driven Underdeck ALL-IN-ONE Power System® delivers — a PTO drive, engine-driven underdeck air compressor platform that replaces six machines with one seamless install.

In this breakdown, we’ll show how Vanair underdeck air compressors work, what they replace, and why they’re redefining mobile power for modern fleets and service trucks.

Cutaway view of the Vanair Underdeck ALL-IN-ONE Power System showing the PTO drive, compressor, and hydraulic components beneath a service truck chassis — winner of Equipment Today’s 2024 Top 50 New Products Award.

The Vanair® Underdeck ALL-IN-ONE Power System — 2024 Equipment Today Top 50 New Product Award Winner.

Award-Winning Innovation

The Vanair® PTO Shaft-Driven Underdeck ALL-IN-ONE Power System® earned Equipment Today’s 2024 Contractors’ Top 50 New Product award for changing how fleets think about power.

It replaces multiple bolt-ons, cuts up to 2,000 lbs, and delivers full mobile power through one engine-driven PTO system — all from a single underdeck air compressor package.

From Six Machines to One

Picture a tire service truck the old way:

  • Compressor bolted on top

  • Generator eating bed space

  • Portable welder strapped down

  • Battery booster buried in shelves

  • Charger tucked in a side box

  • Hydraulic system crammed between it all

That’s six machines. Two thousand pounds. A cluttered bed and constant downtime.

Now imagine all that — compressor, generator, welder, booster, charger, hydraulics — powered by one Vanair underdeck air compressor system mounted under the truck.

You get your bed back.
Your techs move faster.
Your truck lasts longer.
Your fleet runs smarter.

Simplifying the Power Game

For years, fleets have stacked bolt-ons like it’s 2005 — more boxes, more wiring, more maintenance.

Every add-on adds weight, vibration, and cost. Over time, that means higher fuel use, overloaded GVWR, and premature failures.

Vanair® flips that model.

Instead of stacking systems, their engine-driven underdeck air compressor platform powers everything from a single PTO drive.

What It Replaces

  • 125–185 CFM underdeck air compressor

  • 10 kW generator

  • 330 A welder

  • 12 V / 24 V battery booster (optional 36 V / 48 V)

  • 12 V / 24 V charging (optional 36 V / 48 V)

  • Up to 30 GPM @ 2,000 PSI hydraulic power

This isn’t a bolt-on bundle — it’s a full Vanair power system for service trucks, engineered to work together, live under the body, and free your truck bed.

No tanks blocking drawers.
No holes in fenders.
No wasted space.

Utility crew using a Vanair PTO-driven underdeck air compressor system to power air excavation equipment on a city street jobsite, showing real-world mobile power performance.

Vanair underdeck air compressor powering an air excavation setup — real-world utility fleet application.

Cleaner, Faster, Smarter

Traditional installs are complicated. Each add-on needs separate wiring, mounting, and venting — driving up labor time and cost.

With Vanair underdeck air compressors, everything runs off one PTO drive and engine-driven system.

It uses shared:

  • Mounting points

  • Fuel lines

  • Wiring harnesses

  • Hydraulic connections

Result: cleaner installs, faster builds, and less maintenance.

Fleet managers report fewer shop visits, better uptime, and simpler specs — all from one underdeck unit.

Ghosted side view of a service truck equipped with the Vanair PTO-driven Underdeck ALL-IN-ONE Power System showing internal compressor, generator, and hydraulic components mounted beneath the body.

Ghosted view of a service truck featuring the Vanair® Underdeck ALL-IN-ONE Power System — a compact, PTO-driven setup replacing six separate machines in one clean install.

EXCLUSIVE VANAIR TECH

Each of these patented or patent-pending innovations was designed to fix a real-world failure point in traditional bolt-on systems.

1. FailSafe® Dual Sensor Redundancy System

Keeps you working even if a sensor fails — no limp mode or downtime.

2. ThermalGuard® Weather Protection Kit

Prevents regulator freeze-ups, cuts PTO strain, and stops internal corrosion in cold weather.

3. XERO® Rapid Blow Down Tank

Reduces restart time to nearly zero and leak points by 60%.

4. UltraLife® 6000 Hour Air/Oil Separator

Lasts 15× longer than standard filters — fewer changes, consistent pressure, lower cost.

REAL-WORLD USE CASES

This under deck air compressor system is already working across multiple industries.

Tire Service Trucks

Replaces welders, boosters, and tow-behinds. No trailers, no bed loss — full mobile power.

Utility & Municipal Fleets

More room for bins, racks, and cones. Keeps trucks under GVWR without losing output.

Paint Stripers & Air Excavation

Need CFM and hydraulics fast? The Vanair underdeck compressor delivers both — cleanly and reliably.

Contractors & Mobile Techs

Six power sources in one engine-driven Vanair mobile power system. Less clutter, more uptime.

Crew using pneumatic tools powered by a Vanair PTO-driven underdeck air compressor system during road repair and utility work in an urban environment.

Vanair PTO-driven mobile power system supporting road and utility crews — providing on-site air power for demanding urban jobs.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • Replaces six machines with one Vanair underdeck air compressor

  • Saves up to 2,000 lbs per truck

  • Frees bed and hitch space

  • Powers multiple systems at once

  • Features FailSafe®, ThermalGuard®, XERO®, UltraLife®

  • Simplifies upfit, ownership, and maintenance

Smart Fleets Spec for Less

Old-school specs add more.
Smart fleets spec for less — less weight, less failure, less clutter.

With Vanair’s PTO Shaft-Driven Underdeck ALL-IN-ONE Power System®, fleets finally get an engine-driven mobile power solution that keeps crews productive and trucks reliable.

And for fleets ready to upgrade, Vanair mobile power for sale options are available through authorized dealers nationwide.

Want More Upfit Breakdowns?

Join The Upfit Insider Premium — the only publication breaking down real-world upfit strategy and ROI in plain English.

🎯 Founding Members: $5 / month for life (limited to 100)
Includes guides, calculators, and checklists plus real-world spec playbooks that save time and money.


Leyhan
Founder, The Upfit Insider

Reply

or to participate.