Congested streets create challenges for large service vehicles when maneuvering to jobsites. Downsizing service trucks isn’t always an easy alternative, as often the bigger payloads larger trucks offer are needed to accomplish the job. 

“We saw a growing need in the small vacuum excavator truck market, especially in congested, urban environments,” says Michael Reis, vice president of industrial sales at Super Products. The result of that recognition is Super Products New Mud Dog 700 compact vacuum excavator truck, a vehicle designed to be compact while maximizing payload capacity.

“The Mud Dog 700 was designed from scratch to meet customer needs,” says Reis. “The 7-yard debris body is sized and positioned to maximize weight distribution. The unit has the highest legal payload on a tandem axle chassis.”

Super Products used decades of experience in vacuum excavators to build a truck their customers are satisfied with, according to Reis. “Combining that experience with dozens of customer interviews defined the critical features on this unit,” he says. “Thousands of hours were spent analyzing and designing the unit. Hundreds of hours were also spent conducting real world functional tests, highly accelerated life tests and customer operated field tests to validate performance and durability.”

The result is a truck with a 50-degree dump angle that allows dumping into a 48-inch container onsite. The Mud Dog 700 comes standard with a 600-gallon water tank and has an 8-inch diameter boom with streamlined body inlet turret to help avoid hose blockages. The boom reaches out to 18 feet and rotates 270 degrees with 10-degree downward pivot capability. 

“Customers helped decide which equipment should be standard versus optional,” says Reis. “For example, the 3,100 cfm by 18 inches Hg blower is standard, but users can upgrade to the 3,700 cfm by 27 inches Hg blower as an option.” Other popular options for customer include an air excavation package, cold weather package, integrated axle scale package and a 360-degree camera system. 

And according to Super Products, listening to customers was effective because the reaction they’ve received since launching the vacuum truck has been positive. “Feedback has stated that the unit has great maneuverability, drivability and a powerful vacuum,” says Reis. 800-837-9711; www.superproducts.com