A luton body is a type of body found on commercial delivery or moving type box trucks. The telltale trait of a luton body is the small box-type protrusion that overhangs on the cab of the truck, which differs from the typical box truck with a van or box that goes straight up behind the truck cab. A common vehicle that uses this type of luton body is the traditional rental type of moving truck that has a small area over the cab of the truck for smaller and lighter items to be placed for transport.
Many styles of the luton body utilize a protrusion commonly referred to as a “kick” or a “luton” that extends out over the roof of the truck and reaches out over the length of the truck’s hood as well. In this type of truck, bracing in the form of small steel poles may often be used to extend from the front bumper up to the bottom of the extension. These steel poles provide additional support for the “kick” to allow for more weight to be loaded and carried in the “kick” area.
Typical luton body construction is made of aluminum, although fiberglass and other composite materials are also used in the construction of the box body. The addition of the luton body is often done by a company that is hired by the truck manufacturer or the vehicle’s owner to be completed after the truck has been built. In some instances, a truck manufacturer will deliver the truck to this company after it has been purchased by the customer in order to finalize the customized build of the truck. More often than not, however, the truck will be taken to have the body installed by the purchaser once the deal has been made on the truck chassis.
When ordering a truck for the future installation of a luton body, the purchaser will commonly order a bare truck chassis from a particular manufacturer of choice such as Ford or Mercedes-Benz. In this scenario, the finished vehicle will typically be warrantied by both the truck manufacturer as well as the body manufacturer. It is for this reason that the application of a luton body to any truck chassis be completed by a licensed dealer in order to prevent voiding any warranties of the truck.