As UNDERHOOD® rotary screw air compressor systems mark their 30th year, K.E. Rose shows why experienced upfitters continue to recommend vehicle-integrated compressed air for municipal trucks where space, reliability, and practical field capability matter.
A municipal work truck rarely begins as a simple chassis with a short equipment list. By the time the specification is complete, the vehicle may need to carry compressed air, a generator, tools, repair materials, safety equipment, storage, lighting, and application-specific equipment. Every component must fit, every pound must be accounted for, and every system must remain accessible for the people who operate and maintain the truck.
That is familiar territory for K.E. Rose Company in Dayton, Ohio. Since 1995, the company has performed commercial upfitting and manufactured truck equipment for municipal, utility, public works, and commercial customers. Its work includes service bodies, dump trucks, flatbeds, crane trucks, aerial equipment, water crew trucks, and other specialized vehicles that do not fit a standard build sheet.
For K.E. Rose, compressed air is not considered in isolation, it is part of the complete truck. The upfitter must determine where the compressor will be installed, how it will affect body space and payload, how it will interact with other equipment, how long the installation will take, and whether the finished truck will remain practical for daily use.
That broader perspective is one reason K.E. Rose has continued working with UNDERHOOD air compressor systems that are designed and manufactured by VMAC. By locating the rotary screw air compressor within the vehicle’s engine compartment, the UNDERHOOD preserves valuable deck, body, and compartment space. The result gives the upfitter more flexibility to build the truck around the work rather than building the truck around a standalone compressor.
Dustin Larck has worked at K.E. Rose for 24 years. He began by installing equipment and now works on special projects, including many of the company’s non-standard and technically demanding builds.
“I basically work on all the projects here that aren’t cookie cutter,” said Larck. “If it has anything to do with an air compressor, generator, crane truck, aerial, or another special application, I’m typically involved.”
Larck estimates that approximately 90% of K.E. Rose’s business is municipal. That customer base creates a demanding mix of applications because public works departments are expected to perform many different tasks with a limited number of vehicles. A truck may need to support routine maintenance one day, emergency work the next, and seasonal or infrastructure projects after that.
K.E. Rose has built municipal trucks for communities including Dayton, Columbus, and Fairborn, Ohio. Some of the company’s most intricate projects are water crew trucks with large enclosed bodies and multiple onboard systems. Depending on the specification, those trucks may include compressed air, a generator, hydraulic equipment, valve-turning tools, jackhammer lifts, compactors, and extensive storage.
Those larger trucks may use several different equipment configurations. However, when a municipality needs compressed air on a smaller service vehicle, the available footprint becomes one of the first constraints.
“I think mostly because of the footprint,” said Larck when asked why customers continue to choose UNDERHOOD air compressors. “When you’re building a truck, it seems like they’re always undersizing their truck and trying to compact as much as they can on them.”
The phrase “undersizing the truck” often reflects the pressure to get greater capability from a smaller, more maneuverable vehicle. Municipal fleets want trucks that can travel through residential streets, work in confined locations, remain easy to operate, and still carry the equipment required for the job.
The upfitter is left to make everything fit without compromising payload, access, serviceability, or safety. That is where a vehicle-engine-driven air compressor can change the build. “Freeing up space on the body,” said Larck. “If you need a compressor, here we go.”
The City of Columbus Division of Water is one example of how K.E. Rose has supported the specification, construction, delivery, and service of municipal vehicles used by the division, including smaller trucks equipped with UNDERHOOD air compressor systems.
The City of Columbus application remains relevant because it reflects a common public works requirement. Water-service vehicles need onboard compressed air, but they also need room for tools, fittings, repair materials, safety equipment, and other items used throughout the workday. The truck must remain organized and practical, particularly when a smaller vehicle is selected to support individual operators or smaller crews.
By integrating the air compressor into the engine compartment of the service truck, K.E. Rose can preserve the truck body for the equipment that operators need to reach, carry, and use. The compressed air system becomes part of the vehicle rather than another large component competing for deck or compartment space.
The benefit is easy to overlook because the compressor is largely hidden. Larck described a familiar reaction when people first see an UNDERHOOD-equipped truck. They notice the air hose reel, but they do not see a conventional compressor mounted on the body.
“They’re like, ‘Where’s the compressor?’” said Larck. “Then you show them, and they say, ‘Wow, that’s cool.’”
That reaction captures one of the system’s most practical advantages. The truck still has compressed air, but the visible work area remains available for the rest of the build. For an upfitter serving a fleet such as the City of Columbus, that flexibility helps turn a crowded specification into a more usable finished vehicle.
Space savings are often discussed as a product feature, but an upfitter sees the operational consequences of that space. A compressor mounted on the body may displace a compartment, reduce access to tools, interfere with loading, or force other components into less desirable locations. A tow-behind compressor can preserve body space, but it adds another asset that must be stored, connected, moved, inspected, and maintained.
An underdeck compressor can be effective for the right application, but it also competes with fuel tanks, air tanks, exhaust components, driveshafts, hydraulic equipment, frame-mounted accessories, and other chassis hardware. The available area can vary substantially from one truck configuration to another.
Larck said these variables can affect both the design and the installation schedule. With an underdeck system, K.E. Rose may discover that tanks or other equipment must be relocated before the compressor can be installed. That extra work is not always obvious when the truck is originally quoted.
“You’re putting an underdeck system on, and sometimes there are a lot of variables,” said Larck. “You may have to move air tanks or work around other equipment. You don’t have to worry about those same hassles with an UNDERHOOD system.”
VMAC works closely with leading vehicle manufacturers, to engineer vehicle-specific mounting kits for popular service trucks and commercial vans. Vehicle compatibility varies by model year, engine, series, and configuration. VMAC’s interactive online application list can help fleets and upfitters determine which vehicles are compatible with each UNDERHOOD rotary screw air compressor system. Check your vehicle’s compatibility now at www.vmacair.com/application-list.
For K.E. Rose, predictability matters because municipal bids and contracts require accurate planning. Unexpected chassis interference can add labor and complicate a build that already contains several integrated systems.
“I don’t have to say, ‘Do I have to put more hours into this build because I’m going to have to move air tanks?’” said Larck. “In certain cases, going with an UNDERHOOD system saves us time. Not only is it less time to install, it saves us time in the long run.”
That predictability has value beyond the shop schedule. It can help the upfitter provide a more accurate quotation, reduce last-minute changes, and deliver a truck whose equipment layout was planned from the beginning.
K.E. Rose does not view installation speed as an excuse to rush the work. Larck emphasized that his team takes additional time where necessary to protect hoses, avoid heat exposure, prevent abrasion, and place components where they can be serviced properly.
“Our hours have always focused on the quality of everything,” said Larck. “The last thing we want to do is tarnish one of our vendors’ names because somebody thinks the equipment is the problem when the installation caused it. We take the time to make sure the install is high quality and not rushed.”
K.E. Rose Company employees (left to right): Titan Larck (Installer), Dustin Larck (Special Project Manager), and Jeremy Wagner (Installer).
That distinction matters with any complex truck system. A reliable compressor can still be undermined by poor hose routing, improper component placement, contamination, heat, or insufficient protection from moving parts. An experienced upfitter understands that the installation becomes part of the product’s field performance.
Larck has worked directly with VMAC technical staff and engineers over the years to troubleshoot installations, evaluate unusual applications, and provide feedback from the shop floor. In one case, K.E. Rose and VMAC worked through an intermittent vehicle-control issue that required detailed electronic diagnosis. Larck’s team used diagnostic equipment to graph sensor behavior and identify a brief signal variation that could easily have been missed.
That kind of collaboration reflects the practical relationship between manufacturer and upfitter. VMAC designs the compressor system for the vehicle platform. K.E. Rose integrates it into a complete truck that may contain several other systems. When an unusual problem appears, both sides bring different expertise to the same vehicle.
The relationship also allows K.E. Rose to provide feedback on component placement and installation procedures. Larck said that when a change improves routing, reduces heat exposure, or makes the application more serviceable without affecting system operation, the practical improvement should be considered. A long-standing product remains relevant because it continues to be supported in the field, not because the original design is treated as untouchable.
Municipal customers do not continue specifying equipment for decades because it makes an attractive brochure. They continue buying it because it works in service and because support is available when something eventually needs attention.
Larck said reliability is one of the primary reasons K.E. Rose customers continue choosing UNDERHOOD air compressor systems. “I think our customers buy them because they’ve been highly reliable for them,” said Larck. “I’ve seen a lot of installs, and I’ve had a lot of repairs come here. Nine times out of ten, it was not the VMAC equipment. It was the installation itself.”
The statement carries weight because it comes from an upfitter that installs, services, diagnoses, and compares multiple compressor configurations. K.E. Rose sees the equipment after delivery and understands where problems originate. Its reputation depends on recommending products that can withstand municipal work and on supporting those products throughout their service life.
Reliability also protects the economics of the entire truck. When an air system is unavailable, the fleet does not lose only the use of a compressor. It may lose the capability for which the vehicle was built, leaving an operator waiting for another truck, another crew, or another piece of equipment.
For municipal fleets, uptime is therefore tied to both product durability and the support network behind the product.
K.E. Rose works with multiple compressor manufacturers. When customers ask which company Larck places at the top of the list, he points to VMAC because of the technical response, willingness to investigate, and parts availability.
“By far, VMAC is at the top of the food chain when it comes to, ‘Okay, you’ve got a problem, let’s address it quickly,’” said Larck. “If you need the part, you get it quickly.”
He noted that VMAC technicians and engineers are willing to help diagnose a problem even when the cause may be outside the compressor system. That approach matters to an upfitter because the truck is a collection of interconnected mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, and vehicle-control systems. The first symptom does not always reveal the root cause.
Parts availability is another practical advantage. Larck said K.E. Rose can receive VMAC parts from Canada faster than parts from some suppliers located much closer to Ohio. “Four times the distance, and I can get it quicker,” he said.
The response has affected how K.E. Rose manages inventory. The shop keeps spare parts for other compressor brands because lead times or service frequency make that necessary. Larck said the company does not need to hold the same type of emergency inventory for VMAC equipment because required parts arrive quickly. That support becomes part of K.E. Rose’s own customer promise. Municipal fleet departments rely on the upfitter after the vehicle leaves the shop. K.E. Rose, in turn, relies on manufacturers that answer questions, provide documentation, ship parts, and participate in technical diagnosis.
For the City of Columbus and other municipal customers, the chain of support extends from the fleet to K.E. Rose and from K.E. Rose to VMAC. Each organization has a different role, but the objective is the same: keep the truck capable of doing the work for which it was built.
UNDERHOOD rotary screw air compressor systems have remained in the market for 30 years because the underlying fleet challenge has not disappeared. Trucks continue to carry more equipment, municipal specifications continue to become more complex, and available space remains limited.
“There again, it’s because of the footprint,” said Larck. “You can put something on a vehicle where you may not be able to put an underdeck system because of the tools they’re using or how they want the truck set up.”
He also pointed to the output available from a compact package. K.E. Rose has installed UNDERHOOD systems across different airflow classes, including higher-output applications where the physical size remains considerably smaller than many standalone compressor packages. “What this little compressor can do is amazing,” said Larck.
Depending on the vehicle application and UNDERHOOD model selected, fleets and upfitters can access up to 40 CFM, 70 CFM, or 90 to 110 CFM of rotary screw air power at 100% duty cycle.
That compact capability helps explain why the system remains relevant to municipal fleets and upfitters alike. The compressor does not dictate the entire truck layout. Instead, it supports the broader vehicle design by preserving room for the tools, materials, storage, and equipment that define the application.
For the City of Columbus, that means smaller water-service vehicles can carry onboard compressed air without surrendering the body space required for municipal work. For K.E. Rose, it means greater flexibility when integrating multiple systems into a limited footprint. For VMAC, it validates the original premise behind UNDERHOOD: compressed air should be engineered into the vehicle when doing so creates a more capable work truck.
A compressor specification may begin with airflow and pressure, but a successful municipal build requires a wider view. The upfitter must consider where every component will go, how the operator will use the equipment, what the truck must carry, how the system will be serviced, and whether support will remain available years after delivery.
K.E. Rose brings that complete-vehicle perspective to every project. Its experience with the City of Columbus and other municipal fleets shows that the best equipment decision is not always the largest or most visible package. Often, it is the system that performs its role while leaving the rest of the truck free to perform its own.
UNDERHOOD air compressor systems support that approach by placing continuous-duty rotary screw air where it consumes the least working space. K.E. Rose adds the installation expertise, application knowledge, and long-term customer support required to make the technology part of a dependable municipal vehicle.
Thirty years after UNDERHOOD was introduced, Larck’s assessment remains straightforward. The footprint, reliability, and support matters. Most importantly, the complete truck must be ready for the work. For K.E. Rose, the City of Columbus, and other municipal fleets it serves, that is the standard that continues to drive the build.
K.E. Rose Company began performing commercial upfitting and manufacturing truck equipment in 1995 at its Dayton, Ohio, location. The company provides engineering and design services, truck equipment, body inventory, parts, fabrication, installation, and service for municipal, utility, public works, and commercial customers. K.E. Rose is a long-standing member of NTEA, The Work Truck Association.