1-Ton vs. 3-Ton: Which Grip Vehicle Does Your Florida Production Need

You've locked your shoot dates. You've got a crew, a location, and a shot list. Now comes one of the most practical decisions you'll make in pre-production: how much grip do you actually need rolling up to set?

For most Florida film and commercial productions, this comes down to a choice between two vehicles — the 1-Ton Grip Van and the 3-Ton Grip Truck. Both arrive production-ready. Both are packed with professional-grade gear. But they're built for very different jobs.

This guide breaks down exactly what each vehicle carries, what kinds of productions each one serves best, and how to make the right call before you book.

The Quick Answer (For When You're in a Hurry)

What's on the 1-Ton Grip Van

The CineVerse 1-Ton Grip Van is built for efficient, fast-moving productions that need a complete, professional grip equipment package without the overhead of a full truck.

Stands

You get 12 C-Stands, 6 Triple Riser Beefy Babies, 6 Double Riser Combos, 2 Triple Riser Combos, 2 Low Boy Dolly Stand Jrs., and 2 Baby C-Stands. That's a substantial stand inventory for most single-camera setups.

Rigging Gear

The van carries a well-rounded rigging kit: Cardellini clamps, Mafer clamps, Gaffer Grips, Gobo Heads (both 2½" and 4½"), drop ceiling scissor clamps, a Menace Arm Kit, spring clamps, safety cables, swivel cheese boroughs, and more — all the hardware your grip needs to work efficiently on a fast-paced set.

Frames, Flags & Nets

You've got full coverage from 18x24 up through 8x8 in solids, singles, doubles, silks, grids, and Ultrabounce. The 4x4 and 6x6 slip-on options add flexibility. This is more than enough diffusion and flag control for most interior and exterior interview and commercial setups.

Electrical

The electrical package includes 2x100' stingers, 6x50', 4x25', dimmers (1k and 600v), quad boxes, cube taps, ground lifters, and a 1800W super quiet inverter generator — a standout feature for run-and-gun shoots or locations without reliable power.

Tungsten Lights

A practical tungsten package: 1x2kW, 1x1kW, 1x750W, and 2x350W. More than enough to shape and fill in most controlled lighting environments.

Grip Gear & Utility

Full and half apple boxes, pancakes, quarters, reflector boards, furniture blankets, 20 lb sandbags, a 12 ft and an 18 ft ladder, jumper cables, a tow strap, a tarp, traffic cones, and a first aid kit. You're covered for the unexpected.

What's on the 3-Ton Grip Truck

The CineVerse 3-Ton Grip Truck is the full-scale solution. It carries significantly more gear across every category — and includes entire departments you simply won't find on the van.

Stands

In addition to 12 C-Stands and 2 Baby C-Stands, the truck adds 3 Mombo Combos, 6 Hollywood Combos, 3 Triple Riser Combos, 2 Low Boy Combos, 4 Hi Hi Roller Stands, 2 Boom Arms, and 2 Matthew Caster Sets with wheel upgrades. This is a stand package built for large sets, multiple simultaneous setups, and complex overhead work.

Frames, Rags, Flags & Nets

The truck's overhead package goes up to 12x12 — including a full range of solids, singles, doubles, silks, full grids, half grids, quarter grids, and Ultrabounce. It also carries 2x3 flags in multiple densities and a 24x72 Meat Axe for extreme flagging scenarios. The 3-ton is where you go when controlling light at scale.

Rigging Gear — Fully Expanded

This is where the 3-ton really separates itself. Beyond the standard clamps and gobo heads, you get 40 magnets, 26 metal plates, 2 wall spreaders, 4 Jr. Receiver C-Clamps, 4 Duckbill Clamps, 2 Menace Arm Kits, and significantly more of everything else. When your gaffer needs to rig quickly across multiple setups in a single day, this truck has the depth to do it.

Lighting — Full Package

The 3-ton carries 2x2kW, 2x1kW, 4x750W, and 4x350W Mole Richardson Tungsten fixtures, plus an HMI 1200 and a full set of Lekos (19°, 26°, 36°) — a capability you won't find on the 1-ton at all. Lekos give your gaffer hard-edged, focused control for practical windows, background exposure, and precise spotting.

Gels & Diffusion — Full Kit

The 3-ton includes a complete gel package: 216, 250, and 251 Diffusion, Opal, Full/Half/Quarter CTO, Full/Half/Quarter CTB, and ND .6 and .3. This is the category that often forces productions to rent supplements when they only have a van — the 3-ton has it all loaded and ready.

Camo Nets

1x 4x25 Forest Green Camo and 1x 8x20 Spring Green Camo — for exterior shoots, location shoots, or any production that needs to control or break up backgrounds.

Electrical — Expanded

8x50' stingers, 8x25', 2x1kW Dimmers, 1x600W, 2x300W, 10 power strips, and 10 cube taps. Significantly more power distribution capacity for larger electrical departments.

Shiny Boards

A Mirror Board, Gold 4x4 Shiny Board, Silver 4x4 Shiny Board, and 2 Bounce Boards — tools for outdoor shoots where controlling natural light is critical.

Cart & Chairs

A Muscle Cart and 2 Directors Chairs round out the package.

The Real-World Decision Guide

Here's how to think through your booking decision based on actual production scenarios.

Book the 1-Ton Grip Van If…

You're shooting a corporate interview or branded content video. A single-camera setup in a conference room, office, or studio doesn't need 12x12 overheads or a 1200 HMI. The van's C-stand army, 8x8 frame options, and tungsten package give you everything a 1–2 person grip team needs.

Your crew is 10 people or fewer. The 1-ton is optimized for lean, efficient crews. Less gear to manage means faster setups and cleaner wrap.

You're shooting in a tight location. Parking a 3-ton truck on a downtown Tampa street or inside a Miami office building garage is a logistical challenge. The van is easier to position, easier to manage, and causes less disruption.

You're doing a music video or social content shoot. Fast-moving creative shoots with a small grip crew and limited lighting needs are exactly what the 1-ton is designed for.

You need the built-in generator. The van's 1800W inverter generator is a practical advantage for location shoots without reliable power access — it's quiet enough to use without disrupting sound.

Your budget is tighter. More gear isn't always better gear if you're paying for inventory you won't touch. The 1-ton delivers a complete professional kit at a lower price point.

Book the 3-Ton Grip Truck If…

You're on a narrative film or large commercial production. Scripted productions with multiple lighting setups, controlled environments, and experienced G&E departments need the depth of inventory the 3-ton provides. When your gaffer is running three setups simultaneously, having 6 Hollywood Combos and 40 magnets available isn't excess — it's necessity.

You need HMI or Leko fixtures. The 3-ton's 1200 HMI and three Lekos are capabilities that simply don't exist on the van. If your shot list requires hard-edged light, precise window exposure control, or daylight-balanced practicals, the truck is the only choice.

You're working with a 10+ person crew. More crew means more simultaneous demands on grip inventory. The 3-ton's expanded stand package, rigging arsenal, and double-depth clamp and hardware counts are designed to support a full grip department.

You're shooting exteriors with complex overhead needs. The 12x12 frame package, Meat Axe, shiny boards, and camo nets make the 3-ton the right tool for exterior location days where natural light needs to be shaped, bounced, or cut at scale.

You need gels on set. If you're planning to use any color correction or diffusion gels — CTO for tungsten correction, CTB for daylight, ND for window exposure — the 3-ton has the full kit loaded. On the 1-ton, gels are not included and would need to be sourced separately.

You're doing a multi-day production with changing setups. The expanded inventory on the 3-ton gives your grip team the flexibility to adapt without running out of hardware between setups.

What Both Vehicles Have in Common

Both the 1-ton and the 3-ton share CineVerse's core commitment to production-ready equipment. Every piece of gear is tested, maintained, and prepped before rental. Both vehicles are organized for fast deployment — because a slow load-in costs your production real money.

Both vehicles also come with:

• Full apple box sets (full, half, quarter, pancake)

• Reflector boards

• Furniture blankets

• Sandbags

• Extension cords (stingers) at multiple lengths

• Safety cables

• Jumper cables, tow straps, and first aid kits

Both are available for pickup or delivery throughout Florida, serving Tampa, Orlando, Miami, Jacksonville, and surrounding production markets.

Still Not Sure? Here's a Simple Checklist

Ask yourself these five questions:

1. How many people are on my G&E team? 1–2 people → 1-ton. 3+ people with a dedicated gaffer → 3-ton.

2. Do I need overheads larger than 8x8? Yes → 3-ton only.

3. Am I using HMI or Leko fixtures? Yes → 3-ton only.

4. Do I need color correction or ND gels? Yes → 3-ton (or supplement your 1-ton rental with separate gel orders).

5. Is parking or access a constraint? Yes → lean toward the van.

If you're still on the fence, call or message the CineVerse team directly. We've helped productions across Florida make this call hundreds of times, and we're happy to talk through your shot list and crew size to point you toward the right vehicle.

Serving Florida Productions from Tampa to Miami

CineVerse Grip & Lighting provides grip truck and van rentals across Florida, including Tampa, Orlando, Miami, Jacksonville, and surrounding areas. Both vehicles are available for short-term and multi-day rental, with flexible delivery and pickup options designed around your production schedule.

→ View the full 1-Ton Grip Van inventory and request a quote

→ View the full 3-Ton Grip Truck inventory

→ Contact CineVerse to discuss your production needs

CineVerse Grip & Lighting — Gear Ready. Space Ready. Let's Roll. (863) 443-8844 | josh@cineverserentals.com