f you’ve ever called a Las Vegas rental house and heard “we can send a 1-ton” without fully knowing what that means, you’re not alone. Grip truck sizing is one of those industry shorthands that gets tossed around on breakdowns and call sheets like everyone already knows the difference — but a lot of producers, especially those newer to the field or visiting Las Vegas from out of town, are quietly Googling it at 11pm the night before a shoot.
To help clear that up, this post breaks it down clearly: what’s physically in each truck, what productions each size is built for, and how to know which one you actually need.
First, What Is a Grip Truck?
A grip truck is a production vehicle pre-loaded with grip and lighting gear — the physical infrastructure of a film or video shoot. We’re talking C-stands, flags, diffusion, sandbags, overhead frames, lighting fixtures, power distribution, expendables, and more.
The key word is pre-loaded. You’re not renting an empty truck and sourcing your own gear. You’re getting a ready-to-deploy package, built and organized by people who work on Las Vegas sets every week. At F11, every grip truck also comes with a driver, grip, or PA — because a truck without someone who knows how to use it isn’t much of a rental.
The “ton” designation refers loosely to the vehicle’s cargo capacity and scales with the size and complexity of the gear inside. With that in mind, here’s what each level looks like in practice.
The 1/2-Ton Grip Van:
Best for: Commercials, music videos, run-and-gun shoots, small crew single-camera setups
The half-ton is the most nimble option in the fleet. It fits into tight locations, parks where a larger vehicle can’t, and gets in and out fast — which matters more than people realize on fast-moving production days in Las Vegas.
What you’ll find inside:
- C-stands and baby stands
- Flags, nets, and diffusion frames
- Light-duty overhead frames
- Sandbags
- Basic grip expendables (tape, black wrap, gels)
- Compact lighting package
This truck is the right call when your shoot is one or two cameras, you’re moving between locations throughout the day, and you don’t need a full rigging setup. Corporate videos, social content, music videos, and smaller Las Vegas commercials are the sweet spot. On top of that, it’s also the most cost-effective option when you know what you need and don’t want to pay for gear that’ll stay in the truck all day.
The 1-Ton Sprinter:
Best for: Mid-size narrative, commercial work, two-camera setups, multi-location days
Stepping up from the half-ton, the 1-ton is the workhorse. . It’s the truck most productions end up booking once they’ve done a real scout and prepped an honest shot list. It steps up the lighting package significantly and carries enough overhead and rigging gear to handle a wider range of setups — interior and exterior — without leaving anything critical behind.
What you’ll find inside:
- Full C-stand package
- 4×4 and 6×6 frames with silks and blacks
- Expanded flag and diffusion set
- Medium-duty grip package (speed rail, pipe clamps, junior/baby combo stands)
- More robust lighting package — HMIs, LED panels, or tungsten depending on configuration
- Expanded expendables kit
This is the truck for productions that need to be ready for multiple setups in a single day, where the DP might call an audible and need a bigger overhead or bounce. The 1-ton doesn’t leave much out. As a result, if you’re unsure whether you need a half-ton or a 1-ton, the answer is usually the 1-ton.
The 3-Ton:
Best for: Features, large commercials, multi-day productions, full rigging needs
The 3-ton is a full-scale production package. This is what you call when you’re shooting something that requires comprehensive overhead rigging, multiple lighting setups running simultaneously, or anything that a smaller truck would be playing catch-up on by mid-morning.
What you’ll find inside:
- Complete C-stand and combo stand package
- 12×12 overhead frames — silks, blacks, grids
- Full speed rail package
- Arri tungsten kits + supplemental LED and HMI
- Comprehensive power distribution
- Full expendables load-out
- Everything the smaller trucks carry, at higher quantity
For visiting productions coming into Las Vegas from LA or elsewhere, the 3-ton is often the first call. Because of that, it means you don’t have to piece together gear from multiple Las Vegas vendors or worry about gaps in your package when you’re already dealing with logistics, permits, and a crew that flew in the day before.
How to Choose the Right Size
The honest answer: build your shot list first, then call us. The grip truck decision should follow from what you’re actually planning to shoot — not the other way around.
To point you in the right direction, here are a few guiding questions:
How many setups are you shooting in a day? More setups means more gear in active rotation, which means more truck.
Are you shooting Las Vegas exteriors? Desert sun is brutal — especially in summer when temperatures push past 110°F. Overhead diffusion and flag work is not optional on location here — make sure your package covers it.
What’s your lighting approach? A DP who works with a lot of practicals and minimal lighting gear has different needs than one who builds every setup from scratch with HMIs and full overhead frames.
Are you traveling between Las Vegas locations? The half-ton moves faster through traffic and fits tighter parking. By contrast, the 3-ton is better when you’re planted at one or two locations and need everything at arm’s reach
Even so, if you’re still not sure, that’s what we’re here for. Call us with your shot list and we’ll tell you which package fits — and we’ll build custom loads if your production needs something beyond the standard manifest.
One Roof, One Call
F11 is the only production rental house in Las Vegas that combines grip trucks, cameras, lighting, and an on-site cyclorama studio under one roof. s a result, out-of-town productions can source their full package — grip truck, camera gear, studio space — in a single conversation, with a crew that’s ready when your team arrives
Ready to book? Contact F11 Rentals and we’ll have your package dialed in before day one.