
Doing models with 15k+ polygons is generally a bad idea since when they're all in use it will cause a serious performance hit. Most of mine average in around 5,000 polygons all-in (equipment on the thing, wheels etc) but if it can be done lighter it's all the better since it takes less resources to load a lighter model. Remember everything is loaded on the map, from buildings, to scenery, to traffic, and your units themselves so keeping them light where possible is what matters. For un-common (unique) vehicles which will only have 1 or 2 instances called of them on the map you can have a higher limit, but for things which are quite often used in multiples (like police cars) keeping them light really matters. As such keeping the models as light as possible helps keep the performance load reduced greatly compared to building things that are really detailed but also very heavy. If every vehicle on the map has 5,000 polygons and there are 10 vehicles that's 50,000 polygons rendered at that time. There is not really a "defined" limit for the game, it more is a compounding issue. I believe that I'm done with the side at this point and move on to the front and back. It's about 250 vertex's.

Does is matter if some panels overlay each other? The best step is to model the cab first, and do the rear box body last, and make sure both are separately modelled, but attached together in the final product. Fire engines like that rescue rig tend to be easier builds in my experience, due to them being flat.
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Making it 3D is a whole other process, and you will need to do a lot of trial and error and moving around with the camera to get it right.

Your initial 2D mesh is complete when you get to that point. All you need to do is finish modelling the wheel arches, the panels, and aligning the vertices that need to be straightened out. You already have the side of the truck modelled out. In that particular context, you dont need a grid anymore.
