The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts The Trailer Hauler

This thread Got me thinking about a truck I'm supposed to pick up sometime. The Trailer Hauler
Any thoughts on this guy, I wish I had got a better shot of the ID Tag ,it's several hours away or I'd go look again. I'm guessing it's at least a 4400.
I realize that it was prob. an after market conversion or was just built after the fact out of something else.
It would be real fun to drive to some cruises, shows someday.
MONGO

I've actually seen a few of these through the years. They were Mobile Home Toters. Looks to be a '53, with that Blue, & silver ID tag. Yes most definitely, at least a 1 1/2 4000 series.

Good Call Spanky,
Found some other pics I took and was able to Zoom into the number in one of them, Gotta love the VIN Buster

Serial # : N53K025607
Mfg Year : 1953
Model : 4100 1.5 ton
Wheelbase : 137 inches
Plant : Kansas City, MO

The wheelbase must have been shortened up during the conversion. So have you got any pictures of the other one's you've seen? I'm curious what the winch should have looked like.
Mongo

That would be a real cute rig fixed up. Although it would be one rough ride with that short wheelbase
Are those cylinderical objects on each side of the pipe frame work supposed to turn. Are they what your refering to as a winch? It doesn't look like a strong enough frame for a winch.

The pipe rack was for spare trailer wheels,It would in all probablity not have a winch.
Floyd

A rack for trailer tires makes sense. You see those rigs loaded down with extra tires all the time.

I don't know about the rest of you, but I would not want to haul a trailer very far with a truck with such a short wheelbase.
Seems to me that the trailer could very easily drive the truck?

I share some of the concern about the short wheelbase, but I also remember seeing these real short trucks on the road in the past, so I know it was once common.

I'd like to have something real short like that just to move my trailer and other things around here at home. On the road I like my extended cab, full box, pickup with a 130+ inch wheelbase. But parking it at home, and getting it in the right place can be a challenge because its so long.

Yup, that makes more sense. I think the tire rack will have to go.
Spanky sent me some pictures of a couple other similar trucks , I think A short bed like the one on the COE will be the route I might go, that or a short boom, and a PTO Winch. This will be more for moving stuff around the yard, short trips, and something different for shows and cruises.
This will be a project for much later.
Mongo

that was a mobile home setup truck - the wheel racks are for after the house trailer was in place on blocks and the wheels were taken for the next move, no sense in buyin 4 new wheels and tires to just sit there and rot ... was a common thing back in the day, and not a real high speed endeavor, considering the 216's and 235's that were doin it .... and you hafta remember those stubby COE semi's pullin full 30-40' freight trailers alla time they weren't cruisin the interstate at 75 either

Bill

I still see short mobile home totters made from late model trucks. A cab over Pete or KW looks scary that short. They are taller than they are long.

I once shortened a K-whopper tilt cab for a guy and built a toter package with a hydraulic multi-position hitch. Extended the mirrors and the whole bit. As far as I was concerned all I was doing was ruining a good single axle tractor. What a waste.

If you've ever had to pull a mobile out of an established mobile home park or try to back one in,you'll know why they built those trucks so short. Even though you feel you ruined a good truck,you also built somebody a truck that would enable them to move mobile homes that probably would have to be dismantled to get them out otherwise. A lot of mobile home movers used to buy Cornbinders for toters just because they had a really tight turning radius and stump puller engines.
I tell ya,thats a job I wouldn't wish on anybody I liked at all,though I have a couple of friends who did it for a living,by choice.
Speed

KCMongo,

You've got too many projects. Your never gonna get to this one. Why don't you just tell me where it is and I'll go take it off your hands for you!

I'm only about 3 hours from you so it can't be that far from me.