The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Who uses their truck as a truck?

I got curious about Fruehauf when I acquired my trailer in about 2006. It is an interesting story. Here are a couple more pictures. One is the original "rig" as I found it in a Missouri pasture. I got it all so I would have the fifth wheel, etc. I bought the replacement truck on eBay in about 2008. I shortened the frame from 157" w.b. to 131 inches (factory short w.b.) before installing the fifth wheel, which needed some repairs.
The rear view shows the fifth wheel installed, my home made r.h. tail lamp bracket, AND...my unusual factory accessory Tow Ring. Since this photo, I have relocated the tail lamps to their original spot and added a spare tire.

That's a cool truck. What sort of body do you have on the trailer now? Interesting to see that the trailer has the same rims as the truck. What engine is in the truck?

The man who sold me the truck and trailer thought that the trailer was originally made with sideboards for hauling livestock. He also thought that the truck and trailer had been together since new. I did not get titles with them but the newest patent on the trailer is 1934. While learning about Fruehauf company in this time period, I collected some original sales literature, some of which was loaned to Ruth Fruehauf who maintains the Fruehauf website. Unfortunately I never got any of it back and she claims to have no recollection of borrowing it from me. Fruehauf spent a lot of advertising dollars, during this era, with a campaign to convince owners of medium size trucks, that they could pull more than they could carry. The printed material would depict a Chevy, Ford, or Dodge truck towing a trailer. In every case the trailer would always have a lug bolt pattern to match the truck. It is my theory that part of their sales strategy was to put hubs on the trailer with a matching bolt pattern so that tires/wheels could be interchanged between the two. In the case of my trailer, it did not quite work out. In 1936, Chevy introduced the full floating rear hubs on 1-1/2 ton trucks. This required the center hole to be enlarged from 4-1/4" to 4-3/4' to fit over the hub. The wheels on the trailer are the same as '34/'35 Chevy so I could put truck wheels on the trailer but not trailer wheels on the truck.
The trailer still does not have a deck. It is 20 feet long and I wanted the boards to be full length so My Brother and I sawed lumber but I have not built the floor. Maybe this Spring.
The truck has all of its original driveline. 207 c.i.d. inline 6 cylinder engine, 4 speed transmission, and (thankfully) 5.43 ratio, rear axle. I am running 6.50 X 20 Denman tires all around. Trailer tires are 7.00 X 20 and are the tires I removed from the truck.

Mike

That's interesting about the trailer wheels. Makes perfect sense.

Ol' Roy had to do some actual work this week instead of just hauling me around town to visit my clients. Picked up 70 bags of mulch at Lowe's in two trips.

This girl worked there and was going on break just as I was loading up. She was so excited to see this truck she was clapping and giggling. I told her to get in.

The sun was so low on the horizon when I got on I-20, it made a really cool shadow on the back of a box truck.

Look Ma, no overheating!

Otto, I have found that Young Women, Old Men and Young Children like our old trucks. They seem to be drawn to them like magnets.

You're right, Wayne. Also when I was at Lowe's, an elderly man and his wife were going on about how the man's grandfather had a '49 when he was a kid. His wife was taking a ton of pictures.

When this happens to me I ask one of them if they have a phone, then get them in the truck and take a picture or two.

I took pics with her phone and mine.

Ol Roy got to visit with some of his high falutin' cousins last Saturday at the Peach State Cadillac Club Chili Cookoff. Since the event was held about a mile from my mom's house, I figured I'd load up Ol' Roy with firewood and take it over to Ottomom's after the cookoff.

I didn't catch any grief for not driving The Bismarck. Everybody loves AD trucks.

Drove JW to work and back, over 100 miles round trip. Took mostly interstate going there, and mostly 2 lane coming home. 14 mpg which I thought was pretty decent. Ran great.

I think clutch might be getting weak. Might see a post on that optic in the shop forums.

As is my custom, failed to take a single picture.

What no Pictures...

You’d think I would eventually figure this out.

Got another load of small rock from work. I have hauled 2 loads like this. She sure rides nice with a good load in the back.
I put it on my rock drive by my shop and shared some with a neighbor.

Phil - That looks great! Definitely a lot less bounce in a loaded ride.

Thank you, sir.
I really like putting this truck to work as much as I can.

Old Bessie performed well on her trip to the hardware store. It was her first workout since a complete nose to tail mechanical rebuild. I started her light. She did well.

Looking Great!
"Spring" time is close..
Todd

Heck, it's already springtime here, barely any ice left on the lake, only a little snow falling, only dropping down into the low 20's at night. I will have a load of scrap metal prepared for the '57 trip to the recycle yard.

I like looking at all these old work horses in action. Thanks for posting.

Nice to see "Old Bessie" out and about Twin Jimmys. Thanks for sharing with us!

Got the Stovebolt Flagship (Ole Charlie) out over the weekend. Nothing so spectacular as Phil's load of gravel ... just a load of recyclables to our town drop off point. It was a beautiful day up here on the mountain!

Nice to see "Ole Charlie" out and about too John! Looks like a beautiful day for sure.

I love the glint of sunlight reflecting off the chrome with that blue sky in the background. It looks like a great day to be out and about.

Thanks. I may be out and about again tomorrow, too. I'll be giving Charlie a brake check (going down the mountain ...) So if you happen to be in downtown Scottsboro tomorrow ... be sure to wave.

Light load from the local Home Depot

Did a 10 mile round trip to Walmart . Got to test my new water pump that I foolishly did not replace when rebuilding the truck. Temps were in the low 80’sF, so the new AC got a workout as well.

Glad to see both trucks out and about!

Very nice pickup RLB.

Helped split firewood for the Veterans Assistance Program. Last year they delivered 240 Cords of firewood for free to our local Veterans and their Widows! Siskiyou County
Beautiful day in Yreka, Ca.

Thank you for supporting our Veterans!!!

Our 53 has provided years of service and complains little. Everything from yard waste to paver blocks.

I love a true working truck!
Keep the pictures coming...Weather is Nice.
Todd

I got "Thor" to work this weekend. I used the Truck bed crane to move the frame for our '60 C10 project. The C10 frame is being prepped for sandblasting.

Having the crane mounted on"Thor" has proven to be very useful. I may have pushed the limits of it capabilities with this one though..

Had a nice easy salvage for some of this years off-season activities. Everyone in the county seems to know this truck now since I work her so much. I couldn't get through a single day without at least someone stopping by to talk and look, both at the salvage project and the truck, two things rarely seen these days.

Truck earning it’s keep by hauling ’ some soil for my master gardener wife.

I use my 62 3/4 as my daily driver. Yes, always get thumbs up and "NICE TRUCK" yells.

Easy Does It - How about some pictures of your "daily driver"???

went and got some fence posts and rails this morning before work.

Just a “small fencing project”, right! LOL