different type of road homes....

Discussions about all things to do with buses, trucks, and the homes made within them.

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dragonhorseboy
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different type of road homes....

Post by dragonhorseboy »

these are just various paper/brain concept ideas so don't take anything serious yet but....

small day cab [2 or 3 axles] with short or sawed off trailer redone as a homemade rv trailer...diffused lights could be mounted toward sides to make it possible to keep low trailer height while still able to stand up easily

highway truck with sleeper cab and either a flatbed or van trailer converted mostly into homemade rv home then mounting ramps on rear to carry a smaller vehicle [like for city or in off-highway places where the only access is under low-height bridges]

vans with homemade home box (cut hole in rear of cab and find some good inner tubing to seal the 'passageway' opening?) ... if has power tailgate platform always could use that as a "open balcony" with a folding chair for humors

say...on a brainstorming side....do anyone know if its not difficult to take the tanker off for an old being-sold milk tanker? (I don't want touch flameable ones as..even if claimed to be empty you know what can happen with sparks and the leftover flameable liquid/gas!)

dragonhorseboy...

p.s=I know that there's better easiler ones such as buses/pickups/etc but then...well..I already have a slight-old-now Truck Trader issue here and there's just quite a lot of low priced trucks with smaller gearboxes for some reason (even with upward of to a 360HP cat engine through 13spd)
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dadeo
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Post by dadeo »

I've been thinking about similar ideas, involving tractor-trailer combinations and also the expediter type straight trucks, with the sleeper on it. I also have seen good deals on them, although i fear what insurance would be like for it. I think it would probubly be ok to get the lowest gvw rating available if it would save money, as theyre made to haul incredible weights. I cant think of how i would ever have 60,000 lbs of stuff to haul around.
so i was kinna concidering the idea of using a single axle tractor kinna like this: http://www.hankstruckpictures.com/pix/t ... cf_ih3.jpg
dragonhorseboy
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Post by dragonhorseboy »

that picture you linked to...I've thought of that since there are two ad for possible good (first one looks like a good deal, second one..well..it seem to be quite high km and owned by a company lot) daycab trucks.

I don't see any ad for a short trailer yet or maybe its that I'm only like halfway through reading this issue yet so there might be one.

I keep thinking about these kind of trailers http://www.hankstruckpictures.com/pix/t ... ayes11.jpg since that would mean you could try create some good standing space inside while keeping height down as low as possible (a bit of couching over near rear but that could be storage or bed area) --- got any comment on that?

dragonhorseboy....
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dadeo
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Post by dadeo »

first of all, i love the web site http://www.hankstruckpictures.com
also, the trailer you picked is cool, it is designed for hauling tractors and fork lifts and such, i think, as it lowers and seperates to allow the towed vehicle to ride off at the front. Its cool, a little too industrial maybe. I think a good alternative might be the trailers ive seen at work, they are also low, but they're enclosed van trailers. they have little wheels and require special ramps to bring them up to dock height. theyre huge!
Just today i was inside a regular 53' (16.15M) trailer and it was super spacious! I can only imagine if it was also super tall.
anyway, I guess these are kinna new, and may not be cheap.
im trying to find a picture.......
dragonhorseboy
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Post by dragonhorseboy »

too industrial...hmm...maybe you're right.

anyhow with only being about halfway through this trader issue there were two particular trailers...one is a float trailr with hydraulic goose neck and new rubber&brakes for $9000cdn then the other is a low deck 53ft van (seriously...a tad on the 'very long' side?) for $6,700cdn obo.

guess I'll keep on reading and making list of the good ad & their page then see what I come to when I finish the whole issue and start narrowing down the list on pricing+mileage :)

dragonhorseboy....
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dadeo
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Post by dadeo »

the main problem for me, I dont know about you, is where to put such a vehicle while working on it?? where im living now, it would take up my whole driveway and maybe stick out into the street!!
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dadeo
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Post by dadeo »

dragonhorseboy
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Post by dragonhorseboy »

you just gave me an interesting idea!!!!

I was wondering about how to store clothing/food/etc but now you just answered that question.....just the hell use a standard box trailer :p

and by the way for in case I get a trailer......close to this place is a large usually-empty gravel-surfaced parking lot (it even gets plowed every winters anyway) that I could park the trailer at easily.

hmm I think I am starting to have some better concept ideas now...I'll need a while to sort it out :)

dragonhorseboy....

p.s=it looks like the rig is hauling what seem to be a bus that had its steering axle and a bit of its body gone into a fifth hitch instead...am I right?
roasting8
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Post by roasting8 »

A while back, I found a New Zealand site that has some tractor-trailer conversions, left me with the desire to do the same.

The only thing that I would be worried about is registration and licensing. Would you have to have a commercial license sto drive it?
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Post by roasting8 »

Oops, I forgot to give the links of the New Zealand site.

The first one is of the Home Page

http://www.stu.co.nz/busimages.html

The second is of a tractor/trailer combo.

http://www.stu.co.nz/busimages.html
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Post by dragonhorseboy »

roasting8 hmm...if its hydraulic brakes and a smaller engine choice its probably licensed as G (meaning: car/suv type license also) but then thats usually the van types.

for a smaller daycab truck...its a base trucker license (no long trailers sorry...thats another truck license level higher I believe) that plus the Z endorsement too.

dragonhorseboy....
roasting8
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Post by roasting8 »

It sure looks pretty, doesn't it.

It looks like their pretty strick in the Great White North. :D I haven't checked it out, here in the U.S., but I don't think it would be that bad over here.

Here, I think it's more determined by weight and length. Also, if you're using it for commerical purposes. I think if you keep the weight down, the length short, and it's non-commerical, you could probably get away with it. Just have to get the trailer retitled to RV and the truck, non-commerical.

I, myself, own a Crown Coach, not as long as Sharkey's, but almost taking just as long :)
dragonhorseboy
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Post by dragonhorseboy »

hmm roasting8's talk above reminded me of something.

I saw it on the road once but then never saw such thing again and had NO clue how to find a picture online but I guess I'll ask here and see what goes....

do anyone know of any rv that sold or used to sell a mini-rig rv that looked like a shrunk daycab truck on the cab size of a compact pickup cab and matched rv trailer altogether? (the paint job was same between the truck and trailer on this one I saw)

it was a windy coast so I never could hear its engine when it right-turn left the small parking lot and was going toward a sloped left curve so I don't know if that was diesel or not too.

dragonhorseboy....
Melwynnd
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Commercial Driver's License

Post by Melwynnd »

Hello all,

I was reading the threads in this discussion because I am in the process of planning a rolling home on a 48'x102" step deck trailer. I don't imagine it will be "rolling" too often, but it gives me great comfort to know I can just go and take my home with me in event of an emergency or if changes come about here that aren't to my liking(methane plant for instance).

I believe many of the vehicles you are discussing require a CDL. I currently have a class A CDL with tanker and doubles and triples endorsement so I can pretty much drive anything but hazmat. Here are the requirements for a CDL in Wyoming. It's pretty much the same in all states.

A CDL is required if you operate any of the following CMV's . . .

A vehicle with a manufacturer's gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of more than 26,000 lbs.
A vehicle towing a unit with a manufacturer's GVWR of more than 10,000 lbs. when the GCWR exceeds 26,000 lbs.
A vehicle designed to transport 16 or more persons (including the operator) or any vehicle carrying children to or from school and home regularly for compensation.
A vehicle of any size that carries hazardous materials in amounts requiring placarding.

Anyway, I am really enjoying this site. It's nice to hear from people who are interested in the same things as I am(I'm a bit strange where I live)


P.S.
I was thrilled to discover that it cost me $105 to renew my license this year as a DOT physical is required whether you are driving commercially or not!
Find someone to take you where you would otherwise not go!
Stan
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California Not-For-Hire CDL

Post by Stan »

California has a provision for issuing a CDL for RVs and other not-for-hire vehicles operated above 26k GVWR. Written and basic driving test, IIRC, but no formal school requirement. Anyone operating a vehicle over that weight in Cali is supposed to have one, but the rule is routinely ignored. The test is reported as easy to pass, as it's aimed at retirees in their big land-yatchs.
Stan Clayton
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