V8 Juice

There are big toter home tractor and trailers and hitch trailers of all sizes, open and enclosed, but I have never seen anything in between such as a custom enclosed flatbed with rear lift. There must be a reason besides cost since the cost would be between a toter home and open trailer. Why hasn't someone custom built on a flat bed or roll back as it would be carry all tools, accessories, tires enclosed and vehicle and easier to manage on long trips than truck and trailer, I would think. What am I missing? Has anyone ever done this or seen one?

Bill Dearborn

I saw an old American La France fire truck that was used as a Transporter at one of the PDA events last year.

Bill

Z11409

Lots of Hallmark brand stackers around for sale, most are on Volvo or Kenworth frames,#57,000 gross,3 axle,Cummings with 10-12 speeds.

MySR71

I've seen one or two at Mid Ohio before. A friend of mine who lives in California almost bought one a little while ago. He didn't because he found out he needed a higher class driver's license in order to drive it. The license required a physical and renewal something like every six months. I think all of this was because the weight of the truck.

Git Er Dun

You do not need any special license to drive a truck chassis motorhome licensed as an RV. I have my class A with all endorsements (I am a truck driver) but my Dad only has the normal class D. He recently purchased a 2003 Freightliner with a 430hp Catepilar motor making 1650tq. It has a 10 speed autoshift (automatic but has a hydrolic clutch so it still has engine braking just like a true manual).

It is 36ft long and about 25,XXX pounds. We pull our 30.5ft long aluminum car hauler so we are right about 67ft long. The legal lenght limit is 75ft but many of the big toterhome rigs are 40-45ft's with 40ft stackers...some states hassle them and others don't care.

As long as the rig is an RV you are fine and don't need a Class A or air brake license. Some are licensed (very few and it's like the ones are just an old semi tractor with no RV portion) as a non-commercial vehicle but are not licensed as an RV...those you might need a class A or air brake license for but the normal totorhome or truck chassis ones you are fine with a normal class D license.

BTW it tows the trailer like a DREAM...you don't even know it's there. Looking in the mirror it is just one long white billboard and you can't even hardly see the trailer because it's just one long line basically. 70+ up steep hills like nothing. It actually gets about 8.5-9.5mpg too. He has touched 10mpg one trip. We have a 2004 3500 GMC Conversion van with a 6.0L, 4L80E, 373 rear end, ect that gets 12mpg without the trailer everywhere. We bought that before this rig to pull the trailer...now that we have the motorhome the van just gets used around the city. Going to the track the motorhome vs the van pulling the trailer is like the same mpg so we just take the motorhome and have our own private bathroom/shower/kitchen/satelite TV/beds/generator/ect.

Here's a picture of our rig:

Git Er Dun

BTW ask any question you have on them. My Dad or myself can pretty much answer them all. He even is a member of a big online truck conversion forum. The rear hitch is rated to 40,000 pounds where most diesel pushers only have a 10000 pound hitch since the engine cradle is back there and they don't have a strong enough mounting spot for the hitch. Servicing the truck is amazing too. Have a repair...just take it to a semi truck shop since all the parts are the same...none of that working underneath the rear bed in a super confined space stuff

V8 Juice

Thanks for the comprehensive information and pictures of the rig and that beautiful black automobile next to it, nice wheels too! The big rig and trailer is the usual combination; what I am curious about is a single unit with cab and box to carry the car and equipment, no sleeping amenities, no trailer attached, just truck with enclosed customized box with lift gate to carry a Z06. Never seen or heard of one, OK, just heard via Bill above about a modified firetruck but that's not quite it. Shouldn't need truck license, but if the right vehicle requires one I'll get a Class A or whatever.

varkwso

I have seen several supporting the circle track guys. Most were built from old tilt bed trucks.

V8 Juice

Heck, those circle track guys would stuff their banged up POS in a hollowed out ambulance and not even bother to tie it down. And run the lights and siren all the way to the track. But a customized rollback is an idea. I'm surprised they fixed the pothole at Daytona, thought it was part of the new "let 'em run" on familiar roads philosophy.

Git Er Dun

Thanks for the compliments. I saw a picture online of a box truck that was pulling a big trailer with the car in the trailer. The box truck had a lift and they put a golf cart, rolling tool bins, and fuel cans in the box truck. I think the main issue with say an old U-Haul 24ft box truck is getting the car in as I'm sure those lifts can't support a Corvette. I actually was trying to figure out the logistics of loading 3 Corvettes in a 53ft semi trailer to take to TX and figured out a great way to do it...or at least get the cars in...getting them out is the tricky part...You need a 4 point hoist or someone that will let you use a 4 point hoist. Put a car on the hoist, back the trailer/box truck up to the end of the hoist, drive the car into the trailer...just getting them out you would need someone on the other end with a 4 point hoist or someone with a lift gate on a semi race trailer that would be kind enough to let you drive onto thier lift gate and lower you down...so not really a great idea but that's what I came up with.

There are truck chassis motorhomes with the living quarters (back bedroom) above a garage that usually isn't quite big enough for a full car (but with money anything is possible) and those have a lift gate usually to lower the car/atv/golf cart down. If you could find a manufacturer of lift gates that could go on the back of an old box truck then you could have a 24ft box truck to put the car in.

For how much you would have into it though it would be much cheaper to just buy a trailer and a tow vehicle. I looked into buying an old semi and old automotive transport trailer. The semi is about 10,000 (cheap end) to 15,000 (decent truck just high milage) and about 20-25,000 for the 48-53ft trailer with lift gate. To register something as an RV in MN all I would have to do is put on a generator, add a fridge/freezer combo, and a foot pump camping sink...that's pretty much it in order to call it an RV.

V8 Juice

Appreciate all the time and information. Still surprised that no modified box truck with lift gate doesn't seem to exist. Heck of a lot cheaper than toter home and trailer just so you can sleep at the track.

Bob86ZZ4

You're saying you've seen lots of single unit trucks (not tractor/trailer combos) that have stacking (two cars, one above the other) garages in them? I've never seen such a rig. As a matter of fact I've never seen a single unit with a motorhome in the front and a full size car garage in the back. If you could find a picture of something like that I'd like to see it. There are tons of "garage coaches" that have smaller garages in the back that could fit a smart car or a mini or some cycles.

Bob86ZZ4

Maybe this is what you're looking for?: http://www.racingjunk.com/category/1...Motorhome.html

Looks pretty cool.

Spinner_89

V8 Juice - Yes, such a thing does exist!
The one that I have experience with was on a Kenworth T300 Chassis and was about 40' in length. It did have a motor home style living compartment directly behind and integrated with the cab. (Yes it had a toilet) The rear most portion of the truck was a kin to a freight box, however it was outfitted as a garage, with permanent loft for parking a car with a 5,000lb large platform lift that would lift from the ground up to either parking height. (Picture the back of an open Nascar trailer) I wish I could find my picture of it…

It was a very nice setup, and defiantly was easier to maneuver than a full size rig. That being said, I'm sure that this 2 car deluxe car hauler had a similar price tag as many full size commercial truck/trailer, Private 3 or 4 car haulers or Towder-homes. (The owner was transporting an F40 & a Dino.)

I know you said you're not interested in a motor home style vehicle, and that a converted straight truck is really what you're looking for. They are out there, and can be built without spending a small mint. I have access to the companies & information you'd need to build/spec one if you serious about going that direction.


To give some clarification to a few of the statements from Git Er Dun, and with all due respect to a fellow operator… Legally - just because there is a toilet on board does not exempt you from very much!

The gross combined vehicle weight is the most important determining factor:

Most motor homes (Even Class A Pushers) do not exceed the basic standards for a regular license, although many of them do require an air brake endorsement.

Recommendations:
1. Check your drivers license to see if there is a limit to the weight you’re allowed.
- Most "standard" licenses allow for up to 25,999 lbs GCVW with a limit on the weight of the trailer being hauled - Usually about 11,000 lbs. (25,999 is usually a lower capacity single axle "5 ton")
- Most "standard" licenses only allow for a single drive axle. (Non-powered Tag or Push axles not included) If you have a truck with a Tandem drive, you would most certainly require a higher class of license based on the vehicles capacity.

2. Check the jurisdiction you're travelling to.
- Many states / provinces require ALL vehicles over a specified weight to pull into the highway scales.
- Some places will show "RV & Registered Busses Exempt" but many don't. Regardless if you are "not for hire" or you're licensed as a motor home, if it says ALL that means you too.

3. Check the vehicle.
- If you're driving a vehicle with a combined gross vehicle weight in excess of 25,999 lbs (or 11,793 kgs) you could be subject to keeping a log book just like a commercial transport operator.
- If the vehicle you are driving is equipped with an air brake system - YOU MUST HAVE AN AIR BRAKE ENDORSEMENT.
(To my latest knowledge, this is the case even if you're working on your Class A or 1 learner’s license.)
- There is such a thing as Air over Hydraulic, which is especially the reverse of the standard vacuum assist brake systems we're used to, utilizing positive air pressure. This AoH does not require an air endorsement as it's not completely Air dependant. (If you loose all your air, you still have brakes)
- If you're unsure, go to a DOT station and ask questions and drive across the scale to see where you stand.
- Individual axle weights that are overloaded are also a problem.
- There are scales located within the highways, to measure you're vehicle's weight while you're travelling at highway speeds. If you trip their sensor (catch their interest) and don't pull in & cross the scale, there's a good chance that they'll chase you down and hassle you if they think you've got something to hide.
- Some DOT officers don’t give much attention to an obvious Motor home & trailer combination so long as they don’t believe they are a commercial operation shipping goods.

If you're not in compliance, and just haven't been caught yet, you're still not in compliance.

Should you find yourself in involved in a crash or claim of any kind, you can bet that your insurance company will be asking all sorts of questions. It is also possible to receive citations that may wind up on your criminal record.

P.S. If my South Carolina Commercial Transportation Guru is correct - the commercial sized "Towder-home" exemptions are slated to be removed in the next few years.


Happy Travels!

varkwso

Bummer - once again the "guvmint" is regulating what will be best for me...maybe it is another union (Labor - not the other one) plot...

V8 Juice - I am on the lookout for one - since I am in the south I am sure you would prefer one that runs instead of yard art?

Git Er Dun

On the back of a normal MN license it says any combination of vehicles up to 26,000 OR RV...that means you could drive any weight RV without needing a special license.

However it says trailer up to 10,000 pounds so I don't know what the law would say if you had an RV but a trailer 10,001+ pounds since the trailer wouldn't be covered by that wording.

On the scale signs I am pretty sure they all say "COMMERCIAL vehicles over 10,000 (some 8,000 pounds) must stop at scale when open"...since it's not DOT licensed as a commercial vehicle then you don't need to stop at the scale.

V8 Juice

Yes, that's the idea but without the sleeping compartment...don't need/want the extra weight and length. That vehicle w/o the compartment and with some custom interior work in the "box" would be a great track hauler. Definitely not yard art, but would require a larger garage!

It is true, the cost of track events will expand to exceed your budget.

V8 Juice

Spinner 89 quote" "I know you said you're not interested in a motor home style vehicle, and that a converted straight truck is really what you're looking for. They are out there, and can be built without spending a small mint. I have access to the companies & information you'd need to build/spec one if you serious about going that direction."

I'm serious; if you can recommend an experienced custom builder let me know via this string or PM. Thanks.
Art

Spinner_89

V8 Juice, I will do a little investigating and let you know. PM Sent.

Bob86ZZ4

I don't think you'd be able to find something closer to what you want than this, ready to go and all. Especially around that price. I wonder what, if anything, is wrong with that truck. The sleeper cab is nice to have tho. If you don't want to sleep in it then you put in some nice captain's chairs or a nice sofa for all your buddies to come to the track. Pretty nice to have your own toilet too. Anybody near Ramona, CA, to check it out? Be fun to just take it for a test drive if nothing else. A bunch of pictures showing that sleeper would be nice too.