new memeber to forum...complete newbie with some questions

[bchurch]

Hello all. My name is Bill and I live in North Carolina. I have always been a fan of big rigs my whole life so this sorta led me to this idea i have in my head.... now i need to talk to you guys to tell me if this crazy idea will work or if it is even possible.
After driving 40ft diesel pusher motor coach and driving Fire trucks as a vol fire fighter i found i rather enjoy being in command of a large truck. I have recenty sold my last large pick-up...( Ford f-250 4x4 with 8 inch lift kit) and have been intrigued by the F-650's and the International CXT's. But looking at the price of some of these 'trucks' at over 100k for a non-working truck seems rediculous! I was trying to figure out a way to have the big truck feeling with a small pick-up truck price. ( i found that f-650's and cxt's are just big enough to carry the payment books home...)
Here's my crazy idea....i have found a 1994 freightliner columbia at an extremely good deal.....if i removed the fifth wheel and fabricated some sort of bed could this truck be titled as a weighted pickup?....i know most of this forum is for converting semi's to toter homes.. but i figured you guys were bound know alot more than my small knowledge .. .. i would not be useing this thing to tow a goose neck or 5th wheel trailer.....just to have the biggest truck in the sandbox so to speak...is this feasable?....do-able?....

[FrankZ]

I can't answer your questions but I wanted to say welcome to the community.

[Bob86ZZ4]

Hi Bill, welcome to Truck Conversion. I think each state is going to have their own laws that would regulate this. If you wanted to do that in MN I'm pretty sure you could. One of the concerns here is that you need a Class A license to drive it since it would have a gross veh. weight rating over 26k lbs. But MN would let you license it with weight rated plates. You also might have a problem parking it on a local street since some communities have rules about length/width parking if not loading/unloading. You'd also be restricted to driving it on truck routes in my town since it's over 16k lbs. rated GVWR. Now, you might be able to have it singled (one drive axle instead of two) and get the GVWR reduced to under 26k. That would help you avoid a bunch of problems I think. If you can make sure you can get it reduced. Might have to have a truck builder do that. I think Wayland Long at 2L Custom Trucks has knowledge of how this is done. Google him and call him. He's in Texas. Sounds like a cool truck.