Where to Start

[westexgt]

Man I have been reading, looking, researching, and I want to know where to start my build. I am on a tight budget!!! Don't need anything huge, or with lots of power, most trailer I will pull is my 20ft enclosed that has nothing but a couple quads and a my sandrail. I have been considering a used freightliner box truck, but can someone give me some good pointers before I go and waist my money on something that won't work (power, size, truck, etc...) Does someone have a nice link where someone actually took a bare truck, and did the conversion with good pictures and tips? Once again any help would be appreciated!!!

Thanks,
Kevin

 

[Matt295]

If you are trying to keep cost down I would suggest something like a freightliner M2 or an older FL80. 300 hp, 860 ft.lbs. It all depends on waht you want to carry and how big of a box you want. I'd steer clear from a box truck unless you can find a half decent automatic one. It would suck to go on a VACATION and have to worry about shifting through 12 or 18 gears. I know a guy in Kentucky that found one. Had fairly low mileage, and it was automatic. He ordered his box from some place called Morgan (Morgan boxes, or truck boxes, i guess, not exactly sure). He got his storage compartments off an old prevost from a scrap yard. Those are really the main things, when you find stuff like that you can figure out tank placement and other large item arrangements. By the end that guy had spent around $40,000 for a very decent rig.

 

[rjdhomes]

Kevin, make sure you get air ride, otherwise the vibration will really hurt your conversion.

www.truckpaper.com or www.hwtcinc.com to find used trucks.

Good Luck!!

Bob

 

[Gary Atsma]

Plus, stay with a Class 8 rig, as they can be had as cheaply or LESS than a medium truck, besides there being a far greater selection to pick from.