Towmaster Dave Posted August 11, 2010 Share Posted August 11, 2010 (edited) A friend at work bought a box of 3 partial American Lefrance firetruck kits mixed together in a box at a yard sale for $2.00. He didn't do anything with it and gave it to me. It contained parts from two ladder trucks and one pumper truck. The first time I saw one of these on the shelf i wanted to build one into a car hauler, but they are a little expensive so it never happened till now. I used pieces from all three cabs to lengthen and raise the cab to make a sleeper area out of it. I still have to build the interior, going to make a bed, refrigerator and some cabinets. The engine will get moved from under the cab to under the front of the bed. The framefrom the ladder truck will work with a few modifications. The bed right now is thin cardboard so i can decide how to start cutting plastic. Thanks for looking, Dave Edited November 22, 2010 by Towmaster Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
codie27 Posted August 11, 2010 Share Posted August 11, 2010 Very cool and interesting build! Make sure to keep progress postings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
george 53 Posted August 11, 2010 Share Posted August 11, 2010 One of our guys did the same thing with his, only without the sleeper cab. Great idea! Looks to be coming along VERY nicely!!! Looks like you could use it as a good base for a motor home too! Keep it up, it's lookeen gooood!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim B Posted August 11, 2010 Share Posted August 11, 2010 Well, that's different! I like it. Over the weekind I actually saw an American-LaFrance Eagle that had been made into a dump. It was somewhere in Massachustts, or maybe Rhode Island. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott S Posted August 15, 2010 Share Posted August 15, 2010 Well, that's different! I like it. Over the weekind I actually saw an American-LaFrance Eagle that had been made into a dump. It was somewhere in Massachustts, or maybe Rhode Island. Now THAT i have to keep my eye out for!! i run the 84/495/90/95 corridor weekly, it has to be around there somewhere...lol Scott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Modelmartin Posted August 15, 2010 Share Posted August 15, 2010 That's pretty fun! Years ago, the city of Minneapolis had an ALF tractor from a ladder rig and were using it to haul a water trailer for street cleaning. It was painted pale blue with city markings on the door! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie8575 Posted August 15, 2010 Share Posted August 15, 2010 Interesting concept, I rather like it. A good re-use of an old fire truck. Charlie Larkin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cargostar Posted August 15, 2010 Share Posted August 15, 2010 Very cool conversion Just a thought, you might want to lengthen the dove-tail area, or lower the side height of the bed to reduce the deck height. Most vehicles that are worthy of being hauled on it would get hung up at the "break-over" point between the deck, and dove tail. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Towmaster Dave Posted August 15, 2010 Author Share Posted August 15, 2010 I did end up changing the dove tail area of the bed. I reduced the angle of the breaking point and also angled the lower portion of the tail area of the bed so if the truck were driving up hill it wouldn't drag and get stuck. Here is a picture with the bed sides done. Thanks for looking, Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim B Posted August 15, 2010 Share Posted August 15, 2010 Scott S. That ALF Eagle dump was off the beaten path on Central Massachusetts. Somewhere on Route 16 near Webster (I think) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
midwest 1953 Posted August 17, 2010 Share Posted August 17, 2010 Dave, Can you post a couple pictures without the bed? Considering a similar idea for a tractor to pull a 38' 5th wheel galaxy trailer. Jim A. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxer Posted August 17, 2010 Share Posted August 17, 2010 That cab looks grand! This is gonna be an unusual hauler .. looking good! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Towmaster Dave Posted August 18, 2010 Author Share Posted August 18, 2010 A couple pics without the bed for you Jim. The frame is the stock frame from the kit except the notches cut out for the motor. which is getting moved back closer to the rear axle so the cab will have a lower floor and won't have to be tilted up for engine access. I also have one side of the bed done except the door on the cargo box. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
midwest 1953 Posted August 18, 2010 Share Posted August 18, 2010 Dave, That is interesting.. is that the pumper chassis, or the ladder chief ? I was considering using the chassis from the aerial, ( assumeing it is longer ) but for what I want, it might be easier to cut the frame off behind the cab, and scratchbuild the rear section. From the look of that, the engine is going to be pretty close-coupled (maybe just a u-joint). My plans call for a turbocharged Detroit with automatic, I may mount the radiator,engine, trans, and rear axle in a single power pod, and airspring that.. Moving the engine out solves the main problem that I saw, lack of interior room. Original thought here was a luxury high speed autobahn cruiser set up for four persons... Anyway...yours looks good, and it's nice that you have done most of the engineering for me ... Thanks.. Jim A. ( most likely you won't see mine anytime soon.. too many projects on the bench now, and I'm slow...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Towmaster Dave Posted August 19, 2010 Author Share Posted August 19, 2010 Jim, I am using the Ladder Cheif frame for this build, I also have some parts from the pumper and the frame is about 4 3/4 inches shorter and is closer to a standard box frame. This truck will have a driveline about an inch long and full access from the top of the bed. I have to make a trip to my parts guy to see if he has any semi kits I can get some wheels and maybe a turbo charged engine. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kodiak Island Modeler Posted August 20, 2010 Share Posted August 20, 2010 You saved me a ton of work, Dave. I'd been thinking that this would be a cool combination, and was planning to build one myself. Now that I see how cool yours looks, I don't have to build one. LOL Keep us posted. I want to see this one finished. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyjim Posted August 20, 2010 Share Posted August 20, 2010 That's quite a novel idea and I like it. I look forward to seeing more progress pics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrismooney Posted August 23, 2010 Share Posted August 23, 2010 Here is an old Mack Fire truck turned onto a Hauler... The cab was a Mack Factory 4 door and origionaly had a pump and pannel between the fron and rear doors.. not to hijack but some food for thought on Old frie truck kits built to moder dat car haulers. This was in Harrisburg 2010 at a fire muster. Hosted on Fotki Hosted on Fotki Hosted on Fotki Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Towmaster Dave Posted August 24, 2010 Author Share Posted August 24, 2010 Thanks for the pics of the Mack, Somebody did a nice conversion on it. I got a few more things done over the weekend, I cut the engine access and another area for storing chains and straps towards the end of the bed top. I also found a small mistake in the cab, it was 2mm shorter in length and highth on one side, so i had to do some cutting and refilling, glad this is plastic!!! Here are a couple new pics, Thanks for all the great comments, and thanks for looking, Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Towmaster Dave Posted November 22, 2010 Author Share Posted November 22, 2010 Got some more work done this weekend on the car hauler. I got some white promer on the cab for checking the bodywork, so far so good, a little more work and its done, ;D . Spent most of my time working on the bed. I got the angle trim all around the the top edge of the bed, the engine cover done with latch. ficed my misscut on the wheelwell, got the taillights cut into the back panel and finally started on the ramp storage slot. Here are a couple pics for ya guys and also THANKS for all the great comments!!!!! Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
midwest 1953 Posted November 22, 2010 Share Posted November 22, 2010 Hey.. that's looking good.. those big round pods gonna be taillights, or jet exhaust? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Towmaster Dave Posted November 22, 2010 Author Share Posted November 22, 2010 Hey.. that's looking good.. those big round pods gonna be taillights, or jet exhaust? Those are gonna be the taillights, didn't want to go with the standard square taillights, but they do look like little jet exhaust, lol, paint it all back and it could haul the batmobile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
midwest 1953 Posted September 14, 2011 Share Posted September 14, 2011 Dave, Did you ever finish this?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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