Delivery Van Made Into "Trucktor"
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“I cut apart an old medium-duty rental truck for a local farmer who uses it like a tractor,” says Chris Lindstrom of Durand, Wis. “The truck has a 6-cyl. Cummins diesel that puts out about 175 horsepower, so it’s able to pull chopper boxes, gravity boxes and anything else on wheels that needs to get from one place to another,” Lindstrom says.
Lindstrom installed a 2-speed axle that he salvaged from a propane truck, so it has plenty of power to pull loaded wagons that weigh 3 to 5 tons. He also set the truck up with a 540 rpm hydraulic pto so the farmer can unload chopper boxes at the silo. “It works just like a tractor, at a fraction of the cost,” Lindstrom says. The rig has normal truck tires with the conventional truck steering on the front and large 48-in. floater tires on the rear to provide extra traction in soft fields.
“When I got the truck frame the farmer had removed the 24-ft. van box and asked me to shorten the frame,” Lindstrom said. “I cut about 10 ft. out of the frame, lapped the joints for extra strength and welded it back together. I made a reinforced box frame for the back to mount the hitch. The farmer had bolted 10 tractor wheel weights on the rear frame for ballast.”
Lindstrom kept the springs, struts and shocks so the vehicle rides smoothly over rough terrain. The truck is about 18 ft. long and has a turning radius similar to a pickup truck or a farm tractor with a wide front.
Lindstrom kept the truck’s original mechanical brakes, which work okay, but the farmer says they require a fair amount of maintenance. If he does this type of project again he’d probably use air brakes.
“The farmer is real happy with his trucktor,” says Lindstrom. “I probably put about 60 hours into building it and it cost him about $4,500 for parts and labor. That’s way less than what he’d have to pay for a farm tractor with comparable power.”
Lindstrom’s regular business is converting single, double and tri-axle trucks into wet and dry manure trucks or TMR feeding trucks. Trucks are set up with heavy-duty frames, oversize wheels, live hydraulics and 1,000 rpm pto shafts for spreading manure or running augers that mix and unload cattle feed.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Chris Lindstrom, Maxville Truck and Repair, S460 State Road 25, Durand, Wis. 54736 (ph 877 881-0713; www.maxvilletruckinc.com).
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Delivery Van Made Into Trucktor TRUCKS Conversions “I cut apart an old medium-duty rental truck for a local farmer who uses it like a tractor ” says Chris Lindstrom of Durand Wis “The truck has a 6-cyl Cummins diesel that puts out about 175 horsepower so it’s able to pull chopper boxes gravity boxes and anything else on wheels that needs to get from one place to another ” Lindstrom says Lindstrom installed a 2-speed axle that he salvaged from a propane truck so it has plenty of power to pull loaded wagons that weigh 3 to 5 tons He also set the truck up with a 540 rpm hydraulic pto so the farmer can unload chopper boxes at the silo “It works just like a tractor at a fraction of the cost ” Lindstrom says The rig has normal truck tires with the conventional truck steering on the front and large 48-in floater tires on the rear to provide extra traction in soft fields “When I got the truck frame the farmer had removed the 24-ft van box and asked me to shorten the frame ” Lindstrom said “I cut about 10 ft out of the frame lapped the joints for extra strength and welded it back together I made a reinforced box frame for the back to mount the hitch The farmer had bolted 10 tractor wheel weights on the rear frame for ballast ” Lindstrom kept the springs struts and shocks so the vehicle rides smoothly over rough terrain The truck is about 18 ft long and has a turning radius similar to a pickup truck or a farm tractor with a wide front Lindstrom kept the truck’s original mechanical brakes which work okay but the farmer says they require a fair amount of maintenance If he does this type of project again he’d probably use air brakes “The farmer is real happy with his trucktor ” says Lindstrom “I probably put about 60 hours into building it and it cost him about $4 500 for parts and labor That’s way less than what he’d have to pay for a farm tractor with comparable power ” Lindstrom’s regular business is converting single double and tri-axle trucks into wet and dry manure trucks or TMR feeding trucks Trucks are set up with heavy-duty frames oversize wheels live hydraulics and 1 000 rpm pto shafts for spreading manure or running augers that mix and unload cattle feed Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Chris Lindstrom Maxville Truck and Repair S460 State Road 25 Durand Wis 54736 ph 877 881-0713; www maxvilletruckinc com
