Cab-Over-Engine Turned Into Working Shop Truck

2019 - Volume #43, Issue #2, Page #19

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It’s not easy to find a 1947 Dodge cab-over-engine (COE) semi truck, and harder still to convert it into a working shop truck complete with a flatbed and knuckle boom crane. But that’s what Charlie Brown of Port Orchard, Wash., did recently.
    He mounted the COE cab on a 1980 Dodge motorhome chassis and also built an 11 1/2-ft. long flatbed with an aluminum diamond plate floor, bolting the crane on back of the floor. The cab sports a custom built grill and is painted light metallic blue, while the fenders and bed are a dark metallic blue. The truck has several LED lights, including 6 narrow tail lights on back, 3 on each side, that blink in sequence from inside to outside as the driver turns. A pair of 2 1/2-in. dia. stainless steel, MagnaFlow performance exhaust mufflers give the engine a beefy sound.
    “I got the ‘old truck disease’ about 4 years ago and decided I wanted to restore an old COE truck,” says Brown. “It took a year to find a cab to use, and I bought the motorhome chassis at the same time. It took me 3 years to build.”
    “I enjoyed building it, but I’m not sure I’d want to do it again. Some of the parts were incredibly hard to find, and there were a lot of little things that took a long time to do. I spent a total of about $20,000.”
    Brown owns and operates Brown Custom Iron, Inc., a welding shop that specializes in custom built ornamental iron objects designed for high-end homes - everything from custom driveway and walkway gates to handrails, furniture, benches, fences, planters, arbors, outdoor art and light fixtures (www.Browncustomiron.com.)
    He started researching older trucks on the internet and found the cab and motorhome chassis in Oregon. The cab didn’t have an engine so he installed a 360 cu. in. gas engine with an automatic transmission. “I had to rebuild the cab hood to make room for the engine and ended up building an aluminum grill and bumper to fit. The cab sets far ahead and over the engine, which required rebuilding the steering system,” says Brown. “I installed 2 U-joints in the steering column shaft, allowing it to run at a sharp angle down to the original steering box. I also replaced the cab’s vacuum windshield wipers with electric-operated ones.
    “The owner had cut the truck’s frame off behind the cab, and most of the floor had rusted away so I rebuilt it. I found some nice leather custom seats on Craiglist.”
    The motorhome chassis came equipped with a lightweight floor tach welded to the frame. They weren’t strong enough to support the 1,500-lb. crane so he pulled the floor off and bolted lengths of big rectangular tubing inside the frame, and then built the floor.
    He found the crane on Craigslist. The hydraulics for it are operated by a 6 1/2 hp. Harbor Freight Predator gas engine, which drives a 2-stage pump off a log splitter. The engine and pump set on a slide-out tray mounted inside a storage box located just below one side of the floor. Hydraulic hoses with quick-disconnect couplers run from the pump back to the crane, and the control levers mount on the crane itself.
     Brown also replaced the truck’s carburetor with a FiTech electric fuel injection kit (www.fitechefi.com). “Installing electronic fuel injection was the best decision I made during the entire project because it’s so reliable,” says Brown. “When I turn the ignition key the engine always fires right up. It never needs to be adjusted like a carburetor does.”
    Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Charlie Brown, 9071 Lawrence Dr. S.E., Port Orchard, Wash. 98367 (ph 360 301-9896; Charlie@browncustomiron.com).

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Cab-Over-Engine Turned Into Working Shop Truck AG WORLD It’s not easy to find a 1947 Dodge cab-over-engine COE semi truck and harder still to convert it into a working shop truck complete with a flatbed and knuckle boom crane But that’s what Charlie Brown of Port Orchard Wash did recently He mounted the COE cab on a 1980 Dodge motorhome chassis and also built an 11 1/2-ft long flatbed with an aluminum diamond plate floor bolting the crane on back of the floor The cab sports a custom built grill and is painted light metallic blue while the fenders and bed are a dark metallic blue The truck has several LED lights including 6 narrow tail lights on back 3 on each side that blink in sequence from inside to outside as the driver turns A pair of 2 1/2-in dia stainless steel MagnaFlow performance exhaust mufflers give the engine a beefy sound “I got the ‘old truck disease’ about 4 years ago and decided I wanted to restore an old COE truck ” says Brown “It took a year to find a cab to use and I bought the motorhome chassis at the same time It took me 3 years to build ” “I enjoyed building it but I’m not sure I’d want to do it again Some of the parts were incredibly hard to find and there were a lot of little things that took a long time to do I spent a total of about $20 000 ” Brown owns and operates Brown Custom Iron Inc a welding shop that specializes in custom built ornamental iron objects designed for high-end homes - everything from custom driveway and walkway gates to handrails furniture benches fences planters arbors outdoor art and light fixtures www Browncustomiron com He started researching older trucks on the internet and found the cab and motorhome chassis in Oregon The cab didn’t have an engine so he installed a 360 cu in gas engine with an automatic transmission “I had to rebuild the cab hood to make room for the engine and ended up building an aluminum grill and bumper to fit The cab sets far ahead and over the engine which required rebuilding the steering system ” says Brown “I installed 2 U-joints in the steering column shaft allowing it to run at a sharp angle down to the original steering box I also replaced the cab’s vacuum windshield wipers with electric-operated ones “The owner had cut the truck’s frame off behind the cab and most of the floor had rusted away so I rebuilt it I found some nice leather custom seats on Craiglist ” The motorhome chassis came equipped with a lightweight floor tach welded to the frame They weren’t strong enough to support the 1 500-lb crane so he pulled the floor off and bolted lengths of big rectangular tubing inside the frame and then built the floor He found the crane on Craigslist The hydraulics for it are operated by a 6 1/2 hp Harbor Freight Predator gas engine which drives a 2-stage pump off a log splitter The engine and pump set on a slide-out tray mounted inside a storage box located just below one side of the floor Hydraulic hoses with quick-disconnect couplers run from the pump back to the crane and the control levers mount on the crane itself Brown also replaced the truck’s carburetor with a FiTech electric fuel injection kit www fitechefi com “Installing electronic fuel injection was the best decision I made during the entire project because it’s so reliable ” says Brown “When I turn the ignition key the engine always fires right up It never needs to be adjusted like a carburetor does ” Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Charlie Brown 9071 Lawrence Dr S E Port Orchard Wash 98367 ph 360 301-9896; Charlie@browncustomiron com

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