RE: [ihc] A question...

["Ed Sohm" <idaemes@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Joel has me dreaming now.  Semi random thoughts to follow, tune me out
if you like.  

I may have to get some measurements when I get that shortbed Travelette
home.  I'm rescuing it from the crusher, paying for is by weight and
with non-IH iron that has accumulated on my farm.  I am actually feeling
pretty serious about making a rotisserie and starting from scratch with
this Travelette.  I have a long bed 'ette already and would like to make
a supershortbed (ala' Bill Besterman's Travelmaster) on the frame from a
regular cab truck. 

That would leave me with a shortbed Travelette frame laying around.  I
also have 2 '73 Travelalls that could be put together on that frame.
One mangled in the front end, the other rusty in the back. It is fate I
tell ya.   

I've always wanted a 6 door Travelall.  10 is way cool, but 6 would put
me at about the length of a crew cab long bed, plenty manageable in
midwestern parking lots. Might even be able to sneak by most people
without them noticing the extra doors.  3 children now, ya know, and not
really willing to sacrifice the cargo space in back for a cheesy little
third seat. It works in our Suburban but just barely.  

Maybe my time would be better spent finishing the Travelette I already
have. <g>  

Ed

A little giddy today, getting a pickup for work purposes.  I get to pick
it out, and stop putting miles on my personal vehicle. Probably F250
Powerstroke, 6 speed to keep people from borrowing it.  Any words of
wisdom?







-----Original Message-----
From: owner-ihc@domain.elided [mailto:owner-ihc@domain.elided] On Behalf Of
Mac McMuffin
Sent: Tuesday, September 28, 2004 2:33 PM
To: Ed Sohm; 'Mac McMuffin'; 'Joel Furtek'; ihc@domain.elided
Subject: RE: [ihc] A question...


## >> Sometimes Mac, you and I do agree.  Seldom, but sometimes <g>

maybe i should work harder on my approach?  agreeing with me can't be
healthy for you.  perhaps you should check with your family doctor, you
never know, there might be something wrong with you.  +)

## >> I would
## >> really like to have a sleeper on the back of a pickup.  I saw one
in
## >> Sheridan Wyo. in the fall of '95.  The new (at that time)
## >> Dodge pickups
## >> hadn't been out long and there was a cab-chassis in the
## >> parking lot that
## >> had a real semi sleeper on behind the cab.  No flatbed or anything
## >> behind that. Just a cobbled up hitch so they could pull a hot shot
## >> trailer.  I fell in love even though they hadn't done a nice
## >> job of it.
## >> To put a period sleeper on an old truck would be way cool for
## >> traveling.

you know, i saw a couple of those at a truck show when the idea first
hit
the light truck world.  seems like there must have been an unlimited
supply
of ideas for a "good" way to do it.  the best one i saw by far was one
that
somebody'd stuck on behind a Ford van cab and chassis.  i guess the
notion
didn't catch on past the first few botched attempts, i haven't seen any
of
the big ones like that since.  i've seen a few custom sleeper
arrangements,
but they're mainly smaller-sized conversions, not the fullsize semi
sleepers
like we're talking about here.

i like 'em too, though.  that's a lot of work (and probably expense) to
mount one of those big sleepers on a regular pickup.  the thing i saw in
Crismon was just a small-ish extension to the back of the cab.  nothing
super fancy, but it sure looks sharp.  looks pretty functional, too.  i
don't think i need anything more than that, even though the idea of
having
all that room in one of the really big double sleepers has more than a
little appeal.  especially for long trips with small children.

## >> Too bad nothing wants to line up to use a big sleeper on a
## >> pickup.  The
## >> one I saw just had a piece of plywood blocking the front
## >> entrance and he
## >> evidently crawled into it through a side door. I guess you could
do a
## >> huge body lift, re-do the roofline of the pickup cab, or
## >> notch the floor
## >> of the sleeper so it will sit down around the framerails.

at least in my case, i've got the regular straight frame, so a sleeper
should just match up behind the cab without a problem (notwithstanding
the
roof issues for one of those overhead units).  the thing is, i've seen
the
sleeper extension the A and B series *should* have, and somehow settling
for
anything less just doesn't seem right.  i say "should have", and i guess
that's nothing more than a matter of my opinion.  but doggonit, the one
Crismon shows looks *right* on the back, i can't picture anything else
fitting in like that.  makes me wonder what it would cost and who i
would
have to take it to in order to have something like that done.  seems
pretty
simple at the outset, but what do i know about cab extensions and that
kind
of sheetmetal and glass work?

--Mac

---------------------------------------------------------------
Take care and be well, all thee and thine;

May the Hamr lend thee Strength and Courage,
May the Twin Ravens lend thee Wisdom and Guidance,
May the Wolves Guard and Protect thee, and
May the Light of Harmony ever shine brightly upon thee and thine,
Through all thy Life's Journeys, from this life unto the next!

Hail the Gods and Goddesses of our Folk!
Wassail!

Krystof "Mac" MacBryghde
TyrGothi

http://master.triad.ath.cx/
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