Re: flatbed schoolbus-for a second time!

Farmer Rock · Oct 3, 2020

Good evening folks,some of you may remember a couple months ago I posted about turning a school bus with a great drive train into a flatbed truck.If not here is the story (short and sweet),our church is looking to sell there 1990 IH 3800 dt466 5 speed spicer,with low miles driven by one person,and I know I can get it for a price that's fair for all.

I decided it would be best to have a short truck to tow trailers around and I plan to completely remove the bus body (except for the firewall) and replace it with an international 4700/4900 truck cab,and I have been told the 3800 bus is a 4700 with a bus body and that everything else is the same.since the firewalls are the same between the bus and cab,I should be able to graft the bus's firewall to the truck cab.I attached some pictures below,that show what I would like to do with it and what it looks like now.I am not sure if I want a flatbed or pickup bed,or a single cab or crew cab.so I would appreciate your opinions and any input on this project.thanks

Rock

JMOR · Oct 3, 2020

(quoted from post at 21:18:34 10/03/20) Good evening folks,some of you may remember a couple months ago I posted about turning a school bus with a great drive train into a flatbed truck.If not here is the story (short and sweet),our church is looking to sell there 1990 IH 3800 dt466 5 speed spicer,with low miles driven by one person,and I know I can get it for a price that's fair for all.

I decided it would be best to have a short truck to tow trailers around and I plan to completely remove the bus body (except for the firewall) and replace it with an international 4700/4900 truck cab,and I have been told the 3800 bus is a 4700 with a bus body and that everything else is the same.since the firewalls are the same between the bus and cab,I should be able to graft the bus's firewall to the truck cab.I attached some pictures below,that show what I would like to do with it and what it looks like now.I am not sure if I want a flatbed or pickup bed,or a single cab or crew cab.so I would appreciate your opinions and any input on this project.thanks

Rock

<img src="https://www.yesterdaystractors.com/cvphotos/cvphoto58128.jpg">

<img src="https://www.yesterdaystractors.com/cvphotos/cvphoto58129.jpg">

<img src="https://www.yesterdaystractors.com/cvphotos/cvphoto58130.jpg">

<img src="https://www.yesterdaystractors.com/cvphotos/cvphoto58132.jpg">

<img src="https://www.yesterdaystractors.com/cvphotos/cvphoto58133.jpg">

<img src="https://www.yesterdaystractors.com/cvphotos/cvphoto58134.jpg">

LL THAT IS NEEDED IS EQMT, TIME, $ AND SKILLS.

lee little · Oct 4, 2020

Keep us posted on how it goes. This looks like an interesting project !

showcrop · Oct 4, 2020

I think that as you go you should get yourself set up to do a few dozen of them.

jm. · Oct 4, 2020

At 78 years and some experience, Ill say this will be easier and faster to just go all the way to the motor, remove the bus firewall AND FLOOR. then just put you cab on. IF and I say IF you are real careful and get the right donor truck the project will be fast and easy.Almost all the cab/firwall stuff has connectors there close. Brakes and electrical are easy and removing the steering is no problem. Just sit you donor cab down and go. If you go your route you have a lot off problems in fitting and mounting the doors. Just my two cents worth.

caterpillar guy · Oct 4, 2020

Local dairy south of us used a school bus for a grain truck by shortening then added a grain box behind the cab .They cut the bus body off to behind the first of second seat and put the back of the bus body to that. Left the bus door and front part alone. They still have it and use it far as I know. been about 20 years. Would haul about 300 bushel I guess. Navistar built a paickup like your pictures about 10years ago already to go box was about 7 feet to the top of the box. It was a CXT and had a rear view camera to see immediately behind you.

Farmer Rock · Oct 4, 2020

Caterpillar guy-I have seen those trucks you are talking about,and I think they are neat,I am just not crazy about the bed being 7' high,since this is going to be used to pull goosenecks and I don't want to spend a bunch of money on it.I really do like the looks of the pickup bed the more I see it,and I think as long as the bed is not too high I would like it.the pickups in my main post have the bed mounted at the same height as a regular pickup truck,so that's what I am leaning towards.I figured this would be pretty cool project that I could use to bring the tractors to the pulls and shows.

Rock

Farmer Rock · Oct 4, 2020

Lee little-I will be happy to keep you all,and thank you for your interest in it.

Rock

Farmer Rock · Oct 4, 2020

Meant to say keep you all up to date.Really need to start proof reading.

Rock

Farmer Rock · Oct 4, 2020

Jm.-You convinced me that swapping the cab whole is best,so that is what I will do.thanks

Rock

Determined · Oct 4, 2020

Shorter the wheelbase = rougher the ride

Flatbed = Need to tie everything down

Full box = too high for gooseneck or 5th wheel trailers, with a gooseneck for the ball to be low enough it would be mounted between the frame rails.
After you crank the jack up and down 150 turns when hitching up a trailer I think you will be wishing you had something lower.

Crew cab great if you need a people hauler if not then still handy for tools, chains, hitches, cargo straps, shovels , bars etc.
I have seen some remove back seat and install toolbox in it's place.

AzPeapicker · Oct 4, 2020

Good Morning Farmer Rock

I like the idea Just don t paint it purple Grandma Love will be there in a
Heart Beat for it , She will be wanting to haul her tractor to all the shows .

AZpeapicker

Farmer Rock · Oct 4, 2020

AZpeapicker-good thinking,I will be sure I do not paint it purple!

Rock

DoubleO7 · Oct 4, 2020

is

If you need to build as cheap as possible, doing it the caterpillar guy way is the way to go.
It is very simple with all the straight and flat bus body surfaces.
Remove a bunch of rivets, take out sections, slide forward as much as needed and re-rivet.
If the church bus has a chair lift, you could even keep it or at least the big side door.

When we moved, four years ago it was cheaper to buy a school bus than rent a Penske truck.
Same as that church bus but with automatic (that 5 speed is kind of rare for a school bus).
After settling in, I removed the chair lift and it is on the end of our house deck. Will come in handy in our old age.

Farmer Rock · Oct 4, 2020

Double07-I am building it on a budget,but I just don't like the look of a chopped up bus,that's why I was going to buy a used
complete cab for $800,plus a bed for about the same,I figure $3500 altogether (plus all my labor/time) and I will have a solid
tow rig.I realize it would save money to use the bus body,but I also want to be happy with it when done.

Rock

Farmer Rock · Oct 4, 2020

Determined-I realize the height is crazy in some of these pictures,but I am going for the height of the second picture
down,but set up like third down.

Rock

Jim.ME · Oct 4, 2020

Interesting project for sure. The plan to use a truck cab sounds reasonable, as you don't want to move the rear bus section up. You said you wanted a short truck. Pictures can be deceiving but the bus wheel base is longer than what I would call a short truck. Are you going to keep that wheelbase? You haven't mentioned plans to shorten the wheelbase? Do you plan to move all the rear suspension parts ahead and relocate on the frame or cut a section out of the frame to bring the rear axle ahead? Doing that also usually means reconfiguring the drive line, possibly modifying the driveshaft(s), and balancing, if you have to modify the shaft(s). Will be watching for updates on your progress.

Farmer Rock · Oct 4, 2020

Jim.ME-I do plan on shortening the
wheelbase,I must have forgotten to
mention that.I am on the fence whether to
cut the complete rear assembly off then
move the whole thing forward and weld the
frame,or remove the rear and springs and
remount.what do you think would work the
best?I appreciate your input.thanks

Rock

Rich'sToys · Oct 4, 2020

Sounds like an interesting project, but given all the changes you are contemplating, wouldn't it be a whole lot easier to just buy a truck?

Farmer Rock · Oct 4, 2020

Rich's toys-Easier yes,but this is much
cheaper for the same truck.I don't need
the truck today,since I have other trucks
to pull trailers with,but I always
thought that a school bus could make a
nice truck for little money,and since
this opportunity came along,I couldn't
refuse.

Rock

Jim.ME · Oct 4, 2020

(quoted from post at 15:28:50 10/04/20) Jim.ME-I do plan on shortening the
wheelbase,I must have forgotten to
mention that.I am on the fence whether to
cut the complete rear assembly off then
move the whole thing forward and weld the
frame,or remove the rear and springs and
remount.what do you think would work the
best?I appreciate your input.thanks

Rock

I have worked on both, it would depend on the frame configuration. Is it the same depth where you want to relocate the rear axle to or is it deeper there? Same depth; moving it up and remounting the suspension would be best in my thoughts. If the frame is deeper at the forward location: cut, weld, and plate the joints would be needed. Again my thoughts, others may differ.

Farmer Rock · Oct 4, 2020

Jim.Me-The frame has the same depth
throughout the bus,so I will move the
suspension as you suggested.thank you for
your help.

Rock

Re: flatbed schoolbus-for a second time!

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