5spd97
Member
I bought this truck over a year ago in July of 2017. I thought about doing a build thread from the start but didn't because I'm lazy, and I move so slowly that I felt like people would quickly lose interest. I think that the time has come to get with the program. From time to time on a number of different forums I will post a picture when it seems appropriate. The pictures will generate questions which I feel quilty of answering because I don't want to hijack someone's elses thread.
Let's start with a little background.
About four years ago a miraculous thing happened; my wife decided that she wanted to learn how to ride a motorcycle. My son had recently purchased a new Honda Grom and he told her that she could ride it if she took a MSF course first. She did and two months later I gave her her own Grom for Christmas. She was hooked and I was happy. I had been out of motorcycling since the kids were little guys and I was ready to get back at it. For the first six months or so I would borrow my sons' Grom and we would ride together locally at every opportunity. We put over 5,000 miles on those two little bikes and within an ever expanding radius from our house. At some point we began loading the Groms into my pickup (first pic) and taking weeklong trips to western NC and TN. We would rent cabins, motel rooms, or stay at motorcycle campgrounds and life was good....but we wanted MORE.
Fast forward a year or so and she's riding a Honda CB500x and I'm on a Harley Fat Bob and carrying the bikes in the pickup is no longer an option. We're making more frequent trips and the bikes are now riding on a landscape trailer behind my standard cab, commercial F250 (second pic). The length of the rig combined with a 2wd open differential makes getting to and from some of our rental cabins a real test of my driving skills. Plus all of our gear was carried under tarps in the back of the pickup. Time for version 3.0; the search begins.
The Search
For the next six months to a year I scoured the forums and ran vehicle searches. I wanted the bikes out of the weather and secure. I considered an enclosed trailer but the last thing that I needed was another trailer, and in reality I would want to also get a 4 door 4wd to pull it. I looked and drove a few step vans. I considered Uhauls and Penske, but the 3/4 and 1 ton newer trucks were all gas and I was stuck on having a diesel, and the older diesel versions were all higher mileage than I wanted to deal with. I also wanted a cutaway chassis rather than a chassis cab because I wanted a pass thru and the ability to recline the front seats. I looked at larger Freightliner based box trucks and then I started looking at Super C class toyhaulers like Renegades and Haulmarks, too big and nowhere to store one. We considered schoolies and ambulances but I couldn't figure out how to load our bikes in either of those. We wanted to be able to carry two road bikes and our gear, and still be able to sleep inside when the need arose. We wanted something short enough that it didn't limit our options at state and national campgrounds which frequently have limited sites for larger motorhomes.
I finally came to the realization that a box truck was the only answer and that if I couldnt find what I wanted used, then I needed to have one built. I decided on a diesel Transit cutaway with a Unicell 16 - 17' body with a side door. I was working with a dealer in Wisconsin and ready to pull the trigger when the deal fell through.
Back to the drawing board. I finally decided to run an advanced CL search listing all of my wants; 7.3 Powerstroke box truck on a cutaway chassis, low mileage, side door, lift, roll up back door, and attic, within a 500 mile radius. The search came back with one result and it checked every box. I yelled, "I found it", showed my wife the listing, and gave the guy a call. It was around 9 pm on a Tuesday and we discussed the usual specifics and did a little negotiating and I told him that I would be there the next afternoon. It was located 450 miles and 3 states away so I packed a bag on my bike and hit the road about daylight the next morning. 20 hours later I was back in the driveway with our unicorn. The third and forth pictures show the truck the next morning with my bike still loaded. That was in July of last year.
Since then there have been many changes and there are many more to go. Each trip results in more refinements and modifications when we return home. Every following trip is more enjoyable because of the improvements and the truck continues to morph to our specific needs. I'll try to document the build from a chronological perspective but I have to rely on whatever pictures I have to keep me straight. Be patient and thanks for following.
Let's start with a little background.
About four years ago a miraculous thing happened; my wife decided that she wanted to learn how to ride a motorcycle. My son had recently purchased a new Honda Grom and he told her that she could ride it if she took a MSF course first. She did and two months later I gave her her own Grom for Christmas. She was hooked and I was happy. I had been out of motorcycling since the kids were little guys and I was ready to get back at it. For the first six months or so I would borrow my sons' Grom and we would ride together locally at every opportunity. We put over 5,000 miles on those two little bikes and within an ever expanding radius from our house. At some point we began loading the Groms into my pickup (first pic) and taking weeklong trips to western NC and TN. We would rent cabins, motel rooms, or stay at motorcycle campgrounds and life was good....but we wanted MORE.
Fast forward a year or so and she's riding a Honda CB500x and I'm on a Harley Fat Bob and carrying the bikes in the pickup is no longer an option. We're making more frequent trips and the bikes are now riding on a landscape trailer behind my standard cab, commercial F250 (second pic). The length of the rig combined with a 2wd open differential makes getting to and from some of our rental cabins a real test of my driving skills. Plus all of our gear was carried under tarps in the back of the pickup. Time for version 3.0; the search begins.
The Search
For the next six months to a year I scoured the forums and ran vehicle searches. I wanted the bikes out of the weather and secure. I considered an enclosed trailer but the last thing that I needed was another trailer, and in reality I would want to also get a 4 door 4wd to pull it. I looked and drove a few step vans. I considered Uhauls and Penske, but the 3/4 and 1 ton newer trucks were all gas and I was stuck on having a diesel, and the older diesel versions were all higher mileage than I wanted to deal with. I also wanted a cutaway chassis rather than a chassis cab because I wanted a pass thru and the ability to recline the front seats. I looked at larger Freightliner based box trucks and then I started looking at Super C class toyhaulers like Renegades and Haulmarks, too big and nowhere to store one. We considered schoolies and ambulances but I couldn't figure out how to load our bikes in either of those. We wanted to be able to carry two road bikes and our gear, and still be able to sleep inside when the need arose. We wanted something short enough that it didn't limit our options at state and national campgrounds which frequently have limited sites for larger motorhomes.
I finally came to the realization that a box truck was the only answer and that if I couldnt find what I wanted used, then I needed to have one built. I decided on a diesel Transit cutaway with a Unicell 16 - 17' body with a side door. I was working with a dealer in Wisconsin and ready to pull the trigger when the deal fell through.
Back to the drawing board. I finally decided to run an advanced CL search listing all of my wants; 7.3 Powerstroke box truck on a cutaway chassis, low mileage, side door, lift, roll up back door, and attic, within a 500 mile radius. The search came back with one result and it checked every box. I yelled, "I found it", showed my wife the listing, and gave the guy a call. It was around 9 pm on a Tuesday and we discussed the usual specifics and did a little negotiating and I told him that I would be there the next afternoon. It was located 450 miles and 3 states away so I packed a bag on my bike and hit the road about daylight the next morning. 20 hours later I was back in the driveway with our unicorn. The third and forth pictures show the truck the next morning with my bike still loaded. That was in July of last year.
Since then there have been many changes and there are many more to go. Each trip results in more refinements and modifications when we return home. Every following trip is more enjoyable because of the improvements and the truck continues to morph to our specific needs. I'll try to document the build from a chronological perspective but I have to rely on whatever pictures I have to keep me straight. Be patient and thanks for following.
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