Toter home

kid rok

New Member
Joined
Oct 15, 2006
Location
georgia
I have been looking at toter homes as a way of towing my rig or rigs. I have been straining my brain for two years now trying to find the best way of pulling my truck. Keep in mind I have a wife and daughter that I would have to accomadate on some of my trips. Looking at the overall picture I would want a rig that could sleep four and have a bath and small kitchen. It would also have to be able to pull at least 20,000lbs and be able to pull a fith wheel. After looking at many of other alternative ways to tow, the toter home idea keeps popping up as the best solution. Plus on a recent trip to Florida my wife saw one and said (wow whats that?) I said a toter home she said ( I like that) with that being said I am going the toter home route. I have talked with a company that builds what I want and they recommended that I buy a used freightliner then bring it to them to convert over to a toter home. I am setting my budget at $100,000. I believe I can buy a rig and convert it for that price or buy what I want used.
Now the questions. I don't know anything about big rigs. What horse power to look for and what trans to get are some of my biggest concerns. I know to get air ride suspesions and that anything with over 400,000 miles needs to be rebuilt or dynoed. Anyone have any ideas as to what year make and model to start looking at. Or what to stay away from.
 
I driven trucks for 10 years. 6 with a company that bought only used (mostly used up) trucks. It's a shot in the dark, esp the higher the milage. You have no way of telling how the truck has ben treated by it's drivers. Most trucks are fairly well maintained as far as basic maintinace. I would say either buy one that came from a large fleet (most of these are more basic) or buy one from an owner/operator. Make sure you drive it up to what ever speed you like to drive, as alot of fleet trucks are governed, and geared lower. If you want to go 75-80mph and it's turning 2100 rpms at that speed, stay away. You want to be able to cruise at around 17-1900, esp with a lighter load. 10 speeds are the most common man. trans. There are also alot of semi-auto type trans around now, I now nothing about them.

The last one I had was a freightliner. It was an O/O truck with 600k on a detroit when I started driving it, went to 1 mil before it broke a piston. Most of the other trucks they owned were blowing up left and right, mostly because of the drivers.

Most engines have a 500k mile warranrty, and alot of trucks get traded in around that time. Since you're not gonna put alot of miles on one, don't be afraid of that type of milage. Just check it over real good. Used truck dealers use the same tricks as used car dealers, steam cleaning the motor, painting underneith, waxing it. Also remember alot of truckers get a truck and NEVER clean it. It's not hard to spot if you look real good.
 
Would you say that an O/O truck would generally be treated better by the driver than a fleet owned? But on the flip-side, I could see a fleet owned getting better scheduled maintenance?
 
kinda a catch 22. OO's if they have designated runs, tend to keep up with maintenance better than those that flip flop all over the nation. Fleets usually have a pretty good schedule. But with the fleet trucks it's hard to say what the driver(s) treated the truck like.

So if a man had inside info from someone he knew that maintained a fleet, might be able to get a good one. ie: this one was driven by a long term driver that had a great driving record and kept his rig in good shape. or so on

9 or 10 speeds are gonna be cheaper, than the semi autos. I would stay away from Mac for the biggest reason room. Freight liners have awesome room. Pete's are a little on the short side as the mac's( at least the ones I have driven. Volvo's are another nice one. 20K is a small load from what most of these are used to pulling, and no more miles than you are gonna put on one, higher miles wouldn't scare ma away.
If you have a friend who drives and or maintains a truck, it would be great to get them to go with you. I think you could come in well under the 100K budget if you shop around
 
a O/O truck is treated better because the driver knows if he blows it up it coming out of his pocket. fleet drivers sometimes dont take as much care beacuse they dont have to pay for what they break
 
I looked at a kenworth today. The owner used it to pull track hoes and loaders. When I asked about milage the owner said he didn't know. It was an 88 model and he wanted 9,000. It looked pretty clean, but not exactly what I am looking for as far as cabs go.
 
spend some time over at the HDT forum on Escapees:
http://escapees.infopop.cc/eve/forums/a/frm/f/353102588

Then spend some time here:
http:www.truckconversion.net

Then look at the used market on racingjunk:
http://www.racingjunk.com/category/13/

For 100k, you can practically get a brand new toter, so your company's est with you supplying a rig seems high. There are lots on the used market. For example:

Here's one with 60k on rebuilt motor:
http://www.racingjunk.com/post/815554/1995-Volvo-Rebuilt-e3406-cummins-toter-RV-.html

Here's a really nice one with asking price a little higher than your budget at $115k, but with automatic 10 speed freedom, which is worth the 10-15k in and of itself, only 120k miles and a 500 hp CAT:
http://www.racingjunk.com/post/814048/2000-FULL-SIZE-FREIGHTLINER-TOTERHOME.html

13 ft toter, but not a class 8, but with 430 hp and autoshift, $96k:
http://www.racingjunk.com/post/815016/2002-Renegade-13-Toter-430HP.html

Crew chief toter is good brand, reman motor, $70k:
http://www.racingjunk.com/post/812879/1999-Freightliner-Crew-Chief-Custom-Sleeper-.html

3 of them on used columbia chassis with brand new toterhome conversions, $95k each:
http://www.racingjunk.com/post/810182/2007-United-Specialties-14-Toter-Conversion.html

Hope this gives you some options and information,
Shannon
 
I like the ones on the columbia chassis. Thats what I'm going for. I believe 14' is as small as I want to go on living quartes.
 
as sweet as these things are, I just can not imagine dropping 90k on a towrig...

I mean really what else will you use this for?
DD? not very likely...
Maybe I am missing something but the shear cost of these puts them in the pipe dream realm for me...

Shit Id need a 2nd job to finance my hobby, then I would never have time to wheel...
 
I know of more than a couple people who have RV's as nothing more than a tow rig and place to sleep.. I'd have one too if I could. Toter is really just a scaled down RV with a scaled-up tow capacity.. :D

I looked at one in Chapel Hill that was greta mechanically, but the home part was really just a big sleeper.. but under $30k, kinda like this one too.
http://www.racingjunk.com/post/824731/International-Toterhome.html
 
IMHO if its a MDT your will see more of a return on the larger purchase price.. It will last longer and caryr more resale vs a high end 1ton truck.. And if you can make do it as an RV and make the case as an actual second home you might see other advantages there..
 
kid rok said:
I like the ones on the columbia chassis. Thats what I'm going for. I believe 14' is as small as I want to go on living quartes.
Click to expand...


Columbia's kick ass, ask me how I know:huggy: . If your interested in picking up a new unit I can give a kick ass recommendation on who to check with.
 
I mean really what else will you use this for?
DD? not very likely...
Click to expand...

I would use it about once a month, plus it would be used alot on family trips to Florida. Just think of the benefit for myself and anyone else when I go out west to wheel . By pulling 4+ rigs you could go to Moab for right around $1000 and thats counting hotel , food and fuel.

Columbia's kick ass, ask me how I know . If your interested in picking up a new unit I can give a kick ass recommendation on who to check with
Click to expand...
Who? I would like to look at some to see what I am getting into. Thanks
 
I wanna see the trailer you'll be hauling 4 trail rigs on.
 
Rich said:
I wanna see the trailer you'll be hauling 4 trail rigs on.
Click to expand...
Ditto
I am 15'8" bumper to bumper.
Full Dry box is 52'.
Of course you could just buy a full on KW and pull an extended flat double drop, but thats a $65k trailer so...damn better make a lotta moab trips.

Im not tryin to shit on anyone's parade. I went throught a period where I seriously looked at these, but I just cant see it. I guess I am trying to get someone to give me a reason good enough to use on Mrs. Linda, so if you guys got good excuses bring em on...
 
a guy had a flat bed at the n.c. state fair demolition derby this past year that fit 4 fullsize cars. i have no idea what kind it was though. triple axle.
 
Have you guys never seen a 4 car wedge? 4 jeeps will fit on a 48' as long as they don't have a huge wheelbase. 4 buggies will fit one something alot shorter than that. You can pull a 48 ft behind any lenght truck, I see the all the time. Lots of moving company/high end car haulers use trucks with 120"plus sleepers and pull 48's. Now he might have a hard time pulling into wal-mart or turning it around, but it can be done.
 
I know the cruiser as it sat before was over 12' long, that's why I mentioned it..
 
my buddy runs a volvo 610 toter with a 53 ft wedge and hauls 4 rigs all the time. Total with trailer, he is in to it around $50k. He gets around 10-11 mpg loaded;

don't do a MDT IMO, getting a class 7-8 is the way to go as far as safety goes. Many 5th wheel folks are moving from MDT to HDT for safety and comfort. MDTs are also more expensive on the market than a good used HDT IMO.

HTH,
Shannon
 
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