It’s a bit challenging to find vehicles on the streets to shoot that we haven’t already posted before, once or more often. But every so often, thanks to Eugene being how it is, I still find something new and original, like this curious Toyota multi-level flatbed Toyota. Hmm…
I was a bit perplexed when I encountered this on a dark, wet December late afternoon. Why? Especially, why the drop in the lower part of the main bed?
I quickly came to the obvious conclusion that this once was a Toyota motorhome, stripped of its body. But it’s not quite that simple. Why the flat bed over the roof, supported by some 2x4s? That’s not how these cab-over section were once supported.
And I’ve never seen one of these with the dropped center section. In fact, it’s backwards: quite a few compact motorhomes have a dropped floor in the rear-most section, behind the rear axle, as there’s no need to clear it and the driveshaft. This rear section is riding oddly high, above the wheels, where normally there would be wheel wells in the floor.
I assume they didn’t want wheel wells and thus raised the floor, but then why not the front part? So many questions.
And in appropriate symmetry, one of the steer horns is missing.
I’ve seen a lot of work trucks with the front section, behind the cab, dropped to allow large generators and/or welders to be placed there.
Space under construction or part way through being dismantled, be interesting to take another look in 6 months or so.
The cab, anyway, isn’t from a motorhome. On motorhomes the roof was cut open to provide access to the rear. But the one-ton chassis/dual rear wheels may well have come from a motorhome. On my rear/side entry Toyota motorhome the rear was dropped only to provide space for a full sized door and a step up to reach the interior. The rest of the floor was raised and provided a space in the rear for fresh and blackwater tanks.
I’m down with the eye of the beholder thing and all that, but this may well be the physically ugliest truck featured here in quite some time. And I like Toyota trucks…
It kind of looks like a welder’s rig build in progress. Although around those are almost always built on a 90s Dodge Ram 2500/3500 spewing black diesel smoke.
Homemade, compact hay/straw hauler. Flat bed over cab included. There seem to be some remnants on the ground, right side of the truck. (photo courtesy of Hulleman Trucks B.V.)
In the eighties anyone, not just a commercial builder, could purchase a long wb, dual rear wheel Toyota chassis-cab like this one. I purchased one in 1988 brand new. I then built what I called a housetruck on the back. The build extended 40″ forward over the cab and did not involve cutting into the cab roof. In other words this forlorn looking veteran could have supported a similar home built camper. The dip behind the cab could have been an effort to get better standing room.
I owned that truck for 30 years and, as far as I know, it is still going strong today.
Incidentally, Toyota made a beefed up regular pickup that they called the “one ton”. These were simply called cab and chassis.
Certainly the gas tank is very well protected, particularly from side impacts.
My first thought is that it hauls very light objects that are large when inflated. In my experience white water rafts would fit well on that vehicle. One could probably get a 4 stack inflated. Dry, inflatable floor rafts (self bailers) weigh about 160 lbs plus gear. The bus hauls the people. What is the black metal piece on the extreme rear? The sticker on the door? In Vermont the seventies and eighties saw many wood pick up/flat bed conversions. Some well done, most just done.