School Bus Makes Great Tractor Hauler
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Fred Hain competes in tractor-pulling competitions and needed a way to transport his 1934 Allis-Chalmers WCAC tractor. He didn't want to spend the money on a commercial trailer so the Martinsville, Ill., farmer converted an International school bus into a self-propelled tractor hauler, complete with a dovetail loading ramp.
"I call it my big bad orange machine. People go crazy over it," says Hain.
He cut off a 17-ft. section of the body of the bus, welding the back 8 in. of the body to the back of the remaining 12-ft. section on front. He left the bus floor in place and welded steel bracing onto the frame to strengthen it. The back 4 ft. of the bus was modified to slope downward and is fitted with three folding ramps. To slope the floor he cut part way through the back section of the bus frame, heated it and bent it down, then welded the frame back together.
"The ramps fold in half and are secured during transport by a steel rod that goes all the way across the back of the bus. The rod has three hooks along its length that match up with slots in each of the three ramps. To secure the ramps I insert the hooks in the slots, then grab hold of a short handle at one end of the rod and pull it forward to lock all three ramps down."
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Fred Hain, Box 123, Martinsville, Ill. 62442 (ph 217 382-4506) or Larry Stephen, R 40 West, Martinsville, Ill. 62442 (ph 217 382-6678).
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School Bus Makes Great Tractor Hauler SCHOOLBUS CONVERSIONS Schoolbus Conversions 23-4-26 Fred Hain competes in tractor-pulling competitions and needed a way to transport his 1934 Allis-Chalmers WCAC tractor. He didn't want to spend the money on a commercial trailer so the Martinsville, Ill., farmer converted an International school bus into a self-propelled tractor hauler, complete with a dovetail loading ramp.
"I call it my big bad orange machine. People go crazy over it," says Hain.
He cut off a 17-ft. section of the body of the bus, welding the back 8 in. of the body to the back of the remaining 12-ft. section on front. He left the bus floor in place and welded steel bracing onto the frame to strengthen it. The back 4 ft. of the bus was modified to slope downward and is fitted with three folding ramps. To slope the floor he cut part way through the back section of the bus frame, heated it and bent it down, then welded the frame back together.
"The ramps fold in half and are secured during transport by a steel rod that goes all the way across the back of the bus. The rod has three hooks along its length that match up with slots in each of the three ramps. To secure the ramps I insert the hooks in the slots, then grab hold of a short handle at one end of the rod and pull it forward to lock all three ramps down."
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Fred Hain, Box 123, Martinsville, Ill. 62442 (ph 217 382-4506) or Larry Stephen, R 40 West, Martinsville, Ill. 62442 (ph 217 382-6678).
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