Old Trucks Converted To Low-Cost Gravity Wagons

Old Trucks Converted To Low-Cost Gravity Wagons TRUCKS Conversions 21-1-7 Agriservices Associates, managed by Herbert Blaser, Belleville, Wis., converted old trucks into pull-type gravity wagons by mounting conventional gravity wagon boxes on the shortened-up frames of junked-out single axle trucks. They have three "truck wagons" and one pup trailer. The biggest wagon has a tandem rear axle and is equipped with a 500 bu. box. The pup trailer holds slightly more than 200 bu. "They didn't cost much to build and actually work better than commercial gravity box wagons," says Blaser, who notes that most of the work was done by his brother-in-law Richard Christen. Christen used a couple of 2-ton Ford trucks. He stripped each truck of every-thing but the chassis, which he cut to match the length of the box he planned to use. He bolted a new Killbros. Mfg. box onto each chassis and mounted a hitch made from steel pipe on the front axle. "The truck suspension and tires provide these wagons with several benefits over conventional gravity box wagons equipped with flotation tires," says Christen. "The rear axle is equipped with duals which help stabilize the wagon, and having springs on both axles allows the wagon to flex over rough ground for a smoother ride. Commercial wagon running gears sell for $5,000 to $10,000 and aren't even equipped with heavy duty springs. Truck tires are built heavier than flotation tires so they'll last longer, and you can pull a ætruck wagon' at greater highway speeds. Flotation tires of-ten blow out when pulled at highway speeds, and replacing them is expensive." The wagons have the original truck brakes on all four wheels. A hydraulic cylinder on front of the truck frame is used to operate the brakes. One end of the cylinder is hooked up to the tractor's remote outlets and the other end to the truck's brake lines. Extending the cylinder forces brake fluid into the truck brakes. "Hydraulic fluid would ruin the seals in the truck brakes. The cylinder keeps the tractor's hydraulic fluid and truck brake fluid separate," says Christen. All the wagons have hitches on back al-lowing them to be hooked together in any combination. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Herbert Blaser, 115 W. Main, Belleville, Wis. 53508 (ph 608 424-3397).

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