# Tool Talk > Wheels >  1967 Economac custom van/truck - photos

## Jon

1967 Economac custom van/truck, by Dale Scully of Bethel, CT.













Previously: Motorcycle/camper hybrid - photo

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Papa Bill (Aug 19, 2018),

PJs (Aug 15, 2018),

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## bruce.desertrat

_It's meant to look authentic, it's not real_

Too bad, that would be an awesome hauler to tow your hot rod trailer :-)

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## Frank S

> _It's meant to look authentic, it's not real_
> 
> Too bad, that would be an awesome hauler to tow your hot rod trailer :-)



 Why imitate when you can have the real thing.
Most call it a Holland junior uses the standard 2" king pin and has a 40,000 lb rating 
Approximately 18" by 20 inches weighs about a 3rd of a full size fifth wheel.

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## Frank S

The little Economac is a really cool looking rig.
Hard to tell from the pics but it does look as if there is a drive shaft to the rear axle making it a true tandem set. 
Lots of guys do this by using part of a NP205 transfer case. this give them a lockable power divider the Nose cone on a Ford 9" can be replaced with a plate machined to fit then made into a housing for the gears and spiders of the 205 . I've never done one but I had always wanted to take a 203 and a 205 and marry them to make a 3 speed transfer

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## marksbug

just airbrush or paint some scratches&rust to the 5th wheel assy add some blue silly cone for greessee. or just make it funcional.I would make it functional and have a trailer for it to pull..possiably a fold down trailer that has a grill,fridge,drinks tv, crap shooten space,and a space for small car or motorcycle's .etc. None the less great work!!!

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PJs (Aug 15, 2018)

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## Jon

The UltruVan by Steve Divnick:



More: http://www.divnick.com/ultruvan/index.html

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## bruce.desertrat

That is a really cool and functional conversion.

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## suther51

Drop a Quigley conversion under it to cure its powertrain birth defect n I'd take two!
Eric

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PJs (Jan 11, 2019)

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## Frank S

I've seen a few Ford E350 diesel van conversions and there is 1 that I know of about 50 miles away from me that is 4x4 and has duel rear wheels for pulling a 6 horse trailer. They actually make more seance than a crew cab pickup can still seat the same number of people or more and are 3 to 4 feet shorter plus there is more room in the cab. except for the engine cover.

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## ranald

Looks like a pretty long wheel base so ride would be ok. 4x4 might be problematic off road but others do it. I do prefer a bonnet/hood out front, but a head on with these new tinplate & plastic compacts with air bags would more than likely leave them needing to be cut out (depending on speed of course).
A nice little rig for the era................. or even now.

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## Frank S

When a lot of people hear 4x4 they imeadiatly think of rugged terrain mud bogging or climbing in the mountains or used primarily for some sport play.
In the county where I live and dozens of the surrounding counties as much as 90% of the rule county roads are nothing more than graded dirt roads few are even graveled many in the summer when things are dry become loose sand or when it rains they turn to mud. Farms and ranches never have paved or gravel pathways or trails on the properties where the folks need to uses their vehicles to get around hauling or moving things. 
The longer the wheelbase of the vehicle the more useful the 4x4 feature becomes even transporting to and from or on locations at live stock sales or show events will often mean the difference of being able to get around without having to be towed out or damaging the event grounds is why I mentioned having 4 wheel drive would be useful.
I don't currently have a running 4x4 I have 2 that I am planning on getting running some day so for now to get around on my place I have to rely on using my tractor or UTV neither are 4x4 but their ag lug tires make up for it in part as long as I keep the loads small.
That old adage of being the first one there in an accident doesn't wash with me since I don't drive up someones behind I may or may not be able to avoid the possibility of being in a crash due to someone coming at me from the opposite direction but the extra 3 or 4 feet sticking out front would do little in the event of 2 vehicles colliding from opposite directions at 70+ MPH anyway. 
the same goes for air bags I don't own cars don't drive cars and for the most part never ride in them. 
I doubt if you could find a single ranch truck in my area with an after market heavy duty bumper that does not have their air bags disabled since they use them to push things around with. who wants to be hit in the face when they hit a deer or a hog?

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## ranald

I hear you Frank. I've never used a 4be for sport or play. I live in a semi rural area & NEED to travel an unsealed road to get home or go out. I dont use 4x4 often but for years needed one for access to properties for land regeneration, concreting and other jobs where reasonable clearance was a prerequisite esp carrying a load like concrete blend and/ or towing mulch trailers etc.
Air bags kill many babies/kids/folk all over the world (esp kids in the US,so I've read, where it is not mandatory to wear a seat belt). Police advised my brother he would have been killed if wearing a belt when he was thrown from a VW beetle that was totalled many years back. The other 2 survivors were also thrown clear & had not been wearing belts. (2 were ejected through doors & one out the rear window/screen). For most accidents, I guess belts & bags are a necessity. We have had so, so many recalls here for faulty bags.
I really dont like these little efficient plastic cars with multiple air bags & we see every day accidents where folk are maimed or worse while travelling in one. Of course it is mostly a drivers fault.
A friend was inspecting a Land Rover when the airbags went off after leaning on the bullbar: the service agent had hinged the bar back, after service, but neglected to rebolt it; so it fell forward ( & the bump set off the bags) when the guys foot was placed (during negotations) on the bar. The agent fixed the issue & the sale fell through: of course.

I walked from a headon (only about 40 odd MPH) & saw that yellow panel van (whose driver lost control & hit me on a windey mountainous rd) in my dreams every night for some months. The heavy box chassis & homemade bull bar is what I believe saved me.

Cheers

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## Jon

Fullsize image: https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/h...p_fullsize.jpg

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## ranald

My dad was a centurion: rip. That one does look like a commander. looks like it would seat 8.

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