Freightliner Conversion Project and Photo Gallery

In 2001, I decided I wanted a Freightliner truck to pull our fifth-wheel camper. My Dodge Ram truck has a lot of miles on it now, and the camper is heavy to pull.

I 've talked to a lot of people and learned a lot during the past few years. It has been quite a journey from there (July 2001) to here. These gallery pages chronicle that journey.

From an idea
From an idea...

to a dream realized...
...to a dream realized...

Gallery photos (click for larger photo and information)

  • Made the decision to buy the truck
  • Where do I go next?
  • Easy stuff first!
  • 7 hours of drilling 40 holes in the frame
  • A lot of planning had to go into this project
  • Rearend had to be square in the frame
  • Getting rid of the extra frame and rear axle
  • Section finally cut off
  • About 3 months to get the frame modified
  • A lot of research
  • Ready to see what the difference in handling would be
  • Another cab searched and found nearby!
  • Stripping the second cab
  • Another view of the second cab
  • Second cab back from the media blaster
  • Finally get the truck into my garage
  • Lining up the cabs
  • A little more taken out of the upper portion of the cab
  • Getting both sides into place
  • More measurements to fabricate the upper cab section
  • Door jamb and trim work that needed to be figured out
  • Another look at fabrication
  • Lining up the roof line
  • Roof line being fastened secure
  • Securing the two cabs together
  • Doing a little finish work
  • Preparing for the new door handle
  • Building the door panel and cab corner in
  • It's finally taking shape
  • Door handle changed to match
  • Replacing the back panel
  • Making sure of the fit
  • American made parts
  • Getting ready for primer
  • Weldings had to be ground off
  • In primer ready for paint
  • Looking more like it should
  • Primer, with a lot of blocking and sanding
  • Painted!
  • Ready to put the windows and trim back on
  • Windows and trim reinstalled
  • Now to start the interior work
  • Nine months into the project - a proud moment
  • Getting ready to head out
  • Starting to soundproof
  • Found a Western Hauler bed
  • Measured the wheelbase and it matched
  • Previously used truck bed
  • Started figuring a starting point
  • Different angle shows the damage
  • Bed made of 12 ga. steel
  • The beginning of the removal process
  • Damage on the back right corner
  • Corner of the truck pushed in
  • Trying to straighten it out
  • Working on the front again
  • Removing and replacing
  • Twice as much work
  • Another angle of the inner panel
  • Panels tacked in
  • Figuring where to cut
  • Outer panel in place
  • Another angle of the front corner
  • Additional replacement of damaged part
  • Corner had to be cut away
  • Additional replacment
  • Making it look like it was made to fit
  • Another angle of replacement parts
  • Diamond plate butt jointed and welded
  • Hole cut for running lights
  • Getting the welds ground down
  • Corners looking good
  • Stripping the entire bed
  • A long and tedious process
  • About a month to get this done
  • Metal prep before painting
  • Bed lining removed
  • Priming and blocking the primer
  • Preparation for the paint
  • Rear section primered and blocked
  • A long way from the earlier damaged corner
  • Starting to spray the basecoat
  • Basecoat being applied
  • Close to being finished with the basecoat
  • A lot of painting
  • Headache rack with clear coat finish
  • Finishing the front
  • Headache rack front - another view
  • Applying clear coat
  • Proud day for basecoat clear coat
  • Jim helping paint
  • Next, a coat of bed liner
  • Closer to being finished
  • The beginning of a lot more work
  • A very proud day in my life
  • Touching up the cab
  • Bed still had to be moved and anchored down
  • What the truck looked like originally