Occasionally, we do let the Bishop out of his Creator’s Pod to wander around outside, even if that means a solid half hour of tedious disconnecting of nutrient tubes, waste removal tubes, filters, and catchbladders, neural stimulator wires, and various IV lines. But it’s worth it, because legally we have to and sometimes he encounters interesting things while he’s being dragged around town in the cart. This most recent outdoor drag-about was no exception, as he brought back pictured from his ocular-cam of a very strange modified Ford F650 truck. I thought perhaps we might try to figure out what the hell the point of this is? It’ll be fun, right? Sure it will.
The truck in question was being sold nearby the facility where the Bishop is housed, and appears to be a Ford F650 chassis cab. It has sealed-beam headlights, so I’d say that would probably make it from around, oh, 2007 or so. Oh wait, there’s actually a for sale sign on the windshield: it’s a 2011 and the seller wants just under $15,000 for the truck.
So, what’s weird about this truck? Well, look:
See that strange addition to the cab? It sort of looks like a phone booth has been grafted onto the side, complete with a folding door and a big extra triangular window to help it fit onto the rest of the cab and provide good visibility out the passenger’s side.
As you can see from the rear, the addition is basically a big rectangular vertical box jammed into the factory cab. It’s tall enough to allow a pretty normal-sized human adult to stand up in there easily.
So… what’s the point of this thing? There also appears to be a folding seat inside that extended passenger’s side, for, I suppose, decadent comfort. But what is it for?
The part of the truck that did the actual work is missing, of course, and was once mounted to all that chassis you see behind the cab. Were that still in place this would all make sense, of course, but as it is, this thing feels like quite a puzzle.
What’s the application for a heavy-duty truck like this that requires half of its cab to be modified in such a way?
I think you should make lots of guesses in the comments, and speculate and give evidence. I will tell you that I know the answer, but as of yet I have not been able to find another example of this sort of vehicle that has a similar modification, which is odd. I can find other sorts of vehicles that do the same basic job that have some similar traits, but nothing exactly like this.
At the same time, I have trouble believing this was some one-off. The parts needed to make this feel like something that’s already been figured out, designed, and sold.
If you’re ready for the answer, you can click here to see it. If you’d rather hear than see, you can click here to hear.
It sorta makes sense after you know, but I’m not sure I’d have guessed it!
As for why it’s on the truck, I don’t know, but stop pretending that’s a part that’s hand built or has never existed before because any child that’s ever been on a school bus would recognize it.
It’s a garbage truck. For the guy who dumps the cans manually. He can get in and out of the cab quickly without being exhausted from climbing up and down from the cab seat. I have a picture but you geniuses at Autopian decided “pikchurs baaaaad!”.
I’m guessing a garbage truck or that it has something to do with painting lines on the road
My guess was delivery vehicle. I thought it had a box on the back for packages since it resembles a UPS truck in that the driver can run in and out of the passenger side to stay away from traffic on the left side and there’s even a little jump seat on the passenger side for a helper. I wasn’t too far off right? Garbage truck is a delivery vehicle after all.
Garbage Truck, actual garbage truck not a roll off unit
It started to morph; the process completes in about a week. You better run to the hils.
Ah! Don’t forget to drag the pod with you. And toilet paper. You may not come back in a while.
Trash truck!
The serious answer is a garbage truck or recycling truck and possibly some sort of right hand drive conversion. I’m pretty sure I’ve seen one on the street, but not locally. Most of our trash is wheely bins and hydraulic lift trucks, plus a Ram 3500 dually with a gooseneck trailer for glass.
Superman!
Right hand stand up drive conversion.