Identify Role of this Van

Barry Churcher · #1 23-03-12, 02:50

Can anyone help me and identify the role of the van body/box? I just rescued it from the scrapper and need any info, photos etc. It is some kind of Command vehicle and Frank Moore says it was on one of those Western Stars.
It has a 24V battery charger and phone lines, as can be seen in the photos. It would make a nice trailer or back for a CUCV or chickens. The big heater on the front would make it liveable if I get tossed out. Thanks for any help.
Barry

Scott Bentley · #2 23-03-12, 03:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by Barry Churcher

Can anyone help me and identify the role of the van body/box? I just rescued it from the scrapper and need any info, photos etc. It is some kind of Command vehicle and Frank Moore says it was on one of those Western Stars.
It has a 24V battery charger and phone lines, as can be seen in the photos. It would make a nice trailer or back for a CUCV or chickens. The big heater on the front would make it liveable if I get tossed out. Thanks for any help.
Barry

If you hop in and look on the bulkhead above the door, the Dataplate with the ECC should be rivetted there. The ECC will shed a ton of light on the exact Configuration, but at a quick glance, it appears to be a recent one from an LSVW.

rob love · #3 23-03-12, 04:20

It is from the 5/4 ton gas. If it were from a CUCV diesel the ECC plate would be on the lower left rear outer wall.

LSVW went to a hot water heater rather than the hunter 15,000 BTU mounted up top. LSVW would also have the ladder permanently attached to the back. I believe the LSVW also got rid of that monstrosity of a battery charger and went to something a little more compact.

If it was CUCV it would have more squarish corners, and the right fuel opening would be capped.

The bolt attachment for most trucks of that era is to an SAE standard, so the box could likely be fit onto any 70s and 80s truck with very little effort. I am using a CUCV van body on my 76 chev 5/4 ton, and it was a drop on.

Barry Churcher · #4 24-03-12, 16:44

Thanks, Scotty and Rob for the replies and thanks to Frank for the phone call. Please keep you eyes open for any technical info or photos.
Thanks guys,
Barry

rob love · #5 24-03-12, 18:30

I have some of the CFTOs for these bodies, and many more CFTOs exist for the re-vamped version still in use today. When the 5/4 tons left the system, the van bodies were removed at the units and shipped off to the federal pens where they were repaired and modified for use on the LSVW. The CUCV van bodies were sold off either with the trucks or in some cases, removed for use as smoke shacks or storage sheds, and later found their way out of service.

maple_leaf_eh · #6 24-03-12, 21:55

If the stock number proves this is a Command Post, you already have part of the interior fittings needed to make it back into a CP. But, it will be much more useful converted to a sleeper.

Barry Churcher · #7 25-03-12, 16:32

Terry, you are probably right about the sleeper. Especially when Janet gets home from her Florida vacation and it's sitting in the yard. This is the plate above the door. I have a couple of 101 trailer chassis that I should measure to see if it would fit. Weight may be an issue as would the high center of gravity.
Barry

rob love · #8 26-03-12, 05:45

Definitely 5/4 ton with a "21-872" era stock number.