Founded in 1913, Hendrickson International today focuses on producing suspensions for the heavy-duty truck market. But prior to 1985, they were in the truck manufacturing business, which is where we believe the roots of this 1975 FC305 lie. Developed for use as a bookmobile, this Hendrickson was employed by the Sioux Falls, South Dakota Public Library as a rolling dispensary of reading materials. No longer running, this vehicle awaits a restoration or conversion into another lifeform. It’s available here on craigslist for $13,500. Our thanks to Gunter Kramer for this unusual tip!
Not a lot of information is available online about Hendrickson’s former truck and bus manufacturing business. But today, their suspension and chassis components seem to be in widespread use. This includes integrated and non-integrated axle and brakes systems, tire pressure control systems, axle lift systems, multi-leaf springs, stabilizers, bumpers, and more.
The seller describes this bus as a “piece of local history,” so we assume it was widely seen around town in the latter part of the 20th Century. It still wears the graphics from its former servitude and looks to be in decent overall condition, though it’s been sitting for a while (flat tires). The diesel engine (and likely other mechanical items) isn’t functional, so it will have to be towed away for any rework.
We’re guessing the bookmobile spent a lot of time in a stationary position by the design of the shelves. If this bus had a load of books on these shelves, there is nothing to keep them from flying around when the bus is in motion. From the insides, it looks like it could have carried hundreds, even thousands of books for young and young alike readers to enjoy. The big question is what you would do with it if you bought it. Convert it into a food truck, make an RV out of it, or come up with something entirely different? It’s a shame that so much of the reading that gets done these days is online as it would be way cool if the bus could be kept as it was previously intended.
That 13.5K is probably what it’s going to cost to get that diesel engine to run. A conversion of any sort is going to cost about the same. Don’t see how this one is viable unless the owner pays to have it hauled off.
Russ… Note that the shelves are all angled to keep the books in place. Shelves are the nicest part of this rig.
Excellent observation B.!
…Interesting company, if this is the same Hendrickson found on ‘Coachbuilt’ … seems to be.
The company developed early innovations for the large truck drivetrain that are still in use globallly today.
http://www.coachbuilt.com/bui/h/hendrickson/hendrickson.htm
I am going to show this article to my older brother who drove a bookmobile while living in Chamberlin, South Dakota. He was a social worker in the early eighties. One of the things he did was to bring the bookmobile to the surrounding Indian reservations.
It never ceases to amaze me what turns up on Barnfinds. Keep up the good work.
The wood alone is almost worth it.
I know, right? With what the price of wood is these days.
Is Gunter Kramer the new Ikey Heyman?
This vehicle is for sale at Frankman Auto near Sioux Falls if any of you want to see it.
Surprised me a lot to see this on barnfinds, saw it in person on the lot a month ago. They bought it off auction along with a bunch of other 50-70’s cars.
This used to drive around my dad’s neibourhood when he was a kid, lots of memories.
Cool stuff, but a little overpriced.
The “Bookmobile”, I was not the best reader as a kid, unless it had something to do with cars, but the bookmobile at least got us out of class for a short time. Man, I hated school.
Anyway, our bookmobile looked like this, a company named Gerstenlager made a lot of vintage bookmobiles. I read Milwaukee Public Library had 9 bookmobiles, not all at the same time. I don’t remember much about the unit itself, except I know it was Detroit powered, as the driver ran the motor in winter for heat.
I don’t know what to do with this thing, books are ancient and can’t compete with the screen. The only people I see at our library, are older folks that can’t handle a computer. With fuel costs, running a “box” down the road will be costly, I say, one more trip for this old gal, up on blocks, and make a “tiny” home out of it.
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/206461964142913027/
Tiny Home for the ever expanding family.
Just think, a shelf for each kid and they won’t fall out while driving
Impressive looking truck. I can imagine this being restored and used again as a bookmobile for libraries and/or bookstores. I’d keep certain things as stock as possible, while also upgrading everything mechanical. Among the mechanical upgrades would be the conversion of disc brakes for the front brakes and a Duramax Turbo diesel engine.
As a child in the 50’s living in a rural area of the county I recall our bookmobile coming to a dedicated spot every Saturday where many youngsters would go in the Summer only to get reading material for a week. Depending on age you were allowed so many books per week. Along with my many brothers and sisters we would ride our bikes the three miles to get our reading material. The bookmobile looked just like this one and books were in sections. I think three or four kids were allowed on the bus at a time. It was a different time and for a different generation, but we sure enjoyed it.
God Bless America
Looks like something from Thunderbolt and Lightfoot. Almost eerily creepy…it’s 1970, on a hot summer afternoon, in some small town in the midwestern plains. Quiet, except for the sound of the ice cream truck in the distance.
Not surprisingly, seven year-old Bobby Anderson lost three of his fingers when they were severed by the rear-side door opening/closing mechanism. Apparently, the Sawyer girls, Anita and Jeanine, though it would be funny to pull the lever and close the door as Tommy grabbed it to climb down out of the Bookmobile. Tommy is still known to this day as “Bobster the Lobster” and “Lobster Boy”. He still lives in town and, at 59 years of age, is still employed at the local IGA where he worked since he was 14. Starting out as a bagger, he is now in charge of the meats and seafood.
Missing fingers … works in the meat section … I never would have thought bookmobile
A that price this will stay is Sioux Falls for a long time. Where do the people who price get these figures? Sounds like American Pickeritis. It does not run, will need to be reconfigured and upgraded etc, etc. Not cheap. How about $2500 and please come and get this off our property?
LOL! I think they just put the comma in the wrong place, Lance – should read $1,350.00!
$13,500?? Good one, posted 24 days ago.
I suspect the owner has not looked into the costs involved in moving such a vehicle, much less getting it running. A couple of years ago I had to move two 30 foot semi trailers to another location 12 miles away. Both trailers had good tires, and were easy to hook up to. Because they were so heavy [filled with antique car parts] and were not licensed, they had to be towed using a very large tow truck, the type used to haul semi truck and trailers that have broken down.
The best price I was able to negotiate was $400 per trailer, to move them 12 miles. These big tow truck operators often charge in excess of $500 per hour, just for a simple hook-up and drop-off.
Now this truck needs 6 tires [and 2 rims]. They look like 24.5 rims, so the price per tire is around $1,000 for each tire, about half that price if they are used tires. Plus $100 each for good used rims. That’s $3,400 to $6,400 for tires & rims.
Today, with diesel having doubled since I had my trailers towed, I suspect the $10/mile average towing cost I was faced with will have probably doubled in price to $20/mile for 2022. Just towing it across town for 100 miles will probably end up costing well over $2,500. I’m sure this truck, due to the heavy GVW, will have air brakes, which means if it’s sat for a long time the air brakes may not work. At that point it’s gonna be very expensive to repair the brakes to work and move it more than a few inches! [For those not familiar with how air brakes work, the pressurized air is used to release the brakes, and as the truck sits, the brakes are applied!]
All of the above costs and it still doesn’t run. With so many trucking companies closing or cutting back on rolling stock, used semi trailers that won’t pass DOT inspection can be found [at least here in the Mid-Atlantic area] for a few hundred dollars each. If it was indeed a good running driving truck with good tires, this would make a great flea market vehicle for people selling vintage or racing car parts. But it’s a non-runner needing tires, and probably thousands of dollars in drive line and brake repairs.
So the owner of this bookmobile should be prepared for the possibility it’s only going to be worth scrap value, especially right now as scrap metals are currently up in price.
@Bill I agree with you about the wheels/tires. I actually contacted the seller and asked them if they had the missing rear wheels or rims for the duallys. The response was, that it never had any wheels removed and this is the way the vehicle has always been. I found that hard to believe, but it’s possible. However, it’s definitely made to have dually rear wheels. Makes sense too, to support the expected extra weight. Unfortunately, the listing expired and i get no response from C-list emails. I wonder if it sold.
Don’t know what library Howard A goes to, but several that I visit during my day are populated with folks from grade school to “older folks” – but all of them can and do “handle a computer” as well. They just enjoy the very real pleasure of holding a book and reading from the printed page. Of course, knowing how to read and comprehend in the first place helps. Not sure why someone who can’t would be in a library since there are not a whole lot of picture books.
OK, why has no one addressed the elephant in the photos?
Where the heck are the other set of rims for the rear duallys?
does anyone know the fate of this interesting vehicle?
I am sure that I am not the only one who would love an update.