Repainted it in 2023

Cushman Haulster/Vanster videos

This vehicle has a good running engine with a 3-speed manual stick transmission. As an old vehicle, there are many things that need touching up, cleaning up but is driveable as is. Main thing is that the starter takes awhile to catch and needs rebuilding. The scooter has endless possibilities. Can be painted any color scheme, custom wheels etc. Top speed is 40mph.

1987 Cushman Haulster/Vanster

Going down a farm road

This scooter has a very small turning radius

VIN etc...

I'm sure this Cushman never had a title, so I applied for and received a bonded Texas title in 2012. Not all Cushman vehicles are eligible for a title. This Cushman has badges stamped MOTORCYCLE and has a serial number and a 17-digit VIN, which made the process smoother. I went through a title service to get the title and it cost me a few hundred bucks. I recently contacted the lady who did the title work and she said since the time I titled my Haulster, Texas laws have become more difficult. Supposedly, instead of just filing the proper paperwork and paying the fees, you have to physically take your vehicle to an auto theft officer at a designated police department to inspect it and verify the numbers. This service would only be available in major cities, so if you live far from a major city, you'd have to trailer your vehicle and take it for inspection. This would be way too much hassle for me. I had looked into purchasing a Truckster without a title, but this new requirement is a deal breaker. For the record, my title is a bonded title. I was told at the time I applied for it that I would receive a regular title after a couple of years and no liens being found. After about 8 years, I've never received a new title but maybe I have to request it at the courthouse. A bonded title is transferable just like a regular title.
UPDATE: After about 8 years of having the bonded title, I paid the $28 fee at the courthouse to get my regular title without the word "bonded" on it. After about two weeks, I received a new title but it STILL had bonded on it. The ladies at the courthouse had it wrong and I wasted $28.  

New wheels

I replaced the old original 8" wheels/tires with Vampire 10" wheels with low profile tires. The height is the same (18") as the old wheels and tires, so there is no clearance issue. The wheels are golf cart wheels and have a different lug pattern than stock Cushman, so I had to use adapters. The tires stick out 4 inches. 

After seeing this video, I won't be using Fram oil filters again. Why bother when there's so many other choices out there?
The Worst Oil Filter Ever

This is my 1987 Cushman Haulster/Vanster model #898456. Engine is a 22 hp OMC with 3-speed manual transmission.

Miss Kitty checking out the strange looking machine

Stuck in the sand

Other Cushman Haulster/Vanster Pics from around the country

These are pics I've come across here and there of other Cushman scooters like mine or similar. The pics of the instrument panel are not of my scooter. Mine came without a speedo and some of the other gauges aren't wired up and I haven't had a need to do so but you can see what it's supposed to be like. These scooters have been used for many things including pizza delivery, an advertising "mascot" for businesses and more.

The Cushman Haulster, nicknamed the "Vanster", was a unique 3-wheel or 4-wheel vehicle with a fiberglass body and 3 steel doors. The engine was a 2 cylinder air-cooled OMC. The vehicle had many features of a regular 4 wheeled vehicle - driver's seat in the middle with a high backrest, clutch and brake pedals, floor dimmer switch, windshield wiper, seat belt, headlights, turn signals, brake lights, sliding glass windows, bumpers, shocks, leaf springs, differential, etc etc. In Texas and some other states, the 3-wheel model is licensed as a motorcycle. The Haulster was used for many tasks in the past including transportation around manufacturing complexes and military bases, pizza delivery, mail delivery and much more. 

The white scooter in the first 4 pics is a 1983 model that was for sale in Ft. Worth, TX some time ago for $1500. As far as I know, it sold. It was the last one I ever saw for sale that had a title and was street legal or actually, the last one I saw for sale period.

Click on pics to enlarge

You may have seen this Cushman (pics below) if you ever drove from Comanche, TX to Brownwood. It sat idle at Blanket for many many years. It must have finally been sold. All I knew about it was that it was originally used by the U.S. Army and I was told by the people at Longhorn Campers that it had no title.

This scooter (below) is or was used to advertise a coffee house.

This is the interior(pic below) of a Cushman Haulster/Vanster. Mine didn't come with the speedometer and a couple of other gauges but have factory holes for them and the gauges I have aren't wired up.

OMC air-cooled 2 cylinder engine.

4-wheel Haulsters are very common. They were made for two passengers thus have a wider seat and the steering wheel is on the left instead of the middle as in 3-wheel models. Licensing one as street legal can be tricky since it has 4-wheels. Titles weren't ever issued for many of them. The ones I have seen that were titled and tagged were in California of all places. 

Tazza Pizza has since gone out of business. I wonder what happened to the Cushman. 

This beautiful 4-wheel Vanster was sold by a coffee company in California. Note the California plates.