Biggest practical vehicles

[apoyusiken]

Lets talk about the biggest vehicles you can drive at a reasonable speed.

[SansVarnic]

15 minutes ago, apoyusiken said:

biggest vehicles you can drive at a reasonable speed

US: hold my beer.

[Tan3l6]

"Practical" is a wide term. 

1st thing that came to mind:

[apoyusiken]

4 minutes ago, Tan3l6 said:

"Practical" is a wide term. 

1st thing that came to mind:

around 90mph?

[Tan3l6]

1 minute ago, apoyusiken said:

around 90mph?

Nope, those are relatively slow, but in fact BIG.

Google AI thinks 40mph max.

[apoyusiken]

1 hour ago, Tan3l6 said:

Nope, those are relatively slow, but in fact BIG.

Google AI thinks 40mph max.

yea im not looking for those, looks like neoplan skyliner l is pretty much ideal

[Beerzerker]

3 hours ago, Tan3l6 said:

Nope, those are relatively slow, but in fact BIG.

Google AI thinks 40mph max.

Actually I used to drive these trucks and the smaller ones (If you can call any of them small) like I was driving could do around 55-60 MPH, give or take.
They have headlights and even turn signals too so those can be put on a road to get from one place to another, it's the really big ones that will never see any public road directly under it's tires. 
BTW I'm not sure if any exist as large by scale as represented in the pic vs people, but there are some not too far off from being so. 
Even the smaller ones I was driving had a ladder up front you had to climb leading to a catwalk you went around to get in the driver's seat. 

[GarlicDeliverySystem]

1 hour ago, Beerzerker said:

BTW I'm not sure if any exist as large by scale as represented in the pic vs people, but there are some not too far off from being so. 

To be honest, the people look like they were added crudely in photoshop. Just look at the ladders/stairs and the railings, they are way too high for the size of the people.

These things are big, but not that big.

[apoyusiken]

1 hour ago, Beerzerker said:

Actually I used to drive these trucks and the smaller ones (If you can call any of them small) like I was driving could do around 55-60 MPH, give or take.
They have headlights and even turn signals too so those can be put on a road to get from one place to another, it's the really big ones that will never see any public road directly under it's tires. 
BTW I'm not sure if any exist as large by scale as represented in the pic vs people, but there are some not too far off from being so. 
Even the smaller ones I was driving had a ladder up front you had to climb leading to a catwalk you went around to get in the driver's seat. 

what other stuff have you driven? 

[Beerzerker]

2 hours ago, GarlicDeliverySystem said:

To be honest, the people look like they were added crudely in photoshop. Just look at the ladders/stairs and the railings, they are way too high for the size of the people.

These things are big, but not that big.

I agree BUT there are a few that's not too far off from that size in the really BIG mining operations. 
All I can tell you is if it's big enough tri-axle dump trucks are getting out of your way, you know it's big. 

And it being that big also means it's dangerous as hell. 
You can easily run over something/someone and not even notice until it's a done deal, depending on what you run over of course. 
 

2 hours ago, apoyusiken said:

what other stuff have you driven? 

Most anything from mini-bikes to these, that does include tractor-trailer trucks and larger heavy equipment too like these trucks are. 

[apoyusiken]

51 minutes ago, Beerzerker said:

Most anything from mini-bikes to these, that does include tractor-trailer trucks and larger heavy equipment too like these trucks are. 

so i like big stuff, and thinking of turning a neoplan skyline L into a mobile house, do you have any comments? I figured this is the biggest practical vehicle.

[thrasher_565]

theres been road trains before. there was that big artic thing. 

 

no idea what seeds it was thow

 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overland_train

Edited May 11 by thrasher_565

[Beerzerker]

5 hours ago, apoyusiken said:

so i like big stuff, and thinking of turning a neoplan skyline L into a mobile house, do you have any comments? I figured this is the biggest practical vehicle.

I've only got a few things to mention. 

You'll probrably need a license to drive it when you do since you said "Mobile House". If you don't already have one that covers this type vehicle, you'll need to get one. 

You'll need to be familiar/experienced with vehicles that big, again it's too easy for something of that size or larger to find you getting into a mess (Legal mess) if you're not careful. 

Hope you've got deep pockets.
Fuel and standard maintenance costs will be high too and all that has to be accounted for, plus any extra costs like registration fees/insurance for a vehicle of that size and also research regulations that may or may not apply with the use you have for it, as in all the applicable legal stuff.  

It's big enough to serve as a home BUT you'll have to have a place to park it with hookups like any other RV/Motor home would have of course once it's where you'll have it. 

If you're going to modify it (internally or externally/both), make sure whatever modifications you do won't upset it's overall balance or make it a pain to drive - Easy to do if mods/changes to it aren't done right which will impact how safely driveable it is once all that is done. 

[apoyusiken]

5 hours ago, Beerzerker said:

I've only got a few things to mention. 

You'll probrably need a license to drive it when you do since you said "Mobile House". If you don't already have one that covers this type vehicle, you'll need to get one. 

You'll need to be familiar/experienced with vehicles that big, again it's too easy for something of that size or larger to find you getting into a mess (Legal mess) if you're not careful. 

Hope you've got deep pockets.
Fuel and standard maintenance costs will be high too and all that has to be accounted for, plus any extra costs like registration fees/insurance for a vehicle of that size and also research regulations that may or may not apply with the use you have for it, as in all the applicable legal stuff.  

It's big enough to serve as a home BUT you'll have to have a place to park it with hookups like any other RV/Motor home would have of course once it's where you'll have it. 

If you're going to modify it (internally or externally/both), make sure whatever modifications you do won't upset it's overall balance or make it a pain to drive - Easy to do if mods/changes to it aren't done right which will impact how safely driveable it is once all that is done. 

thanks really valuable info what are the chances of finding someone like this

 

im thinking of buying a vehicle around 1m kms, what do you think?

 

i really like this bus but ideally i want smt electric, is there no honorable mentions? also i will be doing this in like 5 years so hopefully they will make an electric version then.

 

and i like this idea a lot but is there other fun to drive vehicles? i think its fun to drive high vehicles but semis arent so practical bc the living space isnt connected. unless its moddable.

 

Also can i take this to most of the places i want? (mostly talking abt the logistics)

[Doobeedoo]

Any street legal one should do. There are some monstrosities out there.

[SansVarnic]

16 hours ago, GarlicDeliverySystem said:

To be honest, the people look like they were added crudely in photoshop. Just look at the ladders/stairs and the railings, they are way too high for the size of the people.

These things are big, but not that big.

Currently the largest built is Belaz 75710, capable of carrying a staggering payload of 450 metric tons (496 US tons).

 

Length: 67 ft 7 in (9.87 meters)

Width: 32 ft 4 5/8 in (8.16 meters)

Height: 27 ft 1 1/4 in (8.16 meters )

Turning radius (outside): 65 ft (19.8 m)

Has a maximum claimed top speed of 64 km/h (40 mph) when operating at full capacity.

 

 

Runner ups are;

Caterpillar 797F: With a payload capacity of 364 metric tons (400 US tons), the Caterpillar 797F is one of the largest and most widely used dump trucks in the mining industry. 

 

Liebherr T 284: This truck also has a payload capacity of 363 metric tons (400 US tons) and is recognized for its durability and performance in mining operations 

Komatsu 980E-5:  can carry 363 metric tons (400 US tons)

[Holmes108]

1 hour ago, SansVarnic said:

Currently the largest built is Belaz 75710, capable of carrying a staggering payload of 450 metric tons (496 US tons).

 

 

The first thing I think of when seeing these massive trucks is the big action scene in Mr Nice guy, and old 90's Jackie Chan movie that used a massive truck like these. It was pretty spectacular.

[atxcyclist]

M35 ‘Deuce-and-a-Half’

 

 

[Beerzerker]

This is the exact model I drove.


Small for what it is yet it's still big enough you don't want to mess with it. 
These can haul about 40 tons per load themselves, uphill if need be thanks to it's 3408 V8 Twin turbo diesel engine and 7 speed automatic Allison trans. 

Compared to the others shown above it's a baby as I said but still has it's place too. Mind you this one is an older 769 model too so anything seen today based on it will of course look and be in better shape overall. 
The only thing you can't see in the pic is the catwalk going around to the driver's door but it's there. In fact the very edge of it at the top-right of the driver's side ladder is visible, but if you don't know to look for it you probrably won't see it in this pic. 

[DreamCat04]

High-speed trains. Several hundred meters long and can go in excess of 200mph (or 300-350mph for maglev)

(Nobody said they have to be big in all 3 dimensions). Very practical, moving a thousand or so people at once and very quickly at that

[apoyusiken]

8 hours ago, DreamCat04 said:

High-speed trains. Several hundred meters long and can go in excess of 200mph (or 300-350mph for maglev)

(Nobody said they have to be big in all 3 dimensions). Very practical, moving a thousand or so people at once and very quickly at that

yea but i cant live in them

[Beerzerker]

Not to mention you really don't drive a train anyway - It goes where it goes and that's it. 

[vf1000ride]

You need to check out the trucks they run for stuff like the Dakar Rally.  The Mercedes will do 80mph on pavement, 50mph offroad.  I'm sure you could convert that aft maintenance section into a living area.

[SimplyGone]

On 5/10/2026 at 3:03 PM, apoyusiken said:

Lets talk about the biggest vehicles you can drive at a reasonable speed.

Why you want a big car?  You little in other places?

[SimplyGone]

On 5/10/2026 at 3:32 PM, Tan3l6 said:

"Practical" is a wide term. 

1st thing that came to mind:

That damned thing in the thumbnail is a decent walk just to the steering wheel