FMTV chassis selection for camper build

[Mowen632]

Lol
Mines not really a prebuilt camper anymore-

I think rebuilding my HAB took longer than it would take to slap those composites togather..
A full year.
What saved me time was reusing the interior components, after strengthening the hab framing..it gives my trucks a factory look.

my new trucks a bit bigger than the green, its been great in the woods - dont be afraid to take your big truck down those paths! And angle of approach? Ive got some pictures that will make you pucker.. lol

Sounds like you really just used it as a shell but tore it down to "studs" if you will, and went from there. I assume it came with the slides and structure to support them? I think that would be handy as the design and install of custom slideouts sounds a little daunting to me, but i may well attempt it. We'll see.

Since this thread is really about chassis and truck sizing I'd welcome some more info on your old and new build

Exodus Expeditionary Trucks (M1086 MTV, WRanger MTV 13, 97 Rialta V15)

What top side is that with expandable sides?

www.steelsoldiers.com

I read through that thread and looks like the HAB is 27'? has a pretty healthy extension off the back and the tire/intake are still in place so that seems like about a 4-5' extension?

Where did you find the M1086? I didn't see any historical sales on GP.

What is your new truck? Since you say it's bigger so I expect is also LWB? Any pics, specs, details? I welcome those pics of the approach angle too. While that shouldn't be the real detriment to the longer wheelbase, I'd be curious if you ever had any issues with breakover or dragging on departure.

 

[Gunny 0369]

Sounds like you really just used it as a shell but tore it down to "studs" if you will, and went from there. I assume it came with the slides and structure to support them? I think that would be handy as the design and install of custom slideouts sounds a little daunting to me, but i may well attempt it. We'll see.

Since this thread is really about chassis and truck sizing I'd welcome some more info on your old and new build

Exodus Expeditionary Trucks (M1086 MTV, WRanger MTV 13, 97 Rialta V15)

What top side is that with expandable sides?

www.steelsoldiers.com

I read through that thread and looks like the HAB is 27'? has a pretty healthy extension off the back and the tire/intake are still in place so that seems like about a 4-5' extension?

Where did you find the M1086? I didn't see any historical sales on GP.

What is your new truck? Since you say it's bigger so I expect is also LWB? Any pics, specs, details? I welcome those pics of the approach angle too. While that shouldn't be the real detriment to the longer wheelbase, I'd be curious if you ever had any issues with breakover or dragging on departure.

my HABs are tough suckers. I have a video of me hitting it with a sledgehammer, on the edge frame work.. Id attach it but that is stupidly fakebook like.. try that with a * German composite in-a-box glue / bolt Together kit.
Yes, the attached slides add months of time saved from building from scratch.
alot of guys don’t believe in them, and pew pew them, but if built correctly and maintained,
They work well off road. I have 15 k on mine, and no issues but monthly adjustment checks.

1086s are getting harder to find, but they are out there- but pricey. I dont buy auction trucks,
I purchase from private brokers so I can inspect/ drive/ study it before laying down cash.
Alot of the info you will get about the capabilitys of the LWB trucks are from guys that have studied... them, I dont study I drive one. That said, dont try to outdrive yourself or your equipment and you will be fine -
These trucks will go further than you WANT to tilt- pitch - or yaw....
OverLandIng with a LWB is done all over the world, not just flat land... and beaches.

New truck based on 1086 LWB tanker HAB is 29 feet
With a frame hangover of 4ft 7 inches, 5 foot above ground.
Approach and departure angles are fantastic ** fir what Im driving, but again Im not taking my 14 ton house up a OvErLanD yoda jeepy trail.
thats what I tow a jeepy for.
i have not had any issues* (breakage) with breakover, and I have pushed dirt like a caterpillar-
My center boxes are heavy gauge steel and are welded gusseted to the frame, and will take a heck of a load.
Im just VERY careful with those drive shafts.
Heres a pic of departure angle on a small 21degree slope,* in a hole* just for reference.
This is where a rear locker comes in -
The center intermediary spins in the air.
locked in mode- (especially with the modified rear locker) pushes you right out of these holes.

build away.

 

[mauinate]

my HABs are tough suckers. I have a video of me hitting it with a sledgehammer, on the edge frame work.. Id attach it but that is stupidly fakebook like.. try that with a * German composite in-a-box glue / bolt Together kit.
Yes, the attached slides add months of time saved from building from scratch.
alot of guys don’t believe in them, and pew pew them, but if built correctly and maintained,
They work well off road. I have 15 k on mine, and no issues but monthly adjustment checks.

build away.

Mind me asking your overall height? Stressing on mine being 13'6" with a standard roof a/c. Thanks!

 

[Gunny 0369]

Mind me asking your overall height? Stressing on mine being 13'6" with a standard roof a/c. Thanks!

how dare u Maui.
13.3467 Thats WITH 2 full size AC/Heat pump low profile Mach2 units up there...

add these, on the roof and your golden,

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[Third From Texas]

I didn't see any historical sales on GP.

GP flushes out auctions that don't fetch what they consider a minimal amount. They also flush the database after a certain time (I used to have "watched items" from years back but now it cuts off at 2019..

 

[mauinate]

how dare u Maui.
13.3467 Thats WITH 2 full size AC/Heat pump low profile Mach2 units up there...

add these, on the roof and your golden,

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Thank you!

 

[Mowen632]

my HABs are tough suckers. I have a video of me hitting it with a sledgehammer, on the edge frame work.. Id attach it but that is stupidly fakebook like.. try that with a * German composite in-a-box glue / bolt Together kit.
Yes, the attached slides add months of time saved from building from scratch.
alot of guys don’t believe in them, and pew pew them, but if built correctly and maintained,
They work well off road. I have 15 k on mine, and no issues but monthly adjustment checks.

1086s are getting harder to find, but they are out there- but pricey. I dont buy auction trucks,
I purchase from private brokers so I can inspect/ drive/ study it before laying down cash.
Alot of the info you will get about the capabilitys of the LWB trucks are from guys that have studied... them, I dont study I drive one. That said, dont try to outdrive yourself or your equipment and you will be fine -
These trucks will go further than you WANT to tilt- pitch - or yaw....
OverLandIng with a LWB is done all over the world, not just flat land... and beaches.

New truck based on 1086 LWB tanker HAB is 29 feet
With a frame hangover of 4ft 7 inches, 5 foot above ground.
Approach and departure angles are fantastic ** fir what Im driving, but again Im not taking my 14 ton house up a OvErLanD yoda jeepy trail.
thats what I tow a jeepy for.
i have not had any issues* (breakage) with breakover, and I have pushed dirt like a caterpillar-
My center boxes are heavy gauge steel and are welded gusseted to the frame, and will take a heck of a load.
Im just VERY careful with those drive shafts.
Heres a pic of departure angle on a small 21degree slope,* in a hole* just for reference.
This is where a rear locker comes in -
The center intermediary spins in the air.
locked in mode- (especially with the modified rear locker) pushes you right out of these holes.

build away.

Gunny,

I appreciate the detail and the inspiration! that truck looks BA. Obviously, I am hungry for more details so please point me to a thread if you've posted more information on it and I'd love to take a look. if not, feel free to share it here! also, I don't want to compete with you for any of your trucks since it seems like you clearly do this as a business, but if you have a resource for where to potentially lay my hands on a m1086 and don't have the capacity to buy it up at the moment, I would welcome a connection. Feel free to PM if you want to keep it off the thread.

I also appreciate the reassurance that the perceived limitations of a longer wheelbase vehicle may not be all they are cracked up to be and I think I would be unlikely to try and Out-drive the equipment as you say. I imagine my comfort level is likely a lot lower than the truck's capability in a lot of cases, which will hopefully keep me out of trouble.

I really want to see one of these in person. I go through NC occasionally for work. Any chance you'd give me a tour if I found my way your direction? Do you happen to know where any of your previous trucks now reside?

 

[Mowen632]

GP flushes out auctions that don't fetch what they consider a minimal amount. They also flush the database after a certain time (I used to have "watched items" from years back but now it cuts off at 2019..

I suppose if things have been purged that could be missleading, but given there are none showing in the last 2 years, the chances seem low of one coming up for sale in the next 6mo to a year.

May have to make due with what is on the market. That would probably lead me back to using a wrecker, it will cost a bit more upfront, but certainly not as much as a 1087 and even possibly a 1086 since I'm not sure what that might go for. I can recoup some funds by selling off the equipment I won't need. Just would add some additional work to tear it all apart.

 

[Third From Texas]

I suppose if things have been purged that could be missleading, but given there are none showing in the last 2 years, the chances seem low of one coming up for sale in the next 6mo to a year.

May have to make due with what is on the market. That would probably lead me back to using a wrecker, it will cost a bit more upfront, but certainly not as much as a 1087 and even possibly a 1086 since I'm not sure what that might go for. I can recoup some funds by selling off the equipment I won't need. Just would add some additional work to tear it all apart.

Oh I'm not debating the rarity of the truck.

I'm just pointing out that searching GP's prior sales will result in incomplete info/picture with regards to what's been sold by them (and often for what amount).

For example, HETs are rare and fetch very high prices (50-75K). A few months ago, you'd be hard pressed to find a previous HET auction on GP. But this past few months there have been a HUGE flood of them come to auction out in CA. So depending on when you looked on GP, HETs could be rare as hell and bringing in $75K.....or common as hell (a dozen a month) at $40K. And once GP flushes those out of the database search in a few years. they will appear rare again.

Point being, a search of GP's past auctions is incomplete. It's just a snapshot in time and there may be more to the story.

 

[chucky]

Oh I'm not debating the rarity of the truck.

I'm just pointing out that searching GP's prior sales will result in incomplete info/picture with regards to what's been sold by them (and often for what amount).

For example, HETs are rare and fetch very high prices (50-75K). A few months ago, you'd be hard pressed to find a previous HET auction on GP. But this past few months there have been a HUGE flood of them come to auction out in CA. So depending on when you looked on GP, HETs could be rare as hell and bringing in $75K.....or common as hell (a dozen a month) at $40K. And once GP flushes those out of the database search in a few years. they will appear rare again.

Point being, a search of GP's past auctions is incomplete. It's just a snapshot in time and there may be more to the story.

Just to prove TFT statement true im trying to sale a trailer that ive seen a few of on gp but like he said now you go look and it only shows 1 ever being sold they do play with the numbers pretty good on that site ! Ive been buying stuff off of it since it was govliquidation they dump my watch stuff out of my account from time to time!

 

[Gunny 0369]

Thank you!

Gunny,

I appreciate the detail and the inspiration! that truck looks BA. Obviously, I am hungry for more details so please point me to a thread if you've posted more information on it and I'd love to take a look. if not, feel free to share it here! also, I don't want to compete with you for any of your trucks since it seems like you clearly do this as a business, but if you have a resource for where to potentially lay my hands on a m1086 and don't have the capacity to buy it up at the moment, I would welcome a connection. Feel free to PM if you want to keep it off the thread.

I also appreciate the reassurance that the perceived limitations of a longer wheelbase vehicle may not be all they are cracked up to be and I think I would be unlikely to try and Out-drive the equipment as you say. I imagine my comfort level is likely a lot lower than the truck's capability in a lot of cases, which will hopefully keep me out of trouble.

I really want to see one of these in person. I go through NC occasionally for work. Any chance you'd give me a tour if I found my way your direction? Do you happen to know where any of your previous trucks now reside?

Mowen
Im not a dealer or seller, I do these as a hobby.
PM me and Ill get a truck for you to look at/ drive / get scared in etc next time you pass through NC.

 

[DannyBtruckn]

The one that went for $9K was the one that hit the overpass while on a trailer. The habitat was totaled. And given the forces it saw, I'd worry a bit about the chassis. So it was a worst a parts truck, at best a long chassis.

Hey, I'm the guy who bought that wrecked 1087. I'll have to make post of how I stripped it down to the chassis. all with hand tools and some leverage from trees in my yard. I plan to build an awesome habitat on it when I get time again. By the way, I'm located in Burnet, TX if anyone needs parts from it.

 

[serpico760]

Hey, I'm the guy who bought that wrecked 1087. I'll have to make post of how I stripped it down to the chassis. all with hand tools and some leverage from trees in my yard. I plan to build an awesome habitat on it when I get time again. By the way, I'm located in Burnet, TX if anyone needs parts from it.

How about the rear leveling pads? Got any of those

 

[DannyBtruckn]

How about the rear leveling pads? Got any of those

Not sure what you mean by leveling pads. There wasnt anything like this included with my truck.

I do remember there were places on the bottom corners of the van unit where a leveling jack could be attached (they had two lobed studs protruding) but were unlike anything ive seen before. also I didnt get any jacks with my truck.