M923a2 off-road truck camper options

[toudi]

Hello Everyone
I'm new to this forum and new to this country, I'm Polish
I would like to build off-road truck camper (aprox 25ft long, and 6-8 thousand pounds ) and looking for 4x4 or 6x6 truck.
Searched for something on truck paper, but the only thing I found that international 7400/7300 4x4 but price is for me too high around 80k
Maybe there are any brands or models about whom I do not know???
And I found military trucks, but it is a small problem ---the highway speed.
What you can change to get 70mph cursing speed
-Differential ratio
-Transmission
-engine mod for more hp
-transfer case ratio
-overdrive
Which truck should have to think and whether it is reasonable to do for money?

I currently live in southern california (OC) and to all the interesting places I have several hours of driving on the highway.
My budget just for truck is 25k-35k (excluding camper)
Thank you for your help
Tom

 

[98G]

M934A2...

learn to like cruising 60ish. You can make them go faster, but it's hard to make them stop safely from higher speeds...

 

[wsucougarx]

Exactly what I was thinking!

 

[porkysplace]

The maximum rated tire speed for military super singles is 55mph to 60 mph depending on which tire it is .

 

[Ford Mechanic]

These trucks are alot heavier than 8,000lbs. That truck without the box will weigh somewhere close to 22,000lbs

While the tires are only rated at 55mph my 923a2 is capable of 68-70mph

 

[MWMULES]

With a box/camper on the back will knock 5 to 8 mph off the top end.

 

[toudi]

Thanks for your quick response.

98G wrote that I can increase the speed, but my question is how I can do this?

The other thing is, the speed limit caused by tires speed restriction - my question is: can I change the rims and tires for less aggressive tread pattern, so I can achieve faster speed?

Thank you

 

[dmetalmiki]

As said before you are going to have to get used to slower cruise speeds. And in any case a steady speed maintained soon eats up the miles. Not all that big a deal if you are out to enjoy a trip. I would go for the 5 ton expandable van, (or one like in the post abave) and convert that to your own requirements. I built my own camper for looks and function, using a 5 ton M54A2 and a Praga radio Body. I am more than pleased with the results and it is an attraction at shows.

 

[98G]

The tires aren't rated for higher speeds, due to centrifugal forces. You run the risk of catastrophic failure at sustained higher speeds.

If the goal is simply to increase speed, changing gearing accomplishes that.

The problem is that the truck as a whole is not designed for higher speeds. The braking system for example.

If a higher cruising speed is a "must have" , then start with something originally designed for higher cruising speeds.

 

[toudi]

What about different rims+tires ? do we have any options?
I was looking for another truck , but I found nothing.I was looking for something similar to Man , or Tatra or Stayer
Thanks

 

[98G]

Here's my take on these trucks, and this is just my perceptions and opinions.

These things are happy being driven at about 45mph. At that speed, you have comfortable safety margins in pretty much all aspects. They aren't trying to beat you to death, and stopping distances are reasonable.

They'll go faster. I've done it, and I do it regularly, sometimes for hundreds of miles at a time, sustained. I drove one from Indianapolis to Tucson recently, mostly cruising right around 60mph or a little higher. They'll do it, but it isn't the sweet spot for them. The system as a whole isn't optimized for it. It isn't just the rims and tires. The whole thing.

Maybe have a look at the m915 m916 trucks. I'm only passing ly familiar with them, but they're at least based off a commercial truck tractor that was originally designed for on road use at sustained highway speeds.

 

[UNIMOG-GUY]

Or you could just look at a different brand/type of truck to accomplish what you want to do. Unimogs come to mind... Here are a couple of websites you can check out:

http://www.unimog.net/exchange/

http://unimogshop.com/ad-category/unimogs/

http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/search.php?searchid=2838087

 

[toudi]

I know it another truck, but tires and whole system are probably similar ? http://www.fourwheeler.com/project-vehicles/129-0505-1980-am-general-m920-8x8/
Original axle ratios were 6.17:1, but even with the taller tires, Soni could barely speed in school zones, so he swapped in three sets of 4.88s. Now, the lumbering giant is able to reach a blistering 82.3 mph while bouncing off the governor at 2,100 rpm, and that's with the top gear being a 0.83:1 overdrive.

Thanks but unimog it too small

​

 

[Csm Davis]

You can safely set up a M939 series for 65 mph with the right tires. The brakes are more than adequate.

 

[Csm Davis]

Tom I actually read you first post like Ford Mechanic, with 8000 lbs as a limit you are looking at one ton sized vehicles like the M1010

 

[mcmullag]

I have done some exploring around the West of the USA in a 98 chevy trailblazer and camped or stayed in hotels.
I have owned 4 6x6's. For camping and exploring trips you wish to do I would go with a 3/4 ton ford, dodge or chevy or gmc with a camper on the back of it.
just my two cents

 

[mcmullag]

about 12 years ago I discovered this trail guidebook and kept doing these trails.
high mountain passes and trails up to old mining camps, etc.
http://www.funtreks.com/
awesome stuff, small suv's and jeeps are best for the high mountain trails I found the first book for sale of CO trails in a National Forest Service office out in the boonies. Such trails as starting in Ouray, CO an going over a mountain range down into Silverton, CO lots of great trails a stock SUV can do.
Mine was stock with BF Goodrich all terrain tires. I want to get back to doing those trails again in Western CO.
also, distances are vast and the interstates are 70 and 75 mph.
for example, I started off one trip from st Louis mo to glacier national park in NW Montana. Three days driving interstate at 75 and 80 mph. one day 15 hrs driving, two days 12 hrs driving. I would not want to explore the USA in a large military truck, again just my two cents.
Hear me now, believe me later.......

 

[adeso]

You also burn up a lot of fuel going fast esp with a tall box on the back. I have no issues running 60ish MPH on a lightly loaded truck and good tires, there are easy mods to do for the truck to keep fueling up to 65MPH. 60 keeps you close to the flow of traffic to be safe and doesn't add that much time on trips under a few hundred miles. But these trucks are not something you want to take across the US on a time limit.

 

[toudi]

THANKS Guys
Everyone writes about a few modifications , but what specifically? Already know the pros and cons.
I am looking for A2 long one ,really hard to find any for sale.Can someone one here has any long wheelbase for sale ?,Or maybe someone now any shop in LA or San Diego
where I could do frame stretch ?
Thanks

 

[juanprado]

The maximum rated tire speed for military super singles is 55mph to 60 mph depending on which tire it is .

Goodyear 395/85/20 mv/t are rated way higher than 60.

Depending on which Goodyear Literature that is used as a reference and load range 65/68/ or 81 mph
Most surplus mv/t out there seem to be load range "G". I know my 7 are "G".

I am not sure on "official" or TM-10 specs top speed for a caiman, but that is one reason they use these goodyear tires. I have seen 77MPH listed on BAE specs on a 3rd party website as I did some research before I used these tires and some caiman wheels on my M923