New Member - Southern California/Arizona

[Tracer]

One last idea. Here is an M35A2 with the larger S280 Shelter. The S280 Shelter has about 2/3 more space than the S250 shelter and fits snug in the bed of a standard M35A2/3. Some like this one come with A/C.

 

[therealquaid]

One last idea. Here is an M35A2 with the larger S280 Shelter. The S280 Shelter has about 2/3 more space than the S250 shelter and fits snug in the bed of a standard M35A2/3. Some like this one come with A/C.
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I like that shelter even more than the M109 shop vans because I can cut out my own windows. I saw one that looked good at Jack’s but didn’t get a picture.

A lot of his van bodies showed signs of rust behind the wall panels which makes me feel iffy about building a home to vibrate with heavy off road use for years though. I’d love to hear from someone who has lived in their rig full time and done heavy off road use to see how their build holds up. The folks who I’ve met who have done so for years all used foam composite boxes.

I’ve even considered using spray foam insulation to add structural rigidity to the box but not sure how to keep those external metal panels intact. I’m talking years of use off roading, just regular dirt roads obviously wouldn’t tear up these boxes.

 

[williamh]

WOW . I didn’t realize there was such a thread go get a toy camper. I’ve had my shop van for several years , it’s a ton of fun for camping , mine is completely empty in the rear except the repair table and rifle rack. Perfect for my “camping” , I also have the 11X20 tires. But I also have the 5 ton turbo / intake /air cleaner /unlocking front hubs/air shift /wench/ bla bla bla . It will pull a hill at 55 go down hill at 60, flat ground at 60 , make u def as hell , and leaks oil all over the place. ( that’s how I know it still has it ). Heater would be nice but since I’m in so.cal , not really needed. A/C would be great ! But so would making it quiet. ( muffler didn’t do crap ) , it’s a 1959 reo , if your really Sirius about making it your living in camper , I would caution you about making hasty decisions. Regardless of any of it you need to make sure your confident of your mechanical ability’s , all these trucks are 30+ years old and finding anyone that can work ( or is willing ) on one is diminishing every day. Trouble shooting is limited to where to plug the computer in or watching crap on utube. All I know is I should of asked for 10,000+ when I was looking to sell it. Dang.

 

[Tracer]

I like that shelter even more than the M109 shop vans because I can cut out my own windows. I saw one that looked good at Jack’s but didn’t get a picture.

A lot of his van bodies showed signs of rust behind the wall panels which makes me feel iffy about building a home to vibrate with heavy off road use for years though. I’d love to hear from someone who has lived in their rig full time and done heavy off road use to see how their build holds up. The folks who I’ve met who have done so for years all used foam composite boxes.

I’ve even considered using spray foam insulation to add structural rigidity to the box but not sure how to keep those external metal panels intact. I’m talking years of use off roading, just regular dirt roads obviously wouldn’t tear up these boxes.View attachment 893167View attachment 893168View attachment 893169View attachment 893170View attachment 893171View attachment 893172View attachment 893173View attachment 893174View attachment 893175

You can find some real clean shelters of various types on Gov. Planet.

 

[jeffhuey1n]

I shy away from bobbers. The Govt. never issued this style of truck and if you're going to make a camper type truck you will have less room to work with due to the bobbers bed being shorter. You will find yourself needing extra room for unexpected cargo, such as a generator, ice chest, water tank etc. etc. Also look at the spare tire, it looks to be the issued 9:00X20 NDCC tire, the tires on the truck are much larger. If you get a flat, the smaller tire may not work, and the larger tire will not fit where the smaller spare does now. I make most of the Military vehicle shows out west, so I need the room in the standard bed for the stuff I sell and the stuff I buy. For a sleeper I use the M105A2 trailer, with a S250 shelter converted to a sleeper. The sleeper works well, I'm 6' 2" and the CO is 5' and we both fit with room to spare. Here are some pics to give you some ideas. Also, my truck has some additions that were not issued when it was built in 1971. Just sharing some ideas from owning an M35A2C for 17 years. Also, I run 11:00X20 NDCC tires, I get about 5mph more top speed and better milage. Also, the 11:00X20 tire just fits in the spare tire location.
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I’ve got a S250 shelter and a XM105E3 IIRC. Looks like you helped solve my dilemma.