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Overland 5-ton camper with a 20' container (now 40' !)

jcdostie

Member
68
19
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Location
Quebec
Hi there,
Here's my retirement project. Add a mini-home built in a 20' container and put that on the 923A2-ROPS.
Have you ever seen a container on a 5-ton ?

Off course, there's a few mods to do (suspension, cab, heater, etc...) :-D
Here's a few plans I made. The only bug I have with the free software is I cannot raised the floor of the bedroom :deadhorse:
I need an extension for the bed that goes on top of the cab
I will certainly have a few questions
3D-1.jpg3D-3.jpg3D-5.jpg3D-7.jpg

Thanks
JC
 
Last edited:

Csm Davis

Well-known member
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Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Is the 20' include the section over the cab? The best truck to start with will be a ISO bed truck 923 or 927 if you want 20' on the floor.

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jcdostie

Member
68
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8
Location
Quebec
Is the 20' include the section over the cab? The best truck to start with will be a ISO bed truck 923 or 927 if you want 20' on the floor.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
Included. I already have the 923. I’m planning in removing the spare amd exhaust from the original place. Then, remove the bed also. Will come back with some drawings


Envoyé de mon iPhone en utilisant Tapatalk
 

jcdostie

Member
68
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8
Location
Quebec
Make sure you fully enclose the storage ("garage") area where your motorcycle will be stored; otherwise, all you'll be smelling while lying in bed is oil, grease, exhaust, and rubber.
Very good point. And maybe I will have an electric motorcycle to save the planet
JC


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tobyS

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I haven't considered building one on a 923, but I thought about making one as a trailer.

How will you get a bike up in there? What do you mean by suspension mods?
 

jcdostie

Member
68
19
8
Location
Quebec
I haven't considered building one on a 923, but I thought about making one as a trailer.

How will you get a bike up in there? What do you mean by suspension mods?
For the bike, I planned to have a small H-beam with an electric winch. Not sur yet.

The suspension is too tough on the truck and will get rid of everything inside the camper. I will get big green out of hibernation and go to a suspension shop. I’m looking to have Air Ride or less leaf springs.

JC


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m1010plowboy

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Edmonton, Canada
Retirement 6x6

That looks like a cool project. Good to see a neighbour working on a holiday plan. There's always an option of finding a beat up Freightliner with a soft package on the back to amend the suspension.

axles.jpg

There's a project ongoing that has a similar MO as yours so it'll be good to see some end results. Nice work on the drawings! That really helps to sort out problems before you live in them. I'd likely find mud at the entrance to the bike door just before loading so isolating that area with venting and easy clean-out is a good idea. Keep it up, looks great.

https://www.steelsoldiers.com/showthread.php?155229-letssleds-M-135-Project/page3
 

tobyS

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If your weight on the box is kept low, just use one axle and make it air ride. Put an air lock in it if you plan on getting off road a lot. I'll take a 4x4 with air lock rear diff over a 6x6 and no rear lockers any day. I'm doing similar to my Deuce, but not as a camper, using springs and air bags.

Losing that trunion and axle would probably take about -4000# off to stay under the 26k benchmark and help with fuel mileage.
 

jcdostie

Member
68
19
8
Location
Quebec
If your weight on the box is kept low, just use one axle and make it air ride. Put an air lock in it if you plan on getting off road a lot. I'll take a 4x4 with air lock rear diff over a 6x6 and no rear lockers any day. I'm doing similar to my Deuce, but not as a camper, using springs and air bags.

Losing that trunion and axle would probably take about -4000# off to stay under the 26k benchmark and help with fuel mileage.
Thanks for the tip. Have you started yet the project ?


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jcdostie

Member
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Location
Quebec
I have concerns about departure angle.
I’ll get you back with drawing. I think it’s 70” pass the rear bumper. The frame is at 48” (if I don’t have Alzheimer)

This drawing was when I had another good plan of putting a Hook Lift to have an easy loading/offloading for the container. If I remove the Hook and the spare, I think it won’t be too bad



JC


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TechnoWeenie

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Nova Laboratories, WA
an empty 20' box weighs in at 5k lbs.


The M934 is 17' with a 2 ft overhang for the HVAC (which are usually torn out).

Start with a long wheelbase unit, otherwise it won't fit.
 

Nomadic

Active member
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Nevada
Dig how the drawings include a computer desk. In a few years we might have satellite internet. Amazon is on the bandwagon now, joining Elon Musk and another company in a space race to be global ISP's.

The motorcycle could stay outside at night so you won't smell it. Nobody will steal it out in the country. The bike is a great idea. It will save time, fuel, maintenance and hassle to go into town for supplies.

Keep posting about your build as you work on it. I like your ideas.
 

tobyS

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Location
IN
Thanks for the tip. Have you started yet the project ?


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Yes, I'm well into it and making decisions about what to build in the space between the M105 bed and the cab. Here is a pic of the trunion coming off and one of the spring that I'm building. I took out several spring leafs to get a softer ride and now adding a couple back so it tows a gooseneck. This is my first real deuce project, I've had 14 of the 5 tons (still have an M929A2). The last pic is a trailer I made with the bed from the M35 that we could do some camping in.
 

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moparrob

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Idaho
I have a simple idea for an air ride up front. I'd get a second pair of shackles (at the rear of the spring), double them up like chain links, and use an off the shelf airbag between the frame and the spring plate above the axle, in place of the rubber cone bumper. When the airbag bottoms out, youll still have the stock spring travel. The rig I would build would use only two axles, and I'd use a set of front springs for the rear axle, so front and rear air ride on the cheap.

I hope you dont use any RV particle board cabinets or anything else from commercial RVs. Those would get shaken to bits, probably even with the air ride, and theyre heavy as can be. Your whole project should be on Jenny Craig what with the steel box as a starting point. I thought I'd look for a commercial truck box like a Morgan body. All aluminum, and if you look hard enough, maybe even cheaper than a shipping container. Easier to insulate, cut holes for windows, etc. Even get a price on a new one spec'd out how youd like and see how much it would be. Either way, awesome project. Hope I can start one similar as typical RVs are crap.
 
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