Expedition truck...

With the M916 RV build thread reaching 4 pages I decided to start my own thread.

As many may know I've been trying to get my hands on an M920 for a completely separate project.

I've also been considering a M916 for it's own project. An expedition support vehicle or an XV for short. Unicat of course is one of the high end makers but with a cost into the high six figures it's not something I can afford.

As I get more and more interested into vehicle fabrication the idea of building my own is high on my list.

Projects like EcoRoamer;

EcoRoamer: The High-Tech, Zombie-Proof Survival RV

Turtle Expedition;

Turtle Expedition The Turtle V

And companies like Earth Roamer;

EarthRoamer Home Page

and Unicat;

Unicat - Go Anywhere Off-Road RV - Vehicles for Rescue, Escape, Survival, or Pleasure

Have been great inspiration, but I have to admit my addiction to OD green is somewhat lost. Not only that but even the base vehicle costs in the above vehicles is not something I can just write a check for.

With SS guys like Soni, Reb87 and Floridianson's M916, and M920 mods, I think I've found a good base truck.

I had considered bidding on some of the M820 carcass trucks that came out TX this last week. Combining the expanding van with a stretched M916. Would make for an interesting mod.

However considering I have a family of 5 and the wife probably wouldn't be to keen on camping in one. I think building my own box would not only make for a more unique vehicle but would also make for a more comfortable stay.

Just to see if I liked the idea I borrowed Floridianson's M920 image and added a moc up box on the back.

I did stretch the frame 24" with the intentions to add 48" total to the vehicle length of course if I used a M916 I would have to stretch the frame 50".

The box would be composed mostly of Nida-core or Rhinokore Panels with aluminum edging. The box would use a triangulated mount to the frame to allow for frame flex thus isolating the body. Assuming I used a crawl-through cab I would need to utilize some sort of bellows.

To reduce the chance of running gear contact 2 of the 3 mounts would be over the rear tandems and work in concert with the suspension.

All of this is just an idea right now but I though to toss it out there for kicks. I have yet to find a CAD rendering of an M916 or M920 so I'm really limited until one is in my drive.

I'll probably through some ideas together for the box in sketch up, see if I can reduce the overall length and height a bit. I used the 12' high 30' long max dimensions. With spare tire etc, on the back she is over that now...or at least in the image.

Thanks for reading.

Hopefully I can win powerball...LOL

Cheers

Thanks I flattered. Hay sounds like a plan. You could also look at the EXP trailers. Same box sell for around a grand or less some are in great shape then sell the trailer for 400/500.

What's the designator on the trailer, don't think I've seen that on before.

Oh I did forget to say that the entire vehicle would receive a camo paint job. I just keept the white and gray to contrast your background.

In addition the cab would receive similar touches like Soni's M920A1, although I don't think I can find the 25K for a new 600ISX...LOL But the snorkel and cab heater/AC are a must have.

M295a1

Sounds like you and I think a LOT alike. My wheelbase will be longer and I'll have more overhang with a "Porch" on the back to house the BBQ grill and parking for a 4 wheeler, but otherwise, quite a bit alike.

PM inbound....

With the lift gate on My M820A2 being so large I can use it as a porch and throw up an awning on the back of it.

Just need some brackets mounted to the sides of it for posts and I can string a cable for safety or even have fold down safety rails since there is 3 or 4 inches of clearance between the doors and the lift gate in traveling configuration. I will most likely go with rails since I am planning on using it for wheel chair access as well.

Better to over engineer the he11 out of it for safety.

oldMan99 said:

My wheelbase will be longer and I'll have more overhang with a "Porch" on the back to house the BBQ grill and parking for a 4 wheeler, but otherwise, quite a bit alike.

Click to expand...

My F350 has a curb to curn turning radius of 56' a stock M920 89', I'm concerned stretching it 24" let along farther and what the resulting radius will be.

I don't expect this to be single track trailtruck but at 89' there is no way you can do a 3 point turnaround on a standard city street. Let alone some road in... well I don't know.

I'm just saying I'm not sure I'd want to stretch it farther.

When I was a youth I thought the best RV's were tow behinds not fith wheels. I wasn't old enough to drive and that just happened to be what we had. I'd look at catalog's and dream about these monster 38' tow behind's, I mean why would anyone want a fith wheel you loss all that bed space.

Let me tell you I couldn't have been farther than the truth. Having driven 40' flats for the service and my own 36' fiver. I can say I would never want to pull a tow behing much longer than 24'.

Doesn't have a lot to do with the subject except the point of I don't want to limit where I cna go more than I have to.

BTW I have read some of your posts on pirate4x4 one is almost a direct cross post from one you have here, which is funny. And even better at the varied responses between the tow forums.

Back to the origional point I did consider a drop down tail that could make into a porth similar to Eco's tailend. However with the expanding roof this resulting porch wouldn't be much. And that happens to be where I want to store my two spares and the hoist for them.

The picture shows 53's I believe but I may settle for 445's.

Showed the pics to the wife and she think's I'm nuts but when I showed her the price point on a Unicat she said "well that's never happening"

As for the toy's, I'm considering a pintle towed matching trailer to haul the toys. Who know's maybe I can get myself a Scorpian, although if I build it myself I have another name in mind...LOL

Cheers

Sirblissfull said:

With the lift gate on My M820A2 being so large I can use it as a porch and throw up an awning on the back of it.

Just need some brackets mounted to the sides of it for posts and I can string a cable for safety or even have fold down safety rails since there is 3 or 4 inches of clearance between the doors and the lift gate in traveling configuration. I will most likely go with rails since I am planning on using it for wheel chair access as well.

Better to over engineer the he11 out of it for safety.

Click to expand...

Bliss thanks for the pic never seen one from that angle before.

Is the interior similar to an M109's van?

The cost is hard to pass up, those M820's in TX last week went for under a grand. They had no driveline but that's not really what I'm after and I'd hate to chop up a complete M820 when i don't have too.

Alright so as I piece together ideas and practicalities, I find myself torn between two rocks. Obviously the engine is a fuel hog, no doubt there and I'm considering a small generator.

But I'd prefer to leave propane off the truck. No sense in haveing more than one fuel type. They make diesel fueled stoves, but I've heard bad things at altitude, more research needed.

I also want to include photovoltic cells and probably a rain collection system.

My concerns with the solar cells is exposure. mounted flat they have a limited exposure vs mounting them like a dish aimed at the sun. One is install and forget the other if manual becomes a never ending job or if automated just a nightmare.

Also rain collection a filtration will take space, but are their downsides to collecting rain? Collection space I'll have the roof will nearly 160 sq feet, storage and filtration will be easy as well, but I feel I'm missing something on rain collection.

The inside of the expanding vans seems like a cavern after being inside a M109 van body.

At 17 foot long and 14 foot wide expanded its larger then some apartments I have lived in and most of the hunting cabins as well. I plan on expanding the over cab section and removing the monster AC/heater unit in this vehicle so I can utilize the over cab area as a full size bed. That will make the over all van body length closer to 23 feet. As well as adding a wheel chair access sliding bulkhead door behind where the passenger seat is now

With better insulation there will not be a need for a heater/ac unit that large. The one in my M820A2 takes up most of the 8 foot wide 3 foot deep space over the cab. You can see it in pic 2. I am going to remove the over head ventilation and electrical panels to give me more head room at 6'4 it would be a headache literally. "Luckily" for me the discs in my back gave me another 2 inches to work with and at 6'2 its a constant reminder to watch my head.

I am adding propane however as the propane injection systems offered by companies like bully dog and pro diesel tech will boost fuel mileage and give me a cleaner burn on my 3.30 a gallon diesel. Throwing in a small propane generator instant water heater and range as back up for my solar panels and battery bank isnt a stretch. I am going to have a small and I mean REALLY small wood burning stove tucked away some where on the vehicle in case all else fails. I plan on going way out in the boonies anything that can extend my time away from town is a possible addition if I can find the space. I am planning on mounting panels topside with a protective frame " no details yet " to tilt/stand up vertical since I am planning on doing most of my camping in Alaska the sun is always south. As long as I park east to west or close to it I can stand them up when not in motion along the same lines as the folding guard rails around the perimeter of the lift gate. Putting rails like that on the long sides of the van body roof I could string a couple cables front and back for safety and have a 17 foot by 14 ft rooftop deck. I want to throw on a commo mast mounted driver side opposite the exhaust, pneumatic or electric for a small wind turbine as well. Again redundancy for duration in the woods. Making the fold outs slide outs is first on the list however.

The only concern with propane is head pressure and overtemp so put in a pyro before you add propane lest you melt or blow up your engine.

I am having the mods done by someone with a lot more experience then me.

Which is pretty much everyone but in this case a real pro.

Unless you want to stick to the roads (big roads) a vehicle can get unmanageably big, IMHO.

We camped near Ecoroamer in Moab, UT, during the spring and got to compare trucks. Picture shows the size, and the Mog is a U-1300L, one of the larger ones.

If the vehicle gets so limited by large size, might as well go for a big motor home. Even an easy trail like White Rim would be extremely difficult with a vehicle like that.

I'll stick with a manageable size with decent mileage (12-14). With Diesel prices climbing, fuel cost is a serious consideration.

(gotta say, Ecoroamer is a heck of a vehicle)

tennmogger

Bighurt said:

My F350 has a curb to curn turning radius of 56' a stock M920 89', I'm concerned stretching it 24" let along farther and what the resulting radius will be.....chop.....

Cheers

Click to expand...

Bighurt said:

In addition the cab would receive similar touches like Soni's M920A1, although I don't think I can find the 25K for a new 600ISX...LOL But the snorkel and cab heater/AC are a must have.

Click to expand...

Just for the record....I did find my ISX 600 Cummins on ebay for $14k, with only 4600 original miles on it!!
It made the truck soooo "sweet" to drive and it certainly was worth every penny of it!

Soni

M920 said:

Just for the record....I did find my ISX 600 Cummins on ebay for $14k, with only 4600 original miles on it!!
It made the truck soooo "sweet" to drive and it certainly was worth every penny of it!

Soni

Click to expand...

I found 5 new for 125k but you had to buy all five...not exactly my idea of deal.

I agree with Tennmogger. When your dealing with a vehicle that size you hit a point of it being too big to do anything practicle as a camper with any offroad capability. The reason the military can get away with having something as big as a HEMTT or 5 ton with a electronics box (camper) on it is they have huge tracked recovery vehicles and tanker trucks full of fuel. You dont have either unless you call someone and have your American Express handy. With the price of a stock M916 or M920 somewhere around 4000-8000 dollars why not just buy a 5 ton expansible van for less money and have what you need already. They are already heated/Ac capable and are wired. For even less you can get a M818 or even M35 tractor and pull a electronics repair trailer converted to RV. The entire project would only cost somewhere around the original purchase price of the M920. Then when your tow vehicle dies or needs replacement you havent lost the RV portion where all the mods were made.

That 820 is HUGE!!! I want one.

I hate to say it cause I am usually all in on crazy stuff like that but before I cut and stretched a very capable dual framed truck and make it single purpose I would just buy that expansive trailer shown earlier and tow it. You have the platform on front for any toys you may need, you can remove the winch and crew cab it or put a small sleeper for people to sit in and enjoy the ride and disconnect your living quarters when you want to go play or explore without breaking all of mama's dish's. Just my .02
Not to mention the 920 is a bear to do a 3pt turn, another 24" could be a deal breaker for doing it at all.

When going off road with a vehicle that big you may have issues in wooded areas or terrain with overhanging rocks. Puttting bigger tires on it increases the highth and center of gravity.

You can reach Pucker Factor 10 real fast when something like that starts leaning on a slope.

There is only a pucker factor if your actually paying attention when you drive.

Who does that?