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Extra Storage Space for your M109

M1031CMT

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Looks good.

Another person around here with an M109 (jesusgatos) used that space to hold a u-haul truck ramp.

It is blocked back there for me. I installed a waste water tank in the back end of the truck.
 

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maddawg308

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Do you happen to have a picture of the undercarraige of your M109, showing how the whole setup is suspended between the rails?
 

6x6guy

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McHenry, Il.
No pics, just a wood box with flat bottom- carriage bolts sucked into the wood with flat metal
support frame inside the box. The frame just pushed into the slot- well the first attempt- that was the theory- but I didn't take the inward air tank fittings into consideration, so I got underneath the truck and determined it was easier to cut the box to fit around the lines, than to redesign the air tank lines. With the box mounted on the frame I guess It's is own dresser waiting for a drawer
to be inserted. :roll:
 

lawdog1623

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i too like this. Im in a bit different realm. I was considering placing a grey water tank in between the frame rails. I considered using a grey water tank from another rv. I also need to find some storage that doesnt clutter up the look of the truck. I wish there were a way i could do something like this and also maybe place the grey water tank farther forward between the frame rails. I just got my 109 home and im losing sleep with random thoughts of what i could do with the truck. its killing meaua
 

M1031CMT

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i too like this. Im in a bit different realm. I was considering placing a grey water tank in between the frame rails. I considered using a grey water tank from another rv. I also need to find some storage that doesnt clutter up the look of the truck. I wish there were a way i could do something like this and also maybe place the grey water tank farther forward between the frame rails. I just got my 109 home and im losing sleep with random thoughts of what i could do with the truck. its killing meaua
You can only stick a tank in the back. Further up you risk hitting the tank when the diffs move up and down. If you try to put a tank up behind the cab between the rails, you will have to move the air tanks to a new location.

I had originally mounted a tank between the frame rails in the middle of the truck, but after some testing, I found that the diffs came within 1inch of hitting the tank while driving over a slightly rough road. Anything more aggressive and they would have easily smashed into the tank.

Trust me, I have spent countless hours researching this. Is the only real way of doing it unless you want to do a lot of modifications to the truck to make one fit.
 
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Checkmate

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Wolcott, CT
lid idea

I was just looking at tonneau covers for a civilian truck and a brilliant thought popped into my head for a lid to your shelf/drawer.
Why not use the little hydraulic lift assist arms off of a truck cover and fab up something basically the same size as your drawer to be the lid. If there was a way to make the lift assist a lot stronger you should be able to make it so when the drawer slides out the lid opens automatically and just by pushing the drawer back into its spot the lid would close on its own.
I think a roller of some kind mounted above the drawer at the edge of the floor under the door would facilitate the "auto-close" part of this plan.

Just looking at the drawer it seems your fabrication skills are pretty good so this lid idea should be no problem for you.

Great Idea for a storage solution though [thumbzup]
 

lawdog1623

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wow, now that is what i want! i hope this isnt a touchy subject but how much could i expect to spend doing something similar to this on mine?
 

zout

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Columbus Georgia
WELL - I will let you add it all up - remember we built two of these at the same time:
2 - 24v refrigerators (per truck)
1 - 120 v microwave
1 - 120 on demand hot water heater (for sink and shower)
1 - 80 gallon water tank
1 - sureflow water pump
1 - Battery 12v - 24 v 100 equalizer
1 - Magnum 2800 inverter charger
6 - 115 ah deep cycle agm batteries
1 - battery compartment exhaust fan
1 - transfer switch
1 - 50 amp power distribution panel w/ 120v 12v
1 - sub panel for 12v
1 - custom made Lyons shower stall
1 - custom made Lyons toilet
1 - 2800 Onan MicroLite RV (calif compliant) genertator (mounted in overhead rack)
1 - holding tank for gray and black water (does not matter) all goes into one tank
1 - roof ac unit - I belive it was a carrier unit
lots of solid red oak
lots of red oak paneling
1 - 50amp rv connection (can also run 30 amp
1 - 50amp 100' connection cable w/30 amp reducer plugs
1 - SS double sink w/faucets
1 - rv tv w/dvd player - connections for sat tv
1 - double size mattress (to keep the muffled screams of pleasure down)
Full LED 12v lighting on the interior (trucklite)
Full LED marker lighting minus headlights on exterior (trucklite)
Exterior GFI electrical outlets

About 1/2 ton of some very special "steel" for very special coverage (some of ya know).
40 gallon roof water tank

Personal custom made overhead racks - so whatever the costs of that steel was.

Years worth working on two units and one that has a full AC system in the cab (can read about that somewhere on SS site) but not in mine.

Full set of 1100 x 20 Titans - Dinger has 1200x20's on his
All of my spare time for 9 months to build them.

My rough guess is from a while back - with time around $50,000 in it - minus cost of vehicle.

Besides that - I would NEVER do it again and keep it much simplier like Maccus who is a member - even PB's.
 

lawdog1623

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well i could see how you may wind up with that much in one of these over time. I plan on doing mine all myself. I'm allowing myself a $5000 budget. This is to include laminate flooring, a refrigerator (which i already have), an a/c unit, a heating unit, insulation, etc. I plan to scavenge as much stuff as i possibly can to make a sink and cook stove. I have an rv repair place near my home that has a ton of scrap parts that they will sell for nearly nothing. Im considering the sleeping arrangements. I would like to have it set up so that it will fold away or be removable so that more of the interior could be useable. I have a m105 trailer that is a designated water carrier so im thinking of ways to pump the water from the tanks to the box.
 

zout

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Location
Columbus Georgia
And being absolutely honest here - that is the BEST route to go - I would never to this again unless she had a 5 ton under her. And that could be the route I may go in the future is pop the box on a 5 ton and BOB whats left.

Find an ole RV and rob - some have just the smaller amperage plugs and electrical equip (meaning not 50 amp) but unless you run a roof rv and you then want to run all the extra's - you do not need it. RV parks if you head to them have both.

I really like seeing the other 109 camping set up's and if I did build another 109 I would keep it simple as possible - then work around what you want and have to gain your storage area's.
 
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