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I want one. I could use one of those more then the 109 I have now.
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My first Expandable! M820
- Thread starter 100dollarman
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duffman1993
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Looks like it would be a great camper conversion. But I wonder how big of a hot tub I could fit in it! 
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But then again, I have no money 
But then again, I have no money 
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goldneagle
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The fact that the outer walls expand out make a camper conversion a bit tricky. You can use it without expanding and get about 8' by 17' room. If you expand it out you end up with a 17' by 14' wide room.
You would need to make all the components in the camper modular and movable. They would be secured against the existing walls while in travel mode and then slide back another 3 feet once you expanded the walls out.
I had some ideas about how to do it but never followed through since I was not ready to use it as a camper. I did come up with a use for the spare tire I was storing inside the box. I would make up a steel pedestal that would bolt to the rim and support a large table. You would use bar stools with the table and rest your feet on top of the tire. The base is heavy enough to keep the table from tipping over. If you need to use the spare just remove the table. The table can be attached to the flat tire if needed. They are firm enough without the air.
You would need to make all the components in the camper modular and movable. They would be secured against the existing walls while in travel mode and then slide back another 3 feet once you expanded the walls out.
I had some ideas about how to do it but never followed through since I was not ready to use it as a camper. I did come up with a use for the spare tire I was storing inside the box. I would make up a steel pedestal that would bolt to the rim and support a large table. You would use bar stools with the table and rest your feet on top of the tire. The base is heavy enough to keep the table from tipping over. If you need to use the spare just remove the table. The table can be attached to the flat tire if needed. They are firm enough without the air.
mistaken1
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I would think a camper conversion would be done just like the slide out sections in mobile home. Everything on the one side moves out at the same time.
Kalbrman
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I used the M820 in the military. We used them as calibration vans and had massive racks and equipment mounted in them. The racks and equipment weighed several thousand pounds, so I'm sure that's why the M820 with its beefed up frame was used. I don't know if our use is what drove the specs for the M820 or if it was already in the Army's inventory. I have some pictures here: http://www.steelsoldiers.com/showthread.php?30647-M820A2-is-home-safe-Now-it-s-time-to-check-her-out!&p=1144264&viewfull=1#post1144264
When the sides were closed up, there were only a few inches between the bench tops and the sidewalls.
Expanding the M820 Van
I'm doing this mostly from memory. I used M820 vans about 30 years ago.
1. Unhook the safety chains that are attached to the sides of the liftgate.
2. Lower the tailgate to the ground and remove ladders. The liftgate is controlled by two levers. One with a red plastic coated handle and controls the tilt of the liftgate. The liftgate is raised and lowered by attaching a handle to the bent levers under the back corners of the box. To lower the liftgate to the ground, engage the PTO. Tilt the liftgate to its horizontal position by pushing the straight lever with the coated handle towards the rear. The tailgate is lowered by attaching a handle to one of the bent levers and lifting up first to disengage the safety locks. Then lower the tailgate by shoving the lever down.
3. The M820 has four leveling jacks. The leveling jacks go under the corners of the box when expanded. The leveling jacks are not required, but they make the box much more stable. Because of what we used them for, our vans required them to be leveled before we could start working. Remove the 4 leveling jacks and base plates from their storage location behind the cover under the center of the back doorway.
4. You have to open the two back doors to access the cranks to extend the sides.
5. First unlatch the safety latches at the lower corners of the box. I believe that there are cotter pins holding them. At each corner of the box, there is a hinged rod (about 4 or 5 feet long) that is used to secure the box sides when expanded. Keep the rods safely out of the way until the box sides have been extended and cranked tight again.
6. The crank for the doors is supposed to be stored in a bracket fastened to the door (if missing, you can use a large wrench with socket and extender). Put the handle on the hex shaft and flip the lever to disengage the pawl so that the sides can be cranked out. Crank the sides completely out. Flip the hinged side panels out from inside at each corner. These need to be out of the way so that the floor and ceiling panels can be opened.
7. Duck under the opened side and reach up to the center of the box and unlatch the Floor/roof panels.
8. Pull the floor out and down until it rests on the rails that are supporting the extended sides (you might need to get inside the box and push the floor/ceiling panels out.) The roof panel is linked to the floor panel by cables and will flip up at the same time as the floor panel lowers.
9. Now flip the side panels hinged at the corners back in to enclose the box corners. Climb into the box. There is a metal guide that can be extended to help keep the corner panels aligned when closing the box sides.
10. There are 3 hooks (attached at the upper edge of the sidewalls) that should be extended (pointing toward the center of the box). Push up on the ceiling to extend the hooks. These will help guide the ceiling panels when the sides are cranked in.
11. Flip the ratchet pawl. Slowly crank the sides all the way in, paying careful attention to the corner panels.
12. Climb inside the box and fasten the roof latches to the hooks at the upper edge of the sidewalls. There are 3 of them on each side.
13. When the sides have been cranked in and the roof latches fastened, you should lower the hinged rods on the outside corners of the box and use them to tighten the corners down with the safety latches that you first unfastened in the beginning.
14. Install the leveling jacks (if desired) by attaching the baseplate and attaching the top of the jack to a mating flange under the box corners and twisting it to lock it in place.
15. As these vans are prone to leaking, it is best to have a tarp that covers the entire top of the van to keep out the rain. Tie down the tarp to keep it from blowing away in the wind.
When closing up the van for moving, reverse these steps. Attach the ladders to the back doors and secure (if not stored inside the box). Ensure they are kept from moving around by using ropes and/or bungees. I think they have some screws and washers that help to fasten them down. To stow the liftgate, raise it and tilt it up vertical. Try to lower it again to ensure that the safety locks have engaged. Disengage the PTO. Attach the safety chains to the edges. Stow the lift handles.
The liftgate can be used as a raised platform if some kind of bracing is used under it and a safety chain put around the sides. There should be some holes around the sides of the liftgate for posts linked together by chains. The ladders can then be attached to the sides of the liftgate. Alternately, the ladders can be attached to the side doors.
When the sides were closed up, there were only a few inches between the bench tops and the sidewalls.
Expanding the M820 Van
I'm doing this mostly from memory. I used M820 vans about 30 years ago.
1. Unhook the safety chains that are attached to the sides of the liftgate.
2. Lower the tailgate to the ground and remove ladders. The liftgate is controlled by two levers. One with a red plastic coated handle and controls the tilt of the liftgate. The liftgate is raised and lowered by attaching a handle to the bent levers under the back corners of the box. To lower the liftgate to the ground, engage the PTO. Tilt the liftgate to its horizontal position by pushing the straight lever with the coated handle towards the rear. The tailgate is lowered by attaching a handle to one of the bent levers and lifting up first to disengage the safety locks. Then lower the tailgate by shoving the lever down.
3. The M820 has four leveling jacks. The leveling jacks go under the corners of the box when expanded. The leveling jacks are not required, but they make the box much more stable. Because of what we used them for, our vans required them to be leveled before we could start working. Remove the 4 leveling jacks and base plates from their storage location behind the cover under the center of the back doorway.
4. You have to open the two back doors to access the cranks to extend the sides.
5. First unlatch the safety latches at the lower corners of the box. I believe that there are cotter pins holding them. At each corner of the box, there is a hinged rod (about 4 or 5 feet long) that is used to secure the box sides when expanded. Keep the rods safely out of the way until the box sides have been extended and cranked tight again.
6. The crank for the doors is supposed to be stored in a bracket fastened to the door (if missing, you can use a large wrench with socket and extender). Put the handle on the hex shaft and flip the lever to disengage the pawl so that the sides can be cranked out. Crank the sides completely out. Flip the hinged side panels out from inside at each corner. These need to be out of the way so that the floor and ceiling panels can be opened.
7. Duck under the opened side and reach up to the center of the box and unlatch the Floor/roof panels.
8. Pull the floor out and down until it rests on the rails that are supporting the extended sides (you might need to get inside the box and push the floor/ceiling panels out.) The roof panel is linked to the floor panel by cables and will flip up at the same time as the floor panel lowers.
9. Now flip the side panels hinged at the corners back in to enclose the box corners. Climb into the box. There is a metal guide that can be extended to help keep the corner panels aligned when closing the box sides.
10. There are 3 hooks (attached at the upper edge of the sidewalls) that should be extended (pointing toward the center of the box). Push up on the ceiling to extend the hooks. These will help guide the ceiling panels when the sides are cranked in.
11. Flip the ratchet pawl. Slowly crank the sides all the way in, paying careful attention to the corner panels.
12. Climb inside the box and fasten the roof latches to the hooks at the upper edge of the sidewalls. There are 3 of them on each side.
13. When the sides have been cranked in and the roof latches fastened, you should lower the hinged rods on the outside corners of the box and use them to tighten the corners down with the safety latches that you first unfastened in the beginning.
14. Install the leveling jacks (if desired) by attaching the baseplate and attaching the top of the jack to a mating flange under the box corners and twisting it to lock it in place.
15. As these vans are prone to leaking, it is best to have a tarp that covers the entire top of the van to keep out the rain. Tie down the tarp to keep it from blowing away in the wind.
When closing up the van for moving, reverse these steps. Attach the ladders to the back doors and secure (if not stored inside the box). Ensure they are kept from moving around by using ropes and/or bungees. I think they have some screws and washers that help to fasten them down. To stow the liftgate, raise it and tilt it up vertical. Try to lower it again to ensure that the safety locks have engaged. Disengage the PTO. Attach the safety chains to the edges. Stow the lift handles.
The liftgate can be used as a raised platform if some kind of bracing is used under it and a safety chain put around the sides. There should be some holes around the sides of the liftgate for posts linked together by chains. The ladders can then be attached to the sides of the liftgate. Alternately, the ladders can be attached to the side doors.
Last edited:
Kalbrman
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Some items of advice for conversions and regular maintenance
If doing a camper conversion, I would not try to attach anything to the moveable floor or ceiling panels. The mechanism that connects the two of them together would very likely not be able to handle the weight of having anything permanently mounted to the floor/ceiling panels, unless it was some brackets that only weighed a few pounds. I wouldn't permanently mount any shelves, drawers, or furniture to any of the moveable panels.
Keep the cables and other mechanisms that connect the floor and ceiling together well lubricated. It might actually be a good idea to expand the van once a month or so, just to keep rust and corrosion down, and keep all of the working parts in good working condition. Take some silicon spray and wipe down the gaskets and seals around the ceiling joints and the sides and edges that connect the different assemblies together. Try not to get any paint on the rubber items. Cover the windows with masking tape and paper when painting the van. Let the screens over the windows get the same camo colors as the rest of the van. That will help them blend in better in a field environment. I've never taken the walls apart to replace the plywood, but if you really have to, it might be a good idea to replace the insulation with something like spray foam or blueboard if you can find something with the right thickness. Try to fill the void between the outer van skin and the plywood in order to maximize the insulating benefit. Try to not leave any air gap between them.
The heating system was designed for a laminar flow. The heated/cooled air would come from the ceiling registers and exit through the floor vents along the walls. This helps to reduce the dust (ends up in an air filter) and, during the winter time, ensures that all of the cold air pooled at the floor gets pulled out and heated. That was very important when we were using the M820's as calibration vans. Calibration requires a stable and uniform temperature. Some calibrations require that the equipment stabilize for 24 hours before calibration.
If doing a camper conversion, I would not try to attach anything to the moveable floor or ceiling panels. The mechanism that connects the two of them together would very likely not be able to handle the weight of having anything permanently mounted to the floor/ceiling panels, unless it was some brackets that only weighed a few pounds. I wouldn't permanently mount any shelves, drawers, or furniture to any of the moveable panels.
Keep the cables and other mechanisms that connect the floor and ceiling together well lubricated. It might actually be a good idea to expand the van once a month or so, just to keep rust and corrosion down, and keep all of the working parts in good working condition. Take some silicon spray and wipe down the gaskets and seals around the ceiling joints and the sides and edges that connect the different assemblies together. Try not to get any paint on the rubber items. Cover the windows with masking tape and paper when painting the van. Let the screens over the windows get the same camo colors as the rest of the van. That will help them blend in better in a field environment. I've never taken the walls apart to replace the plywood, but if you really have to, it might be a good idea to replace the insulation with something like spray foam or blueboard if you can find something with the right thickness. Try to fill the void between the outer van skin and the plywood in order to maximize the insulating benefit. Try to not leave any air gap between them.
The heating system was designed for a laminar flow. The heated/cooled air would come from the ceiling registers and exit through the floor vents along the walls. This helps to reduce the dust (ends up in an air filter) and, during the winter time, ensures that all of the cold air pooled at the floor gets pulled out and heated. That was very important when we were using the M820's as calibration vans. Calibration requires a stable and uniform temperature. Some calibrations require that the equipment stabilize for 24 hours before calibration.
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Wrench7
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I am installing a new clutch and pressure plate on a XM820 five ton but when I stabbed it I had no clutch I followed the manual for a 809 series any suggestions on what I am doing wrong? I also replaced the poppet valve
Kalbrman
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I'm not real familiar with it, but is it a hydraulic clutch? Maybe the hydraulic line needs air to be bled out.