My name is John and I have a problem...

[grendel]

I haven't seen it. It's an interesting idea.

 

Thing is, with 5 kids, I don't think "full time" is in the cards. I really like the concept, but think I will have a house/shop as a base camp, even if I give it to one of my kids. I also own a business doing auot restoration that my father started.

 

We'll have a few "base camps" to choose from.

 

Part of this plan is a matching custom 45'- 50' trailer with a garage in the back. It will have basic tools, a lift, compressor etc. It will stack two cars.

 

Mainly, building this to go racing, but long range goal will also be to visit said kids as they start building their families. Stay out of their hair, by having our own living space.

 

Then again, I turn 44 in Jan, so things may change.

[billr]

Outstanding!!

[phoenix2013]

Probably 400 hours. My wife thinks it's great, I am never far from the house, not drinking at bars, etc.

 

Now there is a smart woman! Confident in her MAN! I got nothing but "encouragement" from mine when I started this.

 

 

Because she knew three years later it would look like this and she would have a chance to pilot it.

 

 

But that is just nostalgia now, that kid next to her is now 44 years old.

 

Great project, you are in a great company of folks who appreciate efforts like yours, either needing "help" or those who are in "recovery".

[grendel]

Although I posted pics of how we started (the complete truck) and where we are now, a long incomplete body, I thought y'all may want to see some pics of how we got here. To be clear, I don't plan this to be a build thread, I already have one of those that is 40+ pages (it went all over the place, as we took apart multiple vehicles) long... but wanted to use this to gather ideas from the camping crowd. As you can see, this is mainly the tow rig, but will be registered as an RV, even though I have a Class A license.

 

As I mentioned, construction is "Spartan trailer-like". What I mean by that, I pushed RB to use improved materials. All virgin 1/8" aluminum, Z spars for uprights. RB made his from a Spartan trailer with "pop" rivets. We went with 1/4" Huck bolts.

 

We took this apart:

 

 

It donated the engine, transmission and front spring hangers. Sadly, one of the previous owners got over his financial head when he had Cat re-manufacture the 3406B via a personal loan that caused him to sell it to another guy who thought he'd have a long range hauling business. I was the third owner of it. I got it missing quite a bit.

 

We originally planned to use the sleeper from this, but RB and I thought it would be easier to start fresh. More on that later.

 

This is what the motor looked like:

 

 

This was our garage:

 

Then we took apart this:

 

 

A 2014 Peterbuilt 386 chassis that I bought because the 379 wasn't Low Air Leaf, was 3.70 gears and I wanted 3.30's and this had disk brakes.

 

The plan was to use that frame complete... except we found kinks in it that were not supposed to be there...

 

This is how we got it home:

 

 

and the 379 frame was a bit crusty. We had a tough time pulling the 379 frame apart with the 1" impact running on truck air. So I bought new frame rails and cut every Huck bolt out of that 386 chassis with a plasma cutter and BFH. We also bought a military wrecker (read as crane) to help with this:

 

 

 

My wife did hate me for a while:

 

 

And we did this to get more frame:

 

 

We also decided on tires/rims:

 

 

I mentioned that the 386 frame was kinked and that the 379 frame was crusty. So I made new friends with Ashley Adams at PG Adams.

 

They have one of these:

 

That made two of these for me:

 

 

 

It took a lot of this:

 

 

To make this:

 

 

and as a "roller"

 

 

Oh and this showed up:

 

 

That this happened to in a Lowes parking lot via my friends (they're slightly off, he offered to haul it from NC)

 

 

It donated a lot of details but not much structure to my sleeper.

 

 

and ultimately got here like this:

 

 

 

So the cab and sleeper are all air ride and welded together. It means that it needs a frame build on Peterbuilt front shackle hangers:

 

 

 

 

With a Peterbuilt rear pan hard bar to locate it all:

 

 

Remember when I said I wanted newer, stronger materials? Yeah, I had some made:

 

 

and I pushed RB to use Huck Bolts instead of rivets in the construction:

 

 

They use a gun like this, but this one's much bigger:

 

 

To give you an idea of the aluminum cold construction and RB's mastery:

 

 

and

 

 

and

 

 

and

 

 

one more and

 

So, RB's in his camper in my back yard... we're almost done with the sleeper/cab.

 

 

Thinking fenders like this:

 

 

Then it's mechanical work, plumbing the air, fuel and cooling systems. Then electrical, then interior.

 

Plan for the interior is classic 50's... found a company I like Timeless Travel Trailers that refurbishes trailers like AirStreams and Spartans. I like their style, but think I will do it all locally.

 

Will need help with RV fixtures, wiring design etc.

 

And that's it for a bit. I'll post more next week.

[Broncohauler]

Totally awesome ?

[Broncohauler]

Totally awesome ?

I stayed up way too late last night reading your build on pirate 4 x 4 This is a lot easier on the shortened version keep it coming.

Never did see how you convinced RB to sell everything and come help you but congratulations you couldn't get anyone better.

[cactus]

Thank You!, Thank You!

[grendel]

 

Totally awesome ?

I stayed up way too late last night reading your build on pirate 4 x 4 This is a lot easier on the shortened version keep it coming.

Never did see how you convinced RB to sell everything and come help you but congratulations you couldn't get anyone better.

 

I didn't convince him. He was full time (per the status here) for a while. We're helping each other. We're going to build trailers together, too.

[Jack Mayer]

Well, you have me pretty speechless....that is AWESOME!!

[ChevyKeith]

What a beautiful and unique rig you are building. Very impressive. Keep the pictures and details coming.

 

Keith

[Al F]

Awesome! So is anything other than the cab original to the 1970's Mack?

[grendel]

 

Awesome! So is anything other than the cab original to the 1970's Mack?

 

 

This is where it gets confusing... the cab is actually a 58 International that was made for Diamond T who did not make their own cabs. Same with White and a few others.

 

The chassis was 70's Mack. I have all of it. 250hp Cummins 855 and a 13 speed Road Ranger with a 2 speed rear.

[grendel]

Awesome! So is anything other than the cab original to the 1970's Mack?

 

This is mostly Mack:

 

[PSD_Tweaker]

What a thread this will be!!

Like Jack, I'm stuck for words.

 

Rick

[Dollytrolley]

Indeed from the first image of the post I saw the tell-tail signs of "Chronic-Fabricator-Addiction" (CFA) you can try any interdiction offered but there is simply no cure........

 

I used to fly around some of the AOG (Aircraft On Ground) crew from Boeing........these guys would on short notice travel to Whos-knows-where-India and repair the assorted B-747 that had the nose fall off due to parking a bit to fast.........

 

These guys simply made magic-happen.........and did not think twice about it.....

 

AOG crew was mostly 40's and above geezers with kids........(does this ring a bell) .........and not good at bar-hopping......

 

Likely your dad started you young enough in the shop to qualify as child-slave-labor ..........seems that this is not your first rodeo.........

 

Drive on........( CFA........no cure.....just more ....projects)

[RoosterBooster]

.... Never did see how you convinced RB to sell everything and come help you but congratulations you couldn't get anyone better.

 

BH ... thank you (blushing)

 

yeah, Grendel infected me with the idea of an East coast trip

(and dangled a big fat carrot in front of my nose ... more to that later )

so i drove the 3300 miles from Cedar City UT to Chester NH in a week

(with my poor old turbo IDI 7.3 screaming under the 39 foot Toyhauler load )

 

 

on the way i boondocked in some cool places like right in front of the Iowa 80 truck museum...

 

 

 

... what was actually a bad idea:

had so much curious visitors stopping for a chat that i hardly got any sleep that night

 

... hang on; more after dinner

[RoosterBooster]

well ... as soon as i arrived in NH my engine fell out of the hood :

 

 

 

good thing John had something to fill the space (the previously mentioned "carrot on a stick" )'

 

 

mechanical 8.3 Cummins ...

 

 

turned up with marine gov springs/ injectors/ turbo etc ... she sure sounds sweet; https://www.facebook.com/258166897586168/videos/953520454717472/

 

(just ignore my old IDI "rice racer" charge cooler ... i will replace it with a correctly sized one soon)

 

i guess my "stuck in slow lane" days are over

 

anyway... end of highjack ; back to Johns <T>

[Broncohauler]

Not a high jack just another page to the book.

I bet your having the time of your life building what you love on someone else's dime?

And I'm sure John couldn't be happier to finally convince you to help after many months of persuading.

 

As for parking in front of the museum probably not a great idea they think you're part of the exhibit.

[spindrift]

I know it's wrong of me to say this, but I'm jealous.

[Brad & Jacolyn]

Beautiful work gentlemen. I enjoy looking at things that other people have the skills to build. Keep the pics coming.

 

Brad

[Jack Mayer]

I know it's wrong of me to say this, but I'm jealous.

Yeah, well, really, that is pretty much a "given". Everyone here is at least envious....if not jealous.

[RoosterBooster]

well, playing HDT Lego is not always fun...

there has been moments where we was scratching our heads mumbling "hmmm... what now ?!? "

(and i guess there will be a couple more ahead of us)

so buying something already made and running IS the saner way to do this

(but i guess our need for individuality struggles with that part )

[CHIEFWAHO]

Been following over on Pirate4x4. Glad to see it over here too!

[dubldart]

That my friends is art! Keep up the good work.

[Broncohauler]

 

Been following over on Pirate4x4. Glad to see it over here too![/quote

 

 

Little more condensed here.

Has taken me a while to get through 84 pages over on pirate 4x4 but can't stop reading it.

But need to stop and get in the shop to prep my stuff for a trip.