traxman25 Posted August 23, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 23, 2015 Thanks everyone for the comments. Stanley, thanks! Those are pretty neat. There is a Lowes not too far away, next time I'm down there I'll go take a look. Noteven, yeah the purple, UGH! We've got a new paint scheme in mind, it'll look a lot better than this over played scheme. Lots of metal flake.... We are having the entire sleeper spray foamed with closed cell foam (doesn't absorb or attract moisture), including the floor, so sound shouldn't be a problem. We actually have come up with an air ride scheme that will fully air ride the sleeper. The back of the cab will basically hang off the front of the sleeper. There's more to it than that but that's the super short version Rick, I'm familiar with Rooster's build. He doesn't like that I'm not building a full air ride sub frame. But I've been there done that with the 60" sleeper and it did not work out. I spent 3 hours pressure washing the front end yesterday and today. You know you've had a Mike Rowe kind of day when you have to take your rain coat off and pressure wash it. Now we know where the oil leaks are coming from and are ready to get the motor torn down and resealed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shorts Posted August 23, 2015 Report Share Posted August 23, 2015 The ARI legacy sleepers are suspended from the frame on Moride rubber blocks and located with a panhard bars for lateral movement. they also build an aluminum floor frame and then laminate it together with insulation and a composite structural board for the floor, IIRC the upper framework is then bolted to the floor assembly with minimal/no penetrations thru the floor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasclarks Posted August 23, 2015 Report Share Posted August 23, 2015 Great build. I will definitely be following! Steven & Stacie, plus 2 (2002 & 2007 model years)... And one dog! ** currently w/out RV 😞 US Army - Logistician with 30-years of service Texas -- not just a State, but a State of mind! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrap Posted August 23, 2015 Report Share Posted August 23, 2015 I think Noteven is onto something. Take the sawzall to the scrap 60" and give her hell. Sleeper roofs make great chi ponds for the wife's garden. Then drill out and save the opening skin and lower stepping support that nests in it (I forgot what it is called) for the new sleeper. That stuff is big $ for new. Then flip it over and unhuck the two bottom rails. Save or make new the mount stud brackets and put some 1/4" AL in that nice press brake and make some 120" rails that are the same as the 60" but longer for the new floor. Maybe save the four floor sill plates and you've got radiused corners made for you as well. Leave the fwd supports in the truck frame, bolt in a Bunkmate for air in the rear, and everything floor related should line itself up at the right height above the rail. http://www.linkmfg.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/39060001.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
traxman25 Posted September 12, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 12, 2015 Update time, finally.... The sleeper frame is coming along nicely, it finally has a floor! Here's a crummy pic of the frame. Getting the floor down was a huge morale booster. It finally feels like we're moving in the right direction. And here's a kitchenette "in a box". And here it is mostly put together. There's still a bit to go on the frame before welding, and some that'll have to be done once it is in the frame. At the same time we've been working on sealing up the oil leaks. The oil pan gasket was fun. It gave us a nice look at the internals. Everything looked pretty good, for as much as you can see from there... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rickeieio Posted September 12, 2015 Report Share Posted September 12, 2015 The talents exhibited on this forum just amaze me. Bravo. KW T-680, POPEMOBILE Newmar X-Aire, VATICAN Lots of old motorcycles, Moto Guzzi Griso and Spyder F3 currently in the front row Young enough to play in the dirt as a retired farmer. contact me at rickeieio1@comcast.net Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VegasFlyer Posted September 12, 2015 Report Share Posted September 12, 2015 What company did you get the kitchenette from? John Southern Nevada 2008 Volvo 780, D13, I-Shift 2017 Keystone Fuzion 420 Toyhauler 2017 Can-Am Maverick X3-RS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
traxman25 Posted September 12, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 12, 2015 The talents exhibited on this forum just amaze me. Bravo. Thank you. What company did you get the kitchenette from? My brain + Solidworks. I bought 21ft sticks of AL, cut them up and put it together. It still needs to be fully welded, I'll fully weld everything all at once in a couple of weeks. I looked today I've made over 320 drawings for this truck build so far, and most things like the kitchen frame and the sleeper frame are all one "part". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VegasFlyer Posted September 12, 2015 Report Share Posted September 12, 2015 You just have to keep telling yourself that Solidworks is your friend......lol I have so many drawings for a new Toy Hauler I have been designing from the ground up. Isn't it amazing how easy it is to get sucked into a rabbit hole as you set out to design something rather simple? Lol John Southern Nevada 2008 Volvo 780, D13, I-Shift 2017 Keystone Fuzion 420 Toyhauler 2017 Can-Am Maverick X3-RS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
traxman25 Posted September 12, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 12, 2015 It is a good rabbit hole, that's for sure. However, I actually do enjoy it, usually. I use it for sheet metal mostly and know it's capabilities there pretty well. I don't mess with 3d sketches at all (hate them) or weldments too often though. I should have drawn all these frames as a weldment, it would have been easier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Star Dreamer Posted September 13, 2015 Report Share Posted September 13, 2015 The talents exhibited on this forum just amaze me. Bravo. Agree and now we know who to go to when we need Aluminum welded! Hi Traxman great job! Dave 2005 Freightliner Century S/T, Singled, Air ride ET Jr. hitch 2019 46'+ Dune Sport Man Cave custom 5th wheel toy hauler Owner of the 1978 Custom Van "Star Dreamer" which might be seen at a local car show near you! Check out http://www.hhrvresource.com/ for much more info on HDT's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
traxman25 Posted September 14, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 14, 2015 Thanks Dave! I know this is not what you meant, but it's a topic that has come up more than once. Some people don't like that we're welding this instead of riveting it, and I can't really disagree about some of the points. But at the same time AL welding technology has come a long way in the last decade, and I have a state of the art welder using the latest pulse welding wave patterns so I'm confident it'll work fine. There is a lot of welded Aluminum in cars now days. Anyway, I forgot about a couple of pics that were still on the camera the other night. Here's a couple of shots of putting the kitchen together. The fixture table sure makes building stuff like this a whole lot easier! So this weekend we finished up some details with the frame, prepped and started sheeting the interior. We made some pretty good progress. I was hoping to have it finished but too many other things going on this weekend. I will also say, there are many things I would have done differently with the walls and roof of the frame if we weren't reusing the originals. But we reused a bunch so it is what it is. And the kitchen pretty close to in it's home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Mayer Posted September 14, 2015 Report Share Posted September 14, 2015 OK.....I'm in awe. Very nice work. Can't wait to see the finished product. We do have some extraordinary skills on the forum. Ms Chrissi also built their own sleeper/MH from scratch. That was the first of these types of projects here. Jack & Danielle Mayer #60376 Lifetime Member Living on the road since 2000PLEASE no PM's. Email me. jackdanmayer AT gmail 2016 DRV Houston 44' 5er (we still have it) 2022 New Horizons 43' 5er 2016 Itasca 27N 28' motorhome 2019 Volvo 860, D13 455/1850, 236" wb, I-Shift, battery-based APU No truck at the moment - we use one of our demo units 2016 smart Passion, piggyback on the truck -------------------------------------------------------------------------See our website for info on New Horizons 5th wheels, HDTs as tow vehicles, communications on the road, and use of solar powerwww.jackdanmayer.com Principal in RVH Lifestyles. RVH-Lifestyles.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Broncohauler Posted September 14, 2015 Report Share Posted September 14, 2015 Very cool what type of mig welder are you using ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
traxman25 Posted September 15, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 15, 2015 Thanks Jack. Broncohauler, Its a Japanese unit, OTC DP400. They aren't really popular here except in heavy industry. I found it while looking for a robot welder, which we didn't end up getting. On another note, after some thinking the other evening, I realized we are using the wrong material for the ceiling. It would be better to use plywood instead of hardboard for that. Oops, so now we get to take it down and redo the ceiling. Luckily we'll be able to reuse the panels elsewhere, and we should be able to just copy these panels for the ceiling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkennell Posted September 19, 2015 Report Share Posted September 19, 2015 I'm in love--with that welding jig! NIIIIICE! This is awesome. MsCrissi, Rooster, & now Trax. Oh & BMZero with his new hitch! You guys gonna get together and start a high end RV place soon??? Gotta say I REALLY like the way that truck is going to look from your mockups. I actually like the purple, its different and kinda 70's retro if you know what I mean. Awesome build, keep the pictures coming. Those of us who can't even get the HDT out of the shed because of work can watch and dream.... No camper at present. Way too many farm machines to maintain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lappir Posted September 20, 2015 Report Share Posted September 20, 2015 Looking very nice. My brother would say, now that's truck. He drove over a Million miles in a W9 it was Red and White, Don't remember the year. Rod White 2000/2010Volvo VNL 770 with 7' Drom box with opposing doors, JOST slider hitch. 600 HP Cummins Signature 18 Speed three pedal auto shift. 1999 Isuzu VehiCross retired to a sticks and bricks garage. Brought out of storage the summer of 2022 2022 Jeep Wrangler Sport S Two door hard top. 2007 Honda GL 1800 2013 Space Craft Mfg S420 Custom built Toyhauler The Gold Volvo is still running and being emptied in July. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
traxman25 Posted October 14, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 14, 2015 So there hasn't been much "visual" progress lately, but there's been a fair bit going on anyway. We have pretty much all of the welding done (finally). The kitchenette frame, overhead shelves, wardrobe are all welded up. Then we took the whole interior apart again and fully welded the main walls and roof. Then it was all put back together and the main interior frames mounted up. We had planed to use an aluminum frame for the dinnette, but it turned out the recycled prefab square frames from the old sleeper interior were not actually square, not even close, so they got scrapped. I did not feel like spending the time or money on more aluminum so we just used a bunch of 3/4" ply we had laying around. So here's the finished interior layout, minus the dinette table top and the beds which go across the back wall. Up next is running the electrical. I guess I'd better find light fixtures I like! There won't be a whole lot of progress for the rest of the month. Too many other things going on until Halloween. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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