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My 1971 Am General m109a3 RV build

peashooter

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Hanover, minnesota
Today I Installed my nos air compressor filter and gasket. Also changed my coolant filter and after 500 miles the inside of the filter was mud! Glad I changed it. I'll continue changing it every 500 miles. See how much crap I can get out of the block.

Earlier in the week I changed my 9r20 ndt and put power king super traction HD 9r20s on the m105a2 to match the truck.

I also added some tire covers on the tires to keep the uv light off the brand new rubber. Got enough for the trailer as well. Gotta change the fuel filters and tighten the belts and the truck should be good for the 2021 season. Working on the inside of the box. Will show the updates of the inside soon.
Where did you find the large tire covers? They are a good idea to protect your investment from UV. Id like to find some that would go over 395’s without costing a ton
 

muthkw25

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Where did you find the large tire covers? They are a good idea to protect your investment from UV. Id like to find some that would go over 395’s without costing a ton
I bought them from amazon. They are made by PMD products and are vinyl. They cover a 43" to 45" tire. For the 9r20 I have plenty of room to maneuver them. They were $40/pair but Def worth the money. They used a high quality material.
 
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muthkw25

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You’re going to have a great package when you’re done! Really like the tires. I use some UV protection on my tires. It comes in a spray bottle. I’m hoping that it works...
Thanks Bill! It's a work in progress! First camping trip of the year is coming up in 2 wks.
 

muthkw25

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Over the last couple weeks I made some big changes to the inside of the truck. I decided to remove the air mattress. I wanted something that was more of a permanent solution and the aired was a little bulky. Instead I went with a full size bedframe and memory foam mattress. Made a huge difference in quality. I also bought some cabinets at lowes and my father helped me install them. I bought a butcher block counter top 48" and stained it using tung oil for a natural wood look. I kept the fridge and removed the table and chairs I had and replaced with some TV dinner trays and some collapsible chairs to store under the bed to take up less clutter.

I purchased a portable air conditioner but haven't Had time to install it prior to my camping trip starting tomorrow. Plan is to get it installed before Redball military vehicle show. I am looking at a portajon and a portable sink setup as well.
 

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muthkw25

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Well first camping trip of the season was a success! Truck ran flawless. Lost an inner axle seal on rear left but changed it at campground with my dad's assistance. Job went smooth. Very pleased with setup. Adding some things to the box including ac.
 

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muthkw25

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Today I Installed some shackle mounts on the bottom of the bumper. Wire wheeled and prime and painted them. Got new grade 8 hardware to snug everything up. Completes the look upfront. Pleased with the progress. Plan is to finish up the wiring for the ac and heater.
 

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muthkw25

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Yesterday I installed a pair of Monroe 66605 shocks on m109a3 and my m35a2, what a difference in ride quality also looking forward to having better tire wear on those brand new tires. Dad and I installed a separate outlet and circuit breaker inside the back of the m109a3 for the portable ac unit and a portajon. More photos coming.
 

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muthkw25

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Well I made a lot of progress today. I bought and installed a 14" (8000 lumens) led light bar as a backup light. Thought about ideas on how to mount the light and found a great location recessed back behind the pintle hitch on a support for the box. Marked it up and drilled the holes, ran the power cable up passenger side to a breaker box dad installed on the passenger side. I put the switch on the radio mount instead of the dash, easy to access and out of the way. I positioned the light and works very well lighting up the the pintle hitch and back of trailer. It produces enough light I can see when backing up and the person assisting me can see where I'm going. I also bought a NOS folding step for the front bumper and painted it to match.
 

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muthkw25

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Dad and I finished the wiring for the ac and or heater. We decided to use a 30 amp 4 locking lug box on the bottom of the box and put a 20 amp and a 15 amp breaker inside with a regular outlet and a ground fault outlet. This will power the ac or heat without drawing too much power off the main breaker box. I didn't want to redo any wiring so we added this. Works great. AC is ice cold. Very pleased. On the hottest day outside and we are nice and cool.
 

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muthkw25

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Today I decided to take some people's advice and wire the front led lights to a switch instead of constantly on with the low beams. Ran the wires up.the passenger side and tied them into the breaker box. Used a pre-existing hole on the dash. Very pleased with results.
 

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muthkw25

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My family and I decided to go on vacation and I took "Smokey" and dad took his m35a2c to Gettysburg, PA. Drove approx 200 miles one way without hiccups. Prior to trip I did a test run and one of rear hubs was too hot and I swapped out the bearings and seals and repacked the axle prior to the trip. No issues whatsoever on the trip. After being in Gettusburg, my brother noticed a leak, sure enough the radiator was leaking, what's interesting is when the truck is running the leak stops, only occurs after it's off for a bit and pressure releases some. Here are some photos of the truck leaving for Gettysburg and arriving to Gettysburg.
 

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muthkw25

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After Gettysburg, we went directly to Redball Military Vehicle Show in Gilbert, PA. Best show in the country hands down. Great people and food. Picked up a brand new radiator for Ole Smokey and got some small parts I was looking for. Here's some photos while at the show.
 

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