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M820 RV conversion

GC45

GC45

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srodocker said:
Welcome aboard! you should do it! only downside is the fuel consumption
Click to expand...

Yeah. I saw somewhere a seat of the pants guesstimate of 5-8 mpg. I think mechanical mods would be in order: Turbo, if possible, transmission & rear end swapped out. From what I can find so far, original specs allow for top speed of only about 55 mph, probably having more to do with transmission & rear axle than motor.
Might be worthwhile to carry 2 sets of tires & rims for different drive conditions.
Manuals for these guys seem to be available. Useful.
 
Bad_Carp

Bad_Carp

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Just a bigger/expandable M109, I'd do it in a heartbeat. Use the expanability to your benefit in the design (bed should fold up while not expanded, etc).
 
srodocker

srodocker

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they are basically land yatchs as well. and with the expandable you have to figure out a way to do the rv setup where you do everything in the middle and walk around it when its open or you do it on slides or something.

you should check out the link in my signature for the mini rally. should be tons of fun
 
Bad_Carp

Bad_Carp

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GC45 said:
I doubt that the bed folds up when contracted. Probably slides in above the truck bed. If you know differently I'd like to know.
Click to expand...
There is no bed till you build it. I'm talking about how you outfit the inside of the truck as a camper. Use the expandable space to your advantage, remember how it all comes together and think about how you can maximize the expanded space rather than just have stuff in the middle and be able to walk around it.
 
GC45

GC45

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srodocker said:
they are basically land yatchs as well. and with the expandable you have to figure out a way to do the rv setup where you do everything in the middle and walk around it when its open or you do it on slides or something.

you should check out the link in my signature for the mini rally. should be tons of fun
Click to expand...
Yeah, I haven't really started figuring out a layout. Just kind of rolling things around in my head & collecting information. It depends on how the expansion works. If it's accordion-style (see previous post), everything would have to be in the middle. Hope not. Much better if the slides close over the floor and pretty much everything can be installed in the slides. So far all I have is a few pictures. If anyone can clarify the mechanics of the slide, much appreciated. RV slides allow for expandable open space, with furniture & equipment around the perimeter.
 
GC45

GC45

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Bad_Carp said:
There is no bed till you build it. I'm talking about how you outfit the inside of the truck as a camper. Use the expandable space to your advantage, remember how it all comes together and think about how you can maximize the expanded space rather than just have stuff in the middle and be able to walk around it.
Click to expand...
As I envision it, the slides would add open space, with pretty much everything in the slides. Sounds as though you have some personal knowledge. If so, I'd love to hear it.
My concept didn't involve having everything in the middle & walking around it, but until I learn more about the vehicle, it's just a concept.
I'm not clear on what you mean by "there is no bed till you build it". The truck box has a bed. I see sleepers, insulation, raceways, sub-floor and so on added. Is that your meaning?
 
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Bad_Carp

Bad_Carp

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GC45 said:
I'm not clear on what you mean by "there is no bed till you build it". The truck box has a bed. I see sleepers, insulation, raceways, sub-floor and so on added. Is that your meaning?
Click to expand...
I was talking about the bed you will sleep on, not something that is currently part of the truck. Do you plan to install a shower/toilet, etc? Doing that with an expandable van will require some thinking, but could turn out awesome. Haven't built a camper out of one yet, just the M109A3 so far, but I'll get to it eventually.
 
GC45

GC45

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Bad_Carp said:
I was talking about the bed you will sleep on, not something that is currently part of the truck. Do you plan to install a shower/toilet, etc? Doing that with an expandable van will require some thinking, but could turn out awesome. Haven't built a camper out of one yet, just the M109A3 so far, but I'll get to it eventually.
Click to expand...
The most challenging part of the interior will be anything involving plumbing. Seems like the probable solution would involve tanks & pumps. I was thinking about cantilevering a deck on the rear to carry a MC. Waste tanks might go underneath.
Lots to think about to accommodate the expansion/contraction. But this thing should be able to climb a mountainside dirt track or ford a small river in Panama.
 
tm america

tm america

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I had built a camper out of a expandible box.It was really cool. I put the bathroom at the front of the box .The dinette was just behind the bathroom on the driverside. kitchen was on pass.It make for two nice bedrooms in the expanded sections next to the bathroom. and still had room at the back for hauling two quads or some dirt bikes. .The heaters and ac unit was missing when i got it so i put my fresh water tank ,furnace,power inverter and batteries up in the area above the cab.That wat the toilet was gravity fed.LIke i said it all worked out very well
 
GC45

GC45

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tm america said:
I had built a camper out of a expandible box.It was really cool. I put the bathroom at the front of the box .The dinette was just behind the bathroom on the driverside. kitchen was on pass.It make for two nice bedrooms in the expanded sections next to the bathroom. and still had room at the back for hauling two quads or some dirt bikes. .The heaters and ac unit was missing when i got it so i put my fresh water tank ,furnace,power inverter and batteries up in the area above the cab.That wat the toilet was gravity fed.LIke i said it all worked out very well
Click to expand...
Like to see pictures. I'm hearing it takes several people to expand it?
 
Charlie 6

Charlie 6

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I lived in one in Germany for about 165 days out the year back in the early eighties. They were easy to expand. Winter time the fuel fired heater kept it warm, except for the steel floor which was cold and froze your feet, rubber mat help solve that problem. Other thing is make sure you ground the box, there is a grounding connector in the back by the steps, I believe to the left.
Pound a grounding rod in the ground and connect it to the trailer. If not you will feel it when you touch the stairs.
 
Sirblissfull

Sirblissfull

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The floor and ceiling are attached to the box not the outside wall.

The end walls front and back are attached to the outside wall.

There is a pulley system that helps counter balance the floor and ceiling sections, the cable often jumps the pulleys and gets stuck behind them. If the cable is not tight you can end up with the swivel mounting pointing down when it needs to be up in order to complete the process.

I am in the beginning stages of an RV conversion now on my M820A2, if I wake up enough I plan on heading over and tearing out the insulation and plywood today. I will get detailed pictures of the process and mechanisms.
 
Sirblissfull

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