Our MTVR camper:

[Elijah95]

Are you asking about the articulation of the suspension, or the flexing of the truck's frame?

Because there won't be any flex in the truck's flat bed or our box...

I was curious about the how the actual structure would handle some flex due to in heavy articulation off-road although minor the bed will flex some. I’ve had mine flex as much as 1/4” with the bed sides mounted


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[BKubu]

Great job. I enjoy reading about your progress. Thanks for posting all of the updates! Will the front door seals be able to resist blowing rain at 55-65 MPH? It looks like it could be a potential water trap. I guess they are designed for serious storms so you should be fine. You may want to shut the door and hit it with a pressure washer to see if any water gets through the seals.

 

[MTVR]

I was curious about the how the actual structure would handle some flex due to in heavy articulation off-road although minor the bed will flex some. I’ve had mine flex as much as 1/4” with the bed sides mounted


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The bed is pretty rigid, and bolting our box to it will make it even more so. That torsion-free mounting system will handle any flex.

 

[Elijah95]

Good stuff


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[simp5782]

Are you asking about the articulation of the suspension, or the flexing of the truck's frame?

Because there won't be any flex in the truck's flat bed or our box...

You sure? Trucks can flex. Would contemplate air bags with torque rods on the bed over direct mounting


You take that thing anywhere northeast of PA and its going to be shaken into matchsticks from the roads

 

[MTVR]

Installed the 3/4" plywood with screws and urethane construction adhesive, on the exterior of the front wall yesterday.

We are planning to do the same on the roof today...

 

[MTVR]

We now have a roof! We supported all of the rafters while screwing on the roof to make sure that there is no sag, and we will leave the supports in until the urethane construction adhesive has bonded them in that shape.

 

[Navy dude]

That is looking incredible!!!!

 

[Navy dude]

You sure? Trucks can flex. Would contemplate air bags with torque rods on the bed over direct mounting


You take that thing anywhere northeast of PA and its going to be shaken into matchsticks from the roads

Thanks for the pic. I was contemplating putting a camper setup on my MTVR with a cabover section and maybe attach it to cab at the turret leg mount points to make it more like one piece but even if it didnt twist the box it might inhibit cab flex and put stress on things I didnt consider so likely will go with OP setup of a seperate non cab overhanging box.

 

[MTVR]

That is looking incredible!!!!

Thanks, but we haven't even installed the drawbridge rear door/balcony/ramp, generator, solar, ductless mini-split heat pump, motorcycle garage, loft bed, Japanese Ofuro soaking tub, custom-made gun safe, or any of the other fun stuff yet...

 

[MTVR]

Got half of the right exterior wall plywood glued and screwed on, before the heat drove us inside...

 

[MTVR]

Picked up another $350+ of urethane construction adhesive this morning...

 

[Nomadic]

You sure? Trucks can flex. Would contemplate air bags with torque rods on the bed over direct mounting


You take that thing anywhere northeast of PA and its going to be shaken into matchsticks from the roads

Is there an example anywhere of a box with air bags and torque rods? I'm curious how that would look and work.

 

[MTVR]

Got the fourth and final sheet of plywood glued and screwed on the right side...

 

[MTVR]

...and the first sheet on the left side...

 

[MTVR]

All the external plywood is glued and screwed, with exception of the drawbridge. Almost all of the edges and corners are rounded with the router. We're now working on filling and sanding, prior to laying down the epoxy.

 

[MTVR]

We put down the first few layers of epoxy on the roof a few days ago. We sanded it last night, and we plan to lay down the final coats of epoxy on the roof today.



We've also sunk 12 of the 28 bolts mounting the box to the truck bed.

 

[MTVR]

Five layers of epoxy on the roof, and routered the back, where the drawbridge is going to nest into.

We have some more filling and sanding to do on the sides and front, and then we'll start laying down the rest of the exterior epoxy...

 

[JD4044M]

If you put springs on those bolts you could hold it like a Water Tank is held on the frame. I made a 2500 gal box tank out of 3/16" plate steel 4,800 lbs of steel. I hinge mounted it over the rear axles where nothing gave and used 8 tank springs with 1/2" Grade 8 bolts. Drove it off road on wild fires for 8 years never had a leak and yes off road I got some flex but the springs allowed 1" of movement before the tank would flex. The frame could pull away and not distort the steel box. It was gusseted with 35 internal gussets and 6 -4 ft chambers the whole tank was 8x12x4 ft tall. I had 4 sets of springs on the front beams. Trucks will flex some and something has to give. Either the box, bolts will pull into the wood and loosen up, strip the threads or shear the bolt. I don't have a picture of my springs but will finds a set. The springs are under the bolts on that rear mount so the platescan pull apart.

 

[JD4044M]

This is how I used the springs on mine but I had pairs of them.You can just use a long bolt and add springs on them near the cab under the frame so there is some give. These are only 11.50 each.
Tank Springs