Chris Kouba
Supporter
If you're wondering why I haven't lifted a finger on the GT since the ignition problem popped back up last spring, this is why.
For some time now, Bethany and I have been in search of the ideal RV for us. We had a slide in truck camper which allowed us to go just about anywhere we felt comfortable going with the truck, but it wasn't quite robust enough or spacious enough to afford sufficient storage. We tried a bumper-pull trailer, which we liked the extra room inside, but didn't quite feel comfortable taking it off the beaten path. We are currently using a converted E350 EB cargo van for our adventures, which checks the boxes of robust and simple, but lacks a long list of desired features beyond transportation and a place to sleep. After all of this Goldilocks experience, we came to the conclusion that what we really want doesn't exist and if we're serious about it, we should just build it ourselves.
So then the question becomes, what exactly is our ideal rig? There were a few non-negotiables:
With a target of $20k for the base chassis, what I found in that ballpark were ratted out 300k mile rigs. I didn't want another Powerstroke and LOVED my Dodge (Cummins), and it seems like everyone else does too. The one or two I found in the reasonable range with the basics of what we wanted were long gone by the time I got there (one in less than 6h!).
My "dream" rig though would be built on the 10 ton (6x6 version) of the US armed forces LMTV variants. They are designed to operate at 100% duty cycle, can carry a massive amount of weight, are reasonably serviced by OTR truck shops (CAT motor, Allison trans, etc...), and let's be honest- they are super cool looking too. At least I think so. But they are also above my pay grade.
Or so I thought.
Despite looking for a nice older Cummins, I also would plug in FMTV search terms into the local craigslist from time to time. Much to my surprise, about 45 minutes away, I found a 2000 M1088AO military 5th wheel tractor for sale. With 7200 miles. And high speed axles installed. For $15k.
WHAT??!!?!!??
This was easily ~10k below market and well below what was already in it. Plus it was local, I could touch it, sit in it, DRIVE it, and most importantly, Bethany could do all the same and say yes or no. And if we chose to buy it, all we had to do was go get it- not wait for an auction to end, get it transported and wait for documents to get it registered. This was unbelievably ideal. I called the guy. It was for real. We went to see it. We took it home the next day. This truck is bad ass!!!!
This is the story of how this truck
Will become this truck:
(don't worry, the cargo bay at the back will have a door on it)
Fairly current pic:
Much has already been done, much remains to be done. The tractor components were stripped off, driveline stuff rebuilt, induction system replaced, other chassis maintenance items addressed, tires replaced, radiator leak fixed..... and that was just the beginning. I have a build thread started on another forum which I have been pretty good at keeping current. The purpose of this post and thread is to share the project with you and possibly get some feedback on what I am doing and ways to make it better. I have always appreciated the amount of info passed around on this forum, maybe someone will have a good idea for me to incorporate here as well.
I will try to post on here when I post updates on the build thread, probably with just a link to the latest update. If you have any questions, picture requests (of the project, not me!), etc.. fire away!
And of course, as shown above, it will be painted in our traditional white with red livery.
Happy New Year and all the best wishes for a healthy and much less distant 2021!!!!
Chris
The link to the steelsoldiers.com build thread:
GT40 relevance: What does a 40" tall car look like next to 48" tall tires?
For some time now, Bethany and I have been in search of the ideal RV for us. We had a slide in truck camper which allowed us to go just about anywhere we felt comfortable going with the truck, but it wasn't quite robust enough or spacious enough to afford sufficient storage. We tried a bumper-pull trailer, which we liked the extra room inside, but didn't quite feel comfortable taking it off the beaten path. We are currently using a converted E350 EB cargo van for our adventures, which checks the boxes of robust and simple, but lacks a long list of desired features beyond transportation and a place to sleep. After all of this Goldilocks experience, we came to the conclusion that what we really want doesn't exist and if we're serious about it, we should just build it ourselves.
So then the question becomes, what exactly is our ideal rig? There were a few non-negotiables:
- All-terrain access
- Stand up headroom (>6' 4" interior)
- Full bathroom
- Dedicated bed space
- Full galley
- MASSIVE amounts of storage
With a target of $20k for the base chassis, what I found in that ballpark were ratted out 300k mile rigs. I didn't want another Powerstroke and LOVED my Dodge (Cummins), and it seems like everyone else does too. The one or two I found in the reasonable range with the basics of what we wanted were long gone by the time I got there (one in less than 6h!).
My "dream" rig though would be built on the 10 ton (6x6 version) of the US armed forces LMTV variants. They are designed to operate at 100% duty cycle, can carry a massive amount of weight, are reasonably serviced by OTR truck shops (CAT motor, Allison trans, etc...), and let's be honest- they are super cool looking too. At least I think so. But they are also above my pay grade.
Or so I thought.
Despite looking for a nice older Cummins, I also would plug in FMTV search terms into the local craigslist from time to time. Much to my surprise, about 45 minutes away, I found a 2000 M1088AO military 5th wheel tractor for sale. With 7200 miles. And high speed axles installed. For $15k.
WHAT??!!?!!??
This was easily ~10k below market and well below what was already in it. Plus it was local, I could touch it, sit in it, DRIVE it, and most importantly, Bethany could do all the same and say yes or no. And if we chose to buy it, all we had to do was go get it- not wait for an auction to end, get it transported and wait for documents to get it registered. This was unbelievably ideal. I called the guy. It was for real. We went to see it. We took it home the next day. This truck is bad ass!!!!
This is the story of how this truck
Will become this truck:
(don't worry, the cargo bay at the back will have a door on it)
Fairly current pic:
Much has already been done, much remains to be done. The tractor components were stripped off, driveline stuff rebuilt, induction system replaced, other chassis maintenance items addressed, tires replaced, radiator leak fixed..... and that was just the beginning. I have a build thread started on another forum which I have been pretty good at keeping current. The purpose of this post and thread is to share the project with you and possibly get some feedback on what I am doing and ways to make it better. I have always appreciated the amount of info passed around on this forum, maybe someone will have a good idea for me to incorporate here as well.
I will try to post on here when I post updates on the build thread, probably with just a link to the latest update. If you have any questions, picture requests (of the project, not me!), etc.. fire away!
And of course, as shown above, it will be painted in our traditional white with red livery.
Happy New Year and all the best wishes for a healthy and much less distant 2021!!!!
Chris
The link to the steelsoldiers.com build thread:
M1088 camper conversion
Hi all. To start with, thank you for the existence of this forum. I haven't been around here too long or spent much time in the other subforums but there seems to be a very high signal to noise ratio within the FMTV community, and a number of very knowledgeable people willing to share and...
www.steelsoldiers.com
GT40 relevance: What does a 40" tall car look like next to 48" tall tires?
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