Interesting demountable on tilt tray cab-over truck

Lynn

Expedition Leader
While I was web surfing over the holidays I ran across an interesting vehicle that had a set-up I thought some here might be interested in. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to save a link to it or download info. I believe it was listed on eBay.com.au, but, of course, now I can't find it.

Anyway, it was a demountable camper built to fit on a Mitsu truck with a tilt tray.

The interesting thing for me was that it had an over-cab sleeping area (like most of the Class C RVs we see around). Normally an over-cab area is impractical with a cab-over truck, because you have to tilt the cab to access the engine. However, since this camper was built on a tilt-tray, you could tilt the camper back, which raised the over-cab section high enough that the cab could then tilt forward. I really wish I could link in pix! Of course, with a demountable camper you could remove it whenever you needed to access the engine, but I think the tilt-tray a better option.

Also, it appeared from the pictures that the tilt tray made it easier to load and unload the camper section. I suspect it worked kind of like a roll-off trash dumpster truck. It looked like the rear end of the camper would sit on the ground, then they used a couple of short camper jacks to support the front end. That held the camper at the proper angle for loading and unloading.

If anyone out there has more info on this truck, please add it to the thread!
 

Lynn

Expedition Leader
Found it.

Turns out it's an Isuzu. And has hydraulic camper jacks rather than the roll-off approach I mentioned before.

I'm guessing that the drop-down panel:

b848_1.JPG


is for the entryway? You can see the steps in this pic:

7185_1.JPG
 
Last edited:

haven

Expedition Leader
thanks

Nice find! Thanks for sharing.

Too bad Isuzu doesn't import its 4x4 trucks to USA. A truck like the FSS 550 Crew Cab 4x4 would be a great platform for a family size expedition camper. The FSS chassis is used by Australian fire companies as a brush truck.

Chip Haven
 

Lynn

Expedition Leader
You know, that drop-down panel and removable tail section have me daydreaming...

In past ponderings of demountable campers, I was thinking either camper or tray (flatbed), since a camper on a tray has so many CG issues.

However, with drop-down (or removable) panels in the tray, you could design your camper such that heavy items like water tanks fit down into the open spaces, hanging below the tray.

Also with the either/or approach I was considering before, you would basically have two storage spaces. I mean, when you are switching from the tray to the camper you unload the flatbed somewhere (the storage spot is full of camper), and load the camper. Now how do you get the flat bed into the storage spot, since the camper is on the chassis? Follow me?

It seems that removable flat panels that are manageable by one person would be much more convenient and storable. Drop-down panels might be useful if you wanted to drop the camper as base camp and explore with the truck (as described in the ad), but I think for the way I envision using a camper, the drop-down panels would just be extra weight, and I would use removable panels that could be left at home.
 

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