US Army expandovan conversion.
- Thread starter M934A2
- Start date
My current plan is to only mount the bathroom and kitchen area in the front of the truck so that both items are usable when closed or open. The kitchen area will extend about 5' along one wall when closed and be two sided like an island kitchen when expanded. My goal is to make it fully functional both opened and closed for quicker trips and when I'm lazy.
The heaters and AC unit were in there when I purchased but I have since removed them. They were diesel fired but require 240V/3ph to operate and not very efficient so I have removed them and have yet to decide on what style of heat I will go with. Eyeing the Webasto 4000 BTU diesel heaters as my most likely option.
The Artisan
Adventurer
Make everything in the center and have things slide out to the walls once up. Check this out for ideas
https://vimeo.com/55389782
Kevin
Chili
Explorer
You guys did a lot better than us in the batallion level units. I was in 1/506th when they were still at Camp Greaves and we had a troop carrier Humvee with a few radios and a tent.
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Thank you for your service.
What surface finishes do you have in mind? I have yet to decide what direction I will go so am looking for ideas.
That place is freaking awesome! I'd hate to know what he spent on that build.
I'm far too cheap for that even if I had the money. lol
Some great ideas though!
The Artisan
Adventurer
True maybe just the concept have it all packed in the middle and things get moved when setup. I would make everything in the middle and have everything fold out just like your walls.
Check this out
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQK-CIbvJls
Kevin
Check this out
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQK-CIbvJls
Kevin
rayra
Expedition Leader
You're welcome and thank you, I didn't do much except blow holes in a lot of domestic wastelands.
Our setup for a Battalion Ops FDC was pretty cramped and got much more so when we switched to running two parallel command groups out of Humvees. ca. 1st Gulf war
Nothing fancy or expensive. Armstrong Woodgrain linoleum flooring, light-colored walls, white ceiling, lots of LED spots / floods. Lots of light is always the issue. 12v LED light fixtures are amazing these days. Shouldn't take more than $200-300 to make it look stylish.
It would be awesome to retrofit some large windows in the slider sides. Or even skylights.
With some ceiling mounted light strips or small spots / floods, you could possibly have a fixed lighting that works with the sides in any position or stored, without having to fiddle with the lighting.
Another idea on your mounted kitchen, you could anchor a short kitchen counter in the front left corner of the central section, such that it goes down the driver side when the sides are in, but with the sides opened the whole kitchen counter could pivot to the front bulkhead. A pivot in the corner, a caster wheel under the far end, a couple latches to keep it in either position.
Having a 17'x14' room like that is just mind-boggling in its potentials
eta
You could anchor all sorts of features / fixtures in the corners which work in the either configuration. Just depends on how the sliders fit / interfere.
Or just KISS, and just make the cabinets etc attach with some sort of latches or pin, and just have matching mounts in different places so you just unpin and move stuff however you want. Totally modular. French cleats would really help in this, with maybe 1-2 pins to lock the item in place. Pluck the pins and just pick up the item and move it where you want, drop the pins in.
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Martinjmpr
Wiffleball Batter
You guys did a lot better than us in the batallion level units. I was in 1/506th when they were still at Camp Greaves and we had a troop carrier Humvee with a few radios and a tent.
I HATED being I the D-Main. Took forever to set up and tear down and of course the officers and senior NCOs were nowhere to be seen. Much preferred the DTAC (Division Tactical CP) which was a line of about 5 M-577 Armored Command Post Vehicles (ACPVs). Not only was it easier to set up but everybody pitched in, even field grade officers.
I do have a picture of the DTAC which I can post in a day or so.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
You're welcome and thank you, I didn't do much except blow holes in a lot of domestic wastelands.
Our setup for a Battalion Ops FDC was pretty cramped and got much more so when we switched to running two parallel command groups out of Humvees. ca. 1st Gulf war
Nothing fancy or expensive. Armstrong Woodgrain linoleum flooring, light-colored walls, white ceiling, lots of LED spots / floods. Lots of light is always the issue. 12v LED light fixtures are amazing these days. Shouldn't take more than $200-300 to make it look stylish.
It would be awesome to retrofit some large windows in the slider sides. Or even skylights.
With some ceiling mounted light strips or small spots / floods, you could possibly have a fixed lighting that works with the sides in any position or stored, without having to fiddle with the lighting.
Another idea on your mounted kitchen, you could anchor a short kitchen counter in the front left corner of the central section, such that it goes down the driver side when the sides are in, but with the sides opened the whole kitchen counter could pivot to the front bulkhead. A pivot in the corner, a caster wheel under the far end, a couple latches to keep it in either position.
Having a 17'x14' room like that is just mind-boggling in its potentials
eta
You could anchor all sorts of features / fixtures in the corners which work in the either configuration. Just depends on how the sliders fit / interfere.
Or just KISS, and just make the cabinets etc attach with some sort of latches or pin, and just have matching mounts in different places so you just unpin and move stuff however you want. Totally modular. French cleats would really help in this, with maybe 1-2 pins to lock the item in place. Pluck the pins and just pick up the item and move it where you want, drop the pins in.
The original plan was to make a U shaped kitchen when closed and then pivoted out to cover the whole front when opened up but that only left the rear of the truck for the bathroom which would block one door and be a lot more work. Hardest part of everything moving is making the plumbing and electrical move along with it.
After over thinking every aspect and may sleepless nights designing it all in my head I adopted the KISS methodology for my build.
I will be adding a skylight/fan in the bathroom and then at least one other in the truck and possibly a roof hatch.
The front and rear of each slide will get a traditional RV window in them and up front where the AC was will be a large window/emergency exit.
The windows that are in there all work and are smaller than Id like but I think id be looking at a lot more work to change them out - refer back to KISS.
ExDementia
Adventurer
Definitely looking forward to see how this works out. Would be awesome to see some better shots of the interior!
Wow, it's been a whil since my last post. We have had a VERY wet winter here in Oregon and my tires being in such poor shape has had the beast parked for 6 months now.
My tires were dry rotted and weather checked beyond belief, I'm not sure how they lasted as long as they did but at $2200 per tire new I had to wait for the right deal to come along. In march I got a lead on some tires down in Reno Nevada for an amazing price so a buddy and I loaded up and drove straight down, loaded up, and straight back in about 20 hours and I was finally one step closer to getter back on the road and back on track with this build.
Last weekend we did the tires on the truck and let me tell you that was not fun! We did all the tires on my truck along with all the tires on my buddies truck. 14 tires in all and I feel like I got hit by a freight train this week.
The truck is back on the road and it's time to start installing all the parts I've accumulated over the last few months while it's been down. I've been trolling eBay and the military parts sites for good deals and have found some great deals on parts I needed/wanted.
I will get some pictures up soon of the tire swap and will hopefully start posting some projects as they start if life will ever let me work on my truck.
Thanks,
My tires were dry rotted and weather checked beyond belief, I'm not sure how they lasted as long as they did but at $2200 per tire new I had to wait for the right deal to come along. In march I got a lead on some tires down in Reno Nevada for an amazing price so a buddy and I loaded up and drove straight down, loaded up, and straight back in about 20 hours and I was finally one step closer to getter back on the road and back on track with this build.
Last weekend we did the tires on the truck and let me tell you that was not fun! We did all the tires on my truck along with all the tires on my buddies truck. 14 tires in all and I feel like I got hit by a freight train this week.
The truck is back on the road and it's time to start installing all the parts I've accumulated over the last few months while it's been down. I've been trolling eBay and the military parts sites for good deals and have found some great deals on parts I needed/wanted.
I will get some pictures up soon of the tire swap and will hopefully start posting some projects as they start if life will ever let me work on my truck.
Thanks,
chilliwak
Expedition Leader
I was thinking it would be possible to strap funiture and the like down to the middle section during transport, and then losening the straps and quickly moving it into place when the sliders are deployed? Just an idea I am throwing out there. I guess the pimped out version has a hot tub? Cheers, Chilli..:Wow1: