FE/FG 4x4 crew??

[kjmickelson]

Forgive me again, I just posted this to the 'general' Mitsu forum when I noticed the FG is considered a 'heavy truck'...

Hi to all. Bit of a newbie dream here... I want a crew cab 4x4 auto Mitusbishi FG like you can get in Aussieland. Since the head honchos at Mitsu can't seem to justify certifying a crew cab FG 4x4 for N. America, has anyone thought of doing it themselves?

For example, get an early 2000's FE crew 2wd with the 165" wheel base auto for semi cheap as it has high miles to start. Then get the same year 4x4 reg cab FG auto (maybe even a wrecked one with a low miles power train) that should have all the bits you need, front axle, tranny with transfer case??

Forgive me if this has been mentioned before, but I did a search of this forum that didn't seem to reveal much... I am up in Victoria, BC. I'd be curious to hear this community's thoughts. Am I crazy, obvious reasons you can't do it? Any of the guys who have done lots of work on these have an opinion? Any names of individuals or outfits that have a pile of wrecks in the back to ask questions??

I have a 5 year old, and maybe another and I need that crew 4x4!

Thanks for your time.
Kevin

 

[JRhetts]

Kevin

We drive (and currently live full-time in) a Fuso FM-based expedition camper (FM is heavier duty than the two models you mention). Ours is not a crew cab, and I would not choose one unless I intended to carry four souls aboard a lot of the time (as you imply). Shorter cab gives more room for the house with shorter overall vehicle length.

The frame was cut down by 40 inches to make the overall length 24' with a 17' long house. Marmon Harrington did a 4x4 conversion with the addition of a Dana 22,000# rear axle with a locking rear differential.

Driving on pavement as well as on very rough dirt is a dream. Low range 4x2 is super in speed control while maintaining fluid steering. We love not being anywhere near the GVWR of anything on the truck.

It can be done, but it sure ain't trivial.

John

 

[whatcharterboat]

I want a crew cab 4x4 auto Mitusbishi FG like you can get in Aussieland.

Hi Kevin . No autos ever made it here. Can't imagine the standard brakes ever stopping one either.

John makes a really good point about crew Vs single cab too.

 

[Amesz00]

Hi Kevin,
I have an '03 FG649 crew-cab, with a basic tray and tarpaulin on the back. From what i can see, there doesnt seem to be any real reason why you couldnt do it, everything on mine is exactly the same from the back of the front seats forwards. Theres pretty much nothing in the back of the cab anyway (ie electronics or systems to link up). Mitsubishi's so lazy they even left the tilting hinges under the front of the crewcabs, its just bolted at the middle and back.
Hope this helps a little.
Andrew

 

[whatcharterboat]

From what i can see, there doesnt seem to be any real reason why you couldnt do it, everything on mine is exactly the same from the back of the front seats forwards. Theres pretty much nothing in the back of the cab anyway (ie electronics or systems to link up). Mitsubishi's so lazy they even left the tilting hinges under the front of the crewcabs, its just bolted at the middle and back.

Hi Andrew, Pretty sure there was a discussion about this maybe 4 or 5 months ago. I reckon it would be easy enough too. All the FE crew mounts should fit the FG . You might want to get all the other bits too though like the longer air intake, etc.

JRhetts>> John is your truck newer than Dan Ruops's ?? Just interested.

 

[kjmickelson]

Hi Kevin . No autos ever made it here. Can't imagine the standard brakes ever stopping one either.

Hey! I love this forum.

I didn't know the auto FG wasn't available in an auto down under. They actually do have the reg cab 4x4 in an auto here. But hey, could you elaborate on your point about the brakes?? Do you think the standard brakes on an auto, that would be assumed to be the same as on a 5spd, wouldn't have great stopping power as everybody who drives one has to downshift, or use an exhaust/engine brake, to be able to stop ok??

 

[kerry]

The swap would have to be of the crew cab over to the FG chassis, since the FG chassis is completely different than the FE chassis. You couldn't swap the FG axle, transfer case over to an FE. The FG has a step in the frame just behind the cab. With the right hoisting mechanism, I suspect it might be easier to swap over the cab than to swap the drivetrain.
Busbee specializes in used parts for Fusos. I'd look there for a crew cab.

 

[mhiscox]

JRhetts>> John is your truck newer than Dan Ruops's ?? Just interested.

I can answer this in case John doesn't see the question: Daniel's truck was the earlier of the two FM conversions Darrin Fink built; John's is the second and last.

 

[dzzz]

Is a camper involved at some point? A unavailable/unowned cab chassis shouldn't drive the design of a camper build. For a family simply looking at the GVW of an FG should give pause.

 

[kerry]

For a family simply looking at the GVW of an FG should give pause.

Not sure I follow you here. Why?

 

[kjmickelson]

Still Dreaming

Dzzz, you have a point. I may be too far out there, but... I have a reg 9 1/2' camper. It has only one queen, and the table for sleeping areas, which then have to be broken down. I would like to have more space. So, I have seen some nice 'C' classes than give me what I want for space, but then aren't 4x4 and you have to then buy a whole new truck, insurance etc. The 14,500GVW would be great as I envision putting a 5th wheel on the back with the nice big bed over the cab. Putting a crew cab on the FG with only the 133" wheel base probably won't leave enough room for any more than a camper. Back to square one?

I know, I am crazy. But this is the place to at least get my idea out there and see what happens??

Kevin

 

[DontPanic42]

Kevin,
For starters I don't think you are crazy and this is a great place to pitch ideas. Here I will state the obvious and say that you will get enthusiastic support as well as negative comments. You'll have to find the middle ground.
I have been running my ExpCamper for 6 years now. I started thinking about a vehicle better suited to my travels after I ripped out the main fuel tank of my 30 year old camper van crossing a dry creek going to a job at a hunting camp near the Rio Grande. Ninety miles from the nearest fuel. That was in 1999. I started pitching the idea and was told by most I was nuts. A diesel mechanic friend of mine thought it was doable. Over the years I got ideas from folks in the UK, BC, here in the States and more recently the great folks in OZ. (I didn't know about the old Expedition Campers site or the Portal then ) I did some things that I was told wouldn't work out but so far so good. I don't plan to travel the world or take "Expeditions"or write trip reports as I built it as a support vehicle for my hobby/work. I have gone from South Texas ranches to the mountains of Colorado with it.
Just think that someone started with this:


and ended up with this:


Only thing that bothers me about this build was that I didn't think of it when I could have bought a friend's FC Jeep that he was trying to sell.

Give the idea a go and see where it takes you.
Bruce

 

[dzzz]

It's not crazy, it's just that a good finished design on that chassis that supports four North American's (who need room damnit) needs to be done very carefully or it just turns into an exercise in virtual expo camper building.

What you really want is a 20K GVW FG+ with a 30% bigger engine. Even if that had a payload increase of only 2000 lbs. a truck like that would make a build a lot easier. It's easy to build on a 15K GVWR truck and pretend its a 20K. That works, but only for awhile.

I'm at the other end of the weight spectrum with a 33K GVWR truck. What's with that? I would gladly shrink to the lower mid 20's. But in NA we don't have a choice. It's odd we don't have more choices considering the weather and space in this part of the world.

 

[kerry]

If you're serious, Busbees has a crew cab available:

http://www.busbeetruckparts.com/man...mitsubishi-fuso-fe-4-door-cab-cabin-1996-used

 

[kjmickelson]

crew cab dreaming

Hey! I say to my wife, LOOK, see, there ARE other guys like me out there!

Thanks for all these great replies!

If the only way to go is put a crew on an FG, because of the stepped frame, then I think the bed wouldn't be long enough..So, Doug Hackney supposedly lengthened his frame? If he did, was this a custom fab job, ie very expensive. And was the wheelbase extended? Or was the frame only extended?? I would think the balance of the truck might be adversely affected with too much rear overhang?? The idea is that I want to carry a 5th wheel for all the room, particularly over the cab (taking off the goose neck).

I have a feeling that you wouldn't be left with much room on an FG with the crew as the wheelbase is only 133". Unless it is semi easy to extend in to an FE like 165".
But again, thanks for everyone's thoughts so far.

Kevin