All Terrain Warriors campers
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whatcharterboat
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Hi Tony, Very, very,very careful process. No risk if the process is followed but as the saying goes "Don't try this at home." The risk isn't so much distortion as cracking.
Canter rims don't cool well at the best of times. Not as good as NPS anyway due to the outer shape. NPS's are more segmented. Allowing for the Canter rims to cool naturally would add hours to each day and hiring a drag strip isn't cheap. The brake fade testing puts unbelievable heat into them. 20 continuous stops from 60kph and then data is recorded from the 21st stop. No cooling period at all. For all the other testing, we are given a minimum brake drum temp by DoT that we can't test under, but we try to keep them down as close to that as possible. Hence the cooling. BTW all stops are in neutral gear and must achieve a certain deceleration without exceeding a set pedal force and distance. So basically you panic stop every time like you're heading for a brick wall.
Haha. Nice try. Nah. Just an old frame we used to build some composite plugs on and then modified for the testing. It's solidly mounted and had to carry about 3 tons at a specified CoG location so we had to beef it up alot with anything we could find lying around the workshop. So it's not pretty but I didn't exactly want concrete blocks flying into my back. Ouch.
OMG Choko. Can't believe I actually know something you don't. Lol.
Yep. The new FG84 is the same stud pattern as the NPS so the new FG rims are identical to the early 16"NPS rims. Why? Are you thinking of fitting the new 17.5" NPS tubeless rims and 8.50R's (still on duals) to that new FG when you get it????? They'd be an OK bus setup for the Cape.
whatcharterboat
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Hi Chip. How are you? Yeah. I've been talking to one of the Californian Expo members about this recently. He tells me that they aren't offered in the US. Afraid it's slim pickings everywhere when it comes to good Allterrain tyre selections for this size truck as you may be starting to realize. Plenty of excellent road/highway tyres to choose from but the 19.5" Toyo is the only decent mud and snow type pattern and the 16" XZL is of course legendary as the military offroad benchmark. The 265 Hankooks are OK too but not quite as good a fit on the 8.25" rims as the 285. I imagine that in the US you don't even have these offered either. My friend tells me that the Michelin XZL 255/100R16 are virtually impossible to source in North America too.
How are Hankook truck tyres in the US? They have a fairly good rep here. I actually run Hankook muddies (RT01) on my DD and don't mind them at all but the truck tyres are very tough.
Haha. Nice try. Nah. Just an old frame we used to build some composite plugs on and then modified for the testing. It's solidly mounted and had to carry about 3 tons at a specified CoG location so we had to beef it up alot with anything we could find lying around the workshop. So it's not pretty but I didn't exactly want concrete blocks flying into my back. Ouch.
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whatcharterboat
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Here's some we took last week. This is the first FG84 we've finished. Almost ready for delivery. Rainforest tours up at O'Rielly's in the Gold Coast Hinterland. On standard suspension but as it only travels at a snails pace it will probably stay that way. We've got another one going out next week with higher leaf spring packs so I'll post some pics to show the comparison in ride heights. New door system too. Corrugations play havoc on catches, strikers and hinges. Hoping this will be the best setup yet. Engineer you'd know all about that, heh?.
This wouldn't be a bad format for a camper either. Wide enough to walk around a sideways bed but still a narrow roofline to clear through trees.
This wouldn't be a bad format for a camper either. Wide enough to walk around a sideways bed but still a narrow roofline to clear through trees.
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ntsqd
Heretic Car Camper
You guys do awesome work! The interior and exterior fit and finish of the green machine are excellent.
A note on the water cooling of drum brakes. It is somewhat commonly done on logging trucks on the US Left Coast. They carry ~100 gallons of water and have dribble lines set up at all drums. It took me quite a while to figure out how the heck the right lane (we drive on the wrong side if you recall!) of that steep grade had wet tracks all the way down the hill when it was ~100*f that day. It wasn't until I passed one of these trucks that I realized what was going on. A later inquiry further educated me, logging trucks up and down the Left Coast have this system when the roads out of the forest are particularly steep. (For you Left Coasters, this was Tollhouse Grade out of Shaver Lake, CA.)
Not quite what you were doing, but a precedent anyway......
A note on the water cooling of drum brakes. It is somewhat commonly done on logging trucks on the US Left Coast. They carry ~100 gallons of water and have dribble lines set up at all drums. It took me quite a while to figure out how the heck the right lane (we drive on the wrong side if you recall!) of that steep grade had wet tracks all the way down the hill when it was ~100*f that day. It wasn't until I passed one of these trucks that I realized what was going on. A later inquiry further educated me, logging trucks up and down the Left Coast have this system when the roads out of the forest are particularly steep. (For you Left Coasters, this was Tollhouse Grade out of Shaver Lake, CA.)
Not quite what you were doing, but a precedent anyway......
whatcharterboat
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Thanks NTSQD.
Hi Leon. Yeah, the 19.5" tyres we run are between 285 and 305 wide where as the XZL is only 255 as you know. Those XZL's on the grey truck we were testing are obviously still on the standard Fuso split rims. They don't look too bad on there but an extra inch or so is better. BTW I'm told the Fuso wheels are only rated to 1700kg each so you have to consider your GVM / payload if you are doing a SRW conversion and keeping the OE wheels. Still no worries on a SWB though. Also the hub shape on the new 6 stud FG 84 is improved for mounting a single standard rear wheel. The old hubs could play havoc on the thin centres of the standard wheels if you didn't do something about it.
And hey >>> tubeless and exactly the right offset is the way to go too. Did your's come from Stockton?
As for the new 19.5" wheels we are developing >> They stopped testing at 6000kg. So that will be the rating. 6000kg each. I know that's maximum overkill but as I said before the rating system goes out the door when you hit a washout at 80kph.
Hi Leon. Yeah, the 19.5" tyres we run are between 285 and 305 wide where as the XZL is only 255 as you know. Those XZL's on the grey truck we were testing are obviously still on the standard Fuso split rims. They don't look too bad on there but an extra inch or so is better. BTW I'm told the Fuso wheels are only rated to 1700kg each so you have to consider your GVM / payload if you are doing a SRW conversion and keeping the OE wheels. Still no worries on a SWB though. Also the hub shape on the new 6 stud FG 84 is improved for mounting a single standard rear wheel. The old hubs could play havoc on the thin centres of the standard wheels if you didn't do something about it.
And hey >>> tubeless and exactly the right offset is the way to go too. Did your's come from Stockton?
As for the new 19.5" wheels we are developing >> They stopped testing at 6000kg. So that will be the rating. 6000kg each. I know that's maximum overkill but as I said before the rating system goes out the door when you hit a washout at 80kph.
whatcharterboat
Supporting Sponsor, Overland Certified OC0018
Just finished another FG84 today. This one is for a local Fraser Island Tour company. Similar to Adventure Tours so they mainly do day trips with the occasional 2 or 3 day extended trips. The large side bin is for a gas barbecue to cook the lunches on and they usually set up an urn for tea and coffee on the table on the back bar. It's also got a suspension package we do specially for the beach operators.
This will be the first one running up the beach on the 19.5 Toyo tyres. Every one's been reluctant to move away from the XZL's so far for beach work. The beach drivers all say the same thing >> "The skinnier and taller the tyre , the better." Sounds contrary to convention, but these guys drive FG's on the beach every day. Surely they must know.
This will be the first one running up the beach on the 19.5 Toyo tyres. Every one's been reluctant to move away from the XZL's so far for beach work. The beach drivers all say the same thing >> "The skinnier and taller the tyre , the better." Sounds contrary to convention, but these guys drive FG's on the beach every day. Surely they must know.
whatcharterboat
Supporting Sponsor, Overland Certified OC0018
Sure wish I had enough 'fun coupons' to send you, so you could build me a rig...
I think someone on here (maybe even you?) once explained that flotation is about contact area, and that a TallSkinny and a ShortFat could have the same amount of contact area, therefore the same flotation.
However, the TallSkinny, with a rectangular contact area, would be pushing less sand in front of it than a ShortFat, with a square contact area.
Or something like that...
I think someone on here (maybe even you?) once explained that flotation is about contact area, and that a TallSkinny and a ShortFat could have the same amount of contact area, therefore the same flotation.
However, the TallSkinny, with a rectangular contact area, would be pushing less sand in front of it than a ShortFat, with a square contact area.
Or something like that...
engineer
Adventurer
My take on it is that our foot print is long, not wide. Process of natural selection has to stand for something. The rolling diameter is everything.
There are alot of old sayings that the forestry workers used on the island,
You can make thin tyres fat, but you can't make fat tyres thin.
Let's look at it in absolutes, If you had a really wide tyre, but not really high, like a can of coke, you'll be pushing sand as the tangent at first point of contact is very steep.
If you have a really tall tyre that is thinner, like a racing bike wheel, then it'll roll over easily as the tangent at first point of contact is very gentle.
Most of the MAN's i drove did go further when fitted with 1200/20's, the 1300/20's would see me carrying a tyre gauge and dropping pressures to 65-70 PSI.
There are alot of old sayings that the forestry workers used on the island,
You can make thin tyres fat, but you can't make fat tyres thin.
Let's look at it in absolutes, If you had a really wide tyre, but not really high, like a can of coke, you'll be pushing sand as the tangent at first point of contact is very steep.
If you have a really tall tyre that is thinner, like a racing bike wheel, then it'll roll over easily as the tangent at first point of contact is very gentle.
Most of the MAN's i drove did go further when fitted with 1200/20's, the 1300/20's would see me carrying a tyre gauge and dropping pressures to 65-70 PSI.
whatcharterboat
Supporting Sponsor, Overland Certified OC0018
Man
Been waiting for this to turn up from Germany since Feb. custom order paint, seats, wheels, electronics, etc. Thought the ExPo guys might like a sneek peek. I was a bit funny about posting shots of unfinished work but I'm sure you realize that it's in the very early stage of construction and it will all be matching paint and side skirts allround. Only got the truck last Friday but as we made the body a couple of months back, it was ready to drop on today.
It's a big sucker. The bin down near the floor is at my head height.
It's a longer and wider version of the Scout pop top, 3 x double beds and will have an extra pull out kitchen / barbeque in a bin under the floor. There'll be bins allround too. The recessed roof is going to have provision to store kayaks or a boat and he is also getting an offroad ski boat trailer made with the same MAN wheels (not by us). It's also having a 20,000lb hydraulic winch and a hydraulic roof lift system all run of the PTO.
This is the one MAN want back to put in the next Brisbane Truck Show.
Hope you like it. Thanks John.
Been waiting for this to turn up from Germany since Feb. custom order paint, seats, wheels, electronics, etc. Thought the ExPo guys might like a sneek peek. I was a bit funny about posting shots of unfinished work but I'm sure you realize that it's in the very early stage of construction and it will all be matching paint and side skirts allround. Only got the truck last Friday but as we made the body a couple of months back, it was ready to drop on today.
It's a big sucker. The bin down near the floor is at my head height.
It's a longer and wider version of the Scout pop top, 3 x double beds and will have an extra pull out kitchen / barbeque in a bin under the floor. There'll be bins allround too. The recessed roof is going to have provision to store kayaks or a boat and he is also getting an offroad ski boat trailer made with the same MAN wheels (not by us). It's also having a 20,000lb hydraulic winch and a hydraulic roof lift system all run of the PTO.
This is the one MAN want back to put in the next Brisbane Truck Show.
Hope you like it. Thanks John.
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whatcharterboat
Supporting Sponsor, Overland Certified OC0018
The other side
Other side so you can get an idea about the roof. I think total height is only about 3.3m or so. That was the whole idea. For the camper body not to go higher than the cab.
Other side so you can get an idea about the roof. I think total height is only about 3.3m or so. That was the whole idea. For the camper body not to go higher than the cab.