Rebuilder
Builder of Things That Interest Me
UPDATE:
It was a tough decision but I've decided it's time to sell this project
. Just got too many other things going on and not enough time or space for this.
Since my last update here I've added A/C, new tires and did a bunch of work to the interior. The truck is mostly done but the habitat needs a lot of work.
Pricing is tough on something like this so I'm open to serious offers. Thanks
___
So let me try this again. I accidentally deleted my first thread making a little edit on the EP phone app.....
To start, I've built many cars, trucks and motorcycles but this is my first camper and my first military vehicle. I've been working on it for a little over a year, minus the long cold Minnesota winter, and have got a lot done but I still have a ways to go.
I'll get more into the details as I go but here's the rendering I drew up to give you an idea of what I'm going for....
About the truck....
It's a 1996 LMTV 1098 that I bought off Craigslist in Tennessee (as said earlier I'm in MN). Most of these trucks are coming from GovPlanet but it's a crapshoot on what you might be getting so I went with this truck because it was part of the 1033 Program https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1033_program which is where cities get military vehicles direct from the government and from what I understand they're usually nicer vehicles that have been maintained better than the auction trucks. Regardless it was still a gamble and the smart thing would have been to have it hauled to Minnesota but nope I drove down and drove it back. My buddy (who is a courier truck mechanic) drove down, looked it over, paid the man, lubed everything and checked it over, added a hitch and headed to U-Haul to get a car dolly. What could possibly go wrong?
And then we hit the road for the 850 mile drive home...
First pucker moment... narrow lane bridge. Not because the truck is wide but because the car dolly was actually wider.
The only issue we had was this little solenoid would stick so the cooling fan (AKA freight train simulator) wouldn't engage. A little tappy tap on it every once in a while fixed it until we got home and I replaced it.
A highlight of the trip was we hit ********** miles (it's the little things)... Unfortunately the only pic I can find is BOOBl...
Took us two days and it was totally worth the trip... but unfortunately it won't fit in my garage.
Few notes about these trucks. They drive great. Air ride cab, power steering, automatic trans, I thought the seats were pretty comfy, Not fast (58 mph max) but once you get used to it it's not that bad. No wandering on the road and it's very easy and fun to drive. The bad.... Holy loud Batman. You definitely need ear protecting for cruising above 50. Especially when the fan kicks in. I'll be addressing the speed thing with higher gears and the noise thing with a ton of cab heat and sound deadening material as the build progresses.
That's it for now but lots more to come so stay tuned.
It was a tough decision but I've decided it's time to sell this project
. Just got too many other things going on and not enough time or space for this.Since my last update here I've added A/C, new tires and did a bunch of work to the interior. The truck is mostly done but the habitat needs a lot of work.
Pricing is tough on something like this so I'm open to serious offers. Thanks
___
So let me try this again. I accidentally deleted my first thread making a little edit on the EP phone app.....
To start, I've built many cars, trucks and motorcycles but this is my first camper and my first military vehicle. I've been working on it for a little over a year, minus the long cold Minnesota winter, and have got a lot done but I still have a ways to go.
I'll get more into the details as I go but here's the rendering I drew up to give you an idea of what I'm going for....
About the truck....
It's a 1996 LMTV 1098 that I bought off Craigslist in Tennessee (as said earlier I'm in MN). Most of these trucks are coming from GovPlanet but it's a crapshoot on what you might be getting so I went with this truck because it was part of the 1033 Program https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1033_program which is where cities get military vehicles direct from the government and from what I understand they're usually nicer vehicles that have been maintained better than the auction trucks. Regardless it was still a gamble and the smart thing would have been to have it hauled to Minnesota but nope I drove down and drove it back. My buddy (who is a courier truck mechanic) drove down, looked it over, paid the man, lubed everything and checked it over, added a hitch and headed to U-Haul to get a car dolly. What could possibly go wrong?
And then we hit the road for the 850 mile drive home...
First pucker moment... narrow lane bridge. Not because the truck is wide but because the car dolly was actually wider.
The only issue we had was this little solenoid would stick so the cooling fan (AKA freight train simulator) wouldn't engage. A little tappy tap on it every once in a while fixed it until we got home and I replaced it.
A highlight of the trip was we hit ********** miles (it's the little things
)... Unfortunately the only pic I can find is BOOBl... Took us two days and it was totally worth the trip... but unfortunately it won't fit in my garage.
Few notes about these trucks. They drive great. Air ride cab, power steering, automatic trans, I thought the seats were pretty comfy, Not fast (58 mph max) but once you get used to it it's not that bad. No wandering on the road and it's very easy and fun to drive. The bad.... Holy loud Batman. You definitely need ear protecting for cruising above 50. Especially when the fan kicks in. I'll be addressing the speed thing with higher gears and the noise thing with a ton of cab heat and sound deadening material as the build progresses.
That's it for now but lots more to come so stay tuned.
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