Eco-Roamer - F650 based Expedition Vehicle

[Lynn]

You're going to have a camper too? With the size of that cab, I thought you were just going to live in it!

Just kidding.

In previous posts you seemed to favor having the cab space serve double-duty to extend the living space of the cabin, right? Have you figured out what that's going to look like?

Reason I ask is that if you are going to be going back and forth between the cab and the cabin on a regular basis, you're going to want a full-sized walk-thru, not a crawl-thru.

I always thought it would be cool to do a pocket door that would slide over the pass-through.

Have you figured out what you are going to put between the cab and cabin (bellows)? One issue you're going to have is road noise coming in through the bellows, so it probably needs to have a sound-deadening design, right?

 

[charlieaarons]

Have you figured out what you are going to put between the cab and cabin (bellows)? One issue you're going to have is road noise coming in through the bellows, so it probably needs to have a sound-deadening design, right?

The noise factor isn't that bad, but I have a piece of foam covered with Alcantara held in by velcro that closes the cab hole when driving if desired; easily removed when driving for passengers wanting to use the potty while driving.

Charlie

 

[boblynch]

You might also want to talk to ExPo member Carl Noah about his experiences living with the passthru on his Earthroamer. They've spent extended time in the ER in various weather.

 

[Lynn]

Also worried about security and the ability to 'close off' the camper from the cab, when shipping the vehicle, which makes me think that smaller is better than bigger on this.

Personally, I'd cut out the back AND top of the cab, like a regular Class C RV, so that you can stand up in the cab and walk thru to the cabin. Either the entire bed or a section of it would have to lift up when not in use to allow standing height in the center of the cab.

Here's a picture 'lifted' from Host Motorcoaches:

To close it off for security, have sliding doors at the back of the cab, that will lock to each other and to the the lifting section.

 

[boblynch]

Lynn, does this type of setup allow for any frame flex? Granted with all the mods Jay is doing there might be very little. However, I would think the pass thru design would want to allow for some just in case.

 

[Lynn]

Lynn, does this type of setup allow for any frame flex? Granted with all the mods Jay is doing there might be very little. However, I would think the pass thru design would want to allow for some just in case.

Since the Host RVs aren't designed for off road (even though 4x4), I doubt if they worry too much about flex.

However, I beleive that with the frame stiffening on Jay's rig, and a soft suspension, there's going to be very little flex, and one should be able to design a system that would work.

I posted this because I am dreaming of having a rig somewhat similar to his, and also want to have the cab be an extension of the living space, as he has mentioned. To actually have it a usable extension, then I think the pass-thru has to be large enough to walk through, preferably without ducking and crawling.

Kind of the opposite end of the spectrum from the 'Mogs with the 'emergency wiggle thru' design.

I have two kids, and I think Jay does also, so another idea I've been pondering would eliminate the lift-up bed. I'm thinking of just having a bunk bed on each side (over the cab), leaving the isle full standing height. Of course, with small kids, a safety net may be needed around the bunks. Then the wife and I would sleep on a bed in the camper part.

On my dream rig, I want the front seats to swivel to face the rear seats, then have a small table on each side, so that the riding area doubles as the dinette.

I've also dreamed about having a drop-down LCD TV at the windshield, so that the cab area also serves as a 'home' theater.

 

[Lynn]

On reviewing the thread, I see that you are already planning on two bunks in the over-cab section.

Jay, I'm curious. You said that you had to raise the cab in order to clear the new front diff. How much did you have to raise it? From that experience, do you think it would be possible to mount both the camper AND the cab on a subframe (either torque-free or suave-esque), then make the cab-to-camper attachment rigid? Does that make sense? Make the cab and camper all one rigid unit, and them mount the entire unit on a 4-point or something?

Also, I imagine that raising the cab helped to 'flatten out the floor' between the cab and camper, right?

 

[Octamog]

Personally, I'd cut out the back AND top of the cab, like a regular Class C RV, so that you can stand up in the cab and walk thru to the cabin. Either the entire bed or a section of it would have to lift up when not in use to allow standing height in the center of the cab.

Here's a picture 'lifted' from Host Motorcoaches:

To close it off for security, have sliding doors at the back of the cab, that will lock to each other and to the the lifting section.

...Or use a bed lift like this to lift the bed completely up out of the way...

 

[Christian P.]

...Or use a bed lift like this to lift the bed completely up out of the way...

Octamog!

great to see you back...

No idea how such a system can cost? It could be useful for another project I have in mind...

 

[Octamog]

Octamog!

great to see you back...

No idea how such a system can cost? It could be useful for another project I have in mind...

Hey Christian, :wavey:

I haven't checked the price yet... care to do some leg work?

I saw one on a neighbor's RV -- they are really happy with it.

Mark

 

[boblynch]

On my dream rig, I want the front seats to swivel to face the rear seats, then have a small table on each side, so that the riding area doubles as the dinette.

I've also dreamed about having a drop-down LCD TV at the windshield, so that the cab area also serves as a 'home' theater.

Lynn I like both of these ideas. However, the more I think about temperature control the more all the glass in the crew cab makes me wonder. Maybe some sort of insulated covers could be adapted for each window and the windshield. Otherwise isolating the cab from the camper via a large door seems like the way to go for a 4-season rig.

 

[egn]

Lynn I like both of these ideas. However, the more I think about temperature control the more all the glass in the crew cab makes me wonder. Maybe some sort of insulated covers could be adapted for each window and the windshield. Otherwise isolating the cab from the camper via a large door seems like the way to go for a 4-season rig.

I agree with this. Our previous motorhome was an integrated one, similar to your class A, just smaller. It has a pulldown bed just in front of the front window. If it was colder outside there was always a massive amount of condensated water at the non-isolated front sceen, even there were isolated scrolling blinds in front.

This was the reason why I use now highly isolated true glas windows build from two hard glas panes. It has very low heat transmission and is very secure.

So I would really go for strict separation if you indent to go to colder climates for a longer time. If it is only short time you can but some isolation sheets outside on the screen. But adding an removing them is not always fun, especially it has snowed and all is frozen.

 

[Lynn]

Good points on the heat loss. I guess I'm a warm weather weeny.

I should have thought about that, though. I lived in a camp trailer in Colorado for a year, and even in that 'temperate' climate, storm windows made a huge difference.

Since I don't plan to do Siberia, maybe a well-insulated pass-thru door would still be sufficient for me, though. The idea was to move the dinette to the cab in order to have a permanent bed in the back. Maybe that rear bed should still be convertable to a dinette, so that in extreme weather the cab could be left sealed off.

This was the reason why I use now highly isolated true glas windows build from two hard glas panes. It has very low heat transmission and is very secure.

Emil, are you just talking about the cabin (camper) windows, or do you have double-pane windows in the cab, as well?

I assume that you just have them in the cabin, but since you have all flat glass in the cab, maybe it's possible to get double-pane windows there, as well?

Lynn

 

[jayshapiro]

Pass Through Ideas

Hi Guys,

Thanks for all the great suggestions and pics. Great input as always...

A few comments in response to some of your points:

• We are planning on the cab being a part of the 'living area' of the camper, so would much prefer a 'walk-through' than a 'wiggle-through' type hole. The challenge comes in how big is too-big.
  
• The cab itself is going to floating on an air-ride set-up (hinged at the front) so it is going to float & bounce a fair bit. Then the camper itself is on a floating subframe (though not as much motion given the stiffened chassis) So, pinning the two units together will not work. We have planned on a rubber bellows between the two, forming a short 'tunnel'. This pretty much eliminates the possibility of cutting the roof (as in the Host Class C pictures)
  
• To "help" with the thermal leakage on the windshield and side windows, I had a great set of insulated curtains made from EasyCurtain. The fit all around the cab at night, and will hopefully help a little. (very friendly people, btw)
  
• My current plan had been for the bathroom door (which is just inside the camper at the front wall) to lock in the 'open' position - essentially blocking the passthrough hole and forming a solid barrier to entrance. We need to work out the dimensions of the hole to see if the door can actually do that.
  
• I like some of the suggestions of a 'plug' that fits into the hole from the cab, but it feels like it would be a bit of a pain to take in/out and carry around if you want to go back into the camper a few times a day. In that way a pocket door or something is appealing, but engineering that within the cab (end of the tunnel) might be hard.
  

I was even considering a simple solution like a couple of moving blankets hung and velcro'd on the inside of the passthrough to form a sound/thermal barrier that can be tied aside when we're stationary.

We're going to work on this over the next couple of days and hopefully come up with something that works really well.

Thanks all for your help. Some really great ideas.

Cheers,
Jay.

 

[jayshapiro]

Power Bed Lift

Octamog!

great to see you back...

No idea how such a bed lift system can cost? It could be useful for another project I have in mind...

Mark / Christian,

We are using that exact system in our camper. We are 'lifting' a bed to the roof above the dinette. This allows us to leave the bed made up and just lower it down at night and get it.

At the same time the dinette itself can lower down into a bed, so we can essentially have bunk beds for when we have 'visitors'

The Happijac lift can 'lock' at any height allowing you to do this.

I don't have a price from them yet, though I've been chasing for it. I'll post it here as soon as I have it.

Cheers,
Jay.