Go big or go home:

MTVR

Well-known member
We've got a high wind warning for this afternoon, so we snugged down the 12 box-to-bed mounting bolts that were just sitting in their holes up until now. We've got 16 more holes to drill to install the rest of them.
 

rruff

Explorer
I couldn't imagine any of this studded housing-grade construction with residential grade everything standing up to anything more than a gravel road and keeping it under 40mph on roads. You've stated early on you have never done anything like this.

Compared to the standard of 2mm FG skins over foam, I wonder where you believe 3/4" ply skins over 2x4s and foam are coming up short? Or compare it to popular offroad commercial campers using a frame of 1x2s stapled together. Of course the details may be lacking (don't know), but the structural components are very robust.
 

1000arms

Well-known member
The drawbridge hinge showed up today. ...
Very few people can honestly write/say that. :cool:

For that matter, very few people can honestly write/say, "Well, using a shipping container as the base of our camper would put us over 13'6" high, so, to remain road legal in all US states, we are building our own camper box out of plywood, lumber, foam, construction adhesive, and gallons of epoxy." :cool:
 

1000arms

Well-known member
Both drawbridge winches are up...
When I first "misread" this, I thought you might have attached a couple of ship figureheads. :cool:

 
I have a constructive suggestion.
Right now with your 1.271 transfer case gearing and 6:1 axles you are running your C13 at 1940 @ 60mph. Incredibly noisy, at least 15% increase in fuel consumption before considering air resistance (just due to way too high on rpm curve) and greater wear. Your engine develops peak hp at 1800 and it’s considered a good practice to ruat least 15% below that. Oshkosh claims 4.5mpg. I suspect that’s at military convoy speed, i. e <50mph.
You should look into replacing the Oshkosh 30000 with a 55000. High range 0.98, allowing ~1500 @ 60. Perfect.
Low range is 2.66 and irregardless of claims about 7.63 1st gear and 1.90 torque converter ratio, it would be a good thing. Especially with the inertial forces operating on the camper, slower is better. There’s a government rebuilt 55000 on the Oshkosh site.
I have determined as well as I can without actually looking underneath a MTVR that the TC is divorced, not bolted to the Allison a la FMTV.
 

MTVR

Well-known member
I have a constructive suggestion.
Right now with your 1.271 transfer case gearing and 6:1 axles you are running your C13 at 1940 @ 60mph. Incredibly noisy, at least 15% increase in fuel consumption before considering air resistance (just due to way too high on rpm curve) and greater wear. Your engine develops peak hp at 1800 and it’s considered a good practice to ruat least 15% below that. Oshkosh claims 4.5mpg. I suspect that’s at military convoy speed, i. e <50mph.
You should look into replacing the Oshkosh 30000 with a 55000. High range 0.98, allowing ~1500 @ 60. Perfect.
Low range is 2.66 and irregardless of claims about 7.63 1st gear and 1.90 torque converter ratio, it would be a good thing. Especially with the inertial forces operating on the camper, slower is better. There’s a government rebuilt 55000 on the Oshkosh site.
I have determined as well as I can without actually looking underneath a MTVR that the TC is divorced, not bolted to the Allison a la FMTV.

Thanks, Charlie.

Yeah, the T-case is divorced, and it's a single-speed.

The engine is a C12, not a C13. The OEM tune is 425 horsepower, but I understand that there is a 540 horsepower tune available that does not increase the peak torque. I want to stay with the stock 1,550 pounds of torque, for reliability...
 
Last edited:

Madoxen

Active member
Hmmm i think you have gone to light with that hinge if you look in the official code of acceptable drawbridge hinges it clearly states that a minimum weight of 102.5 pounds is required for an 8 foot hinge. think you are going to have to start the whole build from scratch again ?
 

MTVR

Well-known member
After being cooped up in the house for a week with the wildfires, the air quality has finally improved enough for us to get going on it again.

So we're spending a fun-filled day doing another round of sanding and filling...
 

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