isuzu FTS 700 camper

[sloth142]

gday all,

ive just got my self a "89" model isuzsu fts 700 dual cab and plan on turning it into a camper/tourer. im new to the whole camping truck game so am looking for any info/help from those with more experiance in this.
i chose to go with this truck as 1- it was a good price and low km's, 2- more room for the family ( 2 adults and 3 kids),3- the camper trailer just wasnt big enough anymore, and 4- very capable truck that can handle the offroad well.
i plan on turning it into more of a camper and not a glamper.so far my plan is to put a solid roof over the tray and have an apolsterer modify the current canopy with some mozzy mesh, and modify one of the side drop down gates into stairs for access with a full size rear tail gate so when we are parked up we can lower it for added space/sun deck kind of thing.i plan on doing all the cooking outside as well but havnt come up with any ideas on how im going to set this up. (currently set up BBQ for cooking). as this is a 12.5 t GVM im never going to have anything near that loaded up and as you can imagine the ride is some where near the rough side. im strugling to find anyone that can offer a softer ride/solution. ive also read some other threads regarding the tray on spring mounts to aleviate stress on the chassis/tray whilst flexing.pheeew so after that little introduction/spill has anyone done a similuar build or have any info/ideas to help a novice out??

cheers
CJ

 

[sloth142]

 

[SkiFreak]

Firstly, welcome.

Although most of the people here would have slightly smaller trucks than yours, many of the same build concepts can be used.
You might want to give the guys at All Terrain Warriors (ATW) a call (if you haven't already done that) and have a chat with them, as I know they have done numerous builds on similar sized vehicles. They may be able to offer you some suspension choices or advice.

 

[sloth142]

hmmmm not sure what happened with the pic

cheers for the welcome.

i have called ATW and they dont really do much for the older trucks like mine, the newer ones they are doing a bit for.

 

[SkiFreak]

hmmmm not sure what happened with the pic.

Maybe you could try attaching it again.

 

[BLC392]

Hi CJ,

I too have a FTS 700 camper under development, however, yours is far more mobile than what I have. Relocating and building a new house has paused the project. Consolation prize is I get a new workshop/shed as part of the build. Doesn't stop me from researching and buying parts and stuff though.

The FTS is a very capable truck, commonly used in Fire Brigades across the country. Yes, is does have some negative points. It is a truck, drives like a truck and has the suspension and seating of a truck. Great, if you are carrying half a dozen firies and a few tonnes of water plus gear.

Don't plan on breaking any landspeed records, cruising speed 80-90kmh. Holidays are not a race.

Super Singles: I ordered these from Mullins wheels in South Oz. Don't buy the ones off the shelf (check the offset if doing so) the first set that were delivered, had the wrong offset, these were sent back. And, the reply was " no one else has complained". I had them make a set with the correct offset (I sent the dimensions) for the truck. Front and rear track are now the same. Tyres? Don't have any yet. Didn't see the point in buying rubber and having them sit in the shed, while the project is on hold. Plus, six wheels and tyres takes up a lot of room, they are not go kart wheels.

Suspension: There are a few choices. Leave the current setup? Great loaded, shocking unloaded.
Parabolics? Talk to ATW, and/or spring manufacturers.
Airbag with control arms/torque rods? Google Hendrickson suspension systems. This will give you an idea of the setup. I have chosen a setup using proprietary components, isuzu parts that are readily available, over the counter.

Camper/Accommodation: Personal choice here. Search the forum for all types of setups. Only you can make this decision. After researching the types, I am cheating a little, I purchased a Jayco Eagle camper and plan to mount this to a subframe and attach to chassis.

Truck Seating: Leave it as it is? Not very comfortable, just imagine driving for hours while sitting on a church pew.
Replace seating with something more comfortable? This can get expensive. I have replaced the seats with four air suspension seats with integrated seat belts from All Seats. I think this actually cost more than the original purchase price of the truck. Truck will only be a four seater when completed. Happy wife happy life. If it doesn't feel like a truck when sitting for hours on end, the happier the crew will be.

Isuzu parts: Get yourself a workshop manual, this will consist of 3 folders, I think these are about as rare a hens teeth, unless you can come to an agreement with a truck workshop to borrow the set? And, a parts manual, I sourced one from the net. An isuzu dealer will still be able to supply parts, or try a truck service centre. For example; I purchased a new roof turret from Isuzu, was cheaper than spending a weekend welding up the holes and fixing the rust. Fleabay has a good supply of aftermarket parts. Buy parts kits for the air system and valves. There is not much that will stop the truck, but if you have an failure in the air system, you won't be going anywhere. I purchased 2 kits for every thing, one to rebuild, one as spare. Being stranded on a lonely track because of a $50 part is not fun.
Try the local truck wreckers, basically the FTS is the FTR (road version) with a front diff and transfer case.
The rear diff has an Eaton Nospin locker, Google detroit locker, this will give you an idea of how it works. The rear end will sound and feel a bit clunky at times, this is normal.

If you are going to make any modifications to the suspension, seating, seat belts and/or structural components, consult an approved mechanical engineer dealing with heavy trucks before opening the your tool box.

Wow, that was long winded.

Cheers,

Brendan

 

[yabanja]

Quite the beast! Good luck and keep us posted!

Allan

 

[sloth142]

cheers for the info BLC392, I've just purchased some new spring for the front, these new ones actually have a curve/radius unlike the current ones that are flat,I'm hoping this will help with the ride a little.struggling to find anything for the rear, i looked into the hendrickson airbag setup, is a little pricy and not really recommended for 4wd/offroad (so i was told by a distributer). will be looking at some super singles shortly but will get a with for it first.ive been looking for a workshop manual for this rig but like you said, rare.its even hard to find a hand book for one.have been quoted for a new seat and plate from a seat bloke and the price is ok compared to a wife whinging hahaha. will keep posted as build gets done. cheers all

 

[whatcharterboat]

Hi CJ

ATW should have plenty of 22.5" single wheels in stock for your truck. Are you sure they said that they had none???????
'
I also think the offsets should be the same between the current FTS 800 and your older FTS 700 but maybe Isuzu could confirm that. The big ATW single rims are perfect for 425 tyre but will also fit a 385 or a 445.
.
Sorting springs is another story. Obviously the problem is those trucks were made to carry a massive payload and you are probably nowhere near that with your camper. The rear springs on the big Isuzus typically run very light main packs with super heavy overriders....so if you don't have enough weight they slam onto the overriders constantly and if you are heavy they just sit hard on the overriders and don't move at all.....and all this can also be transferred to the front which only makes things worse up there. I've made custom packs on FTS before simply by pulling the original packs apart and moving the overrider leafs down into the main pack. Nothing will be as good as a properly tuned set of parabolics (which to my knowledge don't exist for an FTS) but custom-made longspan springs will come close.....that is a LOT of work though and probably not viable on an older truck.
.
Also a flatter spring will typically move more freely than a curved one .... not the other way round. As a rule, as the set (curve) in a spring pack increases, the spring rate increases exponentially ...of course in most 4wd trucks more set is required to give diff clearance.
'
I can recommend Doug at Carols in Brisbane (if you ever get over this way) as he has plenty of experience with those bigger models....or Tuckers on the Gold Coast ...... still light years from Karatha.
'
Regards
John

 

[sloth142]

cheers for the info will keep it in mind, my take of the flat spring compared to the curved one was opposite and from what I've been told from spring manufacturersn, but i guess ill just have to see how it goes as I've already bought them.ATW did say they had the 22.5 but were not sure if they fitted the older trucks, i did ask isuzu and they said all the 8 studs are the same, but the price for some through them didn't really excite me to much.

 

[whatcharterboat]

cheers for the info will keep it in mind, my take of the flat spring compared to the curved one was opposite and from what I've been told from spring manufacturersn, but i guess ill just have to see how it goes as I've already bought them.ATW did say they had the 22.5 but were not sure if they fitted the older trucks, i did ask isuzu and they said all the 8 studs are the same, but the price for some through them didn't really excite me to much.

Hi CJ,
.
I didn't mean to make you worry. If the curved packs you've bought have a lighter spring rate than the original flat packs then everything should be fine. What I was trying to convey was that if you had identical spring packs (ie. same thickness and size leafs) except one pack was flat and the other had set/curve then the one with the set will have a higher spring rate. Sorry for any confusion.
.
Regards
John

 

[sloth142]

hahaha all good, hopefully they are a little lighter and help with the ride, will post before and after pics when i get them and update on ride quality.

 

[sloth142]

Gday all its been a while. i made a start on the truck with changing out the front springs and gutting the cab,painting the inside and laying down some sound deadner/resomatt.
have started putting it all back together again now and only need to put the rear bench seat back in. its taken little longer then i expected but ya cant rush these things haha.

 

[sloth142]

 

[sloth142]