mitsu fuso fg with a fwc?

[dhackney]

That is a great setup!

I think the side entry camper has some advantages compared to our rear entry design.
1. Less or no dust / dirt / etc. buildup on and around the doorway.
2. Clears the rear for cargo / bike attachment as in this example.
3. More compact camping area, living space and entry are all on starboard side.
4. No need for rear awning = less weight, less top weight

A possible disadvantage could be ingress / egress blockage in situations such as the parking space shown if your neighbor pulls in tight. This would mostly be an issue in parking lots when you're buying groceries, etc.

Very well done. Congrats.

 

[boblynch]

Allowance over the cab?

Doug, based on your travels and frame testing what overcab allowance would you recommend to someone planning on installing an extended cabover truck camper on an FG (either popup or hardside)?

Bob

 

[ckkone]

Here's a shot of my camper taken last week in S.California. It still fits in a normal parking space with the scooter on the back. S & S finally updated their website to show this model : www.s-scamper.com/ponderosa.php

Jeffrey

Welcome to the portal, excellent setup!

 

[jhrodd]

Thanks for the compliments. We use the jack next to the door as a step to climb inside at grocery stores or when stealth camping. Even Mary, height challenged as she is, can climb in this way. I am planning on adding a proper step to the jack base.

Jeffrey

 

[kerry]

I've wondered for a number of years why US class C motorhome manufacturers are not building motorhomes on the Fuso chassis. Down under they do it. Why not here?
I wonder how the class C motorhomes down under deal with the engine access issues when the camper can't be removed to tilt the cab?

 

[jhrodd]

The Fuso crew cab doesn't tilt it has engine access under the front seats. Maybe that arrangement can be retro fitted to the single cab. We stopped and got an oil change on our way down to California and it only took about 5 minutes to take the scooter and the camper off. We did it right in the shop bay.

 

[Gold Boy]

took about 5 minutes to take the scooter and the camper off. We did it right in the shop bay.

that is fast.... very doable.

 

[Carlyle]

Awesome setup! have you considered a tilt on the camper for engine access, an Alaskan on a Fuso out there somewhere has this set up.

 

[Gold Boy]

Awesome setup! have you considered a tilt on the camper for engine access, an Alaskan on a Fuso out there somewhere has this set up.

if you had a jack system on the front of the camper, which would lift the camper up whilst its was still on the flat deck, then you could tilt the cab for engine access .... maybe.

 

[jhrodd]

Actually it has 4 remote controlled electric jacks. I could just pop the hold downs loose and jack it up high enough to tilt the cab by putting blocks under the camper jacks. The hold downs are Torklift Fast Gun Derringers and are very quick and easy to release.

 

[Gold Boy]

Actually it has 4 remote controlled electric jacks. I could just pop the hold downs loose and jack it up high enough to tilt the cab by putting blocks under the camper jacks. The hold downs are Torklift Fast Gun Derringers and are very quick and easy to release.

awesome, sounds good to me....

:beer:

 

[dhackney]

Doug, based on your travels and frame testing what overcab allowance would you recommend to someone planning on installing an extended cabover truck camper on an FG (either popup or hardside)?

Bob

Bob,

I think the required radius clearance is in the builder's drawings. PDFs are available here: http://www.hackneys.com/mitsu/index-chassis-photos.htm.

I think you'd lose a LOT of room and end up very tall if you left empty space adequate to clear the tilt cab.

I think the way Jeffrey has gone about it is probably the best route using a factory cabover camper. The electric jacks are quick and easy and worth the weight in that scenario.

You might want to include a lip on the tray that you had the camper mounted on. The lip would be a great help for alignment when lowering the camper back down on the tray.

It takes three guys to drop our camper and get a perfect alignment, but we're trying to line up with boxes and things that are mounted on our tilt frame, so that makes it more critical. If you keep everything on the camper and the tray empty, it wouldn't be such a big deal.

Service intervals on our 2007 are every 6k miles for an oil change, so you won't need to pull it that often. I don't know if the 2008s have a different interval.

Doug

 

[boblynch]

Doug,

Thanks for the link. Sorry, but I probably didn't phrase my question correctly. If someone were to use a camper that extends over the Fuso cab, what camper to cab clearance should they allow to prevent the camper from hitting the top of the cab when the frame flexes during offroad travels? See the picture of your rig earlier in this thread. It looks like about six inches. In your extensive buildup did you determine a more accurate number?

Thanks and enjoy your trip.
Bob

 

[dhackney]

Doug,

Thanks for the link. Sorry, but I probably didn't phrase my question correctly. If someone were to use a camper that extends over the Fuso cab, what camper to cab clearance should they allow to prevent the camper from hitting the top of the cab when the frame flexes during offroad travels? See the picture of your rig earlier in this thread. It looks like about six inches. In your extensive buildup did you determine a more accurate number?

Thanks and enjoy your trip.
Bob

Bob,

OK, sorry for the misunderstanding, I thought you were asking about cab tilt.

If you were mounting a camper nose over the cab then a couple of things are determined.

1. You would need to have the rigid end of the 3 point pivot frame behind the cab. That would match the front of the camper, to the greatest extent possible, to the cab's rotation.
2. You need to allow for the frame flex between the front 3 point pivot frame attachment point and the cab hinges. That's quite a long distance in the universe of Fuso frame flex.

The Fuso frame is very, very flexible. The rear of the cab is going to flex on the rubber rear cab latche points. The front of the cab will twist with the front ends of the frame rails, which extend past the front axle springs attachment points. Let me reiterate, the distance you are talking about here is about 1.5 light years in the universe of Fuso frame flex.

We never tested and measured that frame point to cab flex because we were not putting anything over the cab. The only thing I can offer is what you can see in our full articulation tests and the amount of flex you can see in the garage in those shots. The garage flex is happening in less than 4 longitudinal feet of Fuso frame. And part of that 4 feet is our box section frame extensions that flex a LOT less than the stock frame.

I wish I could offer a more detailed assessment or empirical data.

I would recommend that if you are considering that design it is imperitive that you build a test box outlining the camper dimensions, mount it on the frame as you intend to mount the camper and take the chassis out and put it through full articulation in both axle rotations.

That test would cost you a few hundred in channel and some welding time and could save you a very expensive broken camper nose and tweaked cab.

Until this community builds up a more extensive set of test data on the Fuso and its frame this world is all about physical testing.

Speaking of which, Darrin may have done this cab flex test. It would be worth contacting him. The worst he can say is no.

Doug

 

[boblynch]

Doug, thanks again for the extended and very informative post. Have a wonderful trip.
Bob