MPG and Expedtion Campers

[VerMonsterRV]

Hi all, this coming summer I will begin the search for an expedition rv chassis. I plan to get a Total Composites box to put on it. I have been trying to research the various options we have in the USA. My goal with this RV will potentially be a round the world trip including shipping (this winter we will finish a 6 year round the world sailing trip and thought an overland trip might be a good follow up). Since we will be full timing it in the rv we do want a few comforts (full time queen bed, dedicated dinette, wet bath, complete galley with stove/oven, interior storage for folding bikes/backpacking gear and inflatable kayak). I am guessing (since I have no background with off-road driving) that the rv will need to be at least very bad road capable. So, I keep going round and round with different possible chassis, things like 4WD, DPF, payload capacity, MPG and of course cost. My question at this point is this, given my rough requirements above what MPG should I be planning for? I am guessing a F550 will get about 10mpg (at $6 a gallon in Europe this could get costly fast), a Fuso FG maybe a bit more around 14mpg (which would be better but the new models in the USA have some short comings and 2007 and earlier are hard to come by). Any other chassis ideas are welcome, only caveat is they need to be USA available.

 

[Joe917]

Everything is USA available if it is over 25years old.
Mercedes trucks, 917,1017(available as 4X4) etc will get 13mpg, 1992 and older will burn any diesel and are fully mechanical. There are a few in North America but importing is not that difficult. They are fantastic bad road vehicles.
You can probably find a good candidate in Spain right now and check it out yourself. The added bonus of picking one up yourself is you can get the truck fully checked out and corrected before shipping.
check out mobile.de That is where most European expedition trucks looking for a new home are.

 

[Darwin]

IF you are considering typical domestic NA chassis, forget the ford and take a closer look at the Ram with Cummins, but for round the world trip I would probably avoid either.

Here is one option available in NA, with no miles, non military

http://forum.expeditionportal.com/threads/169112-FOR-SALE-BRAND-NEW-LMTV-FMTV-ARMY-TRUCK-CUMMINS-ALLISON-4x4-6x6-M1078-M1088

Realistically though, you might want to look into importing from Europe, a few forum members have gone that route, specially with totalcomposite panels on that red merc 917

 

[dlh62c]

Have you considered a Sprinter van?

https://www.myvan.com/life/travel/6-tips-for-your-journey-around-the-world-in-the-sprinter-4x4/

 

[VerMonsterRV]

Hi again, thanks for the suggestions. I will look into the 917, wish we were still in mainland Spain but we are in the Canaries now so more difficult to see one in person. One of my concerns was the age of these vehicles and the reliability because of that. Will have to think more about it. What about parts availability in the USA?

I have considered the Sprinter. In the US to get 4WD is starting at $26,000 with a 4.5" lift (aftermarket from WhiteFeather). Ideally I would like the 4WD system from the factory. In order to get a bit more space this would have to be on a Sprinter chassis and not a standard van. Was not sure how durable this would be when completed and how capable off-road it would be. Would really not like to put a lot of effort/money into a rv and find that it falls short (not that I am saying it would).

As far as domestic it is either Ford or Dodge. From our travels I see a lot of Fords on the road around the world (not the trucks though). Very rare to see a Dodge. For that reason alone I would lean towards Ford. Problem I see here is you end up with a largish vehicle with less space than say a Fuso. Also need to have either a large V8 diesel or even larger V10 gas. Both very powerful engines, but seem a bit thirsty.

 

[Joe917]

Same rules apply to expedition vehicles and sailboats.
Set a budget, set requirements, must haves vs wants. Research. Reevaluate.
In Canada a basic 2017 4X4 Sprinter is $60 000 +++ (Mercedes sells the 4X4 in NA now you don't have to go to Whitefeather).
Looking at your needs I would say a Sprinter is too small.

 

[Darwin]

How many Ford "scorpion " diesels do you see? I see Cummins as an engine builder found all across the globe, Bonus is the Cummins straight 6 cyclinder motor is less complex than Ford, easier to work on, and doesn't require the cab to be removed for major work. They do get better MPG also. This all pertains if you are going diesel, if you go gas, you are probably right about the Ford being more plentiful.

From what you are saying it sounds like a sprinter would be too small.

 

[workerdrone]

Diesel F550 should get better than 10mpg, probably 12-15 depending on leadfoot. I recently spent over a year full time in one rolling at 6-7 tons with work body and hardsided camper on it. Awesome combo but big, heavy, complicated and expensive if something goes wrong.

My main question is why do you want to build your own, unless you enjoy hundreds to thousands of hours in construction and testing/shakeout. Look for used ready to go units, plunk down the cash, tweak a couple things for your taste, and travel on... so many bargains pop up on the forums for much less than originally invested to build

 

[VerMonsterRV]

I have not ruled out the used RV's. Once we get back to the US in the spring we have plans to put the boat in a marina and get serious about the RV. If there are any that look good in North America (and I might actually start thinking about Europe if it is based on a truck that could be imported into the USA, could spend a few more years here) we will make a road trip to check it out.

Why build my own? Good question, a lot of the used RV's I see are not what I am looking for. The closest one (and this is only through pictures) is the GXV pupup Fuso. Would love to see that one in person. It misses though with the NA 4wd/auto and DPF. If I could get a 2007 Fuso and build a hard-sided popup like that it might be ideal for us. Also builders like GXV are a bit out of our budget, in order to keep traveling like we have for the last 6+ years we need to keep to a budget.

 

[dlh62c]

Every overlander dreams of taking their rig into the far flung reaches in some far away land.

The reality is once you start jumping continents, vehicle preservation becomes forefront in a travelers mind.

Regarding anything DIY, if you can source insurance on the conversion effort from the start to completion, the rest is easy.

You may get lucky and the marina will let you fit out a camper on their property.

 

[VerMonsterRV]

Funny you mention building an RV at a marina. Before we left on this trip we lived aboard in Boston, year round. Because of hurricanes you don't head south until October. We wanted to take the summer off and travel the National Parks before we started sailing. All we had for a vehicle was a 4 cylinder 1998 S10. In November in the year prior to setting sail we bought a 1983 13' Scamp with rotted floors, rear corner blown out from a rim coming apart while driving down the interstate, no suspension left. Probably should have ended up in a landfill. I spent the next 6 months over the winter on a pier in downtown Boston rebuilding it. Don't have any before photos, but here are some after.





If I end up building an RV, it will be in a shop that I would probably rent.

 

[java]

I am on a F450 chassis, its a 2008 with the 6.4L diesel. Im at 14,240lbs, and very tall (IE lots of wind resistance) Also running a high rear end gear which turns ~2200RPMs at 65mph, I have averaged 10.3-10.7 on the last few tanks.

Mine was DIY, RV construction is literal crap stuck together with staples. Try an RV show, you will be scarred.

 

[VerMonsterRV]

Thanks for the F450 MPG. Pretty much what I have been seeing online. Not sure if it would be the right chassis for us. The big draw for me with the Ford would be the option for a new (or newish) chassis to start with and the ability to do a DPF delete. The traveling outside the USA though is a concern 9I have rarely seen any full size American pickups outside of NA). Looking into the Mercedes 917, 1017, 1117 and 1217 vehicles. Wish the US did not have the 25 year old import law. I really like the cab over trucks for the relative size of the overall truck to the possible living space.

One other thing, not sure since I am doing this search from a distance but I don't think the Sprinter is available in AWD on the chassis van (the chassis part is the key). I went through the online configuration and it did not list it as an option. Either way, not sure it would be the right truck anyway.

 

[mog]

If you need more load capacity for a Sprinter, it would be worth checking to see if oberaigner (http://www.oberaigner.com/de/produkte/fahrzeugumruestungen/mercedes-benz/oberaigner-6x6/) could do their conversion on a US spec'ed Sprinter?
There is a used one on Mobile.de for sale. Too new to import as Euro spec'ed, but some ideas of what is available. ( https://suchen.mobile.de/fahrzeuge/details.html?id=243848040&damageUnrepaired=NO_DAMAGE_UNREPAIRED&features=FOUR_WHEEL_DRIVE&fuels=DIESEL&isSearchRequest=true&makeModelVariant1.makeId=17200&pageNumber=10&scopeId=MH&usage=USED&fnai=prev )

I for one don't see an issue with the 'age' of the Mercedes 917-1017-1122s etc. While 'old', if you get a AF (firetruck) it has probably been babied its whole life, living inside a heated garage, polished by firemen all day.
My 1979 1017AF is almost like new. A little surface rust on the rear springs, that is about it. The logbook shows continuous maintenance during its service, although it has less then 30,000 km.

You can find them all day long for sale on the German websites for 7000 - 15,000 €. Sure, you still have to ship/import it ($7,000?), but a great starting point.
(BTW- I am putting a Total Composite box on mine)

 

[VerMonsterRV]

Hi Mog, WhiteFeather in the US can do the 6x6 conversion, it starts at $40,000 + the van. Looks pretty interesting but I am hoping to come in around $100,000 total. May not be possible but sort of what I am shooting for (and I expect to be doing most of the work myself). After trolling the web for a decent low mileage Fuso FG I am really warming to the MB ex fire trucks. Seem to be a lot of truck for the money. Really interested in your build, do you have a build thread going? Any pictures? How was the import process into the USA? Do you already have your TC box? Sorry for all the questions but it sounds like what you are doing is, at this point, what I hope to start next summer when we return to the USA.