New Build FG637 New-Ish Member

[MrHorsepower]

Hi all, long time lurker first time poster..you know how it goes.... I have started a dual purpose build. Part work truck part camper. It will eventually have a service body/camper box on the back but am juggling the build with work at the moment(You know how it goes) Hopefully I will add pics regularly when time allows... Michael

 

[Bris31]

Welcome to the forum.
Congratulations on new truck and good luck with the build.
Curious about your different front and rear rims. Are you going to keep stock front rims?
What size are the rear Kumhos?

 

[MrHorsepower]

Hi Bris31, cheers for the welcome.. Will eventually have all same wheels + 2 x spares just managing budget at the moment. Bought 2 rims from Alan (on this forum) to set up tray and guards etc Tyres are Kumho Road Venture MT KL71 315/75R16s .. Michael

 

[Spanna 53]

Keep up the good work my camper took two years running the workshop full time ,three nights knocking off around 10 pm all day Saturday and generally Sunday morning that said we still had a few weekends away and Christmas holidays final registration the morning of the third Christmas knock off day you have got to stay focused on the end result have now got 37000 k on it and have spent 6 of the last 12 months in it .Will be in your area for the Clubbie sports car Nat meet in Novenber my catch up then cheers Ross

 

[MrHorsepower]

Bit further down the track a bit more done.. Trying to juggle the work / build... a thin layer of surface rust now adorns the surface finished joints. All welding is now done and time to paint/assemble. Hopefully have it on the road by Christmas for a little shake down trip to the Eyre Peninsula.

 

[kanga1]

Hi Michael, I'll be watching your build with great interest. I bought our little FG 637 from a guy in NSW a few months back, and will build a fairly rudimentary camper body for it as soon as our house reno is finished. These swb ex RFS canter trucks have a fairly solid looking framework on top of the factory chassis for the tray to sit flat on top of. I wonder what sort of chassis flex this addition would allow for?
Also led to believe that the LSD in the rear is supposed to be very good, I don't think mind works at all with the limited use the truck has had since I bought it, does anybody know is there is a good locker available for the rear end of these trucks?
As said already I've had the truck for about 6 months now but apart from just having a few ideas about how is like to build it and what it must have, I haven't lifted a spanner yet until the house is finished. So some time around June this year work should start, hoping to be finished for the Big Red Bash in Birdsville 2021, after a couple of shakedown trips here in Tassie.
Cheers for now. Kanga.

 

[MrHorsepower]

Hi Michael, I'll be watching your build with great interest. I bought our little FG 637 from a guy in NSW a few months back, and will build a fairly rudimentary camper body for it as soon as our house reno is finished. These swb ex RFS canter trucks have a fairly solid looking framework on top of the factory chassis for the tray to sit flat on top of. I wonder what sort of chassis flex this addition would allow for?
Also led to believe that the LSD in the rear is supposed to be very good, I don't think mind works at all with the limited use the truck has had since I bought it, does anybody know is there is a good locker available for the rear end of these trucks?
As said already I've had the truck for about 6 months now but apart from just having a few ideas about how is like to build it and what it must have, I haven't lifted a spanner yet until the house is finished. So some time around June this year work should start, hoping to be finished for the Big Red Bash in Birdsville 2021, after a couple of shakedown trips here in Tassie.
Cheers for now. Kanga.

Sorry mate dont know how I missed your post..Your truck looks tough..I love the bull bar and colour.. Have done quite a bit more since last post but due to these "unprecedented times" Still havent ventured out ..Been working out of it for about a month and its the best work vehicle i have had (still needs a Turbo!!) I am led to believe from those in the know that you want to limit chassis flex on the short wheel base trucks as it can lead to cracked chassis as the bit that flexes is only foreward of the rear springs and aft of the rear front spring hangers an thats not very long (also where the cracks happen.. Also have heard that the rear LSD is capable ..will test mine fully before looking for locker ..but am planning a front e locker.. Also have done sound deadener in cab butyl layer ,10mm foil backed foam, foil backed carpet underlay and carpet, I can now hear myself think... Michael

 

[kanga1]

Holy Cr&p you didn't muck around with the body build. I feel totally inept!!
The body looks really nice, looking at the drawer set up you have obviously given the layout a hell of a lot of thought, very impressed.
Have you had it weighed with the body on? Just wondering how much you added with the fit out.
Does it have a pop top/ hinged or fixed top?
We still haven't made a start on ours yet the house remodel is still a work in progress, PITA, drama with the builder doing a shoddy job, lawyers and so on. Any how back on track now we hope.
Turbo Glide in Sydney are people I have spoken to about a turbo for our 4D33 4.2 litre motor, sounds like they can deliver a fair bit more oomph without blowing the thing up, won't alter the top speed tho, I kind of draw the line at 90 kph in ours.
I see yours had a tow bar on it, was out there when you got the truck? Planning on going to see a manufacturer in Hobart next week for a quote to make a tow bar with a removable dual rear wheel carrier. Also need some kind of recovery points/winch mounting fabbing up at the front, thinking of a removable winch that can be located at either end of the truck maybe.
Too many questions and not enough time atm. Congrats on what you've done so far. Cheers for now, Kanga'......

 

[MrHorsepower]

Holy Cr&p you didn't muck around with the body build. I feel totally inept!!
The body looks really nice, looking at the drawer set up you have obviously given the layout a hell of a lot of thought, very impressed.
Have you had it weighed with the body on? Just wondering how much you added with the fit out.
Does it have a pop top/ hinged or fixed top?
We still haven't made a start on ours yet the house remodel is still a work in progress, PITA, drama with the builder doing a shoddy job, lawyers and so on. Any how back on track now we hope.
Turbo Glide in Sydney are people I have spoken to about a turbo for our 4D33 4.2 litre motor, sounds like they can deliver a fair bit more oomph without blowing the thing up, won't alter the top speed tho, I kind of draw the line at 90 kph in ours.
I see yours had a tow bar on it, was out there when you got the truck? Planning on going to see a manufacturer in Hobart next week for a quote to make a tow bar with a removable dual rear wheel carrier. Also need some kind of recovery points/winch mounting fabbing up at the front, thinking of a removable winch that can be located at either end of the truck maybe.
Too many questions and not enough time atm. Congrats on what you've done so far. Cheers for now, Kanga'......

Cheers.. a lot of time in it thus far.. always more to do. weighs in at 4100kg thereabouts full of tools, not sure how much empty. Top is fixed, bed base is King Size. will be getting Darche awning and awning annex for drivers side and Darche 270 degree with walls for passenger side . Towbar is a 4t unit that I had fitted custom. I built a winch cradle in between the bulbar pivot mounts and 20mm recovery points welded into cradle and braced back to chassis ..had to be custom as like most things you want for these canters ..they are not available ..Good luck with the house and the build ..Cheers

 

[yabanja]

The truck is looking great. All of your hard work is paying off. Love to see another short wheelbase truck out there!

Allan

 

[kanga1]

Hi Michael, I've been MIA for too long, the house Reno went bad, sacked the builder looking forward to going to court in the near future to settle, and finish the house, consequently the truck has sat ignored in the shed, nuf said on that.
Just started to turn my attention to the truck as we have committed to getting into the Kimberley after the Big Red Bash next year and do the Carson river track early August next year, we'll spend a few weeks up there and get up the Munja track too, we've done that one before and want to get back up there. Think we'll be away from home in Tassie about 3 months all up.
Issues decided and discovered so far.
The LSD isn't working, so it will need repairing or preferably replacing with a locker. How did you go with yours????
Really got into looking for lay out ideas to confirm a plan for the body, the outside dimensions of my tray are 3.6 metres long 2.1 metres wide. Don't really want the travelling height to be higher than the air intake for the motor, so approx 1.55 metres high and a pop top for the whole roof on that to lift it up another .4 metre or so, for comfortable standing.
Not intending initially for an AC unit, but will fit a diesel heater.
Planning for a 12 electrical system for the body.


Just had a thought that maybe I should start my own thread on this really, don't want to hijack yours.
What do you reckon??

When you get a chance Michael could you take some more pics of your truck, awnings etc, and particularly the front winch and recovery points. Well have to fab those up as a minimum requirement for the Carson R t. Your truck looks really well made, I hope you don't mind if I borrow some of your ideas.?
Cheers, Kanga.