redman4556
Adventurer
Thank you!!
Our Box Truck RV Conversion
- Thread starter redman4556
- Start date
Thank you!!
redman4556
Adventurer
I can't tell you how much I appreciate the find, but I'm a picky mother******. It's a 12' box and I'm looking exclusively for one between 9' 6" and 10' 10" long.
Yeah, I don't know of any 10' long ,6.5'-7' wide with a cabover. I think your best bet is the 10' cutaway van box similar to the pic you posted.
redman4556
Adventurer
I'm sorry for the miscommunication. Cab over was never in my list of wants/needs. I'd actually prefer a box without a cabover. It's just proving difficult to find 10' ones.
redman4556
Adventurer
Looks like Monday is the purchase day for the box. So far I'm still stuck between the cutaway box I posted earlier, and the 92 ford pictured here. Both are $1000 minimum. Anyone know of a way to save some money? Am I correct in assuming that if the guys at the salvage yard lift the box with a forklift onto my trucks frame rails, that I can simply slide and tighten 6 or 8 ubolts over my frame and the box's subframe to securely mount it, or am I stupid for thinking this?
You'll need to make sure the rails on the vehicle and the cargo body aline, same width, for the ubolts to attach.
If your reuseing the ubolts, the oak or rubber isolation rub strips might be resused as well.
Sorry I haven't read all the posts in this tread.
There is a whole industry devoted to the manufacturing, maintenance and repair of cargo bodies. IMO, Morgan is the best.
Two things I would look for if your going to turn this into a living space. Stay away from a transparent fiberglass roof. While they do let light it, their fragile. Don't know if they can be reskined in aluminum.
The floors are typically planked in 5/4 red oak. The floor is the foundation on which the walls are built on. Look closely at the rear corners and the sides for rot.
The front radius corners and edges can be replaced. Their damaged all the time.
I prefer FRP panels over aluminum, aluminum dents to easily.
If your reuseing the ubolts, the oak or rubber isolation rub strips might be resused as well.
Sorry I haven't read all the posts in this tread.
There is a whole industry devoted to the manufacturing, maintenance and repair of cargo bodies. IMO, Morgan is the best.
Two things I would look for if your going to turn this into a living space. Stay away from a transparent fiberglass roof. While they do let light it, their fragile. Don't know if they can be reskined in aluminum.
The floors are typically planked in 5/4 red oak. The floor is the foundation on which the walls are built on. Look closely at the rear corners and the sides for rot.
The front radius corners and edges can be replaced. Their damaged all the time.
I prefer FRP panels over aluminum, aluminum dents to easily.
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shortbus4x4
Expedition Leader
Your pickup frame and that box truck frame are probably different. Usually commercial truck frames kick up right behind the cab and have flat frame rails all the way back. This makes the upfitters job easy. Pickup frames are usually a little different. You will probably have to make some type of mounting system that attaches to your frame that mimics the commercial truck frame that the box will then attach too.
pappawheely
Autonomous4X4
Usually pick-up frames are wider than a cab&chassis. Here are some shots of my Uhaul when I was removing the box. Notice how flat the frame is; pick-ups have a kick over the rear axle.
redman4556
Adventurer
Thank you for the wisdom! I'll certainly make sure the cargo rails and my trucks rails are the same width apart but does frame rail thickness really matter too much? Will the ubolts not hold it securely if for example the box's rails are slightly thinner than the trucks rails?
I'm a complete n00b. Where are the isolation/rub strips used? Are they placed between the two frame rails or something?
Thank you for all of your advice and help!
redman4556
Adventurer
Thank you. I will be placing some metal spaceholders onto the parts of the frame rail that aren't completely flat, but all in all my frame rails from the back of the cab until the rear bumper are completely flat. Shouldn't this be ok to put the box body on? I see what you're saying about a subframe but is it necessary if my frame rails are flat?
redman4556
Adventurer
THANK YOU! I'm going to run outside on my break and snap a picture of my trucks frame rails. They are flat and I don't believe they have an upkick anywhere behind the cab. Maybe I'm crazy. My concern it would seem, would be the width between the frame rails not matching up. I'm worried that my box's frame rails may be a completely different width apart than my trucks frame rails.
pappawheely
Autonomous4X4
We are not talking about material thickness, it's the width between the frame rails. My '92 F350's frame rails are 37" wide, outside to outside. The '97 C&C is only 34".
redman4556
Adventurer
Ah, I didn't think material or frame rail size had much to do with it. Thanks for confirming. I'll have to give the guys with the boxes a call and find out exactly how far apart the box's frame rails are.
pappawheely
Autonomous4X4
I am assuming it's the same as on my truck, 34 inches wide.
shortbus4x4
Expedition Leader
If your frame rails are flat from the cab back then your job is a little easier. Hopefully they are 34 inches apart too as the 34 inch number is what most commercial trucks use.
