Overland Hadley
on a journey
Yes, more please!
Thanks for sharing with us.
Any more photos you have would be great.
Shachagra- Family of 5 traveles Europe and Turkey, International 7500
- Thread starter shachagra
- Start date
Yes, more please!
Thanks for sharing with us.
Any more photos you have would be great.
Starting at the beginning
Let me start this build from the beginning. I was completing my last tour in the Navy, oversea in Italy with my family. The plan was for me to return to the US and get started on the building and have my family join me when the children finished school. I spent 18 months planning, built 3 models and started building some of the cabinetry while I was still in Italy. There's a picture of the soaking tub, and my front porch workshop in Naples where I am building the cabinets. At the same time a friend is building me a workshop on my Dad's property in Ohio. I had the luxury of buying a chassis from the factory, so I was able to specify wheelbase and capacity- there were lots of decisions to be made there. There is a picture of the truck waiting for me when I arrived in March 2010 to get started.
Let me start this build from the beginning. I was completing my last tour in the Navy, oversea in Italy with my family. The plan was for me to return to the US and get started on the building and have my family join me when the children finished school. I spent 18 months planning, built 3 models and started building some of the cabinetry while I was still in Italy. There's a picture of the soaking tub, and my front porch workshop in Naples where I am building the cabinets. At the same time a friend is building me a workshop on my Dad's property in Ohio. I had the luxury of buying a chassis from the factory, so I was able to specify wheelbase and capacity- there were lots of decisions to be made there. There is a picture of the truck waiting for me when I arrived in March 2010 to get started.
Attachments
Hindsight
Not much. We didn't use the washer/dryer as much as I thought, but it was so nice to have I'd still include it. The biggest problem with the truck is the suspension. It has not surprisingly, a truck suspension. I don't know what I could do differently. Maybe because she is so light (for that chassis) I could lighten it a bit somehow, maybe someone can give a hint.
We got bogged down in mud in Sicily, so a 6X6 vice a 4X6 might have helped but I doubt it- that mud was soft and we were buried. We got pulled out by a concrete truck, very nice people! 8 of our 10 tires are live, the weight is well distributed and the 6X6 wouldn't come with the air ride suspension which would have made the big problem worst.
Honestly there's not much I would change.
Thanks for that link- what an amazing trip! I wish it was in English, I'd buy the book. We are also planning to do South America in the future-
Not much. We didn't use the washer/dryer as much as I thought, but it was so nice to have I'd still include it. The biggest problem with the truck is the suspension. It has not surprisingly, a truck suspension. I don't know what I could do differently. Maybe because she is so light (for that chassis) I could lighten it a bit somehow, maybe someone can give a hint.
We got bogged down in mud in Sicily, so a 6X6 vice a 4X6 might have helped but I doubt it- that mud was soft and we were buried. We got pulled out by a concrete truck, very nice people! 8 of our 10 tires are live, the weight is well distributed and the 6X6 wouldn't come with the air ride suspension which would have made the big problem worst.
Honestly there's not much I would change.
Thanks for that link- what an amazing trip! I wish it was in English, I'd buy the book. We are also planning to do South America in the future-
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Part of the site is in English - one of the boys wrote his trip diary in English, but there's always google translate. The mother, Anne-Marie, also speaks some english - I've been asking her about homeschooling and such via email. She's been a great help.
How did you attach the camper portion to the frame and the cab?
How did you attach the camper portion to the frame and the cab?
U-Bolts
It was homeschooling that drove us to a big rig- without reliable internet we needed to bring books, lots of them. Traveling in a smaller truck is doable with smaller children, but not with 13-18 year old mixed gender kids. Younger is easier, but I think older ones get so much out of travel.
The body is bolted to the frame with custom U-bolts, 12 of them. They are pretty easy to get - I bought mine from Stengel Brothers.
It was homeschooling that drove us to a big rig- without reliable internet we needed to bring books, lots of them. Traveling in a smaller truck is doable with smaller children, but not with 13-18 year old mixed gender kids. Younger is easier, but I think older ones get so much out of travel.
The body is bolted to the frame with custom U-bolts, 12 of them. They are pretty easy to get - I bought mine from Stengel Brothers.
DiploStrat
Expedition Leader
Side note on home schools
Growing up in the Third World I was virtually home schooled for many years. We used the Calvert System and to this day, I believe it had a better curriculum than most schools.
Granted, I am dating back to the mid 1950's, but you may want to consider it. http://www.calvertschool.org/
Best wishes!
Growing up in the Third World I was virtually home schooled for many years. We used the Calvert System and to this day, I believe it had a better curriculum than most schools.
Granted, I am dating back to the mid 1950's, but you may want to consider it. http://www.calvertschool.org/
Best wishes!
HumphreyBear
Adventurer
You've effectively made the TARDIS on wheels... 
Congratulations on a fantastic build and developing such a well tailored solution. I add my name to the list of people applauding your adventurous spirit.
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Maybe it is because I was not in the Navy ( ) but I am having trouble with visualising the vertical stacking of the layers of your cabin - do you have a lateral view drawing which shows the various floor heights in relation to the ground and truck frame to show how your 3900mm height was utilised?
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Bravo
Humphrey
Congratulations on a fantastic build and developing such a well tailored solution. I add my name to the list of people applauding your adventurous spirit..
Maybe it is because I was not in the Navy (
) but I am having trouble with visualising the vertical stacking of the layers of your cabin - do you have a lateral view drawing which shows the various floor heights in relation to the ground and truck frame to show how your 3900mm height was utilised?.
Bravo
Humphrey
Ford Prefect
Expedition Leader
I am very impressed Sir,
Thank you for sharing all of this wonderful detail.
May I ask for some further clarification as well? Namely I see that you mentioned one of the "basement" bedrooms runs perpendicular to the frame of the truck. Does that room sit above the truck, or below? If below it would seem to be very low to the ground.
May we also inquire, and I only ask because I know just about everyone has thought it, but could you give us a ballpark figure for total cost of the build?
This just seems like such a wonderful build idea. I never really needed a 4x4 truck, so doing something as low to the ground as your is does not irk me at all, very excited.
Thanks a lot
Thank you for sharing all of this wonderful detail.
May I ask for some further clarification as well? Namely I see that you mentioned one of the "basement" bedrooms runs perpendicular to the frame of the truck. Does that room sit above the truck, or below? If below it would seem to be very low to the ground.
May we also inquire, and I only ask because I know just about everyone has thought it, but could you give us a ballpark figure for total cost of the build?
This just seems like such a wonderful build idea. I never really needed a 4x4 truck, so doing something as low to the ground as your is does not irk me at all, very excited.
Thanks a lot
Beds
I am going to make a few drawings that clarify the bed, I find it hard to describe, a good isometric drawing would really help. I attached a few pictures of a model I made. 2 of the beds are in the front just behind the cab. (the front is the shortest part) You can see that they run fore and aft above the chassis rails. The lowest part of the truck is the diesel tanks, it has good clearance. Each room, entered from the galley, has a bed, closet, standing area 3X3 and a sink, everything is under the main floor except where you stand.
The boys room in the back is different only in having the bed run across the truck- saving length. The very back is where we store the Vespa scooter. That worked out great. The big window in the model became the two small portholes, one in the standing area, one in the bed.
I am going to make a few drawings that clarify the bed, I find it hard to describe, a good isometric drawing would really help. I attached a few pictures of a model I made. 2 of the beds are in the front just behind the cab. (the front is the shortest part) You can see that they run fore and aft above the chassis rails. The lowest part of the truck is the diesel tanks, it has good clearance. Each room, entered from the galley, has a bed, closet, standing area 3X3 and a sink, everything is under the main floor except where you stand.
The boys room in the back is different only in having the bed run across the truck- saving length. The very back is where we store the Vespa scooter. That worked out great. The big window in the model became the two small portholes, one in the standing area, one in the bed.
Attachments
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I can give a pretty good figure. $171,000. I have an excel spreadsheet that lists all components, weight, location, cost. electrical requirement, and on. Used it for weight and balance calculations, budget etc. I'd be happy to share it. The truck was $93K so there is the biggest chunk. We bought very high end appliances and systems, all designed for long distance cruising sailboats, pretty pricey. The solar array, batteries and components alone were $13K.
One of the reasons I built was when I listed the costs to build vs the cost of anything like it http://www.unicatamericas.com/vehicles_amerigo.html which was going for 600K used, with a single axle, I couldn't figure out where the money was going.
RoosterBooster
Observer
this is very interesting and inspiring !!!
thank you for taking the time to post all this info
wow...i can imagine the design challenge to build the rig to give 3 teenage kids the privacy they need/demand.
i`m in the middle of designing another truck based rig for myself so any more info and pics would be highly appreciated
Stephan
thank you for taking the time to post all this info
wow...i can imagine the design challenge to build the rig to give 3 teenage kids the privacy they need/demand.
i`m in the middle of designing another truck based rig for myself so any more info and pics would be highly appreciated
Stephan
Bookmarked, thank you!
Can you put a 3' wide box on either side of the framerails and keep it under 100" width, or did you need to make part of it narrower (ie notch for the frame rails)? How wide are the frame rails, btw?
That model really helps visualize how the beds are setup - thanks!
$171k seems pretty reasonable especially given the cost of the truck and solar system. Did you do everything yourself or did you contract anything out? Your build time seems pretty quick as well! Looks like you really had a well-organized plan going in.
RoosterBooster
Observer
US truck frames are usually 34" wide spaced
they are mostly HSS (MDT`s) or heat treated (HDT`s) C-channel that is roughly 10.25" tall and has ~ 3- 3.5" flanges (depending on application and GVWR needed).
Floors
the rooms are 3X3 above the rail, the actual floorspace is 3X about 2. There is plenty of room to change, brush teeth etc. They are roomier than I thought they would be.
We did everything, we even made the water tanks. The build was not a fun time, 14 hour days with a friend of mine helping my Dad and me for 6 weeks. I took a day off every 2 weeks. The only thing I wasn't prepared for was my body not being able to keep up. My hands would swell every night and wouldn't function until I had been up for a few hours.
the rooms are 3X3 above the rail, the actual floorspace is 3X about 2. There is plenty of room to change, brush teeth etc. They are roomier than I thought they would be.
We did everything, we even made the water tanks. The build was not a fun time, 14 hour days with a friend of mine helping my Dad and me for 6 weeks. I took a day off every 2 weeks. The only thing I wasn't prepared for was my body not being able to keep up. My hands would swell every night and wouldn't function until I had been up for a few hours.
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It sounds like it was going into the labor...