Shachagra- Family of 5 traveles Europe and Turkey, International 7500
- Thread starter shachagra
- Start date
Hi Doug,
Your thread has been a bit quiet but that doesn't mean we're not still reading and waiting for more!I love hearing about your build and how you went about it.
Also, were you able to find out the height to the top of your frame rails? Did you find a photo that shows the steps down to the truck cab?
New question: What size tires are on your truck?
Thanks!
Les
Les- sorry I totally forgot when I went down to the truck. I will be down there on Wedn and will send the measurements and pictures then. We have Shachagra down on our property along the St Johns river. It makes a great cabin to live in while we clear the land, but its a 45 minute drive to get to it.
BeyondAlexandria
New member
Doug,
Thank you so much for being willing to share all your experience and knowledge! I found your videos and other information online today in a search for modern-day examples of homemade truck conversions.
My husband has loved MDTs and HDTs since he was a little kid and talks frequently about wanting to drive a semi truck across the country. I was never a fan of the cabs on those, or of the use of space. I am familiar with Japanese living styles and like their use of space a lot more (I'm also a big fan of their bathing technique!). I've seen travel trailers and RVs, and my husband even lived in one for a few years, but they always seem made of poor quality materials in a shoddy, generic fashion, and also use space in an inefficient manner (huge furniture is really not necessary). I've always wanted to have an RV type rig that had the traditional bed removed in favor of Japanese futons and a larger closet to store them.
While browsing the internet a few months ago I found this: Two-Story Japanese Camping Car. I was blown away by what three high school guys could accomplish with some professional help, and even more impressed with the quality and style they put into it (love the second story Japanese room!). My imagination took off and I've been coming up with ideas with my husband since then to do something similar with a bigger truck and possibly trailer, with less mechanical/electrical systems that could break down. My husband and I also found a book at a small gas station that got us thinking about handmade/wood rigs instead of modifying a pre-made/synthetic set: Some Turtles Have Nice Shells. A little old, but still some amazing info.
All this leads me to your amazing rig, and our dreams and ideas become more of a reality! I did have a few questions:
How did you acquire the skills/knowledge used to build it? You mentioned you have built two boats previously, but what resources did you turn to for reference or help in designing/crafting your rig? My father built a couple wooden canoes using similar techniques and I always wondered if that type of woodwork would cross over to vehicles.
With a small fridge and freezer, what did grocery shopping look like and how did you manage food, especially when you were away from major cities? You mentioned a pantry, was it big enough to store what you needed? Did you stick with easy-made food/processed goods, or were you able to make a lot of your meals/eat organic/local?
Your models are of particular interest to me because I was just talking with my husband yesterday about building a model out of cardboard I have lying around. We're both visual learners and it would help a lot with spacial understanding. What scale did you use on your models, and did you end up changing them a lot or have multiple models?
You mentioned the one thing my husband and I are sold on already - SIPs. We plan on using SIPs to build most of our rig in the future as it's a great insulator and so easy to work with if you pick the right company. Did you have a particular supplier you were going to work with, and what material would you have used for the liners? I was personally thinking going with some kind of aluminum or metal for ease of waterproofing/cleaning, but I'm still not sure because of the movement stress factor and the look (I like wood!). I recently saw SIPs with built in cam-locks for ease of assembly, which interested me a lot. They now also make SIP corner panels to strengthen the build even more. The only thing I have yet to see is SIPs in curved shapes...
I'm sure once my husband gets home tonight I will have more questions for you. I showed him the Making Of video at lunch time and he was dying to hear more! Funny thing though, we have been working through the Navy application process for physical therapist all this year for my husband and placed it on hold in September because he wanted time to think about it after our first child was born in August. He was hesitant because of the possibility of deployment and being separated from me and our son for training, etc. I have been supportive since the beginning, especially if we get a chance to live in Japan, but I can understand his hesitation. When I told him your family had long term Navy experience he was floored, said a few people he talked to earlier today also mentioned the Navy. I guess life does that to us sometimes when we don't hear the first knock on the door!
Thanks again for your time, and congratulations to your family on an amazing adventure. We truly look up to your family for forging the path for us! I'm sorry to hear about the theft.
Thank you so much for being willing to share all your experience and knowledge! I found your videos and other information online today in a search for modern-day examples of homemade truck conversions.
My husband has loved MDTs and HDTs since he was a little kid and talks frequently about wanting to drive a semi truck across the country. I was never a fan of the cabs on those, or of the use of space. I am familiar with Japanese living styles and like their use of space a lot more (I'm also a big fan of their bathing technique!). I've seen travel trailers and RVs, and my husband even lived in one for a few years, but they always seem made of poor quality materials in a shoddy, generic fashion, and also use space in an inefficient manner (huge furniture is really not necessary). I've always wanted to have an RV type rig that had the traditional bed removed in favor of Japanese futons and a larger closet to store them.
While browsing the internet a few months ago I found this: Two-Story Japanese Camping Car. I was blown away by what three high school guys could accomplish with some professional help, and even more impressed with the quality and style they put into it (love the second story Japanese room!). My imagination took off and I've been coming up with ideas with my husband since then to do something similar with a bigger truck and possibly trailer, with less mechanical/electrical systems that could break down. My husband and I also found a book at a small gas station that got us thinking about handmade/wood rigs instead of modifying a pre-made/synthetic set: Some Turtles Have Nice Shells. A little old, but still some amazing info.
All this leads me to your amazing rig, and our dreams and ideas become more of a reality! I did have a few questions:
How did you acquire the skills/knowledge used to build it? You mentioned you have built two boats previously, but what resources did you turn to for reference or help in designing/crafting your rig? My father built a couple wooden canoes using similar techniques and I always wondered if that type of woodwork would cross over to vehicles.
With a small fridge and freezer, what did grocery shopping look like and how did you manage food, especially when you were away from major cities? You mentioned a pantry, was it big enough to store what you needed? Did you stick with easy-made food/processed goods, or were you able to make a lot of your meals/eat organic/local?
Your models are of particular interest to me because I was just talking with my husband yesterday about building a model out of cardboard I have lying around. We're both visual learners and it would help a lot with spacial understanding. What scale did you use on your models, and did you end up changing them a lot or have multiple models?
You mentioned the one thing my husband and I are sold on already - SIPs. We plan on using SIPs to build most of our rig in the future as it's a great insulator and so easy to work with if you pick the right company. Did you have a particular supplier you were going to work with, and what material would you have used for the liners? I was personally thinking going with some kind of aluminum or metal for ease of waterproofing/cleaning, but I'm still not sure because of the movement stress factor and the look (I like wood!). I recently saw SIPs with built in cam-locks for ease of assembly, which interested me a lot. They now also make SIP corner panels to strengthen the build even more. The only thing I have yet to see is SIPs in curved shapes...
I'm sure once my husband gets home tonight I will have more questions for you. I showed him the Making Of video at lunch time and he was dying to hear more! Funny thing though, we have been working through the Navy application process for physical therapist all this year for my husband and placed it on hold in September because he wanted time to think about it after our first child was born in August. He was hesitant because of the possibility of deployment and being separated from me and our son for training, etc. I have been supportive since the beginning, especially if we get a chance to live in Japan, but I can understand his hesitation. When I told him your family had long term Navy experience he was floored, said a few people he talked to earlier today also mentioned the Navy. I guess life does that to us sometimes when we don't hear the first knock on the door!
Thanks again for your time, and congratulations to your family on an amazing adventure. We truly look up to your family for forging the path for us! I'm sorry to hear about the theft.
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AeroNautiCal
Explorer
I thought that you may like to read this thread by a couple that built themselves a remarkable house truck which is now their full time home.
http://www.oldschool.co.nz/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=21684
Hi Doug,
Your thread has been a bit quiet but that doesn't mean we're not still reading and waiting for more!
Also, were you able to find out the height to the top of your frame rails? Did you find a photo that shows the steps down to the truck cab?
New question: What size tires are on your truck?
Thanks!
Les
11R22.5 tires- I am going to E-mail you the complete truck specs PDF (don't know how to attach here) The rails are 37" high- to the top of the rail.
The first picture shows the configuration of the overhead cab. The ladder hangs on the wall when we are driving. You can see the two closets on either side before the bed. Originally they were not there, and it was easier to get in and out of bed without crawling over the wife (she has the better spot) but we needed more closet space in our "master suite" and the bed was ridiculously large, its still bigger than a king. There are two steps into the cab, first one makes a nice seat for someone to chat while we drive (yes .... I know there is no seat belt) The cab closes off for when we are not home or at night when we shut up tight.
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BeyondAlexandria
New member
Thank you! I enjoyed reading about their build. We do like Doug's build better though, as aerodynamics are important for the outside, and the NZ builder's design with the perm two story is way more luxurious (and huge) than we thought of having. I guess since we do plan on living in the rig with our family, we should reconsider the design to more closely mimic 'house space'? It gives us a lot to think about!
Along with my previous questions, my husband also wanted to ask Doug what kind of tools he used in his build? We are trying to gather what we need.
Was licensing/tags etc difficult to get for your rig, or very expensive?
Thank you!
I love that two story camping car, great idea and a very nice space upstairs. The overcab on Shachagra is huge and there were times that all 5 of us were lounging up there and I would be wondering why we built 3 children's staterooms.
Acquired skills- I loved working with legos as a child, a teen and as an adult! Training enough. I would consider myself a fairly advanced woodworker, but after I saw what can be done with wood and epoxy the sky was the limit. Wood is extremely strong, flexible, and workable, but it decays. Encapsulate it in the same epoxy you use for joints and you have an amazing building system. The bible for this construction is http://www.amazon.com/Gougeon-Brothers-Boat-Construction-Materials/dp/1878207504/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1324900836&sr=1-1
If you like boats, get a boat kit from CLC Kayaks http://www.clcboats.com/ and you will be amazed at how easy it is to build in wood and epoxy. Sanding takes 90% of the time. The method your father used for his canoes, strip planking, is exactly how we build the radiuses on Shachagra (top and back) and the cab is built like a very simple boat. If you can design it, you can build it, but there is that sanding....
Food- we used little processed food, made most of it from local ingredients. We used a crock pot often, and ate tons of spaghetti. We did stock up on meats and American food (peanut butter) when we could. We had the advantage of using US military commissaries from time to time (England, Naples, Sicily and even in Turkey) where we would stock the freezer with meat. Certainly not necessary, even in Serbia, where our credit cards didn't work due to UN sanctions, we found a "Sams Club" like wharehouse and stocked up using some nice woman's membership card. The freezer was important to us. The entire galley is full of cabinets, and we have a large closet off the entry. We had more storage space than needed. I just wish I had designed a spot for the ladder locked to the front bumper.
Models- I built 4 models total, each an improvement on the last iteration. I used 1/8' plywood that I cut into 4" by 8" pieces, then reassembled in a 1"=1' scale. That way I located joints at structurally sensible spots. I used a hot glue gun to assemble.
I would build the SIPs on site with plywood and sheet insulation. I can explain more later if interested, but it is easier and gives more control of what you can do. Design the rig and figure out the way to build it, don't base the design on what a manufacturer provides you. Bought SIPs are great for huge areas like a house. For an RV, build your own. The entire structure is enclosed in fiberglass and becomes a seamless shell.
I can't say enough about the Navy, or any of the services. My daughter is a Plebe at the Naval Academy, so yes, I think it is a great life. It is not easy, not close to easy, but it is hugely rewarding, as many difficult things are. I am retired, building a boat in my shop, clearing land for what was to be a home, but will now be "home base" for Shachagra, and I coach wrestling at my son's high school. Life is good, the deployments and separation are in the past and the family is stronger and closer because of them. I spent many years, in total, deployed (over 6) but it was a great opportunity and I am grateful I could serve.
The theft hurt, slowed us down some, which isn't all bad. There are 6 young men that spent the holidays in jail awaiting trial. Slowed them down a bit too.
Sorry so long to answer this question, but my initial response of "no" seemed suspect, but I think it was correct. I wish I had made the water tanks an integral part of the structure, which would have saved time and materials. With proper access for cleaning and inspection, there would be no problem. I can't think of anything I wish I had purchased vice built. Building saved both time and money. I didn't shy away from buying based on cost, when I bought, I bought the best I could find following much research. The truck is a good example, I considered a used truck, but just didn't have the time or confidence needed to get the piece of mind the international gave me when I was far from support.
I think aesthetics is as important as aerodynamics. Its hard to love an ugly truck, and that love keeps you going on a build, and keeps you motivated to maintain and care for it. Be it a house, car or truck, looks are unimportant for functionality, very important for longevity.
Tools... the list of tools I used on Shachagra is surprisingly short, but a few were expensive. I worked at my dad's place so I had his 10" Hitachi portable table, a must. I can't list the all, but here are the indispensable ones.
-Shinto rasp. http://www.amazon.com/Planer-Type-Shinto-Saw-Rasp/dp/B001AWZ4S0/ref=sr_1_2?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1324988225&sr=1-2 use it everywhere, shapes better than anything beside a belt sander.
-Belt Sander Lots of shaping to do. 4"X24" I bought mine used at Home Depot rental shop. http://www.amazon.com/Makita-9403-4-Inch---24-Inch-Sander/dp/B0000223IY/ref=sr_1_5?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1324987643&sr=1-5
-Bonsai Saw http://www.clcboats.com/shop/products/boat-building-supplies-epoxy-fiberglass-plywood/boat-building-tools/bonsai-saw.html
[/URL]-The tool I used the most- and one that was indispensable was a Festool circular saw with guide. http://www.amazon.com/Festool-TS-75-EQ-Circular/dp/B000LZ31PU/ref=sr_1_3?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1324987911&sr=1-3 I used a lot of plywood and cutting it alone is very difficult on a table saw, this made it very easy to cut right off the stack of plywood.
Large router- used with a large radius bit to round edges where plywood made 90deg edge.
Trim Router- Bosch with 1/4 inch shaft
Orbital sander- almost wore this thing out, but its pretty tough. Bosch, 6 inch.
Shipyard sander- http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/show_product.do?pid=50971&familyName=Hutchins+3800+Pneumatic+Random+Orbital+Sander My son did all the sanding on the outside and it was just too slow and wavey for my pace and anal nature so I bought this pneumatic sander that saved the day. Problem was I had to buy a compressor that would keep up with it, totaling about $1000. Well worth it. Allowed the boy to brag for the entire year that he formed, finished and painted the entire truck.
There are obviously more that I will add to, but these were the tools I grabbed everyday.
Registration was easy and not expensive. No CDL required for motorhomes. I gave the DMV an affidavit that it had water, galley, sleeping and toilet facilities and that it wasn't a 5th wheel and they gave me a new title. Insurance has been difficult, and if traveling Europe absolutely necessary to cross borders. We found liability insurance, but would still like to find comprehensive at a cost we can afford. Anyone out there have suggestions for homebuilt RV insurance?
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Overland Hadley
on a journey
This is an interesting way to think of form and function. I like the way you put it, so I saved this as a quote on my computer.
Thanks.
BeyondAlexandria
New member
Doug,
This thread was going on last year over at tiny houses blog, trying to find info about insurance. I found it interesting, as some of the commenters are actual insurance people. Seems like you need to meet face to face with agents and have everything documented and you have a better chance.
Insuring your house on wheels
This is one of the things that we will be thinking about as we start building next year sometime. A lot of conversation goes on about mainly water damage and the load/stress factor on what is supposed to be a stationary type of building (stick and frame). I guess with your type of build being fiberglassed and epoxied, plus all the boat techniques you used, you have a better chance than other homebuilt rigs, I would think.
My husband wants to use a steel frame covered in wood like other rigs we have seen - he thinks your type of build may be too complicated for us. Honestly though, if it has a better chance at being insured and handles road stresses better, it would be worth the time to learn the skills! Thanks again for your answers.
This thread was going on last year over at tiny houses blog, trying to find info about insurance. I found it interesting, as some of the commenters are actual insurance people. Seems like you need to meet face to face with agents and have everything documented and you have a better chance.
Insuring your house on wheels
This is one of the things that we will be thinking about as we start building next year sometime. A lot of conversation goes on about mainly water damage and the load/stress factor on what is supposed to be a stationary type of building (stick and frame). I guess with your type of build being fiberglassed and epoxied, plus all the boat techniques you used, you have a better chance than other homebuilt rigs, I would think.
My husband wants to use a steel frame covered in wood like other rigs we have seen - he thinks your type of build may be too complicated for us. Honestly though, if it has a better chance at being insured and handles road stresses better, it would be worth the time to learn the skills! Thanks again for your answers.
The big drawback to steel frame covered with wood is that it is not monocoque- not a single structure with the skin carrying the structural load. With the outer shell epoxied and filleted to the frame, then the inner shell, and then the cabinetry, the entire build contributes to structure. I think the wood frame is easier and the frame just gives initial shape. A metal frame limits shape, unless it is easier to curve metal frames than I imagine. But you need work in the material you are comfortable with, that's more important.