box truck mobile home

[fort worth-er]

Hello and best wishes to all

I am hoping to start building my mobile home soon.  I have read many of the previous comments about box vans/trucks.  I am still considering and Isuzu NPR, as there are so many available in the DFW area.  I have been reading online and many say one can get 12 to 15 mpg or more and these are the people using them for cargo and heavy loads.  I have saved some money and can spend 12 to 15k and can get an 02 to 07 with 170 to 210k miles with a 4 cylinder diesel for that.  I have read that the NPR in one of the longest lasting and economical cargo trucks.  I have read on this site about expensive repairs but I think the trucks may have been a lot older.  The motorhomes I can get for that price don't look very good.  I can build the inside out myself, I currently have all the tool and a shop to work in.  One of the main reasons I want something bigger is so I can have an area to bring my atv (smaller honda recon), bicycle and maybe a kayak later.  There are many available in this area with side or rear step doors that would require little exterior work for my purposes.  I really want to be able to stand up and have a bathroom/shower.  I was thinking about a travel trailer and a tow vehicle, but that is two vehicles to maintain and insure.  I will have savings but don't want to buy a money pit.  Am I thinking all wrong?  I would appreciate any thoughts or advise, thank you.

Tony

 

[VanDwellerMod]

Welcome to the CRVL forums Tony! Box trucks are an excellent base from which to do a conversion. The vertical walls are much easier to build on than a van's curved sides. When you find the vehicle and begin your customizations, I hope you share your conversion with pictures ... we love pics.

To help you learn the ins and outs of these forums, this "Tips & Tricks" post lists some helpful information to get you started.

We look forward to hearing more from you.

 

[akrvbob]

It's a great plan!! The only real disadvantage is no pass through from the cab to the back. That's not a deal breaker but it is a disadvantage. Looking forward to seeing what you come up with! Bob

 

[bcbullet]

Hello and best wishes to all

Just do it...a box truck/cube van is the ultimate blank slate.

 

[LoupGarou]

That looks like a Morgan Cargo Body on the back. Morgans are well built. There's a whole industry based on their manufacture, maintenance and repair. The front radius corners and edges are all replaceable items.

The floors are made of 5/4 oak, so make sure there isn't any wood rot. Consider not getting one with a fiberglass translucent roof. If that's all you can find, consider having it re-skinned in aluminum.

Regarding a pass though, one can be added, but the cabs tilt forward for working on the engines.

You'll need to configure the doors to secure them from the inside AND prevent someone form locking you in from the outside.

[video=youtube]

 

[BradKW]

I recently decided on a box truck and don't have any regrets... https://vanlivingforum.com/Thread-Ford-E450-Box-Truck-RV-Conversion

I would have ended up with a Isuzu or Fuso if the cab-to-box pass through wasn't as important to me. I think a big part of why I felt it so important is because I plan to use it as a semi-urban stealth camper, and can't think of anything more obvious than seeing someone climbing in/out of a rear box at odd hours.

But if that's not a priority for you, not having a pass-thru has one nice advantage...you have an entire "extra" wall to build on.

The Isuzu/Fuso base is very popular with people who ship their RV to other continents for world travel. Reason being both reliability and parts availability. I've always seen little references to a modification that allows a flexible pass-thru between cab and box, but I've never actually found a build with that...always been curious how it could work with how the entire cab shell lifts forward for engine access...

 

[IGBT]

We built our rig on a 2006 Isuzu NRR.  I am getting codes P500 and P302 now which probably means a bad injector.  Common problem in these.  $1500 to $2000 repair in my near future and I just had injectors 1 and 4 replaced 6,000 miles ago (P302 seems to indicate injector #2).

 

[speedhighway46]

More kudos for Morgan boxes. When we were ready to start building our Motorhome conversion, I talked to several sources about "who makes the best box van?" Morgan was always the answer. We had our box built to our specs, including stainless steel corners and rear; 1 1/2" hard rock maple floor; painted stainless steel rivets, and LED lighting.

It was worth the extra few dollars and has performed flawlessly in our application.

You won't be disappointed.

 

[LoupGarou]

More kudos for Morgan boxes. When we were ready to start building our Motorhome conversion, I talked to several sources about "who makes the best box van?" Morgan was always the answer. We had our box built to our specs, including stainless steel corners and rear; 1 1/2" hard rock maple floor; painted stainless steel rivets, and LED lighting.

Regarding the 1 1/2" hard rock maple floor, did you undercoat the cargo box with anything?

Would a product like Schutz Rubberized Undercoating by 3M work?

[video=youtube]

 

[Matlock]

Isuzu NPR are nice trucks. Service availability plays a part regardless of make/model.
A pass-through is mandatory in my book or at least a version that is already attached to the cab and all that's needed is a sawzall.

Ditto on a Morgan box.

I "freshened" the undercoating of my box and frame with 3M 03584.

 

[Headache]

It's a great plan!! The only real disadvantage is no pass through from the cab to the back. That's not a deal breaker but it is a disadvantage.  Looking forward to seeing what you come up with! Bob

I'd like to add another disadvantage: insurance.  I had to jump through the hoops from hell to get mine insured.  Somewhere along the line mine was converted and I had no documentation proving a conversion except the title amendment I got.  I finally was able to get insurance when I registered through a mail forwarder in South Dakota(prior to moving there which didn't occur) but they messed up my registration(by registering it as a truck instead of an RV) and then proceeded to blame me for their mistakes for the months afterwards.  To add insult to injury SD is demanding pics, I have none and because of a roof leak had to strip much of what was done out.

Well anyway, be careful with your conversion because at best you might get liability through a good and creative agent but everything inside may not be covered.  Even more baffling is one office of an insurance chain may write you a policy but another office won't.

 

[BradKW]

Well anyway, be careful with your conversion because at best you might get liability through a good and creative agent but everything inside may not be covered.  Even more baffling is one office of an insurance chain may write you a policy but another office won't.

Just went through that with my box truck...was bizarre having Progressive agents all over the map. Some would say "No way, can't do it", to another who says no problem but I physically sit there for an hour and watch him unable to get Progresive to accept the vehicle. I ended up walking into offices I googled. and the place that finally got me coverage was a broker who's office staff acted like a walk-in person with no appointment was just the most novel thing...think they deal with expensive home policies.
I was told the soonest they could have a quote for me would be 2 weeks, was that a problem? I said newp, no problem...didn't expect to ever hear from them again.
Two weeks later a secretary called to ask if I still needed a quote...and a couple days after that I had a Commercial policy with Progressive.
I pay $88/mo for the most stripped down liability-only they would write.

Oh, and at some point when I wasn't looking, it seems Progressive took over the world...every insurance ad you click on leads to them, and every independent broker is actually a Progressive agent in disguise...

 

[Headache]

Oh, and at some point when I wasn't looking, it seems Progressive took over the world...every insurance ad you click on leads to them, and every independent broker is actually a Progressive agent in disguise...

I found out the only way to get a policy through them was the same way; through a broker who swears the best deal is Progressive.  By going through a broker it's less likely for Prog to suddenly pull the rug out from under you and cancel your policy.

I was thinking about going with a smaller box truck but if I did that I'd want to insure my belongings since pretty much everything I owned would be inside but no dice.  Trying to get insurance makes me a sad panda.  I'd love to pick up an older Volvo with a big cam 4 and a 9 or 10 speed but again, insurance.  

 

[frater secessus]

A pass-through is mandatory in my book or at least a version that is already attached to the cab and all that's needed is a sawzall.

Pass-through on a box truck is mandatory for me, too.  I was unaware that any NPRs came with attached cabs, but will look for it.  I rented an NPR for a move and really liked it.

The gap between cab and box on detached models is significant and encumbered by hard structures:
[video=youtube]

OTOH that tilt looks great for maintenance.