Technomadness- My Custom Box Truck Build - with sailboat inside!

[Technomad]

So, I've realized that what I'm really wanting to do is recreate the EarthRoamer XV-LTS, but on a much more reasonable budget, much less luxurious and with decisions that better fit my lifestyle (and also trying to be stealthy, though I may have to give that up.)

But it makes me curious-- are there companies that make really solid Class-A shells on 4WD trucks? This involves cutting out the back and top of the cab to give access.

I did find a company that makes a shell that goes on a flatbed, which is kinda nice so you can buy an off the shelf flatbed truck... but I don't like their popup mechanism.

Seems a 4X4 RV is a no-brainer with all the people who like to ride dirt bikes and everything else, but there's not much out there-- just the Revel and its a winnebago in every sense of the word (not a knock but it's not designed for people like me... though they are targeting this market now.)

 

[John61CT]

Earthroamer style is designed for international use, roads or untracked flat dry country. Rich people who don't care if a day's fuel usage costs $500.

USA public lands getting into real backcountry requires narrow and high, and just not a big enough market IMO to justify setting up a production line.

Build what you want yourself, get pro help on design or fabrication where needed.

 

[Technomad]

Earthroamer style is designed for international use, roads or untracked flat dry country. ... USA public lands getting into real backcountry requires narrow and high,

I spent a summer in Alaska in a slide in Truck camper. It really wasn’t too bad. I want to spend every summer in Alaska now with the new rig.

I’m not sure what you mean about “narrow and high”.

Biggest issue with Alaska is the ridges priduced in the roads (paved or not) by permafrost melt cycles. They’re kinda brutal.

I’m thinking if I oversize— eg Ford E450 for only around 2,000 payload— that will help it take those kinds of beatings.

I’m not going to be doing rick crawling.

But the E450 is a van cut away, not a truck. With it I can get an off the shelf box truck body made and have cab to living quarters passthru.

If I go Cab on CHASSIS, I can have 4WD, but no access to living quarters from the cab using an off the shelf box truck body.


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[Technomad]

Here's a description of the proposed heating system. I am contemplating an all electric build, with the only exception being heating. Everything else I can do reasonably well with electricity, and will size my battery bank to compensate.

Here's the setup I'm contemplating, or would build if I had to pull the trigger right now:

Get the Hydronic M2 12 (or whichever one I can afford) as described here:
https://www.eberspaecher-na.com/fil...a/pdf/EB_Hydronic_M-II_WEB_READY_01_26_15.pdf

This will be mounted in a side box, under the actual van, and effectively "outside". The only connections into the heated space needed will be two lines for the coolant, and power. The diesel will either be a tap of the truck tank (unlikely, as I think I'm getting a gas truck) or a small diesel tank mounted in a nearby (but separate) metal under-body truck box.

First thing to note is that I'm building box van, the box will be aluminum, and inside the box ,I am building a frame the same dimensions as the box out of 80/20. 80/20 is extruded aluminum. check it out here: http://8020.net

Here's a picture to give you an idea:

Now the reasons for this kind of shape is its easy to bolt to and to adjust down the line. But those slots would be perfect for running the coolant hose thru in a hydronic system (hell if I wanted to get fancy, I could run the coolant directly thru the center hole, they have support for pressurizing these, but I doubt I'll do that as it is likely unnecessary.

The coolant will transfer heat to the aluminum the aluminum is an excellent conductor of heat, and the air will be heated. But I expect that might not be enough, so I will also attach aluminum heat sinks on top to more quickly radiate heat out of the hose. It may turn out that the hoses, being plastic, are too poor at conducting heat, but it would easy to replace them with aluminum pipes for long sections..... though I would rather a perfect length of hose with one end going into the heater input and the other to its output and no cuts or joins that could fail.

The main thing that draws power with forced air heating, in my suspicion, is the motor that has to force air thru a radiator.

Heat sinks are cheap and plentiful, since they are used in the electronics industry, and supremely efficient-- they are extruded aluminum designed to maximize surface area --- literally to exchange heat with the air. And since I don't need to be space conserving (I'm not putting all of my air heating in a one cubic box like most RVs) I can spread the system out.

I am going into detail here because this is the result of rethinking things from the beginning (and it doesn't matter if I use propane to heat the coolant, same principle applies.)

We have to use RV and marine equipment out of necessity, but we don't have to do so in the same fashion the RV and boat makers do, as their primary goal is to move a boat to a couple who isn't paying too much attention but wants to checkbox every item on their list.

 

[John61CT]

Maybe include a link to the "propane density" discussion?

Isn't the a gasoline version of the hydronic furnace? I wouldn't want to hassle with two fuels unless reall necessary.

I would contact that Espar RV heater guy in Oregon for at least some detailed consulting time.

I’m not sure what you mean about “narrow and high”.
...
With it I can get an off the shelf box truck body made and have cab to living quarters passthru.

Off-roading where there's vegetation closing in on the trails get very difficult past 6" wide up high, many stick to 5'.

Carry an axe and chainsaw.

And obviously ground clearance, departure angle gets important.

Nit pick: getting a custom box built is opposite of OTS.

 

[Technomad]

Nit pick: getting a custom box built is opposite of OTS.

OTS? Oh it’s not custom like that. It’s a standard Morgan box, I just chose options from a list.

I haven’t ruled out gasoline or even propane based hydronic heating. Prefer diesel cause it’s less volatile, but I’m starting to think my little diesel tank on my boat for the heater is something that wouldn’t fly on the highway, and finding an appropriate solution may be problematic.



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[John61CT]

If you're carrying propane anyway for other uses maybe, but then you're really into DIY, all the pro done systems I've seen are fed by the propulsion fuel.

Just set the feed high enough to make sure you don't strand yourself way out in the Yukon somewhere.

Maybe a good excuse to add long-range tanks.

Here's an idea: go to dual-fuel conversion on the propulsion engine, mostly use propane for everything, and get to that 400K mile point with way less engine wear?