DIY RV

[Anonymous No.1516233]

Trying to find an RV that is a combination of cheap, mechanically sound, and offroad capable is basically impossible so I come to ask, would it be possible to build your own from a cab & chassis truck like pic related for cheap? If so, what skills would you need?

[Anonymous No.1516247]

>>1516233
>and offroad capable
kinda puts some special demands on your project

otherwise you could just start off with a basic box truck, or a school bus, etc. if you want 4wd that's more difficult to find the right starter platform

[Anonymous No.1516266]

>offroad capable
you probably got a few options
>slide in camper - ready to go, just get the truck you want and find a camper in your price range cheap / free ones will need some work.
will be tippy on trails
>just get a topper and build one inside the truck bed
low skill required but tight / small space
wont affect mileage or off road capability
>buy an old cube or cube truck off craigslist and the 4x4 you want, replace the truck bed with the cube and scrap the other truck
good platform to start with, more space, might affect off road capability
>DIY
hope you are good with power tools and at least have some experience with fiberglass (glassover plywood for weatherproofing)
will likely be the heaviest option because unless you know what you are doing you should probably overbuild rather than have your camper fall off your truck on the highway or trail

[Anonymous No.1516367]

school bus

[Anonymous No.1516430]

>>1516233
Yup. We hillbilly it up all the time around here.

Just get a 1 ton dually. Sell the bed and streatch the frame. Bonus points for a tag axle or 2. Get a shitbox camper off CL for 2k. Sell the suspension and weld the frames together.

Grats. 10k motorhome that looks pum retarded for kess than half price.

[Anonymous No.1516431]

>>1516266
I always considered getting an old junk boat and flipping the bottom upside down.

Gay yes. But would it werk?

[Anonymous No.1516465]

>>1516367
Gubment auction military 6x6 and a shitbox camper

[Anonymous No.1516616]

>>1516233
Just get a 4x4 van

[Anonymous No.1516629]

I’m thinking 5x5...

[Anonymous No.1516866]

I have a half ton truck, I wish someone sold those dry box storage trailers but just the box. Very light weight, easy to add windows and insulate. The trailers make good campers but I want to pull the bed of the truck and put it on the back.

[Anonymous No.1516903]

>>1516233
>If so, what skills would you need
Not many, I work at a place that mounts truck bodies, and basically you want to weld some mounts to your body with a sub-frame if it's extra flexy like a basic camper removed from its frame, or mount a short mobile home trailer already on it's subframe and you will probably be fine. Either way, you want 2/3 connecting mounts per side for a total or 4 or 6 mounting points. Weld some angle iron to your subframe or trailer frame or whatever, at the width that it nests onto the actual truck frame, usually like 34 1/2" or so apart from inside to inside of the body angles.
Set the body on a 1" piece of hardwood or HDPE on the frame, then take a couple pieces of corresponding size angle iron and bolt it to your truck frame by drilling holes as close as you can to the centerline of the truck framerail. Set the rear angles on the frame and the body with about 1/2" gap between them vertically. Set the front two truck frame angles on each side a couple inches below the body angles so you can fit a spring in there, 2" or so apart, vertically. Generally you cannot weld on truck frames because they are made from high carbon steel, and when you drill them, the closer to the neutral axis of bending / centerline the better. Drill the holes through the truck frame angles and the truck frame at the same time, bolt them in place and match drill the truck frame angles and the body angles at the same time. When you are done it should look like pic related, assuming 3 mounts per side, with the rear rigid and the front two spring. In the front 2 mounts on each side (4 mounts total) you want to fit a spring with 500-2000 lb / in compression rate between the angles on the truck frame and the angles on the body so the frame can flex without pushing forces into, and deforming the body. Use grade 8 bolts and you cant really fuck it up, i.e. the body wont go flying off into an oncoming car.

[Anonymous No.1519315]

>>1516903
tl;dr

[Anonymous No.1519341]

>>1519315
>someone gives helpful info
>TOOO HARD TO UNDERSTANDDD
fuck you

[Anonymous No.1520482]

>>1516233
Learn to weld, work wood, run electric.

Pic related on the back of OP pic, add duallys if you want.

[Anonymous No.1520484]

>>1516903
Good advice, thanks.

[Anonymous No.1520485]

What level of off-road?

If we are talking camping trails and shit a 2wd truck can save a few headaches when it comes to maintenance.

[Anonymous No.1522856]

>>1516233
Get a box truck or amberlamps if you need all that room. Keep in mind they will all be 2wd. If its just you I would go for a 4x4 half ton and get a topper. Less is more. I always wanted a slide in until I realized how shit they are. Too tall, too heavy and too expensive.

[Anonymous No.1522860]

>>1522856
>amberlamps

right. I'm going to spend the night alone in a secluded area in a haunted box

[Anonymous No.1523078]

I'd start with something like this, and modify it from there.

[Anonymous No.1523135]

>>1516233
My vote is for a gypsy wagon design.

[Anonymous No.1523981]

>>1523135
Always wanted to go with the vardo design, I love the arch. How shitty would it be if I wanted to build something similar to that and pic related but a bit bigger so I can have a bathroom and then cover it with the classic canvas roof?

[Anonymous No.1523986]

Find a used Brush/Forest Ambulance. I recommend the E-One brand.

[Anonymous No.1524069]

>>1516233
Use a 4x4 van as base.
See bilbasen*Insert dot here*dk/brugt/autocamper/mercedes-benz/sprinter-316-cdi-4x4/0/3675465

[Anonymous No.1524244]

>>1516233
An old Ambulance or old 5 ton box truck. It would take a lot of fabrication work if you start with a chassis cab.

[Anonymous No.1524249]

>>1516430
Hawt

[Anonymous No.1524279]

>>1523981
Honestly, don't bother building in a bathroom for a vehicle. To get a workable toilet alone is expensive, add to that the fact that you're going to be in a cramped space and you don't have a proper sewage system, it's gonna stink if anything needs maintenance (which it will). You're better off stopping at gas stations/truck stops for going to the bathroom and showering. If you're going /out/ then you can just poop in a hole.

[Anonymous No.1524430]

>>1524279
I know this thread is more about van conversions but I'm not going to be in a vehicle, i wanted to renovate a camper and I figured that would be easier to put a bathroom in. Tbh, I don't know how yall can do it without a shower/shitter in the house itself.