Thread: Spudboy's super-sized camper replacement for a 130 - and no it's not a Unimog!

Good luck with the Man. Looks like it will be something else when done.

Spud,
Did I read correctly that you were going to carry two spare tyres?

I remember a few years ago on the Wakooka track back when it was a track and not a graded super highway, we came across a family of 4 travelling in a "big twuck" something like yours.

They had done one tyre travelling north in the Starke River bed and then travelled around the loop. When about 30km out from kalpower they did a second. Was a real palaver.
After waiting a day or so the ranger came along and had taken the driver to Lakeland, where he thumbed a ride south to Mareeba.
Hired a hilux ute, drove back to the twuck, picked up the deadies, drove back down to Cairns (only place that stocked/ could get that size tyres- but he still had to wait for them to freight). Had them fitted and then drove back to the twuck. We arrived just as he was starting to fit the monsters on. He still had to return the hire ute as well!

He had been gone having left the family in big swamp (read mosquito ridden snake pit) for 5 days!
The mrs was surprisingly okay with it all, I know mine would be a tad temperamental if I dumped her in that situation!

Sorry for long winded anecdote - but if you ever get sick of carrying a second spare you might remember it!

Steve

Originally Posted by spudboy

I can't tell you how terrifying the first few hours out on public roads are when you are learning 60Km/h seems insanely fast when you have 20+ tonnes behind you, as I did when I did my lessons!

This brings back memories, manouvering in multi-lane Wollongong traffic and tight roundabouts when used to driving a Saab!

Running a truck on dirt over long distances, you'll never have enough spares! If Africa is on the cards, carry two spares on rims, and clamp two more tyres in place with/behind them. A lot of the new Euro truck tyre sizes are not common in third world countries. Zambia was a place that seemed to eat tyres. As dual rims are on the rear, they're prime for picking rocks up in between them. You have the capacity to carry them, so its a small price to pay in the bigger picture. The space above them lends itself to a log rack... When not full of logs, a 20 litre drum with removable lid can be deployed.. Makes a good washing machine whilst on the road!! Also worth considering are a series of large drop in trays under removable covers in the living body floor..... floor can be lifted to access parts (keeps heavy parts like filters, lift pumps, studs, u bolts etc low down for C.O.G), and in turn the parts trays can be lifted out to access props, gearbox etc... we replaced a clutch in a Merc 1617 in the Police compound in Durban one night, using one of the holes in the floor, a pulley block, and the lifting eye that was positioned in the ceiling for just such occasion!! Still envious as hell of your truck!!!

Originally Posted by roverrescue

Spud,
Did I read correctly that you were going to carry two spare tyres?

Steve

We have a spare tyre on a rim, and another spare that is just a tyre. The one on a rim is going to live underneath the bed storage area. The tyre only will probably be up on top of the cabin roof on some sort of roof-rack system.

If we can make it structural enough, maybe the tyre only one could hang on the back of the canopy. Will need to build some sort of winching system whatever we do, as they are heavy suckers to lift!

Originally Posted by Sitec

.... Also worth considering are a series of large drop in trays under removable covers in the living body floor..... floor can be lifted to access parts (keeps heavy parts like filters, lift pumps, studs, u bolts etc low down for C.O.G), ...

We are building 3 steel utility boxes that hang underneath the canopy. I'm planning to put heavy/dirty stuff in these to keep the centre of gravity low and keep dirty things out of the living area.

One box will have 3 9Kg gas cylinders in it, so that it's easy to vent and to not have them inside the main structure. One will have spare parts & oils. One will be for firewood/rubbish/BBQ/whatever.

As mentioned in my previous post, we've started to make the underslung boxes this week. They will sit under the canopy and be external storage for heavy/dirty things, and our gas bottles:


A plywood floor has been put on top of the steel framing grid and the brackets to locate the body to the chassis have all been made. They have a large central locating pin with 2 springs either side to allow the chassis to flex underneath the canopy.

For more details and a few other things that got done last week, see this blog post: Starting the storage boxes

Originally Posted by spudboy

We have a spare tyre on a rim, and another spare that is just a tyre. The one on a rim is going to live underneath the bed storage area. The tyre only will probably be up on top of the cabin roof on some sort of roof-rack system.

If we can make it structural enough, maybe the tyre only one could hang on the back of the canopy. Will need to build some sort of winching system whatever we do, as they are heavy suckers to lift!

check this link out, lots of good info on the guys Canter build, specifically the spare wheel winch

Rear bar and tyre carrier