Truck Conversion & Toterhome Community - View Single Post

Jimm · 09-28-2005, 11:28 PM

Maybe I can help put this in context.

My rig is an oddball: a very early truck conversion (1988) based on a commercial chassis all right...a Ford F450 of all things. Despite this "lowly" underpinning it's built like a truck conversion vs. RV, 2" square steel tube frame, riveted aluminum skin. 36ft overall; directly over the cab of the "pickup truck nose" is an adult-size single bed, and then in it's original form the back 1/3rd or so was open - meant for hauling race cars.

Here's it's original form:

http://www.equalccw.com/hansenmods.pdf

What should finally be finished TOMORROW!!! is a walling-off of the rear plus creation of a new room underneath the upper rear bedroom (above where the car hood used to go).

So in it's final form I'll have a garage of about 9ft long, full height and width, with a workbench on one side and a ramp door of only half width. I'm a biker but otherwise I'm doing more or less what you're planning

.

Now, my rig will be flat maxed on weight and won't be able to tow squat, but that's OK for me.

What should be of more interest to YOU is that my living space area will be pretty minimal. But I'm single so that's no biggie. In your case, even if you went to a 40ft or 45ft rig, with 16ft gone for the garage space living space will be damned minimal for two.

Second issue: a 45ft overall length rig will be more annoying to deal with than a 35ft rig towing an enclosed car hauler of 22ft or so overall. Esp. in urban areas - it all comes down to cornering room, and adapting to a 45ft is pretty nasty.

If you start with a Class7 or 8 instead of my Class4

you'll have lots of towing capacity for the car hauler.

Used truck conversions without a garage are relatively common and don't command the high prices of the best garage models. I've found that the best deals are either here or on http://www.racingjunk.com - look under "towing", not "recreational vehicles".

Now. If you REALLY don't want to tow anything, there's a way to get it done in a 40ft or so. You need your master bedroom to be about 5ft high and at least partially over the car. This means having the rearmost section of the living area/garage at the height of the TOP of the rooftop air conditioners to save as much vertical height as possible...the roof is "stepped" higher in the rear. Basically, if the car fits in 5ft vertical this is all doable...the garage floor needs to be 3ft off the ground or less, now you've got a 5ft bedroom, similar to how a lot of 5th Wheel RVs work at the front.

But this is going to need to be done custom...no going to the used market to save money. And to be honest, if you're going to spend that kind of coin, you might think switching to a shorter car, a hatchback or something in the 12-13ft range to maximize living area. Remember, the car will be a runabout - if you go to Costco or whatever to pick up bulk items, you're going to take the whole RV, just as I wouldn't haul a whole week's worth of groceries on a sportbike, I'd take my rig.

While my rig started out with the master bed over part of a car storage area, I've set up my remaining garage full-height because I want to use part as a workshop, the half not holding a bike. I've also got a washer/dryer under the workbench, storage, etc. If you do the rear bedroom over the car gag, you'll lose that possibility. On the other hand, if you use an enclosed car hauler with 20ft inside length and hold a 13ft car, you too get a workshop area, if you care about that.

The good news with enclosed runabout vehicle storage (car or bike) is that nobody can tell driving by if you're there or not. Better for security. Having everything inside one box is even more conducive to good security, which is why I've gone the route I have - I'm a working political activist boondocking and traveling in urban areas so security is a concern.

Ummm...as to security. You should have a gun, and an entry alarm (or small yapperdoggie, same thing really). Odds are you won't need either, same as the combination smoke/carbon monoxide alarms (garage and living area, one each or combos) and fire extinguishers (again, garage and near driver's seat). You hope you won't need any of these...but you'd be a fool not to have 'em. In the case of the gun, with at least basic safety training - EMail me off-list if you'd like a pointer in that direction, use the EMail addy I'm switching to, march.jim@gmail.com

09-28-2005, 11:28 PM	#24
Jimm Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 48	Maybe I can help put this in context. My rig is an oddball: a very early truck conversion (1988) based on a commercial chassis all right...a Ford F450 of all things. Despite this "lowly" underpinning it's built like a truck conversion vs. RV, 2" square steel tube frame, riveted aluminum skin. 36ft overall; directly over the cab of the "pickup truck nose" is an adult-size single bed, and then in it's original form the back 1/3rd or so was open - meant for hauling race cars. Here's it's original form: http://www.equalccw.com/hansenmods.pdf What should finally be finished TOMORROW!!! is a walling-off of the rear plus creation of a new room underneath the upper rear bedroom (above where the car hood used to go). So in it's final form I'll have a garage of about 9ft long, full height and width, with a workbench on one side and a ramp door of only half width. I'm a biker but otherwise I'm doing more or less what you're planning . Now, my rig will be flat maxed on weight and won't be able to tow squat, but that's OK for me. What should be of more interest to YOU is that my living space area will be pretty minimal. But I'm single so that's no biggie. In your case, even if you went to a 40ft or 45ft rig, with 16ft gone for the garage space living space will be damned minimal for two. Second issue: a 45ft overall length rig will be more annoying to deal with than a 35ft rig towing an enclosed car hauler of 22ft or so overall. Esp. in urban areas - it all comes down to cornering room, and adapting to a 45ft is pretty nasty. If you start with a Class7 or 8 instead of my Class4 you'll have lots of towing capacity for the car hauler. Used truck conversions without a garage are relatively common and don't command the high prices of the best garage models. I've found that the best deals are either here or on http://www.racingjunk.com - look under "towing", not "recreational vehicles". Now. If you REALLY don't want to tow anything, there's a way to get it done in a 40ft or so. You need your master bedroom to be about 5ft high and at least partially over the car. This means having the rearmost section of the living area/garage at the height of the TOP of the rooftop air conditioners to save as much vertical height as possible...the roof is "stepped" higher in the rear. Basically, if the car fits in 5ft vertical this is all doable...the garage floor needs to be 3ft off the ground or less, now you've got a 5ft bedroom, similar to how a lot of 5th Wheel RVs work at the front. But this is going to need to be done custom...no going to the used market to save money. And to be honest, if you're going to spend that kind of coin, you might think switching to a shorter car, a hatchback or something in the 12-13ft range to maximize living area. Remember, the car will be a runabout - if you go to Costco or whatever to pick up bulk items, you're going to take the whole RV, just as I wouldn't haul a whole week's worth of groceries on a sportbike, I'd take my rig. While my rig started out with the master bed over part of a car storage area, I've set up my remaining garage full-height because I want to use part as a workshop, the half not holding a bike. I've also got a washer/dryer under the workbench, storage, etc. If you do the rear bedroom over the car gag, you'll lose that possibility. On the other hand, if you use an enclosed car hauler with 20ft inside length and hold a 13ft car, you too get a workshop area, if you care about that. The good news with enclosed runabout vehicle storage (car or bike) is that nobody can tell driving by if you're there or not. Better for security. Having everything inside one box is even more conducive to good security, which is why I've gone the route I have - I'm a working political activist boondocking and traveling in urban areas so security is a concern. Ummm...as to security. You should have a gun, and an entry alarm (or small yapperdoggie, same thing really). Odds are you won't need either, same as the combination smoke/carbon monoxide alarms (garage and living area, one each or combos) and fire extinguishers (again, garage and near driver's seat). You hope you won't need any of these...but you'd be a fool not to have 'em. In the case of the gun, with at least basic safety training - EMail me off-list if you'd like a pointer in that direction, use the EMail addy I'm switching to, march.jim@gmail.com