Might have made a mistake but here it is!

[4-rocks]

I got tired of the wife following me either towing or driving a Jeep for me every time we went wheeling. So I decided this would be the ticket. I hope it works the way I want it too.

I want to shorten the box to 16', that will leave 8' out the back for a flatbed. I'm going to mount a fifthwheel plate back there. This will allow me to load the Jeep in the box on the truck and tow the camper. I hope I don't need to slide the rear axle back. I think I can get the pin fairly close to the rear axle, hopefully close enough that it will pull well.

Time will tell.

[BabyT]

Now that's a tow rig if I have ever seen one.

[4-rocks]

Runs like a scaulded dog. The plan is to live in the sleeper if momma doesn't go. The boys think I'm crazy buying another project.

[muleshemi]

awesome set-up man! cant wait to see how it turns out

[Bo Duke]

That thing is going to be sweet. With all that weight up front, you can probably get by with having the 5th wheel behind the rear tires. This guy did.....
http://pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=735740&highlight=tow+rig+40&page=8

That might give you an idea for the flat bed. No matter what that truck will turn out sweet

[TCH]

:shock: Wow!!! Sweet project.

[4-rocks]

Here's the plan, wish me luck.

We'll see how it turns out "as Built"

[cftj]

looks like a great plan to me...

[Bo Duke]

Fixed it

[akarocket]

Fixed it

haha, Sweet truck![cheers]

[behr4x4]

I guess i'm working at the wrong job are you guys hiring up there

[Bo Duke]

What engine/trans/rear end ratio is in it?

[4-rocks]

275 Horse 3126 CAT, 10 speed Fuller, and 3.55 gear 70 mph @ 1950 rpm.

The secret is when you owe the bank as much as I do they are afraid to tell you no. :)

And no we're not hiring.

[behr4x4]

Oh darn !

[Bo Duke]

275 Horse 3126 CAT, 10 speed Fuller, and 3.55 gear 70 mph @ 1950 rpm.



That should work :D

[4-rocks]

I wasn't going to post up many pictures of the build but some of the folks feel nothing is happening on the forum so maybe I can post up the progress or the totaling of a good truck.

Here's where I'm at, I'm shortening the box to 16'. The wife's Grand Cherokee will fit in there. You can kind of see what it's going to look like when I'm done.

[Bo Duke]

I was just about to do a search for this thread and ask for an update. Have that thing ready for moab

[4-rocks]

That is the plan.

[cftj]

looking good... make me one :)

[midtownboarder]

that thing is going to be sweet when it's done!

[dandjeep]

Don't you want to put something in there besides your wifes Grand Cherokee?

[cftj]

IIRC, the back flatbed is to pull a gooseneck trailer with...

[4-rocks]

I wanted to be able to put the ZJ in there if needed. Mostly it'll have the trail rigs in there.

[4-rocks]

making progress, I hope it's in the right direction. Scott painted the rear door frame, should be able to pick that up tomorrow. Won't be long and I'll have the doors back on it.

[rrci]

Do you have an obsession to build things? where doe's it come from? I'll bet your dad built a camper out of pressed wood,and in the dual purpose theme filled it with fat steers and straw let'em crap for 300 miles unloaded, swepted her out and you got to sleep in it. That might be an explanation. As for the whole 4 wheelin fabrication articulation thing. maybe that stems from some 3 wheeler john deere tractor that after much thought rolled out the door with old car front end , complete with A frames and coil springs [no shocks] now I,ll bet that baby had some wheel drop. Any way thank God you stared this project, my wife was starting to use you as a good example.

[gpence]

Do you have an obsession to build things? where doe's it come from? I'll bet your dad built a camper out of pressed wood,and in the dual purpose theme filled it with fat steers and straw let'em crap for 300 miles unloaded, swepted her out and you got to sleep in it. That might be an explanation. As for the whole 4 wheelin fabrication articulation thing. maybe that stems from some 3 wheeler john deere tractor that after much thought rolled out the door with old car front end , complete with A frames and coil springs [no shocks] now I,ll bet that baby had some wheel drop. Any way thank God you stared this project, my wife was starting to use you as a good example.


WOW! seriously?

[4-rocks]

Now that's funny, I don't care who you are!

Private joke folks.

When I saw that "rrci" as a poster I thought, dang he found me, now I got to move on to some other site.

Tell your wife I'm not a good example.

Now ya got folks asking who is this new guy that dares come on the forum and give the building god a bunch of flack!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

Now ya got to join the club so you can post up some pictures of your stuff, I'm brave enough to show my junk!

[gpence]

sound's like some thing one of my friend's would say to me...lol

[4-rocks]

another day or two of work and I'll have the back doors finished.

[Bo Duke]

I was thinking about what you said about the 5th wheel pin and the possibilty of snapping the pin off of the trailer. Would it be easier to put a gooseneck ball on the truck and convert the camper over to a gooseneck? That seems like a cheaper and easier way to set up the truck, and might put less stress on the camper.

[4-rocks]

I've done some checking and the consensus is a goose neck hitch flexes the frame on the 5th wheel more than a fifth wheel hitch. When they build stock trailers they beef up that area so it doesn't break. I'm going to put an air ride hitch on the truck, that should take care of any odd twisting and stress.

I tried working on it today, 16 degrees and 14 mph winds are not ideal working conditions.

[Bo Duke]

Hopefully you haven't been updating us on this build because you're too busy busting ass to get it done for Moab. Time's running short! :p

[4-rocks]

I've been working like crazy but going is slow. My out door shop has been a little cool and windy this winter. I spent the day sandblasting the I beams for the deck. I told Matt a couple of hours and it was more like 6. I hope to start welding tomorrow. Maybe I get out the camera and take a picture of the hitch. That should hold ya for another month. :)

To be honest I'm starting to think I might not get it done. I'll have to stop and work on the Jeep one of these days.

[4-rocks]

Here it is the end of the month. I've progressed to the paint booth. If I figure out how to post up pictures I will.

http://i551.photobucket.com/albums/ii478/4-rocks/2009006.jpg
where I started

http://i551.photobucket.com/albums/ii478/4-rocks/Truck004.jpg
Half way through

http://i551.photobucket.com/albums/ii478/4-rocks/truckbed001.jpg
Ramps in

http://i551.photobucket.com/albums/ii478/4-rocks/truckbed002.jpg
Ramps out

[4-rocks]

Finally some pictures that actually look like I've been doing something this winter. The Jeep fits in the truck with plenty of room to walk around it. Room for tools in front of the Jeep. Can't tell about the power yet, I drove it to Merna yesterday loaded and pulling the camper, holds 60 MPH real easy, we'll see what I think when I get back from Utah. It'll be interesting to see what kind of fuel mileage I get.

http://i551.photobucket.com/albums/ii478/4-rocks/truck009.jpg

http://i551.photobucket.com/albums/ii478/4-rocks/truck008.jpg

http://i551.photobucket.com/albums/ii478/4-rocks/truck007.jpg

[Bo Duke]

coolest......rig.......ever..........

[Mr.CJ-7]

WOW that is sweeeeet.

[Black Oxx]

Looks like it came out A-OK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[cftj]

How much shipped to 68521?

looks great!

[4-rocks]

It will look better after I get the storage boxes between the fuel tanks and the rear wheels. I'll then need to build the wheel wells.

[akarocket]

OK, that is freakin awesome! Turned out very cool!

[Bo Duke]

Saw it today in person, very nice work. I know my buddies who were with me are pretty jealous.

[Bo Duke]

So how'd she pull? Did it make the magic 7 mpg mark?

[4-rocks]

I thought it did pretty well, I filled with a winter blend soy diesel before we left. I stopped in North Platte on the way home and put in 180 gallons. that figured close to 7.4 MPG. After I filled with the regular diesel it had more power, I couldn't get a read on the mileage due to the needle not moving on the way home. We had a 20 mile and hour head wind going out and a 30 mile per hour side wind coming home. It's no hill climber though, I think it would climb straight up in 4th gear I could do 30 going up the 7% grades and not work it at all, half throttle, shift into 5th and I'd lose speed. I need to fix up the exhaust brake, I would get the brakes hot and then had to shift down to second before the engine would hold the speed down. Wife likes it, she would go back to the sleeper and I wouldn't see her for hours. She'd sleep, read, eat, knit, etc.

It's a bugger to get the camper into and then back out of the campgrounds. One of the campers stopped to watch me get out when we left, said it was better that watching someone crawl rocks. It's great having the generator, air compressor, battery charger, and tools enough to actually work on stuff. It's great to drive down the road and not feel the wind knocking you around.

[ACJ4U2C]

So what are the chances of getting the picture attachment issues fixed? I can see the most resent ones but not the originals. I know it has been asked before but see it is still not fixed. I love revisiting builds like this and would love to see the pictures too. Thanks