New Haul and Tow RV transporter build

[tonkadoctor]

I wonder are the fifth wheel pins the same on a camper as they are on a semi? Just wondering.....

Your avg common semi trailer uses a 2" SAE king pin just like the campers. There is some 3.5" kingpin stuff out there too.

 

[tonkadoctor]

A lot of work in one day..........especially by yourself......I'm tired just lookin'

Not to shabby for a crippled old man with only one good hand and a cane. I can barely lift my 3/4" Impact.

this is like dejavoodoo all over again.... only this time there's no Geo, no DOT bunk swap, no broken gantry and it looks like it's moving along quite a bit faster

And no frame stretch or a lot of other BS trying to convert a medium duty to run over the road. I'll never go that route again. A good friend of mine I work with all the time just sold his medium duty Freightliner FL-50 camper hauler and built a class 8 FL-112 rig with an M11 Cummins about a month ago and he's getting better fuel economy with the class 8 too.

This builds gonna be quick, target completion is end of May so I can get back on the road by June. I hope to see GEO pop in when he gets home, but not to work.

 

[tonkadoctor]

Air lines and electrical are done for the rear brakes and ABS system. Only electrical to do on the axle is to lengthen the wires for the differential lock sensor 60". Would have been done today buy I can't find my heat shrink tubing and didn't want to make a second parts run today.

Parts I ordered are starting to roll in too. Received my aluminum ramps, LED marker lights, Splash shield, quarter fenders and new wheel straps..... How come everything you need last is always the first stuff to arrive.

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[tonkadoctor]

Moving forward.

Spent yesterday chasing new and used parts everywhere between Florence, SC and Raleigh, NC and back into Raleigh again this afternoon to pick up the used driveshaft I bought yesterday in Florence that had to be lengthened 8" in Raleigh. Pretty good turn around time to retube and balance it of less than 24 hours from when I dropped it off at the Spicer driveline shop in Raleigh.

Today after burning up half the day on the road again and taking care of various paperwork I needed to catch up on, I moved the quarter fender mounts, bolted up the crossmember where I removed the 5th wheel and installed the new carrier bearing crossmember. I still need to slightly modify the carrier bearing mount so that it is the same length as the trucks original before I bolt in the new driveshaft, simple fix to cut it in half and add 4" to it.

According to UPS, the new welder and my steel should be here tomorrow so it's "show time".

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[tonkadoctor]

Not much has gone as planned last 2 days, new Inverter Plasma cutter/ TiG welder lasted a whole 5 minutes cutting huck rivets off the frame after spending a few hours putting everything together. The seller said he will have UPS pick it up and refund my money so we'll see how that goes.




Good news is I scored a nice old 300 amp Airco AC/DC Heliwelder IV Tig machine on craigslist 60 miles from me today, I can live without the plasma. This will greatly increase my shops capabilities allowing me to weld nearly any type and thickness of metal this thing is a beast tipping the scales at an estimated 500 - 700 lbs or better. Oh yea baby, going back old school

• Water cooler, 10 gallon stainless dynaweld unit.... need to get a new motor for the pump, it worked but was smoking... Not good..... will fix that tomorrow
• Has optional Pulser built into machine
• Foot pedal
• AC 6 - 405 Amps
• DCSP (DC straight polarity = electrode negative, ground/work piece positive) and DCRP (DC reverse polarity = electrode positive, ground/work piece negative) 5 - 315 Amps
• 60% duty cycle at 300 amps both AC and DC
• Flowmeter
• new Weldcraft WP-18 water cooled torch w/ 25' leads and at least a 15'-20' ground lead
• base w/ swivel casters on all 4 corners

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[tonkadoctor]

Woooo Hooooooo...... I still have my TIG welding skills, TIG welding is a perishable art and I havn't used TIG in just over 15 years.

Managed to modify the carrier bearing hanger, lowering it 4" to match the original one on the truck to maintain the same driveline angle for the rear shaft I'll put in tomorrow. The new driveshaft bolted in perfectly. Only casualty here was 2 broken chrome sockets (ya I know I shouldn't use them on a 1/2" drive impact wrench but I needed a 12 point to get the bolts out of the old driveshaft and one didn't budge. Had to weld a nut on that one after breaking 2 sockets and rounding off the head, then it came out like butter.

Also drilled a hole and mounted the track bar, busted my nice expensive 5/8" drill bit on that one, need to replace it tomorrow because I still have several holes in that size to drill out.

And finally cut the huck rivets to remove all of the old axle mounts to clean up the frame. Need to get a few 3/4" grade 8 bolts to bolt the crossmember back in place where the air leaf mounts were.

Chassis is almost done.

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[towcat]

tonka-
those pics brought back some long hidden nightmares for me. My dad was famous for giving me rebuild projects that would chew up a whole summer. Two are permanently burned into my nightmares. One is completely replumbing a Gradall all terrain forklift he bought for cheap at an insurance auction. It was badly vandalized with all the hydraulic hoses cut. The second one was walking on new alu frame rails on a 359 Pete tri-axle dump. His only rule to me was to do one side at a time. seeing all those holes on your frame brought back bad memories One thing for sure was I learned about Pete 359's that summer and how to deal with electrolysis between steel fasteners and alu frames. Even if I will never do one again, that lesson is unforgettable.


good luck with yours
it sure is coming together alot faster than the other truck.

 

[tonkadoctor]

tonka-
those pics brought back some long hidden nightmares for me. My dad was famous for giving me rebuild projects that would chew up a whole summer. Two are permanently burned into my nightmares. One is completely replumbing a Gradall all terrain forklift he bought for cheap at an insurance auction. It was badly vandalized with all the hydraulic hoses cut. The second one was walking on new alu frame rails on a 359 Pete tri-axle dump. His only rule to me was to do one side at a time. seeing all those holes on your frame brought back bad memories One thing for sure was I learned about Pete 359's that summer and how to deal with electrolysis between steel fasteners and alu frames. Even if I will never do one again, that lesson is unforgettable.


good luck with yours
it sure is coming together alot faster than the other truck.

Kept you out of trouble and gave you some mad skills didn't he.

There was only a little electrolysis in holes that had a bolt through them. Where there were huck rivets the holes look just like they were drilled yesterday. As far as plumbing goes, I have pulled out at least 100 lbs of electrical wiring, valves and air lines that are no longer needed.

 

[geonc]

this is like dejavoodoo all over again.... only this time there's no Geo, no DOT bunk swap, no broken gantry and it looks like it's moving along quite a bit faster

Whatchutalkinboutwillis ;p

So Mike, ya going in with both feet I may pop by but can't promise much work time short of a day at the most if ya need me....only have 1 week home this round then back prolly for a 6 week hitch in the shipyard.

Sad to hear that Giant tech didn't work out but I have not heard ANYTHING positive regarding those units

I'll give ya a shout soon

 

[tonkadoctor]

Whatchutalkinboutwillis ;p

So Mike, ya going in with both feet I may pop by but can't promise much work time short of a day at the most if ya need me....only have 1 week home this round then back prolly for a 6 week hitch in the shipyard.

Sad to hear that Giant tech didn't work out but I have not heard ANYTHING positive regarding those units

I'll give ya a shout soon

Don't need to put ya to work. Do pop in, be good to see ya again for a bit. Gimme a hollar first to make sure I ain't running the streets chasing stuff.

 

[tonkadoctor]

Completed the fabrication for the left drop frame mount. Got it cut out, welded the flange on inside and out, marked the existing holes in the frame with spray paint, drilled the holes, did some finish grinding to knock off any sharp edges and have it sitting in place with bolts. Bolts havn't been tightened yet.

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[tonkadoctor]

Yesterday I did a little salvage yard shopping and came home with a 12' section of frame off of a Ford F600 for the drop frame beavertail and scored a couple nearly new Bridgestone R280 steer tires for $150 each. They still have 15/32" tread... New R280 tires have 18/32" tread and are about $400 EACH!!!

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Today I finished the fabrication of the right drop frame bracket and started on the fender deck crossmembers.

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[Russ]

Coming along nicely Mike. Keep up the good work

 

[geonc]

http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/...aul and Tow FLC112/IMG00248-20100515-1940.jpg

I see the go pedal for the tig
I have to fly out Thurs morning.....still gonna try and swing by

 

[tonkadoctor]

Thanks Russ

I see the go pedal for the tig
I have to fly out Thurs morning.....still gonna try and swing by

Wouldn't have one without it. I'll be here all day tomorrow if ya have time to drop by so I can get a pic of you holding a broken drill bit and have someone else to blame



OK, I'm back working on it today. Sorry but I just ain't welding in an open metal shed surrounded by trees with water following the trucks frame and making the shop floor wet in a thunderstorm.


The drop frame mounting plates are fully installed with the shock and air bag mounts bolted on. Spent this afternoon cutting steel for the crossmembers and fenders. Fender clearance is tight, that's just the way it has to be with this type of truck, these pics are with the suspension sitting on the bump stops. I will be cutting a little more radius for the tires to even it up a bit, It's OK as is with a finger width clearance to the sidewall, just want to make it look a wee bit nicer.

Tomorrow will be mostly welding everything up.

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