I bought an SV - BIG Build thread
Discussion
Superhoop said:
Bookmarked..
Not just because this looks like an awesome project, but also because you have a Bull Terrier - exceptional taste..
Thanks for your support Superhoop. Sadly it's had. She passed away a few years ago. Never had a better dog. An utter clown, but also amazing. I may get another as a travel companion. Not just because this looks like an awesome project, but also because you have a Bull Terrier - exceptional taste..
Amazing project!
Seriously thinking of this myself, Mrs Aero not convinced.... but so much cooler than a pensioner wobbly box on wheels!
A couple of questions if ok
- What are they like to drive? Comfort, long distances, suitability to our roads?
- Is 50k really optimistic on costs? With a 12K truck what drives the costs as construction looks much more straightforward than the complexities of smaller contoured motor homes?
No worries if too busy - best of luck with it - watching with interest!
Seriously thinking of this myself, Mrs Aero not convinced.... but so much cooler than a pensioner wobbly box on wheels!
A couple of questions if ok
- What are they like to drive? Comfort, long distances, suitability to our roads?
- Is 50k really optimistic on costs? With a 12K truck what drives the costs as construction looks much more straightforward than the complexities of smaller contoured motor homes?
No worries if too busy - best of luck with it - watching with interest!
agent006 said:
Projectblue51 said:
That said, I expect to run with a domestic style wet room. Unlike a boat, the vehicle will be stable and level when shower/washing so shouldn't need boat type.
It might be stable, but you'll never be level, anywhere, ever. Make sure you've got at least a pair of drains diagonally opposite each other or it'll be a huge pain showering when the plug is uphill of the shower tray. Spent 18 months on the road in a motorhome, and I think our shower was at the right level about three times.AeroS said:
Amazing project!
Seriously thinking of this myself, Mrs Aero not convinced.... but so much cooler than a pensioner wobbly box on wheels!
A couple of questions if ok
- What are they like to drive? Comfort, long distances, suitability to our roads?
- Is 50k really optimistic on costs? With a 12K truck what drives the costs as construction looks much more straightforward than the complexities of smaller contoured motor homes?
No worries if too busy - best of luck with it - watching with interest!
Thanks for the support! I'm doing the YouTube and Blogs for people like yourself who want to do it, but it looks way too much hassle. I was the same so I'm trying to show it's achievable and anyone can do it Seriously thinking of this myself, Mrs Aero not convinced.... but so much cooler than a pensioner wobbly box on wheels!
A couple of questions if ok
- What are they like to drive? Comfort, long distances, suitability to our roads?
- Is 50k really optimistic on costs? With a 12K truck what drives the costs as construction looks much more straightforward than the complexities of smaller contoured motor homes?
No worries if too busy - best of luck with it - watching with interest!
To drive:
You are talking about a large, fairly heavy truck. This one is an army truck. As it stands, a bit basic. BUT. Air suspended seats. Air con. Power steering. Automatic. Square box, Big mirrors. High vantage point. Wheel in each corner. Fit sound deadening and carpet. Decent stereo. All in all, after a little bit of adjustment, probably no harder than a long motorhome.
Long distance - not tried it, so can't tell you. They are comfy, loads of room in the cab and enough room to kip behind the seats should you want/need. With the aux tank I'm fitting I think I will get 1400km range, which is Calais to Venice, non stop. Well. Loo breaks. Downside is max 96kmh. Plus side, see photos below.
Suitability for UK roads:
Sure, they feel a bit wider than the preceeding Daf. That's because the cab goes right out over the wheels, rather than having wide wheel arches. There will be some resistance at Caravan club pitches due to weight.
Costs:
What drives the cost if the truck is £12k. Good question. The box isn't cheap. Then there is the engineering for the subframe to make a torsion free (isolates the twisting of the chassis out so it doesn't damage the box). Electric inverters and control boxes cost a grand on their own. The winch, another grand a bit. Special fridge? A grand? No, £1400
Is £50k achievable? "Yes, if you are careful and clever with how you spend your money" is my answer. I've seen people build a good truck for £50k on a Merc chassis cab they paid £20k for. Ok, so he built his own box but even so. Normally the issue is weight and everything in a traditional motorhome is about weight saving. It's made with lightweight caravan build stuff and that's also expensive. E.g. Plastic mixer tap for the shower that froze and cracked one winter because I didn't drain it properly = £74.
Because these trucks are over 7.5t and will take 12, 15 or in my case 18t, weight isn't an issue. So you can put a good metal domestic mixer tap on from Screwfix for £29 and it will be perfectly fine and probably much better than the plastic caravan one. The kitchen is domestic carcass size, so find one that's on offer/sale. etc and so forth.
Projectblue51 said:
Thanks for the support! I'm doing the YouTube and Blogs for people like yourself who want to do it, but it looks way too much hassle. I was the same so I'm trying to show it's achievable and anyone can do it
To drive:
You are talking about a large, fairly heavy truck. This one is an army truck. As it stands, a bit basic. BUT. Air suspended seats. Air con. Power steering. Automatic. Square box, Big mirrors. High vantage point. Wheel in each corner. Fit sound deadening and carpet. Decent stereo. All in all, after a little bit of adjustment, probably no harder than a long motorhome.
Long distance - not tried it, so can't tell you. They are comfy, loads of room in the cab and enough room to kip behind the seats should you want/need. With the aux tank I'm fitting I think I will get 1400km range, which is Calais to Venice, non stop. Well. Loo breaks. Downside is max 96kmh. Plus side, see photos below.
Suitability for UK roads:
Sure, they feel a bit wider than the preceeding Daf. That's because the cab goes right out over the wheels, rather than having wide wheel arches. There will be some resistance at Caravan club pitches due to weight.
Costs:
What drives the cost if the truck is £12k. Good question. The box isn't cheap. Then there is the engineering for the subframe to make a torsion free (isolates the twisting of the chassis out so it doesn't damage the box). Electric inverters and control boxes cost a grand on their own. The winch, another grand a bit. Special fridge? A grand? No, £1400
Is £50k achievable? "Yes, if you are careful and clever with how you spend your money" is my answer. I've seen people build a good truck for £50k on a Merc chassis cab they paid £20k for. Ok, so he built his own box but even so. Normally the issue is weight and everything in a traditional motorhome is about weight saving. It's made with lightweight caravan build stuff and that's also expensive. E.g. Plastic mixer tap for the shower that froze and cracked one winter because I didn't drain it properly = £74.
Because these trucks are over 7.5t and will take 12, 15 or in my case 18t, weight isn't an issue. So you can put a good metal domestic mixer tap on from Screwfix for £29 and it will be perfectly fine and probably much better than the plastic caravan one. The kitchen is domestic carcass size, so find one that's on offer/sale. etc and so forth.
Thanks for taking the time to reply really helpfulTo drive:
You are talking about a large, fairly heavy truck. This one is an army truck. As it stands, a bit basic. BUT. Air suspended seats. Air con. Power steering. Automatic. Square box, Big mirrors. High vantage point. Wheel in each corner. Fit sound deadening and carpet. Decent stereo. All in all, after a little bit of adjustment, probably no harder than a long motorhome.
Long distance - not tried it, so can't tell you. They are comfy, loads of room in the cab and enough room to kip behind the seats should you want/need. With the aux tank I'm fitting I think I will get 1400km range, which is Calais to Venice, non stop. Well. Loo breaks. Downside is max 96kmh. Plus side, see photos below.
Suitability for UK roads:
Sure, they feel a bit wider than the preceeding Daf. That's because the cab goes right out over the wheels, rather than having wide wheel arches. There will be some resistance at Caravan club pitches due to weight.
Costs:
What drives the cost if the truck is £12k. Good question. The box isn't cheap. Then there is the engineering for the subframe to make a torsion free (isolates the twisting of the chassis out so it doesn't damage the box). Electric inverters and control boxes cost a grand on their own. The winch, another grand a bit. Special fridge? A grand? No, £1400
Is £50k achievable? "Yes, if you are careful and clever with how you spend your money" is my answer. I've seen people build a good truck for £50k on a Merc chassis cab they paid £20k for. Ok, so he built his own box but even so. Normally the issue is weight and everything in a traditional motorhome is about weight saving. It's made with lightweight caravan build stuff and that's also expensive. E.g. Plastic mixer tap for the shower that froze and cracked one winter because I didn't drain it properly = £74.
Because these trucks are over 7.5t and will take 12, 15 or in my case 18t, weight isn't an issue. So you can put a good metal domestic mixer tap on from Screwfix for £29 and it will be perfectly fine and probably much better than the plastic caravan one. The kitchen is domestic carcass size, so find one that's on offer/sale. etc and so forth.
The cost question will be an interesting one! Like anything/anyone the temptation for scope creep will be massive and given the scale of the truck I can imagine costs could get out of control el rapido! But equally after all the efforts you go to the last thing you want is a “budget” finish.
Sorry if rambling to myself - this is the loop I’m stuck in haha.
Good luck - watching with interest!
pidsy said:
In for the truck primarily but the Bull Terrier tipped me over the edge!
Well done OP.
Thanks Pidsy, appreciate the support. EBT are just the best aren't they? Well done OP.
AeroS said:
Thanks for taking the time to reply really helpful
The cost question will be an interesting one! Like anything/anyone the temptation for scope creep will be massive and given the scale of the truck I can imagine costs could get out of control el rapido! But equally after all the efforts you go to the last thing you want is a “budget” finish.
Sorry if rambling to myself - this is the loop I’m stuck in haha.
Good luck - watching with interest!
Cheers AeroS and I understand. Have a look here at the interior of this truck. This was my inspiration for getting the right feel inside the living accomodation (PS tell MrsAeroS that you can fit a washing machine in these, it's a bit of a sexist assumption but I bet I'm not wrong The cost question will be an interesting one! Like anything/anyone the temptation for scope creep will be massive and given the scale of the truck I can imagine costs could get out of control el rapido! But equally after all the efforts you go to the last thing you want is a “budget” finish.
Sorry if rambling to myself - this is the loop I’m stuck in haha.
Good luck - watching with interest!
): So many builds are done in Europe and look like the inside of Ikea. White, blonde beachwood and limes and yellows. I wanted cottage/pub feel.
Edited by Projectblue51 on Wednesday 8th July 22:26
Edited by Projectblue51 on Monday 13th July 17:43
Edited by Projectblue51 on Sunday 19th July 23:34
Projectblue51 said:
Matilda The Daf t244 Interior views
So many builds are done in Europe and look like the inside of Ikea. White, blonde beachwood and limes and yellows. I wanted cottage/pub feel.
That is Fab !So many builds are done in Europe and look like the inside of Ikea. White, blonde beachwood and limes and yellows. I wanted cottage/pub feel.
Edited by Projectblue51 on Wednesday 8th July 22:26
Projectblue51 said:
Cheers AeroS and I understand. Have a look here at the interior of this truck. This was my inspiration for getting the right feel inside the living accomodation (PS tell MrsAeroS that you can fit a washing machine in these, it's a bit of a sexist assumption but I bet I'm not wrong ):
Matilda The Daf t244 Interior views
So many builds are done in Europe and look like the inside of Ikea. White, blonde beachwood and limes and yellows. I wanted cottage/pub feel.
Tremendous - thanks for the Video - another overland for some inspiration!): Matilda The Daf t244 Interior views
So many builds are done in Europe and look like the inside of Ikea. White, blonde beachwood and limes and yellows. I wanted cottage/pub feel.
Edited by Projectblue51 on Wednesday 8th July 22:26
Projectblue51 said:
Harv, that's where mine came from. They have been selling them through the year. Started about January. If anyone is interested in buying one, you can find the online bidding here: Under Govt & Military Disposals
Oooooohhhh dear. Equipment auction site, or as my wife calls it 'wall to wall man crap'. That's my day sorted then456mgt said:
Projectblue51 said:
Harv, that's where mine came from. They have been selling them through the year. Started about January. If anyone is interested in buying one, you can find the online bidding here: Under Govt & Military Disposals
Oooooohhhh dear. Equipment auction site, or as my wife calls it 'wall to wall man crap'. That's my day sorted thenEvanivitch said:
Can't believe they're selling off 6x6 Vector when there's troops still kicking about in 4x4 Pinz.
Can't believe they're selling off half the kit they do, and it keeps happening. There's an SV on there with less than 2,000km on it. I really want to assume there's good reason for getting rid but on the face of it, it seems absolute madness. Whoever sanctioned purchasing that in the first place should be put on bog cleaning duty.Projectblue51 said:
So many builds are done in Europe and look like the inside of Ikea. White, blonde beachwood and limes and yellows. I wanted cottage/pub feel.
I've got visions of Hammond's Defender camper from Top Gear, complete with library. Edited by Projectblue51 on Wednesday 8th July 22:26
AeroS said:
Thanks for taking the time to reply really helpful
The cost question will be an interesting one! Like anything/anyone the temptation for scope creep will be massive and given the scale of the truck I can imagine costs could get out of control el rapido! But equally after all the efforts you go to the last thing you want is a “budget” finish.
Sorry if rambling to myself - this is the loop I’m stuck in haha.
Good luck - watching with interest!
If you don't need the full off road capability of this build then you can buy a fully converted race truck which will have a garage for Motocross/Trials Bikes/cars although the later will impact your interior space. Or you can convert the garage into a shower room.The cost question will be an interesting one! Like anything/anyone the temptation for scope creep will be massive and given the scale of the truck I can imagine costs could get out of control el rapido! But equally after all the efforts you go to the last thing you want is a “budget” finish.
Sorry if rambling to myself - this is the loop I’m stuck in haha.
Good luck - watching with interest!
Something like these with an enclosed side awning:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mercedes-Benz-814-race-...
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2001-IVECO-80E21-RS-Rac...
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mercedes-Atego-815-Race...
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mercedes-Atego-Race-Tra...
Non awning options
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/IVECO-Motocross-Race-Tr...
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/motorhome-racetruck/133...
Projectblue51 said:
Cheers AeroS and I understand. Have a look here at the interior of this truck. This was my inspiration for getting the right feel inside the living accomodation (PS tell MrsAeroS that you can fit a washing machine in these, it's a bit of a sexist assumption but I bet I'm not wrong ):
Matilda The Daf t244 Interior views
So many builds are done in Europe and look like the inside of Ikea. White, blonde beachwood and limes and yellows. I wanted cottage/pub feel.
Great work OP I know how much work it takes to build something like this (I've had to fit out a couple of race trucks) but keep up the good work.): Matilda The Daf t244 Interior views
So many builds are done in Europe and look like the inside of Ikea. White, blonde beachwood and limes and yellows. I wanted cottage/pub feel.
Edited by Projectblue51 on Wednesday 8th July 22:26
Thanks for the support everyone. Not much to update.
Have received the correct winch parts and rebuilt the winch with the right bits.
Busy arranging other peoples trucks and swapping out my fab, but expensive VXR8 GTS for something more cost effective that returns Capital back into my bank ready for Rosie build.
Incidentally, anyone know the code for embedding the videos rather than just having a link? I checked the formatting help but it doesn't say (also tried [youtube/] and [movie/] which work on some boards.
Thanks
Have received the correct winch parts and rebuilt the winch with the right bits.
Busy arranging other peoples trucks and swapping out my fab, but expensive VXR8 GTS for something more cost effective that returns Capital back into my bank ready for Rosie build.
Incidentally, anyone know the code for embedding the videos rather than just having a link? I checked the formatting help but it doesn't say (also tried [youtube/] and [movie/] which work on some boards.
Thanks
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