I really enjoy watching your videos as an old truck driver and long time camping enthusiast..as an norwegian nothing apply to our conditions but still very cool to watch.
Holy cow, what a big difference in the look of the truck. Thanks for sharing this, I never given any thought to doing a short position but now that you've shown the diff? nah, wouldn't work for me. Have a great day ya'll!
I've been watching your video's (lots of them). dreaming of full timing for retirement (maybe sooner) but it will be at least 10yr. I hope you are still around when that happens so you can build me a hauler. I really like your attention to detail of your builds. Just like I do things. Your video's are very informative with very good simple explanations.
Greg if a truck is singled short. And later you want to change it up. Its not that tough, to stretch the frame. Its done everyday on OTR trucks. I know that will be our plan. To single one short, move the back axle up where it fits the profile on the rear skirt. But we also plan on using the truck as our daily driver. While on the road. I know the ride will be a little rougher when not towing.But that is one trade off. Also I know when ABS brakes first came out on Semi's. We had to be careful when bob tailing. As the brakes did not work as fast or as good without a load. Do the newer trucks still have this issue? Back when ABS was first added. You apply the foot brake and you felt like the brakes were not being applied 100% but more like 30% or so. So we had to run the jake with the brakes when bob Tailing. It was scary on the Fregihtliner Condo's back then. Would love to see a video of mounting and wiring up the Jackaloplee in the side compartment.
Ok I’m getting hooked 😊 I get my own truck. How much to extend frame and add flat bed with fifth wheel hitch? Yes a couple of tool boxes and ramps for smart car to start on a budget 🥴 Thank you in advance
I really enjoy watching these videos and look forward to eventually needing to upgrade to a similar hauler. For now I just watch and learn. Please keep the vids coming. For those that are looking to buy a truck on their own, can you tell folks what you look at when you're evaluating a truck for purchase and what specific mechanical components to inspect or expect to repair/replace? Thanks and keep posting!
+brass289 Thanks for watching our videos. It is great to know someone is enjoying them. I have a video playlist that starts off with teaching you some of the ideas behind a good candidate RVHauler. Here is a link to the playlist. th-cam.com/play/PLiJ8IVlm34GAF54yUkHlvGc26H0hp0EoP.html
that's very interesting so much difference between the mid and short position I saw a truckin my home town today that was cut short like that ,, the guy had installed a pickup box on it ,,it actually looked pretty cool , it didn't have a sleeper though I currently am working on my truck myself too ,I discovered it is a bit heavy on the rear axle ,,it has a 20K rear axle but when i have my large water tanks full and both batteries on board i am right at weight limit of the front axle ,,I discovered this while on a camping trip in nebraska ,,I got stopped at a weigh station by a DOT officer who didn't know what my vehicle is ,,it's been inspected and certified as an RV ,,the title says 1974 Chevrolet 6500 truck /RV ,, it was a trick getting the title changed in Iowa ,,,most guys would license it as a custom built modified vehicle but I decided to go through the additional certification steps to prove that it's road worthy , Safe and not an experimental vehicle RV insurance is very cheap in Iowa ,,my full coverage insurance is $250 a year with $500 deductible,, if it had been classed as a modified vehicle or home built the insurance would have been 3 or 4 times as much and also because i used such an old vehicle there no emission restrictions or equipment on it also meaning i can use whatever engine i want ,,and i tried several different engine/transmission combinations before settling on the monster i have now i am building a Tag axle for it using a 10K trailer axle that will increase the amount of braking power i have as well as increasing the weight capability i have because this truck has such a long chassis it's actually very heavy on it's front suspension ,, and this will help that
Do you ever do any cab over haulers? Seems like they might be good for a tighter turning radius. Am I wrong and the cons outweigh the pros of using a cab over? I want to do do the hauler/5th wheel in a few years when we get close to retirement.
Hello Hank, yes cab-overs are certainly an attractive option as they are shorter and have the turning radius benefit. It can be a challenge to find a lower mileage unit in good condition as the cab overs are becoming more scarce in the used market. Thanks for taking the time to pose your question!
These beds you make look nice but, why not just leave both axles in place and build simple steel flatbed deck, of course after removing fifth wheel. It seems that would be a lot less expensive option. True you would have one extra axle and four more tires, that you probably do not need for pulling RV.But you would have extra breaking and less chance of wheel slip because the power divider would still be useable. Plus your gonna have a much larger resale market being able to sell truck back into trucking market or RV market,just by removing bed and having an unmolested truck. As far as turning and handling yes maybe you’d lose some but I’ve been pulling a 53ft trailer with my 670 Volvo and I’ve put that trailer in some pretty tight places over the years. It seems to me that even a 40ft RV would be a walk in the park. Let me know the reasons you have for not leaving both axles in place. Thanks for all your informative videos.
Why do you need to single a truck? Is there ANY way to use an RVHauler and carry a bigger car than a smart car (such as a Jeep Wrangler) and still pull a 5th wheel?
+Stuart Bush Hello and thanks for your question. Yes, we can carry other vehicles, however, if they are longer than a Smart car, we have to load them from the rear and carry them length-wise. It cam e be done!
Why can you not leave the rear axle in it's original position and just extend the drive line? Wouldn't that make for a smoother ride with the longer wheelbase and benefit front axle loading by not cantilevering weight behind the rear axle?
Hello Monte. Sorry for the slow reply to your question. We find that when we single "long" it is quite easy to transfer weight to the front axle. It can easily be overloaded, beyond it's capabilities.
+Noah Lee Hi, and thanks for your question. When you single long, you have a considerable risk of overloading the front (steer) axle if you put anything behind the sleeper (weight wise). Yes, you can do it, but I have a hard time thinking up reasons to do so. You have to build additional drive shafts for such a long "reach" to the long axle. You also have to install a support, and steady bearing. Singling long will also result quite a long rig overall.
Perhaps for easy of maneuverability in RV parks, My theory is that a single axle truck like the ones shown here will turn sharper than ones with a tandem
Hey Mr.Super. Thanks for your observation. Most folks single short for one primary reason - they want to keep their overall length as short as possible. If we leave the frame long, we can certainly add some storage on the frame rails, but we somewhat negate the benefits of making it short. If you want to keep the frame the "factory" length, it might be a nicer option to move the axle to the mid position and have storage boxes in front of the rear axle, and behind the rear axle. The turning radius will be about the same. Singling mid also provides a nicer ride experience to the passengers.
If you are using this for RV’g, why do you need a truck with a sleeper on it? You are towing a sleeper! Loose the sleeper (or use a ‘coffin sleeper’) and regain that frame space for your Smart car while still maintains the short wheel base. Makes turning in better while keeping the car carrier…… and using the camper towed RV for what it is intended to be used for …….sleeping.
+Roger Shellman Thanks for your question. My wife and I have owned 8 diesel pickups since before we were married. We have always been RVers - pulling trailers. As our family grew, and Gregg got more STUFF, we kept getting bigger and bigger trailers. Eventually, my tricked-out one ton dually was at the max. We were pushed around uncomfortably by our trailer and all of Gregg's STUFF that we take bush-camping in the remote areas of the Rocky Mountains. I knew there was a better way. I built my first RVHauler for our family, and it was AWESOME. Over time, others saw our RVHauler, asked me to build them an RVHauler too. The business was born. I still treat every custom RVHauler as though I am building it for my own family to enjoy.
+Gregg RVHaulers Gregg that is such a great attitude to have and your words show up in your work. I really like watching your videos. I would like to up grade to an RV Hauler from my 2012 Ram 3500. My truck pulls my 40 foot Fifth Wheel but being an old time truck driver (35+ Years) I would feel so much more Comfortable in the bigger Truck. What does something like your builds start at? Keep up the great work.!!!
The short truck doesn't ride or handle as well especially when bob tailing in any adverse weather conditions. The mid is so much nicer looking not only in length but in height as well the shorty is almost as long as it is tall so it looks all out of whack.
I really enjoy watching your videos as an old truck driver and long time camping enthusiast..as an norwegian nothing apply to our conditions but still very cool to watch.
+Ronny Stormo Thanks for watching, and for your comments!
Holy cow, what a big difference in the look of the truck. Thanks for sharing this, I never given any thought to doing a short position but now that you've shown the diff? nah, wouldn't work for me. Have a great day ya'll!
+Music Man Thanks Music Man for watching! Keep driving safe!
I've been watching your video's (lots of them). dreaming of full timing for retirement (maybe sooner) but it will be at least 10yr. I hope you are still around when that happens so you can build me a hauler. I really like your attention to detail of your builds. Just like I do things. Your video's are very informative with very good simple explanations.
+kevin lear Hi Kevin. I also hope I will be around then, and still being allowed to build these customer rv toters for happy folks.
Greg if a truck is singled short. And later you want to change it up. Its not that tough, to stretch the frame. Its done everyday on OTR trucks. I know that will be our plan. To single one short, move the back axle up where it fits the profile on the rear skirt. But we also plan on using the truck as our daily driver. While on the road. I know the ride will be a little rougher when not towing.But that is one trade off.
Also I know when ABS brakes first came out on Semi's. We had to be careful when bob tailing. As the brakes did not work as fast or as good without a load. Do the newer trucks still have this issue? Back when ABS was first added. You apply the foot brake and you felt like the brakes were not being applied 100% but more like 30% or so. So we had to run the jake with the brakes when bob Tailing. It was scary on the Fregihtliner Condo's back then.
Would love to see a video of mounting and wiring up the Jackaloplee in the side compartment.
Ok I’m getting hooked 😊 I get my own truck. How much to extend frame and add flat bed with fifth wheel hitch? Yes a couple of tool boxes and ramps for smart car to start on a budget 🥴 Thank you in advance
Hello Chuck. An Email was sent a couple days go. Perhaps in your spam?
I really enjoy watching these videos and look forward to eventually needing to upgrade to a similar hauler. For now I just watch and learn. Please keep the vids coming.
For those that are looking to buy a truck on their own, can you tell folks what you look at when you're evaluating a truck for purchase and what specific mechanical components to inspect or expect to repair/replace?
Thanks and keep posting!
+brass289 Thanks for watching our videos. It is great to know someone is enjoying them. I have a video playlist that starts off with teaching you some of the ideas behind a good candidate RVHauler. Here is a link to the playlist. th-cam.com/play/PLiJ8IVlm34GAF54yUkHlvGc26H0hp0EoP.html
that's very interesting so much difference between the mid and short position
I saw a truckin my home town today that was cut short like that ,, the guy had installed a pickup box on it ,,it actually looked pretty cool , it didn't have a sleeper though
I currently am working on my truck myself too ,I discovered it is a bit heavy on the rear axle ,,it has a 20K rear axle but when i have my large water tanks full and both batteries on board i am right at weight limit of the front axle ,,I discovered this while on a camping trip in nebraska ,,I got stopped at a weigh station by a DOT officer who didn't know what my vehicle is ,,it's been inspected and certified as an RV ,,the title says 1974 Chevrolet 6500 truck /RV ,, it was a trick getting the title changed in Iowa ,,,most guys would license it as a custom built modified vehicle but I decided to go through the additional certification steps to prove that it's road worthy , Safe and not an experimental vehicle
RV insurance is very cheap in Iowa ,,my full coverage insurance is $250 a year with $500 deductible,, if it had been classed as a modified vehicle or home built the insurance would have been 3 or 4 times as much
and also because i used such an old vehicle there no emission restrictions or equipment on it also meaning i can use whatever engine i want ,,and i tried several different engine/transmission combinations before settling on the monster i have now
i am building a Tag axle for it using a 10K trailer axle that will increase the amount of braking power i have as well as increasing the weight capability i have
because this truck has such a long chassis it's actually very heavy on it's front suspension ,, and this will help that
+wildcoyote34 Thanks for the great information. I appreciate you taking the time to share your build information. Drive safe!
What is the ride difference between mid and short?
Do you ever do any cab over haulers? Seems like they might be good for a tighter turning radius. Am I wrong and the cons outweigh the pros of using a cab over? I want to do do the hauler/5th wheel in a few years when we get close to retirement.
Hello Hank, yes cab-overs are certainly an attractive option as they are shorter and have the turning radius benefit. It can be a challenge to find a lower mileage unit in good condition as the cab overs are becoming more scarce in the used market.
Thanks for taking the time to pose your question!
These beds you make look nice but, why not just leave both axles in place and build simple steel flatbed deck, of course after removing fifth wheel. It seems that would be a lot less expensive option. True you would have one extra axle and four more tires, that you probably do not need for pulling RV.But you would have extra breaking and less chance of wheel slip because the power divider would still be useable. Plus your gonna have a much larger resale market being able to sell truck back into trucking market or RV market,just by removing bed and having an unmolested truck. As far as turning and handling yes maybe you’d lose some but I’ve been pulling a 53ft trailer with my 670 Volvo and I’ve put that trailer in some pretty tight places over the years. It seems to me that even a 40ft RV would be a walk in the park. Let me know the reasons you have for not leaving both axles in place. Thanks for all your informative videos.
Why do you need to single a truck? Is there ANY way to use an RVHauler and carry a bigger car than a smart car (such as a Jeep Wrangler) and still pull a 5th wheel?
+Stuart Bush Hello and thanks for your question. Yes, we can carry other vehicles, however, if they are longer than a Smart car, we have to load them from the rear and carry them length-wise. It cam e be done!
Why can you not leave the rear axle in it's original position and just extend the drive line? Wouldn't that make for a smoother ride with the longer wheelbase and benefit front axle loading by not cantilevering weight behind the rear axle?
Hello Monte. Sorry for the slow reply to your question. We find that when we single "long" it is quite easy to transfer weight to the front axle. It can easily be overloaded, beyond it's capabilities.
Awesome stuff. Too rich for my blood. I would want a crew cab MDT, M2?, set up the same, limited to 1/2 Ton towables? Not to many mountains here in MI
Would it be possible to single long? For larger vehicles, such as Doug's 97 international rig in a past episode
+Noah Lee Hi, and thanks for your question. When you single long, you have a considerable risk of overloading the front (steer) axle if you put anything behind the sleeper (weight wise). Yes, you can do it, but I have a hard time thinking up reasons to do so. You have to build additional drive shafts for such a long "reach" to the long axle. You also have to install a support, and steady bearing. Singling long will also result quite a long rig overall.
Seems like you prefer Volvo’s. Will you work on any other brands.
Hi Jeffrey. YES! We have converted Petes, Kenworths, Freightliners, and others.
Could you make another video that shows the turning radius between mid and short
Is there a difference in driving behaviour between a 'short' and 'mid' singlin version?
Hello Neils. Yes, there is a difference in ride. A "short" RVHauler rides a bit stiffer and choppier compared to "mid" singled RVHauler.
Okay, thank you, cheers.
You only build them with Volvo's I see, what about building it on other brands like a Frieghtliner cascadia ?
He's catering to full timers. Good ideas for the rest of us
now do you need an A or D to drive this rig?
thanks
It being short there is no way to hook a 5th wheel to the back so it seems a regular drivers license can be used
Good advice and info. Thanks!!
Why not just leave both axles in place? And remove 5th wheel and put deck on it
Perhaps for easy of maneuverability in RV parks, My theory is that a single axle truck like the ones shown here will turn sharper than ones with a tandem
You didn't cover singling short but leaving the frame the standard length.
Hey Mr.Super. Thanks for your observation. Most folks single short for one primary reason - they want to keep their overall length as short as possible. If we leave the frame long, we can certainly add some storage on the frame rails, but we somewhat negate the benefits of making it short. If you want to keep the frame the "factory" length, it might be a nicer option to move the axle to the mid position and have storage boxes in front of the rear axle, and behind the rear axle. The turning radius will be about the same. Singling mid also provides a nicer ride experience to the passengers.
If you are using this for RV’g, why do you need a truck with a sleeper on it? You are towing a sleeper! Loose the sleeper (or use a ‘coffin sleeper’) and regain that frame space for your Smart car while still maintains the short wheel base. Makes turning in better while keeping the car carrier…… and using the camper towed RV for what it is intended to be used for …….sleeping.
how did you ever get in to this
+Roger Shellman Thanks for your question. My wife and I have owned 8 diesel pickups since before we were married. We have always been RVers - pulling trailers. As our family grew, and Gregg got more STUFF, we kept getting bigger and bigger trailers. Eventually, my tricked-out one ton dually was at the max. We were pushed around uncomfortably by our trailer and all of Gregg's STUFF that we take bush-camping in the remote areas of the Rocky Mountains. I knew there was a better way. I built my first RVHauler for our family, and it was AWESOME. Over time, others saw our RVHauler, asked me to build them an RVHauler too. The business was born. I still treat every custom RVHauler as though I am building it for my own family to enjoy.
+Gregg RVHaulers Gregg that is such a great attitude to have and your words show up in your work. I really like watching your videos. I would like to up grade to an RV Hauler from my 2012 Ram 3500. My truck pulls my 40 foot Fifth Wheel but being an old time truck driver (35+ Years) I would feel so much more Comfortable in the bigger Truck. What does something like your builds start at? Keep up the great work.!!!
Gregg RVHAULERS thanks Gregg I have almost talk the boss to look at your RV pullers ....
VERY GOOD
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The short truck doesn't ride or handle as well especially when bob tailing in any adverse weather conditions. The mid is so much nicer looking not only in length but in height as well the shorty is almost as long as it is tall so it looks all out of whack.
+Waters Louis Thanks Louis for that information. Yes, a short RVHauler is a bit "choppy" when you get into the bumps on the road as well.