Building 4x4 LMTV R-Pod Overland Camper
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ก.ย. 2024
- Today I start building my second giant overland camper by combining a LMTV 4x4 military truck with a Forest River R-Pod. Watch all of my overland camper videos here: • Overland Camper Build
This is the first truck that I went and bought in my GovPlanet video. I had a lot of problems but I am working through them: • Buying a LMTV on GovPl...
Don't forget to visit my website for more updates: www.thisweekwit...
This Week With Cars - Episode 0257
#LMTV #GovPlanet #MilitaryTruck
This is the kind of crazy that is enjoyable to watch.
I love how the camper wheel arch lines up with truck tyre 😂👍
Once it is lower on the frame in the final position I hope the wheel arch actually looks good enough to keep.
You are a complete marvel. Not only do you think of doing something absolutely extraordinary but think it through and work out exactly what you need to do. Removing the bed with the forklift just for instance. Then you explain it to a camera apparently entirely on your own. Then you set up the camera so that your viewers can see it happening. This should be required viewing for college students! So many of these TH-cam videos are just people blathering on about nothing. Yours is as if you are reading a script when you clearly aren’t. My admiration gets stronger the more of them I watch. But this type of video is where you excel imho. Wandering around car shows and driving not so much. 😂
the old deuce and a half you have with the 109 Van on the back was one of the ones I worked on when I was in the MN Army National Guard. I recognize the Unit numbers. small world
Yep I picked it up in Minnesota you can see the video here: th-cam.com/video/-WGRbA8WYXg/w-d-xo.html
This is so cool. Best of both worlds. Rugged off road capabilities and a 4 star accommodations.
What's really nice about this setup is even in a flood your house and truck both would be relatively safe so unless its an extreme flood you should be safe and if it is that bad you have the capability to climb out even if the regular roads are no longer a option or become blocked
This has been one of my favorite builds. I've seen so many extensive camper shell builds, but always thought that this approach made so much sense. I've been considering this same build in this same configuration, but also considering an MTV (1085) configuration with LWB 20' bed for a slightly bigger RV install.
I couldn't wait to cruise into the campground with that rig. Well done Steve
Put air bags between the camper and truck. Eliminates all the vibrations.
This is exactly what Iv been thinking of building for years only I was going the aluminum flatbed under the camper rout and have detachable jacks to lift the camper off when u get somewhere that way u can lower the camper to a reasonable hight to get in and out and u can then use the truck to go wheeling still without the weight of the camper on its back and all your stuff flopping around in it also the truck can still be used to do work as a flatbed if u want kinda like a huge slide in truck camper but with a flat bottom and more square cool idea tho
I wanted to use the flatbed but it would have added too much height and it would have been in the way of the septic and everything else.
@@ThisWeekWithCarsI've seen alot of these. Why do it with a camper? You can just pull it with a truck, cheaper and fewer hassles.
@@bpslick4565 He's a man with a vision! Don't mess with him. I see your point. Also, with the camper in place he has greatly reduced the off-road abilities of the LMV. If the chassis articulates, it will twist and tear at the camper. but I think he mentioned that.
It does look a little incongruous but at least it fits the purpose and it’s a great way to repurpose that old truck.
As with all your videos I love the way you talk through the thought process and the things you need to consider when doing a project like this.
I think once the truck and camper are the same color it will look like it was originally built this way.
@@ThisWeekWithCars Yes, I think it will be amazing what difference a lick of paint will make.
Wow...very cool FrankenRV! Can't wait to see the rest of the build Steve!!
Rubber frame mounts then? To absorb some of that twist? Dampens the vibrations too, like the tires and "suspension" (RVs aren't known for their good suspension) would do otherwise. You don't want normal road vibrations shaking everything off the walls in the TT. Two thumbs up either way, looks like it'll be comfortable.
I am thinking of setting it on wood and using spring mounts like the military did to mount the shop box on my other truck.
I wonder if you could create a transmission tunnel in the front of the trailer. That would allow you to remove the upper frame rails and drop the trailer down that 8 or so inches. It might be worth the effort. Less chance of overhead clearance issues, easier ingress/egress, lower CG, and slightly better fuel economy.
Possibly the front of the camper is just a storage box that could be modified
Personally I'd put the camper on air bags so I could still level it without the truck being level
Wonder if you can get rid of the subframe from the bed and just keep the camper frame. Might need to modify the front to clear the trans. For mounting check out what dry vans do, rubber or wood between the frames and then pins and spring mounts.
That is pretty much the plan at this time. Time will tell how it will actually go.
Do it in the same camo when finished, and it will be super cool. Shame you could not get rid of those frame rails, it would be 4 or 5 inches lower then.
I have some ideas to make it work and bring it down a few more inches.
FOR THE LADDER, YOU COULD SLIDE A RAMP UNDER THE FRAME. I WOULD THINK ABOUT WELDING BRACKETS FROM THE TRAILER TO THE FRAME OF THE TRUCK. THE TRAILER WILL TWIST AND TWEAK UP DOWN LEFT RIGHT AND SIDE WAYS. EVEN RATCHET TWO STRAPS OVER THE TOP LIKE THE SEMI DO. AD AN AIR SCOOP IN THE FRONT. THESE TRAILERS ARE MADE CHEAPLY AND SOME ARE JUST STAPLED IN WITH 4 INCH NAILS. SO IT WILL BE INTERESTING TO SEE WHAT YOU COME UP WITH.
A ramp would be great if it doesn’t end up having to be really long.
If you painted the edge of those solar panels on the m35 military green. you wouldnt notice them at all
That's a helluva camper, hope we get to see you out on a trip with it.
Saw this pop up on my feed and of course I need more of this! New subscriber getting ready to binge watch, apparently. 🚚🤠
I would love to do this with a different truck and horse trailer set up. Turn into toy hauler/living!
Cool
Good thing you don't suffer from fear of heights with this new camper.
This rig is going to be so cool. LMTV rigs are my favorite. They are worth more than other rigs but much cheaper to make..if that makes any sense. You can pay $5000-$20000 for a vehicle that the us government paid over $100,000 for. It is a better value imo...depending on the cost and condition of the lmtv. I love your project i hope to do something similar in the near future
Steve, you could make a heck of a trailer out of that bed.
I thought about that all I have to do is combine all the left over parts!
I know this is not the finished product but it is a good idea to put it on the truck first. You can now work out how best to modify it so that it is a better fit. It is going to be a great build though as most of it is done I will be looking forward to the next stage. Thanks for the video Steve very interesting 👍 👍.BTW how about locking the ladder in some rails on the underside of the camper?
Holy crap Steve, lol. Your going to have to join the R Pod forum now, I hear there are 1000,s of members. They are going to freak out 😁
Wouldn't they be upset with what I have done?
@@ThisWeekWithCars Not at all, its just so unusual that some would say blasphemy...how dare you remove the axles..lol.
Nice job, I like all your cars in the shop.
Little worried for you. Just a strap here. Only on bolt here and four bolts there. Sounds like that thing might bust apart on you as you drive down the road!! Good luck with it! Still looks like fun.
You need to watch the next video.
I am looking forward to seeing this build. If it was my build I would look for a trailer with a side door and put the flat side towards the cab
The door would be on the side of traffic if you did that.
With the round part in the back you would not be able to have a ladder or mount other things on the back.
Awesome great video and nice setup
Thanks!
Awesome 👍 Truck's 💪 lots of power, I've always wanted one of those those trucks it's Sooooo Expensive out here on Guam for of those great job guys.
Opps with the ladder, happens to me all too often.
Nice easy setup
I love your stuff! It looks like a perfect zombie apocalypse vehicle.
This week with cars this is very important I went to give away about like a couple months ago and still not received the generator
Awesome, my son has the same rig with the same plan.
Very cool!
Grea stuff!
Nice work Steve!
You have already likely been exploring the alternator.... but if you have not.... the A0 and A1 truck alternators are bad news. Quality product.. just under spec.ed by military. They just dont produce enough juice to run the truck. You will have to address this very soon or you will have plethora of problems that get expensive fast.
Awesome build and great video tour of everything 😄
More to come!
We need an update on the condition of the canper after being over rough ground and up in the air. Those things arent make for alot of sudden racking and hard jolts. Just curious
It's just fine it probably rides easier on there than it does if you ran over pot holes and curbs with those tiny trailer tires. Tires that are 47" tall can make most rocks feel like pebbles.
Good idea
This is AWESOME 👏 Absolutely love it!
Thank you very much!
Good one mate 👍
COOL!!
super awesome!!
Steve you have the coolest stuff in the world, incredible collection. Are you going to wrap the R-Pod, camo style??
You do some crazy things. Will it fit under bridges?
Any bridge a truck can drive under.
What is the total height with the ac unit included?
What is the length of the RPOD after cutting the frame? Trying to figure out the overall length of cargo area on the LMVT
Flabbergasted... is the camper lighter than the bed? Also how tall is it with that a/c unit. It looks like you may be finding alternate routes to bypass some overpasses. A rather ingenious build can't wait to what you juryrig installing it. Good luck 👍
It should be well under 13 foot total when I am done. The camper is heavier than the bed and weighs 2500 pounds. The sides of the bed were made of aluminum so it was not that heavy, but it took a lot of force to get it lifted off the frame initially because it was rusty between the bed and frame.
Paint the camper army green
I'd figure out a way to insulate the underside of the camper.
The R Pods are insulated underneath from the factory
@ThisWeekWithCars not enough however. And being even higher off the ground they will freeze the tanks quickly
Would be cool if you could articulate the camper somehow, so that you can park the truck on uneven ground and be able to level the camper independently.
I had hoped that the jacks on the trailer weren’t junk and I could use them for leveling but no dice they can hardly support the trailer as it was.
If the door was on the side, rather than the back, would you have mounted the camper backwards?
Awesome video. Do you have a 240sx ?? That would make a cool video.
why leave the camper jacks on?
They were removed
What model RPOD is this? It's pretty nice.
Might be difficult to get the awning down.
It is fully electric on a switch inside.
Did you think about taking the box off the other truck and putting on the LMT. I guess Frame rails might need to be extended
I did think about it but it will be really nice to have a real bathroom and shower and I never intended to build that into the other one. Here is Part 6 in the build of that truck if you want to see what it is like today: th-cam.com/video/JtgNAN-KAGU/w-d-xo.html
What kind of MPG do you think that thing will get?
It would look better if you could turns it around
what was the weight capacity of that forklift?
Where did you purchase your 90 degree electrical plug for the RV?! I have been looking for on of those for two years! Do you know the manufacturer? Is there a 50 AMP plug?!
It came with the camper, maybe Forest River would tell you where to get one.
how long is your trailer?
CAN YOU PUT A TRAP DOOR IN THE FLOOR?
Possibly. The underside of the camper is insulated so atm I am not sure if there is any open space down there.
Don't think you needed to remove the bed it would have been cool to put the camper in the back
It would have been way over legal height.
You found evidence of a flimsy camper build whilst making this video. Unfortunately that is typical. The main construction method is staples. There's no way this camper will match the off-road durability of the truck.
I know, if you have seen other motorhomes I own I don't have anything else as poorly built as this. I think I can use it as a good base to start from and make it better from here. I am curious if rhino lining the camper would make it very durable on the outside.
Actually, RPods are made with a welded aluminum frame and Azdel composite walls, much more durable than stick and tin campers 👍
@@steveoh9838 You are correct that the side walls are aluminum frame. The front and rear walls, the roof and the cabinets are framed with wood, no doubt using staples.
Fuck gas mileage
nice way to ruin a perfect truck
Tell me u r rotten rich without telling
Well he did manage to figure out the electrical systems of the truck, did he work on them for Gov? Catching an incorrect relay is impressive. Personally loved the storage of classic British cars on shelves. So yep there is some dough here but he ain't wasting it in cancun or Vegas, and is not afraid to get his hands dirty.