Unsubbing...nothing personal, found a different type of rig...

[Jim March]

Folks, it's been fun but I've found a different type of rig...a one-off
but professionally made "truck conversion" dated 1988, in excellent
shape complete with garage area in back for a bike.

I'll leave you with this thought: owners of classic Wanderlodges, bus
conversion people and the folks with conversions of industrial truck
frames/cabs are all barking up the same tree: rebellion against the
mass-market BS "RV Industry" that has now barely gotten out of the
"stick and staple era" (with some holdouts of course) but still isn't
doing true "industrial grade" underpinnings until you get into the $300k
range...and even THEN there are some bad news critters out there. ALL
of these "rebels" are getting tough and mechanically simple critters
that will outlast any "Winnabago" or similar mindless crap.

Wanderlodges (esp. FCs but all the pre-slideout variants) have a lot in
common with commercial trucks and that's not meant as a slam on either!

I'll hang out long enough to see if anybody comments on this.

Jim March
'88 32ft one-off "Class C" on a Ford F450 chassis, steel framed and
aluminum skinned, one of 50 made by "Hansen Haulers" and a sort of
"early ancestor" of the modern Showhauler/Renegade/Haulmark/etc "truck
conversions" now grown clear to Class 8 "semi tractor" platforms. Mine
won't have the towing capacity of anything like THAT but it's easy to
work on, gets down the road fine and is as tough as anything out there
under 20,000lbs...and it's close to dead cherry for an '88.

[ronmarabito2002]

Sorry to see you go another direction, but everyone has to choose
what he wants. Hope you get good service out of it and enjoy many
miles on the road. Email me a photo so I can have everyone look out
for you.

R.E. (Ron) Marabito, Dallas, TX 92WB40
Moderator


--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, Jim March
wrote:
> Folks, it's been fun but I've found a different type of rig...a
one-off
> but professionally made "truck conversion" dated 1988, in
excellent
> shape complete with garage area in back for a bike.
>
> I'll leave you with this thought: owners of classic Wanderlodges,
bus
> conversion people and the folks with conversions of industrial
truck
> frames/cabs are all barking up the same tree: rebellion against
the
> mass-market BS "RV Industry" that has now barely gotten out of the
> "stick and staple era" (with some holdouts of course) but still
isn't
> doing true "industrial grade" underpinnings until you get into the
$300k
> range...and even THEN there are some bad news critters out there.
ALL
> of these "rebels" are getting tough and mechanically simple
critters
> that will outlast any "Winnabago" or similar mindless crap.
>
> Wanderlodges (esp. FCs but all the pre-slideout variants) have a
lot in
> common with commercial trucks and that's not meant as a slam on
either!
>
> I'll hang out long enough to see if anybody comments on this.
>
> Jim March
> '88 32ft one-off "Class C" on a Ford F450 chassis, steel framed
and
> aluminum skinned, one of 50 made by "Hansen Haulers" and a sort of
> "early ancestor" of the modern
Showhauler/Renegade/Haulmark/etc "truck
> conversions" now grown clear to Class 8 "semi tractor" platforms.
Mine
> won't have the towing capacity of anything like THAT but it's easy
to
> work on, gets down the road fine and is as tough as anything out
there
> under 20,000lbs...and it's close to dead cherry for an '88.

[Mike Hohnstein]

Glad you're happy, enjoy the ride. I hope the unit is well insulated and the
tanks have enough capacity. I see a lot of truck conversions at the race
tracks, most have pretty lame interiors for the money spent. A large majority of
the racer guys aren't that hip on motorhome specs, but they are learning. What
tire size your Phord have and what's up with the brakes?
I have a home built toter home on an L8000 chassis. 16' lounge, 3208 well turned
up with a mini 13 speed OD. It rolls 80 at 2150. Big capacity tanks, 8 battery
house bank, 3000kw charger inverter, 7500 Quiet diesel, central air, big bath
with huge shower. It's set up like a true class C, in that the top of the cab
is cut out so the driver can stand up from the seat. Have solars on the roof,
it's a great dry camper. We stay in it for weeks at a time, but the bird is so
much nicer. The truck sits around more these days.
Mike Hohnstein
----- Original Message -----
From: Jim March
To: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Friday, May 27, 2005 8:19 PM
Subject: [WanderlodgeForum] Unsubbing...nothing personal, found a different
type of rig...


Folks, it's been fun but I've found a different type of rig...a one-off
but professionally made "truck conversion" dated 1988, in excellent
shape complete with garage area in back for a bike.

I'll leave you with this thought: owners of classic Wanderlodges, bus
conversion people and the folks with conversions of industrial truck
frames/cabs are all barking up the same tree: rebellion against the
mass-market BS "RV Industry" that has now barely gotten out of the
"stick and staple era" (with some holdouts of course) but still isn't
doing true "industrial grade" underpinnings until you get into the $300k
range...and even THEN there are some bad news critters out there. ALL
of these "rebels" are getting tough and mechanically simple critters
that will outlast any "Winnabago" or similar mindless crap.

Wanderlodges (esp. FCs but all the pre-slideout variants) have a lot in
common with commercial trucks and that's not meant as a slam on either!

I'll hang out long enough to see if anybody comments on this.

Jim March
'88 32ft one-off "Class C" on a Ford F450 chassis, steel framed and
aluminum skinned, one of 50 made by "Hansen Haulers" and a sort of
"early ancestor" of the modern Showhauler/Renegade/Haulmark/etc "truck
conversions" now grown clear to Class 8 "semi tractor" platforms. Mine
won't have the towing capacity of anything like THAT but it's easy to
work on, gets down the road fine and is as tough as anything out there
under 20,000lbs...and it's close to dead cherry for an '88.


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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Jim March]

Mike Hohnstein wrote:

> Glad you're happy, enjoy the ride. I hope the unit is well insulated
> and the tanks have enough capacity. I see a lot of truck conversions
> at the race tracks, most have pretty lame interiors for the money
> spent. A large majority of the racer guys aren't that hip on motorhome
> specs, but they are learning. What tire size your Phord have and
> what's up with the brakes?
> I have a home built toter home on an L8000 chassis. 16' lounge, 3208
> well turned up with a mini 13 speed OD. It rolls 80 at 2150. Big
> capacity tanks, 8 battery house bank, 3000kw charger inverter, 7500
> Quiet diesel, central air, big bath with huge shower. It's set up
> like a true class C, in that the top of the cab is cut out so the
> driver can stand up from the seat. Have solars on the roof, it's a
> great dry camper. We stay in it for weeks at a time, but the bird is
> so much nicer. The truck sits around more these days.
> Mike Hohnstein


19.5" tires all around, I've weighed it (6000lb front axle, 8600 rear)
and the tires on there are rated for plenty more (another 2000+ front
axle, 7400+ rear).

Tanks are a bit limited so far (60gal fresh, dual 40 gray/black) but
there's a ton more room under there and I'm having a combo black/gray
100gal added on to take the input from both factory tanks once...in
other words, I won't be pulling the existing tanks or messing with the
plumbing, instead I'll put a macerator pump on the stock output and run
"garden hose" to the input of the secondary tank. The existing tank
outlet is recessed enough (and behind a locked door) to allow leaving
the macerator pump on at all times.

I'll add a 100gal fresh as well.

Jim

[Mark Garber]

Jim, if you can I'd recomend when you add the second waste tank you set it up as
just a grey tank. If thats just not feasable, then even with the macerator I'd
put a 3" connection pipe/hose as while your doing it its probably just as easy
to put the larger conncetion in and in case you have some clumping. Will give
better drainage.

Mark, 80FC35 still in PA

Jim March wrote:
Mike Hohnstein wrote:

> Glad you're happy, enjoy the ride. I hope the unit is well insulated
> and the tanks have enough capacity. I see a lot of truck conversions
> at the race tracks, most have pretty lame interiors for the money
> spent. A large majority of the racer guys aren't that hip on motorhome
> specs, but they are learning. What tire size your Phord have and
> what's up with the brakes?
> I have a home built toter home on an L8000 chassis. 16' lounge, 3208
> well turned up with a mini 13 speed OD. It rolls 80 at 2150. Big
> capacity tanks, 8 battery house bank, 3000kw charger inverter, 7500
> Quiet diesel, central air, big bath with huge shower. It's set up
> like a true class C, in that the top of the cab is cut out so the
> driver can stand up from the seat. Have solars on the roof, it's a
> great dry camper. We stay in it for weeks at a time, but the bird is
> so much nicer. The truck sits around more these days.
> Mike Hohnstein


19.5" tires all around, I've weighed it (6000lb front axle, 8600 rear)
and the tires on there are rated for plenty more (another 2000+ front
axle, 7400+ rear).

Tanks are a bit limited so far (60gal fresh, dual 40 gray/black) but
there's a ton more room under there and I'm having a combo black/gray
100gal added on to take the input from both factory tanks once...in
other words, I won't be pulling the existing tanks or messing with the
plumbing, instead I'll put a macerator pump on the stock output and run
"garden hose" to the input of the secondary tank. The existing tank
outlet is recessed enough (and behind a locked door) to allow leaving
the macerator pump on at all times.

I'll add a 100gal fresh as well.

Jim


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