M934 Expansible military truck RV conversion idea!

[ClydesdaleKevin]

So here is an idea Patti and I are seriously toying with.

With the upcoming impending costs of fixing the rear suspension on our rig, the impending rebuild of the motor with 115K on her, etc., we were playing around with the idea of getting an M934 5 ton Expansible military command truck like this one:



Doesn't look like much, eh?  But both sides slide out into full slides!



Look at the interior room when the slides are out:



You can get these things pretty cheap.  This particular one is on Craigslist in the Phoenix area for 11K, with brand new tires and batteries, and only 15K on a completely rebuilt (by the military) drivetrain.  I called, and the seller told me it has the ABS upgrade and radial tire upgrade.

I did some research on these trucks, and driven conservatively, they can get up to 12 mpg.  They are Cummins diesels with Allison 6 speed automatic transmission.

Can you imagine how cool one of these would be fixed up as an RV?  Make the inside as luxurious as you want, maybe even add an extension on the back to make a big bedroom, and then when parked the rig is nearly 14 feet wide!

OH this is tempting!  Especially since it wouldn't cost all that much over and above purchasing it if we used our current rig as a donor.

What do you all think of this idea?  Wouldn't this be the most awesome boondocking RV ever made?

Kev

[rustyescott1]

try finding parts on the road to fix will be more of a pane than what you have now. cheaper to fix what you got.better the devil you know than one you don't.

[HandyDan]

Can Patti get in and out of it?  I like the idea, but the amount of work involved would be overwhelming.  Although, with your Nature's Head toilet, all the furniture, etc., I guess it wouldn't be all that involved.  The hardest part would be the kitchen.  It is quite the concept.  Maybe you've been soaking in those hot tubs too long and the desert sun has done things. 

[ClydesdaleKevin]

LOL!  Would be one heck of a boondocking vehicle though!

Kev

[Oz]

The 5 ton is a museum piece now, just like the deuce and a half.  You'd be sorry after driving it only 20 miles on the open road... and that's just the tip of pains in the a$$ you'd have with it.

Fun thought for about 10 seconds.  Ideal if you want to live in the Aussie outback and never see a paved road again.  Otherwise...

Better off to re-think your plans on options and strike this one off the list.  It'd be a great "toy" project for someone but not at all a sensible choice for FT RVing with lots of travel involved as well.

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Still a neat thought.  Been talking to a few Army retirees that used to drive these things around, and they said the ride is pretty rough on rough roads, but not bad on paved as long as the tires are radial and the brakes were converted to ABS.

If one were to get one of these to turn into a bomb proof expedition RV, I think Air Ride seat pedestals and comfy captain's chairs would be a must...lol!

From what they told me, these things are pretty reliable, and parts for the engine and transmission, Cummins and Allison, are pretty easy to find.

Kev

[Bigjohnk99]

If it has AC I think it would be tons of fun.  Just don't forget where you park it.  That paint job may keep you from finding it.

[ClydesdaleKevin]

LOL!  Apparently they do have AC in the cab, and the expansible trailer part.  For some reason we tend to send our troops where its hot, and since these were designed as mobile command posts, gods forbid an officer gets a little sweaty, eh?

Still a neat idea we are toying with, and if the slides came out like an RV we'd be all over it.  Unfortunately they come out like folding walls that connect together...although since the outer walls do slide out, it should be possible to modify it into more conventional RV type slide outs.

Hmmmmm...

Kev