New Member and my Rig

[David Jack]

Hi Everyone,

I am new member. Looking forward to advice and ideas.

Here are some photos of my rig. It is a 1963 Jeep FC170 with a 1976 Trillium Jubilee. It is powered by a Merecedes OM617 Turbo Diesel.

My wife and I lived in it this summer working on my forestry graduate work research (I built it from scratch last winter). Hoping to revamp the inside, add solar power, and paint the outside.

Here are photos of build:
http://s349.photobucket.com/albums/q...edjjack/fc170/

Cheers,

David

[Orlen Wolf]

Now that's what I call a flat out boondock special. How does it do on asphalt?

[Glenn Baglo]

David,

That's one heck of a project, and I hope to follow it to completion. But, isn't it a bit impractical in this age of rising gas prices? And, if you run out of beer or smokes, you've got to pack up the whole rig to get to the beer store.

I guess you could tow another egg behind and make it a two bedroom, leaving it behind when picking up supplies.

Or, you could get a Harley. That would solve the problem.

I just have to see how this evolves.

baglo

[David Jack]

Not to bad on the ashfault (still have a few bugs to workout at the end of the field season). It has modern axles (dana60 and dana44) with big 1 ton brakes and a power booster system. It runs a 1982 turbo diesel that can push it pretty good (probably weights 4000LBS) with the stock 4 speed automatic into a divorced transfercase to split the power front and back. Geared to run at 100km/h or 60mph.

Drives a lot like a 63 Leafsprung Jeep.

Cheers
David

[April Wilcox]

Nice Rig!

[David Jack]

Mercedes 3.0L diesel is pretty good on fuel. I am building up a 1982 Honda Ascot 500 single for the back bumper. Also, hopes of switching to used fryer oil.

Cheers

[Glenn Baglo]

Mercedes 3.0L diesel is pretty good on fuel. I am building up a 1982 Honda Ascot 500 single for the back bumper. Also, hopes of switching to used fryer oil.

Cheers

And, what do you do in your spare time?

baglo

[Orlen Wolf]

Mercedes 3.0L diesel is pretty good on fuel. I am building up a 1982 Honda Ascot 500 single for the back bumper. Also, hopes of switching to used fryer oil.

Cheers

Wow! A good diesel to power the rig and a thumper to head into the backwoods.

One question. Did you consider setting a pair of rails on the frame and rollers under the Trillium so you could make the trailer detachable? Sort of like a roll-off trash bin. That way you could have the trailer on top for multi-stop trips and roll it off for long stays. Just an idea. Probably a lot of work but would be a lot of fun. And it would make the rig even more unique.

BTW - Long ago in a galaxy far away I built up a tow vehicle for my stickie camper. Toyota FJ55 Land Cruiser with 292 Chevy in-line six, Muncie 465 transmission with Ranger 10 overdrive spliced to a Toyota transfer case. Winches front and back. PTO driven generator/welder. On-board compressed air. It was great for getting the trailer into (and out of) the backwoods of northern Maine. Sure wish I had a fiberglass rig back then and wish I still had the Toyota now. The stickie didn't like the "roads" I took her down.

[David Jack]

Spare time is working on a PhD in forestry (do not completely fit the "Acadwmic mold").

Toyota sounded nice (I spent a lot of time searching for glass trailer I could afford (the neighbour to the shop I built the truck in sold me the trailer for $1200. (most expensive part of the build)).

Cheers

[Coach George Jessup]

Great setup

Great Donor vehicle.

GREAT engine

Run it on VEGGIE!! the 617A slurps it up and loves it.

Im in longggggggg slowwwwwwww process of something simular. 62 Unimog with same engine as yours. Will run on veggie with on board centrifuge for cleaning/dewatering waste oils for fuel. Already have the components for that and the background study.

Adding a cut down big rig sleeper cab as passenger space. Will go rest a short flat bed and mount a 5th wheel scamp egg on a pintal Military trailer as a tug behind.

Was going to go your route of fiberglass egg as camper box, but changed my mind. Have determined the tall European Style Expedition Campers too limiting on where you can use them in the US due to height.

My thought is as a trailer I can drop it off for trips like the Rubicon. Will have some sort of pop up camper on the bed or just use the sleeper box for camping when the trailer is left behind.

[Coach George Jessup]

Did you sold mount the trailer to the chassis or incorporate its OEM suspension to keep the offroad bounce from beating it up? Im leaning toward some sort of suspension for my trailer when I mount it to my old Airforce generator trailer. Idea is to get it to float above the trailer some.

[David Jack]

Did you sold mount the trailer to the chassis or incorporate its OEM suspension to keep the offroad bounce from beating it up? Im leaning toward some sort of suspension for my trailer when I mount it to my old Airforce generator trailer. Idea is to get it to float above the trailer some.

I built a subframe of 5 bars that cross the frame: http://s349.photobucket.com/albums/q396/th...nt=IMGP4552.jpg

and then I bolted to this frame with at 8 points through the trailer frame to the sub frame with 1/2 inch grade 8 bolts. It is supper solid and the stock chassis is on rebuilt stock spring packs with airshocks in the back (Needs another leaf up front as it site low with the diesel in it). I am moving the rear tank out so I can lower the camper 4 inches plus and maybe put it on ruber body mounts (that was the original plan just never found urithane body mounts in time for field season).

love to see some photos of the Unimog. My rig is more for fire roads and de-activated roads then hard core 4x4.

Cheers

[Coach George Jessup]

sorry my gears are turning cause I have but longgggg hard thoughts into this for years

To ballance out the look of yours and to improve storage you might consider a roof rack over your cab. Make it an external roll cage is your best bet too. Many expedition campers have this anyway. This will functionally balance out the odd look of lower cab than camper box.

Another way to functionaly clean up the look is to steal from Merex their idea of a sheet metal perforated (alluminum?)l shell that hides some stuff in the back of their cab. On yours though hook it to the camper box? to make the box look more squared off to the cab. Can tuck some stuff into there too for storage.. or high mounted small Gen set??

Small Hellgeth version is orange in this picture.found here; its orange in this picture.

or Merex's larger version of this idea




Hellgeth's version is actually a ROP (Roll over protection). Could some contortion of that at the back of your cab on yours too encorporating a Rop. Impartant even for a non hardcore rigs. Cranium protection for family or you not real good in those old FC's

Consider and external roll cage skeleton for you Camper Box too.

As to the roll off on rails.... its been done. A Fuso 4wd and they installe a hydraulic tilt bed like used on roll back wreckers. It was a SWEET setup.

[Wayne D]

Never underestimate the ingenuity or creativity of the FGRV owner... Sweet.

[Coach George Jessup]

...love to see some photos of the Unimog. My rig is more for fire roads and de-activated roads then hard core 4x4.

My mog is in pieces right now.

If your frame ever flexed before guess it does not now LOL. The 404 unimog cab and rear whatever (fire box, camper, troop carrier, etc etc) are mounted one of two basic ways that allow for the box to pivot. Actually it allows the frame to flex under the thing with out ripping whats above it to shreads.... even engine and tranny is on pivot mounts.

Anyway.... having something to take stress off the egg mount might be good. The warning in here by experienced egg folk is where the glass is attached to the subframe is not inteneded for the vibrations and may rip things slowly apart. Maybe even just some sort of tiny airbag... maybe a bunch of Big rig cab shocks?? They are pretty cool. Might can copy how they design the cab mount and shocks in the 18wheelers, just apply it to the camper box?? damn now you got my head thinking lol

4" lower will look good and be much more functional.

Happy trails man.

[Valerie G]

I love it!!!! its totally quirky and neatl!

[dsheets70]

What a sweet truck. Reminds me of my grandad's duce and a half GMC straight six.

Six by Six. It was an old army truck that was rebuilt back in the 70's. It's delapidated now, but I loved that truck. It had a flat bed with a roller pin on the back and PTO winch we used to roll up water well equipment on the back of it as needed.
I like your idea.

[Coach George Jessup]

was the FC a divorced Tcase? Looks like Im seeing a Divorced T case (dana20 or 18?) and the OEM MB tranny. What ratio did you go with in the axles to match the 617 pumper?

It's been awhile since I did it but you can twin stick that T if it is a Dana 20/18 case.... but from your fab skills Im sure you know that.

[David & Leslie]

Welcome, David and thanx for the pics of your interesting outfit. Looking forward to more photos as the work progresses. Take care, L 'n D

[David Jack]

was the FC a divorced Tcase? Looks like Im seeing a Divorced T case (dana20 or 18?) and the OEM MB tranny. What ratio did you go with in the axles to match the 617 pumper?

It's been awhile since I did it but you can twin stick that T if it is a Dana 20/18 case.... but from your fab skills Im sure you know that.

I have 4.09 gears in the axles (Unimog must be at least 6.00?). I still need a speedo cable (18 feet need to custom order one when the funds come up and still have to rig a tach (no ignition, though a pulse generator is there just non funtioning).

I went with a 1970 dodge NP205 divorced case (very tough, too strong for the application), it is set up for twin sticks (though no shifter built yet, you have to manually shift it outside). Shifters in the cab forward are an issue!!! I did build a shifter for the automatic to the cab and a great power brake. I want to put a PTO generator on it one day, however a few solar panals would surve my power needs (in three months I used 3AA batteries, 4 D batteries, and 20lbs propane for my wife and me, I never even hooked up the house batteries (+18 litres of water per week)).

I just ordered my first bolt in part a electric conversion for the vaccum motor for the windsheild wipers (not many Jeep FC made and most rusted away in farmers fields).

The subframe mounts to the stock pickup box mounts (had a 9.5 foot box from the factory and I slide the axle back to the end of the frame to fit the in a rear driveshaft). Frame has some flex (the all are cracked behind the cab between the box (the end of the factory frame boxing). The frame I had professionally welded included the front crossmemeber for the OM617 from the 300SD. Like to mabe go standard one day (after grad school).

Thanks everyone for the positive feedback!!!!