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Highway OPie · 08-02-2011, 03:42 PM

I want to thank those who welcomed me to this net!

For Porter, I'll try and answer your questions. When I was designing the overall "look" of what I hope would resemble the project when finished, I had a few "must have's" from the Chairman of Board, my wife. One was that she didn't want the dry van box sticking up significantly higher than the sleeper, for esthetic reasons. That made us finally decide that a16' dry van box would be the right length, and since it was custom made, we spec'd the height just a bit higher than the sleeper.

When the box was mounted to the frame, the "wings" on the sleeper made it necessary to have about 24" in between the back of the sleeper and the front of the box.

Forward ahead about a year, and I am now good friends with a fellow who owns a custom fabrication shop, helping him out most days for a few hours as the shop gopher and floor sweeper. For this, I am learning all about heavy truck assembly, and disassembly.

One day he says to me, "Hey, how about we take two Pete sleepers and join them together and eliminate that 24", and make a walk-through from the sleeper to the box?"

That sounded like a pretty good offer; and now the project has started. The two "doner" bunks are now side-by-side, one interior has been removed, and I start removing the other tomorrow. Next week, the cutting and hucking will begin!

Lastly, early on in the design phase I wanted my finished motorhome to look more like a truck than a camper. That's why I kept the sleep on.

I'll try to post some pictures of the project as it moves along.

Thanks,

Highway OPie
Grand Rapids, MI

08-02-2011, 03:42 PM	#5
Highway OPie Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Posts: 74	OPie follow-up I want to thank those who welcomed me to this net! For Porter, I'll try and answer your questions. When I was designing the overall "look" of what I hope would resemble the project when finished, I had a few "must have's" from the Chairman of Board, my wife. One was that she didn't want the dry van box sticking up significantly higher than the sleeper, for esthetic reasons. That made us finally decide that a16' dry van box would be the right length, and since it was custom made, we spec'd the height just a bit higher than the sleeper. When the box was mounted to the frame, the "wings" on the sleeper made it necessary to have about 24" in between the back of the sleeper and the front of the box. Forward ahead about a year, and I am now good friends with a fellow who owns a custom fabrication shop, helping him out most days for a few hours as the shop gopher and floor sweeper. For this, I am learning all about heavy truck assembly, and disassembly. One day he says to me, "Hey, how about we take two Pete sleepers and join them together and eliminate that 24", and make a walk-through from the sleeper to the box?" That sounded like a pretty good offer; and now the project has started. The two "doner" bunks are now side-by-side, one interior has been removed, and I start removing the other tomorrow. Next week, the cutting and hucking will begin! Lastly, early on in the design phase I wanted my finished motorhome to look more like a truck than a camper. That's why I kept the sleep on. I'll try to post some pictures of the project as it moves along. Thanks, Highway OPie Grand Rapids, MI