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10-03-2016, 10:07 PM
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#1
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Junior Member
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: Lake Jackson
Posts: 4
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Hauling 2016 4runner IN my conversion
I took most of today to read through a lot of info.
I know now that i am looking for a penske truck. Because uhaul stuff can be in rough shape.
I know now that i need a 26 foot truck with the box over the cab. (mother in law box?)
I also know that i dont know jack. or squat yet.... even after all the 4x4 builds i have done and other cool fabricating and machine work,... this is a whole new animal. I am all ears.
The PLAN
I want to tuck the new 4runner in the box and tow my boat behind me.
Boat is a 16 foot john boat with a 50hp 2 stroke... 1200 lbs MAYBE trailer and all.
I will move it from job to job. These jobs are long duration.... some 2 years even. I plan to do a tiny house style build (im a hell of a builder if i have a lil direction and clarification with new things) i just remodeled my house so i am no stranger to the construction side of this.
its more the fold up everything and cram the mommy mover into the living space... part that i havnt figured out yet. I do not wish to tow 4runner and boat tandem... i hate towing tandem. And if something happened to me my wife cant get us on to the next stop towing tandem.
Huge fan of the school bud conversions you see... but i like the box trucks better.
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10-04-2016, 11:01 AM
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#2
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Junior Member
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: Lake Jackson
Posts: 4
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So... kind of a toy hauler build really.
Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk
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10-04-2016, 06:50 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: St. Paul, MN
Posts: 1,819
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Sounds great, at first. But then you have to look to all the people that have built their trucks before you and have spent more money than if they would have just bought something as close to what they wanted and do a bit of personalization. I think you'd be much better off buying a Truck Conversion and a stacker trailer. Put the 4Runner and the boat in the trailer and off you go.
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'03 Freightliner FL112, 295" wheel base, with '03 United Specialties 26' living quarters, single screw, Cat C12 430 h/p 1650 torque, Eaton 10speed , 3.42 rear axle ratio
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10-05-2016, 12:00 AM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Cincinnati
Posts: 146
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Or just buy a truck conversion with a rear garage that can fit the 4-runner. Many garage coaches with 16-18 ft living quarters and 16-20 ft garage that is intended for a real vehicle weight, not just golf carts/UTVs/motorcycles. Just search term "garage" on racingjunk.com in the RV/Toterhome section. You will get a lot of hits.
Yes the truck conversion will be longer than a 26 ft box truck. You will also have real decent size living quarters and amenities for when parked extended period of time.
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2005 Kenworth Showhauler 45 ft total length
twin screw, 450 hp ISX, 10 speed Ultrashift
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10-05-2016, 04:30 PM
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#5
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Junior Member
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: Lake Jackson
Posts: 4
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I have been looking into it.
I like everything you both said, its a matter of budget now i suppose.
Is building really more than buying?
I see a lot of contradicting info as i search the inter webs.
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10-07-2016, 10:16 AM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: St. Paul, MN
Posts: 1,819
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There's been several around here that have built their own. Some said they would never do it again and it cost way more than buying somebody else's finished project. I have absolutely no skills to make anything so that might color my viewpoint.
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'03 Freightliner FL112, 295" wheel base, with '03 United Specialties 26' living quarters, single screw, Cat C12 430 h/p 1650 torque, Eaton 10speed , 3.42 rear axle ratio
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10-07-2016, 06:53 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 527
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Not to discourage you, not the point at all, for lots of folks the build is the fun in itself. But I think most on the forum that have done it will agree that whatever your estimate for time and money, triple the time and double the money. It's not the big ticket items like a fridge or a/c that get you, it is the 142 trips to home depot for all the little stuff. And the shame is no matter how beautiful your build, when it comes time to sell it, a homebuilt camper still has the value of a homebuilt camper, not much. Take a look at some of the old build threads on the forum, ask us all lots of questions, and spend a lot of time with a notebook and calculator before you make the decision. For every "happy camper" out there that loves and enjoys the rig they built, there is at least one that is stuck with an expensive unfinished unsaleable truck. But welcome, and enjoy.
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10-19-2016, 10:50 AM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Beloit
Posts: 120
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Couldn't agree more with Hot rod. Still working on mine. It is usable now but still going to be 2 more years before I would consider it to be "complete". Time to build is definitely triple the time and cost is going to be double what I initially thought. A lot of the added time and cost for me was once I got into building it I started making it much nicer than I initially planned. With that said, to buy a comparable unit to what I will have built will be double or more of what I have invested cost wise. However if I paid myself a dollar an hour it would probably be a wash! If I had to do it over again..... I would still build one as it is something I am very proud of and have and will continue to enjoy tinkering with even when it is complete.
If you aren't going to have enjoyment out of building it yourself, DONT build it. I guess that's my 2 cents worth!
Steve
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