Extending a sleeper

[Junk Man]

Just wondering if anyone out there has extended an intragal sleeper to make more room for a fridge and such. What I am thinking of is extending a 50" - 60" sleeper to about 100+ inches, and dropping the forward axel of the truck. This will leave me enough room for the 5th wheel, and make a large enough sleeper that I can have plenty of room for a booth/bed, cooking facilities, and such.

The other alternative is to use a daycab, and put about a 8' - 10' box behind it, with a boot between the two. The box would be converted to hold a booth/bed and cooking equipment, etc. Again, dropping the front axel, leaving enough room for a 5th wheel.

The reason I want such a large sleeper is that I will also use the truck to pull a 5th wheel trailer with my Unimog on it when going on four wheeling trips, and the truck will be my RV on those trips.

Jeff in South Dakota
1995 Ford F-250 4X4 PSD
1992 Skamper Slide in camper
1984 Holiday Rambler 5er
1979 Mercedes Benz Unimog

 

[OLDphoneman]

Here's perhaps your solution -- -- --

http://www.doubleeagleind.com/index.html

 

[Junk Man]

That's pretty much what I am looking for, but since I am on a budget, I will have to build something myself. Lots of great ideas there though.
Thanks!

Jeff in South Dakota
1995 Ford F-250 4X4 PSD
1992 Skamper Slide in camper
1984 Holiday Rambler 5er
1979 Mercedes Benz Unimog

 

[OLDphoneman]

Here are a couple of links to Salvage Yards:

http://www.americantruck.com

http://www.rockymountaintruckparts.com

Happy Hunting !!

 

[onezman]

Junk Man,

IMO, your best bet would be to begin with a day cab with the wheelbase you need. If you add
three or four feet to the back of an existing sleeper, that will throw off the balance of the sleeper air bags. The back end of the sleeper would extend way beyond the bags. This would affect the movement of the sleeper and I would think, cause some instability for the sleeper.

onezman

 

[Junk Man]

onezman,

The problem with most daycabs is that the wheelbase is too short for what I want to do, so I need a truck that already has a sleeper, probably about a 60" one. I want to end up with 100+ inches for the sleeper.

What I was thinking of was moving the air bags back when I extended the sleeper, but I am afraid that it will be too long, and not work properly.

I'm wondering how rough the ride would be in a box mounted to the frame (like a small cargo type box), behind a daycab. I have looked at many trucks that don't have an interagal sleeper, but they all have air bags in the rear, and are attached to the cab in front, haven't seen any mounted to the frame.

Does anyone know how the Double Eagle type sleepers are mounted?

Jeff in South Dakota
1995 Ford F-250 4X4 PSD
1992 Skamper Slide in camper
1984 Holiday Rambler 5er
1979 Mercedes Benz Unimog

 

[Gary Atsma]

Junk Man- I BELIEVE the Double Eagle sleepers are solid mounted to the frame, but connected to the cab w/ a flexible boot if the air-ride cab is still desired.
BTW- I am also looking into a rig like what you want, and you might want to check in with ICT, or Indiana Custom Trucks, makers of the Sundowner line of sleepers. I've been talking to their engineer, Tom Roose, and he told me that they now also will put their interiors in a cargo-type box for those not needing a full heavy-duty over-the-road-type sleeper, at a HUGE savings of dough. Check out their website and go to the photo section where a medium-duty truck with such a box, used as an RV, is shown. These folks are super-friendly and easy to talk to. The website is www.indianacustomtrucks.com . Check it out and give Tom Roose a holler. He's a good guy and will help you in any way he can on your project without any pressure. I'm thinking along the same lines as you, trying to build a truck-RV without spending too much. I check this site all the time, so give ME a holler if you'd like to. Best of luck!

 

[Mike E]

Double Eagle's website lists all their walk-in sleepers, even their 132", as air ride but no details are given. You would probably have to email them to find out how they set them up. If you don't have the website, it is: http://www.doubleeagleind.com/index.html

Mike

 

[onezman]

Mike,

I am sure all those sleepers are mounted to the frame. Most are set on solid rubber bumpers though. That's not as nice as air ride.

I am not sure I would want to try to extend an existing air ride integral sleeper, then move the air bags back. It could work, with real good craftsman, but I have never heard of anyone doing it.

Larry

http://onezman.tripod.com/onezmans.conversions

 

[Junk Man]

After studying several trucks, I think I may look for a Freightliner. The sleepers on these are rivited, and would be easy to modify, where a Volvo appears to be welded together, and would be a lot more trouble. The Volvos seem to be more reasonably priced, but the Freightliners don't seem to be too bad. The rear ends appear to be mounted similar to the Volvo, so it should be easy to drop an axel,unlike the Kenworths.

I looked at an intregal sleeper Freightliner that had the sleeper shortened to about 18", which kind of made a supercab out of it, then it had a regular seperate sleeper mounted behind it. Something like that, only using a Double Eagle type sleeper would be about what I am looking for. I will still need to figure out how the Double Eagle type sleepers are mounted. Guess I'll keep an eye on the truck stop parking lots whenever I pass through one!

Jeff in South Dakota
1995 Ford F-250 4X4 PSD
1992 Skamper Slide in camper
1984 Holiday Rambler 5er
1979 Mercedes Benz Unimog

 

[geof]

have you contacted any of the moving companies that run coast to coast?....they have condos and bunk houses that can house 6 movers....in some comfort....geof

 

[Warpath-TC]

You saw mine right?

Before

After

2003 28' Show Hauler Motorhome on a 1995 FL 120 www.showhauler.com

 

[Junk Man]

Geof,

I have only seen a few trucks in this area with a huge sleeper. They must be more common on the coasts, and in more populated areas. I'm out in the middle on nowhere


Warpath,

I didn't realise that is what you did to yours before adding the Showhauler on the back. That's exactly what I am now thinking of, Unfortunatly mine will only have about 9-10 feet of motor home on the back.

Does your truck use a standard sleeper type boot between the cab and motorhome? I assume that the motorhome body is mounted directly to the truck frame, no air ride?

I'll have to study the build pictures of your unit again.

Jeff in South Dakota
1995 Ford F-250 4X4 PSD
1992 Skamper Slide in camper
1984 Holiday Rambler 5er
1979 Mercedes Benz Unimog

 

[volvo horse]

I have a Volvo 780 that I use as a horse hauler. I am interested in purchasing a used volvo box and creating a 4 door cab with 2 780 boxes behind for full rv interior. Has anyone seen this before/

 

[Bacsy]

I'm new here but I am building something like you are doing only don't need a sleeper that big I am using a 70" sleeper from a 93 peterbuilt I put it on a 85 S Model International. It is solid mounted on rubber bushings. I don't kow how it would ride yet.