In December of 2008 I decided to pack it all in and hit the road. Load up my dogs and my bikes and go wander through what's left of the wild west, keeping an eye out for places where I might eventually like to buy some land and build a place to live. Had been living up in Bend, OR for the last 4-5yrs and spent a lot of time exploring different parts of the Pacific NorthWest (mostly on dirtbikes). Been all over the west coast wheeling and camping in different vehicles that I've built over the years. But my wanderlust goes back much further, to the days I spent playing in the wilderness as a kid, looking forward to a time when I'd be able to set out on bigger adventures. When I was about 19yrs old I started making plans to build a custom motorhome out of an old schoolbus. Was going to haul my bikes and my Jeep around in the back of it. Had it in my head that I was going to spend my life traveling around the country/world writing about my adventures, and would do this all under the Trails Less Traveled (www.trailslesstraveled.com) banner. Was almost exactly 10yrs later that I found myself in a position to follow-through on what it felt like I'd been planning all my life.

The decision to build a deuce and a half was a simple process of elimination. Did a ton of research on different vehicles and didn't find anything else that was comparable and I could, 1) afford, and, 2) get in the US. After finding out that I could buy a deuce for a fraction of what a decent 1-ton pickup truck would cost me, it was a done deal. After learning all about the different variations of these vehicles, I settled on an M109, which is just a basic deuce and a half (M35A2) with an insulated 12ft box on the back of it (instead of the regular cargo bed). Ended up finding one for sale, listed right here in the Pirate classifieds section (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=734308). Drove down to Lake Shasta from Bend and bought mah deuce for $3500 from Ed (Hammer (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/member.php?u=16)). You can buy trucks straight from military surplus for a lot less, but couldn't afford the uncertainty that goes along with buying surplus.

There's nothing particularly unusual about traveling/living in a motorhome, but the imposing nature of mah deuce tends to give people the wrong idea. A lot of people see a military vehicle and assume that I must be preparing for the apocalypse, and a surprising number of people try to relate to me like that nutjob in the military surplus store in the movie Falling Down (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106856/quotes?qt0272862). They want to tell me all about their bunkers and their stockpile of weapons and food and whatever. Like we're brothers in arms or something. Creeps me out. But this is just a motorhome, much like any other motorhome, except that I want to be able to travel and live unsupported for extended periods of time, in some pretty remote places.


This is what it looked like when I picked it up.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/recovery_01.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/recovery_02.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/recovery_03.jpg

life on the road

about me

dogs
post 189 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12611638#post12611638) (pirate build-thread)


becoming homeless (on purpose)

why?
post 1 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12508117#post12508117) (pirate build-thread)


getting ready

research & planning
looking for cool places to live in Central/SW OR (http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=376303) (advrider.com (http://www.advrider.com/forums/))
Laid off people turned Ex-Pats Living on the CHEAP? (http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=526283) (advrider.com (http://www.advrider.com/forums/))
organizing / prioritizing / liquidating
post 6 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12508552#post12508552) (pirate build-thread)
storage options
post 15 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12509114#post12509114) (pirate build-thread)
residency
post 195 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12613277#post12613277) (pirate build-thread)



vehicle

choosing a vehicle / platform to build on

research & planning
post 1 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12508117#post12508117), 50 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12512566#post12512566), 60 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12513831#post12513831), 64 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12517817#post12517817) (pirate build-thread)
inspiration (other custom-built motorhomes)
Lets see your expedition rigs (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=675582) (pirate4x4.com (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/))
larger expedition vehicles (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=857692) (pirate4x4.com (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/))
military expedition rigs (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=763664) (pirate4x4.com (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/))
MV RV/Camper Conversion - Pics, Info (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/members-rides/61529-mv-rv-camper-conversion-pics-info.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
M916 for RV Build Project (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/5-ton-mods-hot-rodding/61439-m916-rv-build-project.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
M146 Camper (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/trailers/43889-m146-camper.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
Buggy as an expedition vehicle? (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=766843) (pirate4x4.com (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/))
F-700 4x4 Camper (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=933305) (pirate4x4.com (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/))
Libelula Thread (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3898) (expeditionportal.com (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/))
Eco-Roamer - F650 based Expedition Vehicle (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8936) (expeditionportal.com (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/))
Project "Uhauler" (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=21709) (expeditionportal.com (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/))
M35 / M109-specific research & planning
M35A2 bobbed as Expedition Vehicle? (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/34376-m35a2-bobbed-expedition-vehicle.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
M109 towing a trailer: stock, bobbed or singled? (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/31918-m109-towing-trailer-stock-bobbed-singled.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
full length 4x4 deuce (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/56738-full-length-4x4-deuce.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
Making a Deuce a (better) highway vehicle? (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/46135-making-deuce-better-highway-vehicle.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
M109 A3 RVs? Who has one? (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/25523-m109a3-rvs-who-has-one.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
Has anyone built a big slide-in "truck" camper for a M35 Deuce? (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/49855-has-anyone-built-big-slide-truck-camper-m35-deuce.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
My new ride M109A3 (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/members-rides/37068-my-new-ride-m109a3.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
M109a3 (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/7462-m109a3.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
Extreme Expedition Vehicle (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/56028-extreme-expedition-vehicle.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
Deuce + Shelter = Camper RV (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/20894-duece-shelter-camper-rv.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
M109A3 conversion in progress, setting the standard (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/46776-m109a3-conversion-progress-setting-standard.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
Not another M109 camper conversion (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/49196-not-another-m109-camper-conversion.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
M109 Live-in Rig - Spacial Transformations style (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/members-rides/54442-camper-m109-spacial-transformations-style.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
Camper/Motorhome Conversion Thoughts (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/7655-camper-motorhome-conversion-thoughts.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
sustained top speed (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/engine-drivetrain/32967-sustained-top-speed.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
Project Off-Grid M109A3 w/w log (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/55385-project-off-grid-m109a3-w-w-log.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
M109 Camper Completed (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=27603) (expeditionportal.com (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/))
M35A3 Custom Camper (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=37438) (expeditionportal.com (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/))
The Deuce (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10497) (expeditionportal.com (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/))
deuce and a half (general information about the M35A2 / M109A3)
post 150 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12580825#post12580825), 181-182 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12602063#post12602063) (pirate build-thread)
M35 wikipedia page (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M35_2½_ton_cargo_truck)
steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php)
purchasing an M35A2 / M109
M109A1 - Easily convert to a military RV! (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=734308) (pirate4x4.com (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/))
M109 in Bend, OR (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/requirements-new-members/31269-m109-bend.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
parts needed for an M109 in PNW (OR) (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/31381-parts-needed-m109-pnw.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
licensing
Weigh Stations (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=23362) (expeditionportal.com (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/))
registration
insurance
international travel
EUC needed / travel restrictions in North / Central America (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/euc-help/13702-euc-needed-travel-restrictions-north-central-america.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))


general vehicle maintenance

service manuals
post 105 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12538835#post12538835), 116 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12539458#post12539458), 138-139 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12548211#post12548211), 141-145 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12548694#post12548694), 156-157 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12584837#post12584837) (pirate build-thread)
TM index (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/41025-tm-index.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
inspection, lubrication & general maintenance
post 116-119 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12539458#post12539458) (pirate build-thread)
changing fluid, filters & chasing down leaks (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/41044-changing-fluids-fliters-chasing-down-leaks.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
tools required


exterior modifications (vehicle)

cab-swap
post 51 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12512597#post12512597), 158-169 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12585053#post12585053) (pirate build-thread)
M66 Cab Reinforcement Plates (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/34528-m66-cab-reinforcement-plates.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
hardtop
post 183 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12604705#post12604705), 186-188 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12608398#post12608398), 217 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12623856#post12623856), 221 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12625137#post12625137), 225 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12625900#post12625900), 228 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12626769#post12626769), 230 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12627536#post12627536), 233-234 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12629259#post12629259), 237 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12632192#post12632192), 241-245 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12632852#post12632852) (pirate build-thread)
roofrack
post 188 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12611286#post12611286), 225 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12625900#post12625900) (pirate build-thread)
A3 hood
post 218-220 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12623900#post12623900), 222-224 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12625858#post12625858), 226-227 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12625932#post12625932), 229 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12627509#post12627509) (pirate build-thread)
security
post 231-232 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12629091#post12629091), 236 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12632160#post12632160) (pirate build-thread)
Pics of Hood Locks? (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/35004-pics-hood-locks.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
protection (bumpers, skidplates, etc.)
post 160 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12585083#post12585083)
Deuce Skid Plates (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/44552-deuce-skid-plates.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
headlight mounts as taillight guards (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/36728-headlight-mounts-taillight-guards.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
increasing reliability and offroad performance (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/51628-increasing-reliability-offroad-performance.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
cold-weather preparations
Winter Fronts installation (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/43090-winter-fronts-instalation.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
storage
Over winch motorcycle mount (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/conversations/49015-over-winch-motorcycle-mount.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))


cabin modifications

research & planning
post 100 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12525906#post12525906) (pirate build-thread)
insulation (temp & noise)
post 65-68 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12517900#post12517900), 172-180 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12591218#post12591218) (pirate build-thread)
ways to lessen the noise inside the cab? (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/35880-ways-lessen-noise-inside-cab.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
Aircraft Insulation in the Deuce (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/46452-aircraft-insulation-deuce.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
insulating cab (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=38832) (expeditionportal.com (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/))
heating/cooling
see motorhome conversion section
seats
post 100 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12525906#post12525906) (pirate build-thread)
springer seats (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/54578-springer-seats.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
Air ride seats (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/33409-air-ride-seats.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
other types of seats (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/46966-other-types-seats.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
heated seats kit (carbon fiber) (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=35701) (expeditionportal.com (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/))
harnesses
rollcage
post 170 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12590490#post12590490), 183 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12604705#post12604705) (pirate build-thread)
CNC bending & laser-notching (http://www.race-dezert.com/forum/showthread.php/91984-CNC-tube-bending-amp-laser-notching?p=1240559#post1240559) (race-dezert.com (http://www.race-dezert.com/forum/))
Roll bar (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/2788-roll-bar.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
instrumentation
ISSPRO Turbocator Pyro / Boost Gauge (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/32326-isspro-turbocator-pyro-boost-gauge.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
inclinometer (or tilt-o-meter...) suggestions (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=25552) (expeditionportal.com (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/))
lighting
Cargo area light (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/39700-cargo-area-light.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
center console & misc. accessories


engine

research & planning
stock 2.5-ton multifuel engine (general information)
post 50 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12512566#post12512566) (pirate build-thread)
how does the multifuel engine actually work? (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/44802-how-does-multifuel-engine-actually-work.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
Why 2650rpm max? (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/60607-why-2650rpm-max.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
5-ton multifuel engine upgrade
post 50 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12512566#post12512566), 51 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12512597#post12512597), 164 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12585239#post12585239) (pirate build-thread)
LDS VS LDT and the real differences (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/56041-lds-vs-ldt-real-differences.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
planning an LDS swap (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/47081-planning-lds-swap.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
Re-Powering The Deuce With a 5-Ton LDS-465-1A (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/12675-re-powering-deuce-5-ton-lds-465-1a-engine.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
injection
1 or 2 hole injectors (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/5411-1-2-hole-injectors.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
how to identify LDS & LDT pumps (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/47409-how-identify-lds-ldt-injection-pumps.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
turbo upgrade
post 67 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12518016#post12518016) (pirate build-thread)
Which Turbo For My LDS? (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/5-ton-up/45047-turbo-my-lds.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
Will a "C" turbo work on an LDS 465 1A engine? (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/33965-will-c-turbo-work-lds-465-1a-engine.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
d turbo for c turbo (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/40341-d-turbo-c-turbo.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
packing pellets in my new turbo... (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/41354-packing-pellets-my-new-turbo.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
turbo porting (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/41365-turbo-porting.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
wastegates / blow-off valves (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/45669-wastegates-blow-off-valves.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
intercoolers
M52a2 air to air intercooler (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/5-ton-up/43109-m52a2-aia-air-intercooler.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
Multifuel engine intercooler (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/4355-multifuel-engine-intercooler.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
runaway engine cutoff
Runaway Multifuel cutoff? (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/36672-runaway-multifuel-cutoff.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
air filtration
adding a muffler
post 65-66 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12517900#post12517900) (pirate build-thread)
lubrication & oil filtration upgrades
post 117 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12539575#post12539575), 126-127 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12542025#post12542025) (pirate build-thread)
Spinner II Centrifugal Oil Bypass Filter (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/32207-spinner-ii-centrifugal-oil-bypass-filter.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
Engine Prelube Info.... (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/10948-engine-prelube-info.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
Pre / Post Lubrication System...Done. (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/21126-pre-post-lubrication-system-done.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
cooling system upgrades
post 254-255 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12639204#post12639204) (pirate build-thread)
radiator expansion/recovery tank (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/47141-radiator-expansion-recovery-tank.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
Coolant Filter Installation - Which way to plumb (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/40695-coolant-filter-installation-way-plumb.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
crankcase vent -> CCV system
Deuce crankcase breather filter details (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/3257-deuce-crankcase-breather-filter-details.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
slobber tube (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/60173-slobber-tube.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))


transmission

research & planning
tranny lube? (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/2703-tranny-lube.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
overdrive gears available soon (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/14728-overdrive-gears-available-soon.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
Allison Behind the Multifuel (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/56952-allison-behind-multifuel.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
road ranger 10 speed to multifuel? (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/40529-road-ranger-10-speed-multifuel.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
Spicer 5 Speed in an A3 (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/64336-spicer-5-speed-a3.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
custom shifter
post 214-216 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12621669#post12621669) (pirate build-thread)
transmission upgrade


transfer-case

maintenance
post 119-121 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12539684#post12539684), 128 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12543338#post12543338) (pirate build-thread)
research & planning
Slipping out of high (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/14890-slipping-out-high.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
modifying the transfercase shifter (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/52308-modifying-transfercase-shifter.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
1st replacement
think I need to find another transfercase - looking for an air-shift unit (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/40969-think-i-need-find-another-transfercase-looking-air-shift-unit.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
replacing transfer-case seals (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/47306-replacing-transfer-case-seals.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
before I install this transfer-case... (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/46995-before-i-install-transfer-case.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
2nd replacement
PTO unit
post 119-121 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12539684#post12539684) (pirate build-thread)
transfercase PTO specifications (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/54801-transfercase-pto-specifications.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))


steering

research & planning
fail-proofing full hydro steering (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=903763) (pirate4x4.com (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/))
fail-proofing full hydro steering (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/54804-fail-proofing-full-hydro-steering.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
Power steering for the Deuce? (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/15916-power-steering-deuce.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
5 ton mf power steering pump on m35a2 (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
End all powersteering mod (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/37803-end-all-powersteering-mod-4.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
hyd power steering info (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/14444-hyd-power-steering-info.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
Deuce power steering conversion (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/2909-deuce-power-steering-conversion.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
deuce power steering gear boxes (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/57874-deuce-power-steering-gear-boxes.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
full hydraulic steering conversion


suspension

research & planning
big tires = big shocks - WITH DATA (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/45109-big-tires-big-shocks-data.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
rear shocks (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/35696-rear-shocks-i-searched.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
Air ride suspension on a deuce (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/33087-air-ride-suspension-deuce.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
5 ton air suspension (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/5-ton-up/49815-5-ton-air-suspension.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
m915a1 with airbag rear suspension (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/5-ton-up/54458-m915a1-airbag-rear-suspension.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
Hendrickson International (http://www.hendrickson-intl.com/products/) (air-ride suspension mfg)
axle chain-up brackets
driving with one wheel/tire/axle off the ground (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/34885-driving-one-wheel-tire-axle-off-ground.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))


axles

maintenance
post 105-107 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12538835#post12538835), 118 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12539594#post12539594) (pirate build-thread)
take a look at these wheel bearings & brake pads / drums (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/40699-take-look-these-wheel-bearings-brake-pads-drums.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
Front axle seals and boots stepXstep (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/8460-front-axle-seals-boots-stepxstep.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
research & planning
what's the rockwell lug pattern? (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=786029) (pirate4x4.com (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/))
trying to calculate scrub radius on 2.5-ton rockwell axle (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=862464) (pirate4x4.com (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/))
5 ton axles on a deuce? (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/1838-5-ton-axles-duece.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
locking differentials, axleshafts & locking hub upgrades
Deuce lockout hubs (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/30890-deuce-lockout-hubs.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
Lockout hubs (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/36943-lockout-hubs.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
air locking rockwell axle (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/57434-air-locking-rockwell-axle.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
limited slip on M35A2? (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/43127-limited-slip-m35a2.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
So you want to go faster? (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/38860-so-you-want-go-faster.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))


brakes

maintenance
post 105-107 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12538835#post12538835) (pirate build-thread)
take a look at these wheel bearings & brake pads / drums (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/40699-take-look-these-wheel-bearings-brake-pads-drums.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
research & planning
remote brake fluid reservoir (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/42401-remote-brake-fluid-reservoir.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
Split Brakes (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/42803-split-brakes.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
Split brake system (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/28531-split-brake-system.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
dual wheel cylinders (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/54465-dual-wheel-cylinders.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
Airpack modification for towing (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/23611-airpack-modification-towing.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
5-ton air-pack on Deuce? (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/48112-5-ton-air-pack-deuce.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
Dot 5 Brake Fluid (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/44026-dot-5-brake-fluid.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
switching from DOT 5 to DOT 4 brake fluid (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/45663-switching-dot-5-dot-4-brake-fluid.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
Would there be any interest in an all Stainless steel brake line kit for a deuce? (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/51804-would-there-any-interest-all-stainless-steel-brake-line-kit-deuce.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
Saw an air braked M35a2 yesterday (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/57553-saw-air-braked-m35a2-yesterday.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
Deuce M35 Air Brake Modification (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/51725-deuce-m35-air-brake-modification.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
Hydro-Max Brake Assist (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/16065-hydro-max-brake-assist-pics-added-long-read.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
HydraMax conversion


wheels & tires

research & planning
post 69 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12518419#post12518419) (pirate build-thread)
tire mileage (lifespan) (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/35697-tire-mileage-lifespan.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
front tire wear on the deuce (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/41220-front-tire-wear-deuce.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
11.00R20's on modified HEMTT wheels (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/40502-11-00r20s-modified-hemtt-wheels.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
Finally got my 11:00 20Rs mounted! (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/37903-finally-got-my-11-00-20rs-mounted.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
Official Deuce Aftermarket Wheel Thread (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/45113-official-deuce-aftermarket-wheel-thread.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
Canadian MLVW wheels on M35A2C (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/48204-canadian-mlvw-wheels.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
what's the rockwell lug pattern? (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=786029) (pirate4x4.com (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/))
10 bolt hubs for Deuce (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/36285-10-bolt-hubs-deuce.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
making your truck a tank, or converting your Deuce to a tracked vehicle (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/32122-making-your-truck-tank-converting-your-deuce-tracked-vehicle.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
converting stock wheels to tubeless (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/50182-converting-stock-wheels-tubeless.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
Tyrepliers (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/conversations/57693-tyrepliers.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
building custom wheels
post 74-84 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12518974#post12518974), 112-113 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12539084#post12539084), 133-136 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12545365#post12545365), 133-136 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12545365#post12545365) (pirate build-thread)
flipping the center-sections in riveted wheels (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/47925-flipping-center-sections-riveted-wheels.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
Jesus Gatos wheel center flip (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/56865-jesus-gatos-wheel-center-flip.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
tires
post 69 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12518419#post12518419), 76 ([url=http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12519244#post12519244), 79-81 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12519334#post12519334), 112-113 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12539084#post12539084) (pirate build-thread)
hubsteps
post 108-110 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12538958#post12538958), 112-114 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12539084#post12539084) (pirate build-thread)
Hubsteps for Deuces (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/49209-hubsteps-deuces.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
hubsteps - any interest? (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=28838) (expeditionportal.com (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/))
spare tires
Field-expedient Duece tire lift technique (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/63288-field-expedient-duece-tire-lift-technique.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
Rear mounted spare tire anyone?? (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/56735-rear-mounted-spare-tire-anyone.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))


fuel

research & planning
best way to clean out fuel tank? (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/41232-best-way-clean-out-fuel-tank.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
maintenance
post 192 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12613119#post12613119), 193 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12613159#post12613159) (pirate build-thread)
storage
post 192 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12613119#post12613119), 198 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12613552#post12613552) (pirate build-thread)
fuel tanks (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/55080-fuel-tanks.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
filtration / alternative fuel processing
post 198-199 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12613552#post12613552) (pirate build-thread)
ultimate onboard fuel filtration / processing setup (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/alternative-fuels/52209-ultimate-onboard-fuel-filtration-processing-setup.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
pumps
post 193 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12613159#post12613159), 201 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12613614#post12613614) (pirate build-thread)
heating
200 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12613573#post12613573), 209 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12618854#post12618854), 212 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12620351#post12620351) (pirate build-thread)
polishing
post 202 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12613624#post12613624) (pirate build-thread)
plumbing
post 203-204 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12613634#post12613634), 235 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12631903#post12631903) (pirate build-thread)
installation
post 205 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12613658#post12613658) (pirate build-thread)


compressed air

research & planning
upgrading the LDT/LDS air compressor (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/48206-upgrading-ldt-lds-air-compressor.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
need help figuring out how to re-route air supply lines (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/35761-need-help-figuring-out-how-re-route-air-supply-lines.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
Air pressure in lieu of water pump? (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=37276) (expeditionportal.com (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/))


hydraulics

research & planning
Power Steering/Winch combo (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/55323-power-steering-winch-combo.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
Why don't we use these instead of PS pumps? (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=724253) (pirate4x4.com (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/))


electrical

see motorhome conversion section


fording

research & planning
post 252 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12638814#post12638814), 254-255 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12639204#post12639204) (pirate build-thread)
more questions and ideas related to fording kits (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/45000-more-questions-ideas-related-fording-kits.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
Fording Kit Instalation (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/48852-fording-kit-instalation.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
Fording Kit Update (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/14732-fording-kit-update.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
Fording Thought (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/11869-fording-thought.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
Axle Vents: Clean? Replace? Relocate? OTHER vents? (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/42149-axle-vents-clean-replace-relocate-other-vents.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
Axel Vent Mod, 2.5 ton Rockwells (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/56704-axel-vent-mod-2-5-ton-rockwells.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))


recovery, towing & lifting

winch
adding a winch to a non-winch truck (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/6224-adding-winch-non-winch-truck.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
looking for M35A3 winch parts (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/61413-looking-m35a3-winch-parts.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
hydraulic winch (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/37050-hydralic-winch.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
hiding the winch (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/25827-hiding-winch.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
Replacement winch cable (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/45351-replacement-winch-cable.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
winch level wind on a deuce? (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/61235-winch-level-wind-deuce.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
Fleet angle vs level wind (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/33277-fleet-angle-vs-level-wind.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
Aftermarket Winch (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/61479-aftermarket-winch.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
Warn Olympus 25 winch (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/61338-warn-olympus-25-winch.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
Electric winch (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/22213-electric-winch.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php)
shopping for a snatch block (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/36795-shopping-snatch-block.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
sand ladders
Sand Ladders??? (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3905) (expeditionportal.com (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/))
towbar
post 121-124 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12539786#post12539786) 126-127 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12542025#post12542025) (pirate build-thread)
towbar mounts (storage) (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/47292-towbar-mounts.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
towbar on bumper (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/22206-towbar-bumper.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
Towbar Axle Clamp Chains (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/conversations/52325-towbar-axle-clamp-chains.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
A-frame hoists
post 122-124 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12539789#post12539789), 126-127 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12542025#post12542025) (pirate build-thread)
The A-frame kit (hoist) for M35-let's talk about it (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/2780-frame-kit-hoist-m35-lets-talk-about.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
Gin Poles Finished (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/30688-gin-poles-finished.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
receivers / hitches
post 151 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12583004#post12583004) (pirate build-thread)
CAD files for a removable three-point hitch (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/65903-cad-files-removable-three-point-hitch.html)
FINALLY - Factory deuce 20K hitch (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/conversations/48411-finally-factory-deuce-20k-hitch.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
front pintle hook (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/conversations/36510-front-pintle-hook.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
Deuce removable hitch (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/46506-deuce-removeable-hitch.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
removable m35a* hitch idea (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/55358-removable-m35a-hitch-idea.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
towing
post 248 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12634137#post12634137) (pirate build-thread)


body & paint

research & planning
questions about paint guns & related equipment (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/paint-bodywork/40200-questions-about-paint-guns-related-equipment.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
painting with an air paintgun, 101 (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/paint-bodywork/57041-painting-air-paintgun-101-a.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
My M35A2 at Sandblaster (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/conversations/52625-my-m35a2-sandblaster.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php)
condition as-found
post 51 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12512597#post12512597) (pirate build-thread)
repairs / modifications / prep
post 1559-169 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12585068#post12585068) (pirate build-thread)
neutralizing muriatic acid (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/paint-bodywork/45315-neutralizing-muriatic-acid.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
sandblasting
post 161 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12585125#post12585125), 165 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12585258#post12585258), 206-208 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12615193#post12615193) (pirate build-thread)
pressurewasher sandblaster attachment (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/welding-sand-blasting/4030-pressurewasher-sandblaster-attachment.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
prime & paint
post 161-165 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12585125#post12585125) (pirate build-thread)
post 30-34 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12510361#post12510361) (pirate build-thread)
powder-coating
post 79 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12519334#post12519334) (pirate build-thread)



motorhome conversion

design

research & planning
post 100 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12525906#post12525906) (pirate build-thread)
interior layout / flooplan
post 6 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12508552#post12508552), 17 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12509346#post12509346), 19 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12509386#post12509386), 21 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12509429#post12509429), 25 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12509488#post12509488), 189 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12611638#post12611638) (pirate build-thread)


motorhome conversion

research & planning
cabinet door latches (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=26880) (expeditionportal.com (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/))
Cabinet hardware sources (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=35888) (expeditionportal.com (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/))
homemade drawer hardware (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=27493) (expeditionportal.com (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/))
clean-up / repairs
Post 16-19 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12509190#post12509190), 24 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12509470#post12509470) (pirate build-thread)
prep & paint (interior)
post 24 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12509470#post12509470) (pirate build-thread)
floor (stock M109 box)
Post 20 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12509423#post12509423) (pirate build-thread)
floor (sub)
post 21 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12509429#post12509429) (pirate build-thread)
floor (laminate)
post 23 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12509448#post12509448) (pirate build-thread)
insulation
cabinetry
post 17 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12509346#post12509346), 26-28 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12509512#post12509512) (pirate build-thread)
cabinetry hardware (hinges, latches, etc.)
electrical cabinet
post 95 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12523723#post12523723) (pirate build-thread)
post 28 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12509530#post12509530) (pirate build-thread)
couch / bed (frame)
post 19 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12509386#post12509386), 25 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12509488#post12509488) (pirate build-thread)
couch / bed (mattress)
post 55 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12513558#post12513558), 129-130 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12545109#post12545109) (pirate build-thread)
kitchen
bar
workspace
26 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12509512#post12509512) (pirate build-thread)
bath (shower / toilet)
26 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12509512#post12509512) (pirate build-thread)
storage (cooking equipment)
storage (dry food / pantry)
storage (cold food / refrigerator / freezer)
26 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12509512#post12509512) (pirate build-thread)
storage (overhead)
post 27-28 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12509525#post12509525) (pirate build-thread)
closet (hanging & folded clothes & shoes)
26 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12509512#post12509512) (pirate build-thread)
dog supplies


M109 box & exterior modifications

removing/installing M109 box
post 15 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12509114#post12509114), 181 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12602063#post12602063) (pirate build-thread)
M109 box removal (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/34668-m109-box-removal.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
flatbed under M109 box (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/54931-flatbed-under-m109-box.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
rivets
Need a rivet set (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/paint-bodywork/28438-need-rivet-set.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
cabover rack / roofrack / party-deck
post 88-92 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12522837#post12522837) (pirate build-thread)
solar power (mounts)
wind power (mounts)
rainwater collection
boarding ladders
ladder for a M109 (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/36401-ladder-m109.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
Where can I find a ladder like this? (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=24419) (expeditionportal.com (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/))
boarding ramps
post 49 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12512541#post12512541) (pirate build-thread)
lift-gates
lift gate? (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/34101-lift-gate.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
hoists


food / cooking

grills
Camp BBQ decisions... please provide feedback (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=27399) (expeditionportal.com (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/))
vacuum sealers
Food Saver machine for camping food (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=19837) (expeditionportal.com (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/))
emergency food preparation
Attn: 24v guys, MRE heaters (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/conversations/37335-attn-24v-guys-mre-heaters.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))


heating (cab & M109 box)

research & planning
Let's Talk About Heating our Trailers (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=25653) (expeditionportal.com (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/))
Tankless water heater for heat? (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=20662) (expeditionportal.com (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/))
Tankless Water Heater (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=33024) (expeditionportal.com (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/))
Which multi-fuel heater for this application? (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/40882-multi-fuel-heater-application.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
Heating a M109 (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/26847-heating-m109.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
radiant (heat sources)
radiant (floor)
post 21 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12509429#post12509429) (pirate build-thread)
forced air
post 91 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12523275#post12523275) (pirate build-thread)


air-conditioning (cab & M109 box)

research & planning
deuce a/c project (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/39382-deuce-c-project.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
Roof mounted A/C on a hard top? (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/37143-roof-mounted-c-hard-top.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
Cooling the cab (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=26625) (expeditionportal.com (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/))
reddot heat/AC unit
post 91 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12523275#post12523275) (pirate build-thread)
condensor
post 91 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12523275#post12523275) (pirate build-thread)
compressor
Air conditioner compressor-a/c compressor install...How? (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/35853-air-conditioner-compressor-c-compressor-install-how.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
A/C compressor driven by electric motor? (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/54613-c-compressor-driven-electric-motor.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))


air filtration (cab & M109 box)

research & planning
Sy-Klone fresh air & recirculating air filtration


water / plumbing

research & planning
post 63 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12517449#post12517449) (pirate build-thread)
water conservations and general plumbing questions (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=764320) (pirate4x4.com (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/))
storage (fresh)
storage (grey)
storage (black)
pumps
Air pressure in lieu of water pump? (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=37276) (expeditionportal.com (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/))
macerators
kitchen sink
post 94 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12523622#post12523622) (pirate build-thread)
counter-tops
post 94 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12523622#post12523622) (pirate build-thread)
shower (inside)
toilet
incinerating toilets (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=764312) (pirate4x4.com (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/))
Composting Toilets - any hands-on experience? (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=35728) (expeditionportal.com (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/))
Composting Toilets - any hands-on experience? (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=35728) (expeditionportal.com (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/))
FREE BRAND NEW Thetford Electramagic 80 recirculating toilet (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=29575) (expeditionportal.com (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/))
sink / shower (outside)
filtration
heat
Diesel hot water systems (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=19397) (expeditionportal.com (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/))
cooling
efficiency & recycling


electrical

research & planning
Is this the right crimping tool (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/9878-right-crimping-tool.html) (expeditionportal.com (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/))
running wires
post 93 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12523462#post12523462) (pirate build-thread)
control panel / cabinet
fuses / circuit breakers
inverter
post 95 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12523723#post12523723) (pirate build-thread)
Xantrex 3000 watt pure sine inverter - Prosine 3.0 (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=24138) (expeditionportal.com (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/))
batteries
12/24V
Converting to dual alternators (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/61104-converting-dual-alternators.html) (expeditionportal.com (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/))
2nd alternator, 12V (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/56451-2nd-alternator-12v.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
12v-24v question (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/27620-12v-24v-question.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
generators
The Deuce as my backup generator (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/61932-deuce-my-backup-generator.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
solar
solargizer quantity on deuce (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/13317-solargizer-quantity-deuce.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
Looking for a durable solid solar panel (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=26825) (expeditionportal.com (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/))
wind


communications / computers / audio / video / entertainment

isolating equipment from vibration
Shock mounting solutions for shelter radio gear? (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/military-radios-other-electronics/34049-shock-mounting-solutions-shelter-radio-gear.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
need to fabricated some type of insulated computer tower mount (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=31482) (expeditionportal.com (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/))
DIY Laptop Mount on the CHEAP! (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=24072) (expeditionportal.com (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/))


propane

research & planning



trailers

general trailer information & modifications

selecting a trailer chassis to build on
I need an enclosed trailer to tow behind my Deuce (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/trailers/31289-i-need-enclosed-trailer-tow-behind-my-deuce.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
What is the shell on this M105 all about? (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/trailers/45753-what-shell-m105-all-about.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
powered trailer axle
posts 11-13 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12508643#post12508643) (pirate build-thread)
misc. trailer parts / sources
source for round sheetmetal caps (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=785314) (pirate4x4.com (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/))
Aircraft track Tie Downs (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=40610) (expeditionportal.com (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/))


uhaul trailer

research & planning
need to insulate between aluminum box and framerails? (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=27375) (expeditionportal.com (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/))
acquisition
post 38 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12512218#post12512218) (pirate build-thread)
construction
post 39-40 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12512222#post12512222), 43 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12512354#post12512354) (pirate build-thread)
destruction & repairs
post 46-47 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12512460#post12512460) (pirate build-thread)
analyze a failure & suggest a fix (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=807241) (pirate4x4.com (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/))
abandonment
post 48-49 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12512492#post12512492) (pirate build-thread)


M103A3 trailer

research & planningpost 153 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12583877&posted=1#post12583877)
M103A3 trailer & custom enclosure: V2 (http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/resources/cadlibrary/file/m103a3-trailer--custom-enclosure-v2/) (CAD files - CAD Library (http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/resources/cadlibrary/))
building a lightweight structure to support weight (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=916722) (pirate4x4.com (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/))
designing & building a small enclosed trailer (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=900104) (pirate4x4.com (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/))
making a fold-down trailer door (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=45548) (expeditionportal.com (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/))
acquisition
post 153 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12583877&posted=1#post12583877), 158 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12585053#post12585053) (pirate build-thread)
construction



sponsors

Agri-Trade School (http://maps.google.com/maps/place?client=safari&rls=en&oe=UTF-8&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=agri-trade&fb=1&gl=us&hq=agri-trade&hnear=Gilroy,+CA&cid=3903225435071687933)
sandblasting & paint
post 161 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12585125&posted=1#post12585125) (pirate build-thread)
Amsoil (http://www.amsoil.com/)
lubricants (engine, transmission, transfer-case, axle, hydraulic fluid & grease)
Chilli Technology (http://www.chilitechnology.com/CP102.html)
temperature-regulating mattresspad (http://www.chilitechnology.com/CP102.html) (heats & cools)
Davis Cabinets (http://daviscabinets.com/)
all the custom-made cabinetry related to the motorhome conversion
Fan-Tastic Vent (http://www.fantasticvent.com/)
venitlation (http://www.fantasticvent.com/products/model_5000/model_5000.html)
Foodsaver (http://www.foodsaver.com/Index.aspx)
Gamesaver vacuum sealer (http://www.foodsaver.com/Product.aspx?id=c&cid=87&pid=8059)
G-Fab Motorsports (http://g-fabmotorsports.com)
fabrication (cabover rack & roofrack)
IOTA (http://www.iotaengineering.com/)
fuse panels, circuit breakers & transfer-switches
Kinro (http://www.kinro.com/)
fiberglass showerpan
floormall.com (http://www.floormall.com/)
laminate flooring (http://www.floormall.com/laminates)
Les Schwab (http://lesschwab.com/)
wheels (powder-coating) & tires (tubes, flaps & mounting)
Lincoln Industrial (http://www.lincolnindustrial.com/)
Powerluber 1163 greasegun (http://www.LincolnLube.com/products/greaseguns.asp)
Miller Electric (http://www.millermotorsports.com/)
welding equipment
Milwaukee Tool (http://www.milwaukeetool.com/)
power-tools
Racor (http://www.parker.com/portal/site/PARKER/menuitem.75b3c0354ff8851afa93ebde76108a0c/?vgnextoid=5a13d1bea018f010VgnVCM10000032a71dacRCR D&vgnextfmt=default)
fuel & oil filtration
Red Dot (http://www.rdac.com/)
air-conditioning & heating
RVIA (http://www.rvia.org/)
reference materials related to RV safety standards (http://www.rvia.org/Content/NavigationMenu/StandardsAndEducation/Standards/RVIAAdoptedStandards/default.htm)
Second Skin Audio (http://www.secondskinaudio.com/)
Spectrum acoustical undercoating (http://www.secondskinaudio.com/sound-deadener/spectrum.php)
Shurflo (http://www.shurflo.com/)
water pumps & related components
Snapware (http://www.snapware.com/)
food storage containers (http://www.snapware.com/food.html)
SolidWorks (http://www.solidworks.com/)
3D design software
post 6 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12508552#post12508552), 89 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12522942#post12522942), 151 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12583004#post12583004) (pirate build-thread)
making small batches of custom parts (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/36731-making-small-batches-custom-parts.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
CAD files for a removable three-point hitch (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/65903-cad-files-removable-three-point-hitch.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
Spinner II (http://www.spinnerii.com/)
oil-cleaning centrifuge (http://www.spinnerii.com/index.cfm/div/divid/61/Fleet.Trucking)
Sy-Klone (http://sy-klone.com)
air filtration (series 900 pre-filter (http://www.sy-klone.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=SI&Category_Code=S9) for the engine & fresh / recirculating air filtration (http://www.sy-klone.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=SI&Product_Code=R-SDX-HIW&Category_Code=R-SDX) for the cabin & motorhome)
Thetford (http://www.thetford.com/)
Electra Magic Model 80 RV (http://www.thetford.com/HOME/Products/PermanentToilets/ElectraMagicModel80RV/tabid/116/Default.aspx) recirculating toilet
Walker (http://www.walkerexhaust.com)
Model 21470 muffler (http://www.walkerheavyduty.com/catalog/catalog_default.asp)



additional parts sources

military surplus parts

post 50 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12512566#post12512566), 51 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12512597#post12512597), 158 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12585053#post12585053) (pirate build-thread)


salvaged / repurposed / recycled parts

Kit camper (oven/stove)
post 4-5 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12508352#post12508352) (pirate build-thread)



online resources


forum index
pirate4x4.com (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/)
steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php)
advrider.com (http://www.advrider.com/forums/)
4wdtrips.net (http://www.4wdtrips.net/forum/forum.php)
rv.net (http://www.rv.net/forum/)
expeditionportal.com (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/)
cross-posts to other forums about mah deuce
mah deuce (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/65029-mah-deuce.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
trails less traveled projects (http://www.race-dezert.com/forum/showthread.php/91246-trails-less-traveled-projects) (race-dezert.com (http://www.race-dezert.com/forum/))
mah deuce - military motorhome (http://www.ttora.com/forum/showthread.php?t=171643) (ttora.com (http://www.ttora.com/forum/))
mah deuce - military motorhome (http://www.thumpertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?p=10078858) (thumpertalk.com (http://www.thumpertalk.com/forum/))
mah deuce - military motorhome (http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/24850666.cfm) (rv.net (http://www.rv.net/forum/))
mah deuce - military motorhome (http://www.4wdtrips.net/forum/showthread.php?6222-BIG-TRUCKS-mah-deuce-military-motorhome) (4wdtrips.net (http://www.4wdtrips.net/forum/forum.php))
misc. info & unorganized links
making small batches of custom parts (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/36731-making-small-batches-custom-parts.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
Grade 8 Bolts (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/37697-grade-8-bolts.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
1/2" locknuts (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/47082-1-2-locknuts.html) (steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forum.php))
High Pressure vs. Low Pressure zones for air induction (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/36731-
[url=http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=26755) (expeditionportal.com (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/))
Indoor outdoor carpet (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=25687) (expeditionportal.com (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/))



budget

research & planning
post 14 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12509106#post12509106) (pirate build-thread)
mah deuce - military motorhome (http://www.thumpertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?p=10078858#post10078858) (thumpertalk.com (http://www.thumpertalk.com/forum/))

vehicle

$3,500


motorhome conversion

not available yet

Looks pretty cool. Wouldn't mind trying that for a couple years if I could afford it.

In the beginning, the plan was to keep things simple. Bought an old water-damaged camper to strip all the appliances out of it. I knew absolutely fuck-all about motorhomes, and nothing whatsoever about any of the components or systems that I would need to build into this thing. My buddies thought my ignorance was amusing. Duane just about shit himself when I had to ask him what a P-trap (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trap_(plumbing)) was (we were talking about plumbing). So it made sense to start with something that I could pull everything out of and re-use. After all, I wanted to build this thing quickly and on the cheap. Was anxious to get on the road.

...and now the only thing that I've still got from that camper is a super-sweet vintage stainless steel oven/stove. Go figure.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/stroupscamper_01.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/stroupscamper_02.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/stroupscamper_03.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/stroupscamper_04.jpg

After the camper was gutted, I loaded it up onto a small trailer and hauled it to the dump. Stopped to take a picture of it behind my Tacoma (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=955469) and then sent out an email to my friends and family telling them, It's DONE - check out my new camper!

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/stroupscamper_05.jpg

What started out as a plan to build a down-and-dirty camper quickly turned into something else entirely. I was spending almost every waking minute researching motorhomes and expedition vehicles and boats and homesteading and all types of other things that were filling my head with wild ideas. But I had a long conversation with myself and decided that I ought to make use of the resources I had available to do the best job possible. So I took a step back and reconsidered what it was that I was attempting to build and why.

Over the next few months I spent a lot of time taking inventory and making lists. Making piles too. I assigned everything that I owned to one of three categories, and in the beginning each category took up a whole room in my house plus my whole shop.

1) stuff I want to keep and will be taking with me
2) stuff I want to keep and would need to put into storage
3) stuff to get rid of

This was an ongoing process, and I found it to be extremely helpful. Having to prioritize things like this was an interesting exercise and I learned a lot about what's really important to me. Things I hadn't had to consider before because I'd never had to make compromises like these before.

In my day-to-day life, I started only using stuff that was assigned to the first category. If I needed something that was in the second category I either did without it, or used it and re-assigned it to the first category. Things I thought I wanted but didn't use got re-assigned to the second category. But it was the third category that grew to be the largest. By far. I just didn't need most of the crap that I'd accumulated. So I started getting rid of stuff. Almost everything. It was liberating, and what was left were only the things that I had made conscious decisions to keep.

Next I started taking measurements and trying to figure out how much space to assign to different things (food, cooking stuff, clothing, etc.). Began sketching and making some simple SolidWorks models. I looked at a lot of different floorplans that have been used in all types of RV's, but in it was the stuff that I wanted to fit into mah deuce that ended up dictating the layout.

I wanted to create a comfortable live/workspace for myself, and wanted to be able to live/travel comfortably with another person, as well as my two dogs. I would like to have been able to put the bed above the cab, but the construction of the box made that impractical. So I decided to make a futon-type couch that would fold out into a queen-sized bed instead. I would still build a cabover rack, but it would not be connected to the interior. Almost 50% of the storage space would be dedicated to food and cooking-related stuff. What can I say? I like to eat well.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/davis_03.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/davis_04.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/deuce_floorplan_01.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/deuce_floorplan_02.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/deuce_floorplan_03.png

Looking forward to the updates.

Jack

Damn! X2! Loving this! But hating it at the same time. I need to do some adventuring of my own...

scribed, looks interesting.

Throw in a few mre's and your good to go , Were making a 6x trailer to tow behind my buddies bobbed duece -it will be powered from the rear diff -Jess

Throw in a few mre's and your good to go , Were making a 6x trailer to tow behind my buddies bobbed duece -it will be powered from the rear diff -Jess
Me too (on the powered trailer axle). Planning on hauling a trailer behind this rig that will serve as my toybox/toolbox/workshop. Started out with an M353 trailer that I put a uhaul box on top of, but recently scrapped that in favor of an M103A3 trailer that I'm building a custom enclosure for. Would eventually like to put another deuce axle under the trailer and run a driveshaft to it, but that's pretty far down my priority list. Please keep us posted though, would love to know how that turns out.

I have got it figured this far -we will run slip in the shaft from the diff to the carrier - and a stainless carrier near the pivot point - a street-able 42 degree c/v at the pivot point with another shaft going to the first rockwell most likely slip in that one also . We are also going to run an e-brake for the trailer , and try to make the shaft disconnect and slip right into a shaft going to a pto generator hopefully a 15k mounted to the trailer . Jess

I have got it figured this far -we will run slip in the shaft from the diff to the carrier - and a stainless carrier near the pivot point - a street-able 42 degree c/v at the pivot point with another shaft going to the first rockwell most likely slip in that one also . We are also going to run an e-brake for the trailer , and try to make the shaft disconnect and slip right into a shaft going to a pto generator hopefully a 15k mounted to the trailer . Jess
Very cool. If anybody can figure out how to do it right I'm sure it's you. Cool idea with the generator too. I've got a rear-facing PTO on my transfercase that I'm planning on using to power a hydraulic pump or a generator. Haven't decided yet, but that gives me something to think about.

Looks pretty cool. Wouldn't mind trying that for a couple years if I could afford it.
Thanks, but don't let money stand in your way. A while ago, I was over at Metolius (http://www.metoliusclimbing.com), where my buddy Jamie was helping me turn my queen-sized tempurpedic mattress into a futon (here's a pic (http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/mattress_07.jpg)) and he introduced me to another employee there, who also lived in a truck. We started talking, and I was asking him about his setup. It's a late-model Toyota Tacoma with a regular camper-shell on the back of it. He's got a couple of deep-cycle batteries and a small invertor, a bedroll, a backpacking stove, a few gallons of water, and all his hang-gliding equipment. He lives out in the wilderness east of Bend, and comes into town to work a few days a week. Showers at the gym. Sounded like he was really happy with his whole situation. When he asked me when my project was going to be done, I immediately replied, "It's pretty much done as soon as we finish this mattress". At the time, I had only just barely finished all of the woodwork (cabinets and all that stuff) and there was no plumbing, heating, or electricity, but this guy made me feel like such a bitch.

Many people make the make the mistake of underestimating just how much work it's going to be - making this kind of transition. Getting all of my affairs in order has been the most painful part of this process.

Even though I ended up getting rid of most of my stuff, there were some things that I knew I wanted/needed to hang onto. So I bought a 40ft shipping container and made arrangements to store it on a large ranch near the place where I was living. Great alternative to monthly storage.

My shipping container is full of tools and all the things that I will need again eventually. Whenever I find a piece of property that I want to build on, I'm going to put a simple roof and end-walls between two 40ft shipping containers to make a temporary workshop. It's highly likely that I'll end up using more shipping containers to build my white-trash palace, but I plan on incorporating a lot of salvage/surplus building materials. I'd like to buy a few more shipping containers, so I could store building materials in them for now, and then use them as building materials later.

Oh, and on the topic of repurposing things: the way I've built Mah Deuce, I'll be able to drop the box off the back of the truck and replace it with a regular 12ft pickup bed. That will give me a shop, shelter, and a truck to haul building materials. The Giving Tree (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Giving_Tree) made a lasting impact on me...

First thing I had to do was clean-out the box.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/interior_cleanup_01.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/interior_cleanup_02.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/interior_cleanup_03.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/interior_cleanup_04.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/interior_cleanup_05.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/interior_cleanup_06.jpg

Prior to this project, I'd never built anything out of wood. No woodshop, no home improvement projects, nothing. Not even a bookshelf. Only woodworking tool I owned was a Milwaukee V28 cordless circular saw (http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/article/milwaukee-v28-cordless-powertools-product-review/) that I had never used. One of my buddies had a lot of woodworking experience (framing houses) and was willing to give me a hand, but warned me that he wasn't used to doing cabinetry-quality finish-work. Said that I'd need to expect this to turn out on the rougher side of things. Fine with me, but I decided that should be a backup plan. So I started contacting cabinet shops, and ended up talking to Shaun at Davis Cabinets (http://daviscabinets.com/) in Junction City. Turns out they specialize in updating and customizing high-end motorcoaches and Shaun was going to be over in Bend delivering a motorhome, so he agreed to stop by my place to take a look at my project. I thought that what I was planning was pretty extravagant, but he wasn't even phased. Said, 'Sure, we can do that. No problem'. That's what all the cabinet shops said, but Shaun meant it and after taking a look at some of his work, I believed him.

We talked about timelines and budgets and then Shaun put me on the calendar. I finished-up the floorplan and drove mah deuce over to Junction City, with my dirtbike in tow on the world's heaviest motorcycle trailer. I was planning on spending the better part of a week over there and figured I ought to have some way to get around town. Pulled up and there was a row of HIGH-dollar coaches parked out back. Hmmm, one of these things is not like the others...

Shaun and I spent some time in the back of mah deuce looking at the blueprints I'd brought with me, and he made some fantastic suggestions/revisions. His input was as valuable as anything the guys at Davis Cabinets built for me, and the conversion turned out a lot better for it.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/davis_01.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/davis_00.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/davis_02.jpg

Here are a few pictures of Davis' shop. They have a night crew that does production and assembly work, and that's when they'd have me bring mah deuce in to fit and install cabinets. Javin was responsible for building most of my cabinets, and I'm not sure what he thought about this project, but I sure liked working with him. A lot of the time, it was just him and I in there, working together late into the night/early morning. He was always 1-2 steps ahead of me, building the cabinets that I was fitting and installing.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/davis_06.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/davis_07.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/davis_08.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/davis_09.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/davis_10.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/davis_11.jpg

The beginning of the cabinetry, perfectly translated from my blueprints into wood. We made all of the cabinets modular so that I could install/remove them individually. I'm pretty much locked into this basic layout, but never having lived in a motorhome before, I didn't know how things would end up working out. This way if I need to make any changes, I can just pull out whatever individual part of it I'm not happy with and replace it with something else.

These pictures show the floor bare and with the subfloor and laminate laid down. Will get into that later, but was important to get an accurate representation of the finished floor-height because some of the cabinets were going to butt right up to the windows.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/davis_15.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/davis_16.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/davis_17.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/davis_18.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/davis_19.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/davis_20.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/davis_21.jpg

I ended up making several trips over to Junction City, where we'd work on mah deuce for a few days at a time. Then I'd take it back to my home/shop, where I'd do more work on it. That's why it'll look like some of these pictures are out-of-sequence. But in between those trips, I was doing this type of stuff.

The floor is made of solid 2" thick planks of wood, but some of the wood was swelling, and I wanted to have a nice level surface to build on top of. So I borrowed a planer (thanks Erik!) and went to town. Then I sealed the floor with a product called Second Skin (http://www.secondskinaudio.com/). Have used it in the past on several other vehicles with great results and had a bunch of it left over, so I laid it on thick.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/floor_01.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/floor_02.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/floor_03.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/floor_04.jpg

Planning on using radiant heating almost exclusively to heat mah deuce. More about that later, but I'll show you now how I laid 1/2" PEX tubing into the subfloor. Had never used a router before, but got the hang of it quickly. All this routing was done with a 5/8" ball-end router bit and took me the better part of two days to finish. Just laying everything out took forever, but I was working off my SolidWorks drawings so I was reasonably certain that I was putting the PEX tubing down in all the right places. Everywhere there's open floor is heated, including under the desk and in the shower/bathroom. Also ran a second circuit straight to the bathroom so that I can heat that zone independently.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/deuce_floorplan_04.png


http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/radiant_subfloor_02.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/radiant_subfloor_03.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/radiant_subfloor_04.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/radiant_subfloor_05.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/radiant_subfloor_06.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/radiant_subfloor_07.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/radiant_subfloor_08.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/radiant_subfloor_09.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/radiant_subfloor_10.jpg

sick motorhome!

Did a lot of research on flooring materials and ended up using a commercial-grade laminate flooring called Konnecto, which I ordered from floormall.com (http://www.floormall.com/laminates/). This is not a particularly cheap product, but it's not working out too well for me. It's untended to be installed as a floating floor, which I wasn't able to do (had to nachor cabinets to the floor), so it's buckles and shrinks a bit as temperature changes. It's also not anywhere near as durable as I'd hoped it would be. Imagine I'll be replacing the flooring with something else in the not too distant future.

Decided at the last minute to install a very thin (20g?) sheet of laser-cut steel between the subfloor and the laminate to help distribute the heat a little more evenly.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/radiant_subfloor_10.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/radiant_subfloor_11.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/radiant_subfloor_12.jpg

These M109's are wired for 12/24/110, but I ripped out all the stuff out because I had all new electrical stuff that I was planning to install. There were also a bunch of random holes in the walls for things that had been installed/removed over the years. So I patched/covered the holes with a combination of custom laser-cut sheetmetal pieces that sort of go with the riveted construction of the interior, and bondo to fill some of the holes where I didn't want to use those sheetmetal cover pieces.

Bought some gnarly marine/industrial-grade paint (VOC's weren't any worse than typical interior housepaints I'd looked at to compare), and primered/painted the whole inside of the box. Went with a color combo that leaves a lot of people scratching their heads, but I painted the side walls and the roof tan and the front/back walls blue. I think it looks kinda cool when the doors are open and you're looking into the truck from the rear.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/patching_walls_01.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/patching_walls_02.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/painting_box_01.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/painting_box_02.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/painting_box_03.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/painting_box_04.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/davis_47.jpg

I had a pretty good idea of how I wanted to make a couch that would slide-out to make a queen-sized bed, but Shaun and I built a quick mock-up to make sure the idea would work before we built the full-scale version. Worked out great. The bed slides on heavy-duty 500lb drawer slides and locks into place in the open and closed positions. There's a long locking cabinet door for that wedge-shaped box on the wall, which sets the angle for the couch-back cushion and will be used as a gun locker and place to stash fishing poles and things like that. Storage area under the bed will be used for things like the fresh water tanks, water pumps and all the stuff that I don't want to have out in the cold.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/davis_29.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/davis_26.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/davis_27.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/davis_28.jpg

Spent a lot of time back at my shop fitting the cabinets. The cabinets have all been stained, but I asked them to leave the cabinet doors bare because I want to burn some artwork into them before they're finished. Those are really only mock-up doors anyway (plywood).

Had to cut the bottom of this cabinet at an angle so I could stand it up inside the box. It's hidden by the cabinet next to it though, so it doesn't show.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/davis_30.jpg

Bought a nice Bosch jigsaw and have been using the shit out of it.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/davis_31.jpg

Pretty happy with the final fit of all the cabinets. The sheetmetal is really inconsistent, so it was almost impossible to get anything to fit perfectly.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/davis_32.jpg

All the full-length drawers came out really nice. This is something that I guess most motorhomes don't do (have full-length pull-out drawers), but apparently they drawer slides are a lot more expensive. That's a whole lot of lost storage space.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/davis_33.jpg

The cabinet door has been cut shorter to allow this pullout shelf to be opened without having to open the cabinet door. It will serve as a tabletop surface across from the couch. Somewhere to set food, drinks, etc. Also works as a sort of TV-dinner tray when the bed is pulled out.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/davis_34.jpg

This is my workspace, with a cabinet where I'll mount a pullout printer, scanner, and stuff like that. There will be a large flatscreen computer monitor mounted to the face of that triangular cabinet, which I'll be able to plug into my laptop and use while I'm working, and will also be able to swing open and watch TV/movies from the couch/bed.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/davis_35.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/davis_36.jpg

This is the showerpan that I got from Kinro (http://www.kinro.com). It's only 24x36" and I'm going to mount a toilet in there too. Will have an outdoor shower that I expect to use most of the time, but wanted to have the option to shower inside if I'm camped in an urban/populated area. Plus I figured that will be a great place to dry wet gear, put muddy boots, etc.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/davis_37.jpg

This is the kind of stuff I just didn't have to tools or the know-how to do myself. Was really impressed with all the work the guys at Davis Cabinets did.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/davis_23.jpg

Overhead cabinets run along the whole length of the driver's-side of the box, with one big triangular overhead cabinet down at the end (front of the box).

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/davis_23.jpg

This is one of my favorite things about this whole project. It's just so stupid-simple. I asked Shaun if he could recommend any struts that would hold the overhead cabinet doors open, and he told me that the gas struts tend to tweak the cabinet doors because of the way they put uneven pressure on them. So he showed me how I could install these common springs that would snap into position when I opened the cabinet doors all the way, and to close the cabinet doors you just brush your finger against them and the bend/fold out of the way.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/davis_23.jpg

Spent a lot of time looking for the perfect cabinet door latches and I found them, but couldn't afford them. Really nice flush locking stainless steel slam-latches for boats. Would have cost me several thousand dollars for as many as I needed (lots of cabinets). Luckily I found these, which I think are a decent alternative. Not ideal, and a little bit clunky/cumbersome to use, but they were the right price (a local sheetmetal shop had a bunch of them left over from another project). They were meant to be installed in sheetmetal boxes, so I had to cut the backing brackets down, but they worked out pretty well in the end.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/davis_38.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/davis_39.jpg

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http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/davis_41.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/davis_42.jpg

Subscribed. Keep the pics coming.

There's nothing particularly unusual about traveling/living in a motorhome, but the imposing nature of mah deuce tends to give people the wrong idea. A lot of people see a military vehicle and assume that I must be preparing for the apocalypse, and a surprising number of people try to relate to me like that nutjob in the military surplus store in the movie Falling Down (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106856/quotes?qt0272862). They want to tell me all about their bunkers and their stockpile of weapons and food and whatever. Like we're brothers in arms or something. Creeps me out.

Repaint it with a pink and purple camo scheme. That will get them off your back... :D

Repaint it with a pink and purple camo scheme. That will get them off your back... :D
I actually did! After Graeme and I built this custom cabover rack at his shop (http://g-fabmotorsports.com), I needed to put something on the bare metal. So I went down to ACE and bought some custom-tinted paint that they had messed-up for 1/2-price. It's not pink it's salmon! haha. Whatever, the whole truck is going to get sand-blasted an re-painted eventually. Was having a beer at Graeme's house afterwards and he came walking outside with an armload of mostly empty cans of spraypaint. "Here you go." So I threw-down this psychedelic hippy-killer paintjob on the spot. The cab and all the related sheetmetal parts have already been sandblasted and primed. Only waiting to reinstall that stuff until after I've finished the engine-swap.

When I re-paint the truck it's going to get an OD base-coat and it will be painted camo, but more playful than militant. Monkeys swinging through the jungle and that sort of thing, and stuff like this (http://boingboing.net/2009/05/04/art-student-creates.html). Planning on repainting it fairly often actually, probably seasonally. Will have a trailer full of tools and paint guns and an air compressor with me, so why not have fun with it?

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/mah_deuce_04.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/tacoma_roofrack_03.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/tacoma_roofrack_02.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/cab_swap_01.jpg

Ah, you had me liking this build up until you decided on some bastard paint job. :shaking:

Sorry to disappoint. Don't take it so seriously? It's just paint...

Sorry, I take everything seriously because I'm a nutjob like the guy who ran the surplus store in Falling Down. I'll spare you the details of my bunker and food and weapons stores.

Came over from ADV & had to sign up just to follow this build through.

Not that I mind a site like this. I could learn some stuff here too. :)

Welcome aboard!

I had a long conversation with myself and decided that I ought to make use of the resources I had available to do the best job possible. So I took a step back and reconsidered what it was that I was attempting to build and why.


Had this same conversation with myself many times.

I like your build and think the idea of living in an RV entertaining; unfortunately it only takes a few days in my class C RV to appreciate "home".

Living vicariously through you.

A trailer was always part of the plan. Wanted to build something small enough that it wouldn't limit where I could go, but large enough to haul all my tools and toys. The trailer would be outfitted as a sort of a mobile workshop, and would store extra fuel, water, propane, etc. With all these things onboard, it would also be able to function as a self-contained basecamp. I asked some questions on SS (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/trailers/31289-i-need-enclosed-trailer-tow-behind-my-deuce.html) and decided to build on an M353 trailer (http://www.olive-drab.com/idphoto/id_photos_m353_trailer.php) chassis. Ended up buying one through govliquidation.com (http://www.govliquidation.com) for about $300. Had to wait for my EUC (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/End_user_certificate) to clear and then drive up to Ft. Lewis to retrieve it, but for $300 I wasn't complaining.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/M109camper/M353_01.jpg


The next purchase I made was a uhaul truck with a 12ft box that I scored for $600. Had to drive to Idaho to pick that up. Pulled the box off as soon as I got back and listed the truck for sale. The plan was to set this relatively lightweight box on top of the heavy-duty trailer chassis. Total trailer weight would be about 4,000lbs (empty).

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/trailer_04.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/SNC00065.jpg

Started by removing some of the old generator boxes and diamondplate, then made a bolt-on subframe to support the uhaul box.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/trailer_02.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/trailer_01.jpg

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http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/trailer_11.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/trailer_12.jpg

Next I had to cut out the wheelwells, and then it was time to transfer the box onto the trailer chassis. Went smooooooooothly. Had to use a use a port-a-power to tweak the trailer fenders into the right shape, but everything fit nice and tight when I was done.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/trailer_05.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/SNC00048.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/SNC00052.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/SNC00057.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/SNC00062.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/trailer_15.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/SNC00061.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/trailer_14.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/trailer_13.jpg

Had this same conversation with myself many times.

I like your build and think the idea of living in an RV entertaining; unfortunately it only takes a few days in my class C RV to appreciate "home".

Living vicariously through you.
You and a lot of other people! Once I get past the initial skepticism/fear, people are really enthusiastic about this project. They think it's great that I am doing something like this. I can tell that more of them think I'm crazy, but they're nice about it - patting me on the head and tell me, 'good job'.

I think you are doing a great job and a much more thorough one than most M109 conversions, I just don't like the paint plans. :D

One word of caution, you are going to have to be really careful with that trailer overhang or it's going to eat the back of the van body. I would consider trimming the overhang or lengthening the tongue.

Had to extend the trailer tongue about 3ft so that the cab-over part of the uhaul box wouldn't smack into the back of the mah deuce.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/trailer_tongue_ext_01.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/trailer_tongue_ext_02.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/trailer_tongue_ext_03.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/trailer_tongue_bumper_contact_02.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/trailer_tongue_bumper_contact_01.jpg

I think you are doing a great job and a much more thorough one than most M109 conversions, I just don't like the paint plans. :D

One word of caution, you are going to have to be really careful with that trailer overhang or it's going to eat the back of the van body. I would consider trimming the overhang or lengthening the tongue.
Thanks, and you know the nice thing about paint? It's easy to re-paint. Not everybody is going to like every paintjob, but you'll probably like the 1st one (solid OD green).

As far as the trailer tongue goes, you're absolutely right. Still posting. Trailer tongue was extended, and broken, and repaired, and broken, and repaired, and then I scrapped the whole trailer and started over - but I haven't gotten that far yet.

Maybe I missed it but what are the plans for a motor swap?

Was intending to add gussets to the trailer tongue, but wasn't in any hurry. Luckily I caught this just in time. Actually posted about it (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=807241) here on Pirate, and fixed it with some beefy gussets.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/trailer_tongue_cracked_01.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/trailer_tongue_fix_01.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/trailer_tongue_fix_02.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/trailer_tongue_fix_03.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/trailer_tongue_fix_04.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/trailer_tongue_fix_05.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/trailer_tongue_fix_06.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/trailer_tongue_fix_07.jpg

...and THEN I really fawked things up. Was camping down by the river and got myself into a tight spot (not where these pics were taken). Got the trailer just a little bit bound-up, and did this:

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/squeezing_between_trees_01.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/squeezing_between_trees_02.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/trailer_tongue_bent_01.jpg


Dammit. I was just about to box-in the tongue on that trailer. At least I was able to straighten it to within about an 1/8" just by binding it up the other direction though.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/trailer_tongue_straightened_01.jpg

But that experience made me reconsider this trailer altogether. If it was too big to take off-road, then what's what's the point? Decided to scrap it and start over. Build something a little bit smaller and more maneuverable. The 'bigger is better' mentality is just so seductive. I got sucked into it, and wasted a bunch of time and money (well, not too much money).

So now the only thing I've got left from that uhaul is the 10ft boarding ramp. But it fits between the framerails below the box perfectly. Seriously, could not have been made to fit any better. I've also found that I can pull it out just a few feet and use it like a small cantilevered patio. Well, not much of a patio, but it'll do for now. Would eventually like to get a hydraulic lift-gate.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/boarding_ramp_01.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/boarding_ramp_02.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/boarding_ramp_03.jpg

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http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/boarding_ramp_05.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/boarding_ramp_06.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/mah_deuce_03.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/camping_02.jpg

Maybe I missed it but what are the plans for a motor swap?
No you didn't miss anything. Just hadn't got to that part of the project yet, but I guess now is as good a time as any other.

One of the coolest things about the M35A2 is that they have multi-fuel engines, so they can run on just about anything flammable. Literally ANYTHING. Diesel, gasoline, kerosene, white gas, used motor oil/automatic transmission fluid/hydraulic oil, veggie-oil, bio-diesel, etc. In the first year that I owned it, I put about 4,000 trouble-free miles on Mah Deuce and it's averaged about 8-10mpg, depending on the speed, load, and terrain. Not bad considering it weighs 16,000lbs empty, it's full-time six-wheel-drive, stands over 11ft tall, and is rolling on 43" tall off-road tires. But when you look at the Miles-Per-Dollar, it's fantastic!

So I had mixed feelings about replacing the engine, but these old engines don't make much power for their size and weight. Made the decision to yank it when I managed to find a brand new (factory-fresh rebuild) 5-ton multifuel engine. It's designated as an LDS465 (2.5-ton engine is called an LDT465). It's basically the same engine, but it's got a different cam profile, and oil-cooled pistons, and makes just a bit more power (about 200hp vs. 130hp). Honestly though, something like a Cummins 12-valve 6BT (the diesel engines that came in the older Dodge Ram trucks) would be a lot better choice for a vehicle like this. But I didn't want to give up the multifuel.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/LDS_engine_01.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/LDS_engine_02.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/LDS_engine_03.jpg

I had to drive up to Washington to pick up that engine, and picked up a TON of other parts along the way, including a bunch of wheels and a brand new cab (still in the crate, or what was left of it). The cab on mah deuce was in great condition, but I got such a good deal on the new one that I couldn't pass it up. It was galvanized, and looked like it wasn't prepped correctly prior to paint, because the paint was flaking off in large chunks. It's since been sandblasted and primed, waiting to be painted and reinstalled.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/new_cab_01.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/new_cab_02.jpg

Subscribed!
I like that couch design. i live in a 78 Class C MH and had never thought about the space between the back and the wall as storage. I may have to look into replacing it. I started reading this and almost made myself late for class LOL

I actually did! ... It's not pink it's salmon!

Ok, now that I see those pictures (and the UHaul trailer pictures) I recognize your truck from other posts you've made. Glad to see you're finally doing a build thread for it!

Is the Bobcat Txxx yours? I've been debating an upgrade to a tracked model, but am somewhat torn because I do some snowplowing and I hear they have horrible traction on snow...

No, just used that bobcat to unload the engine where I was storing it for a little while.

My friend Jamie works at Metolius (http://www.metoliusclimbing.com/), where they make climbing harnesses and gear. He helped me turn my queen-sized Tempurpedic mattress into sort of a futon couch/slide-out bed-thing. I don't know that to call it. I just designed and built a custom bedframe that converts from a couch into a queen-sized bed. This was the first time I've ever done anything with soft goods or sewing, and I loved it! Although, I mostly just watched and helped Jamie here and there when he needed an extra hand. For anybody else that's interested in this kind of stuff, I've found DIYtactical.com (http://www.diytactical.com/forums/) to be a great resource.

This is what the Tempurpedic mattress looks like after I cut it out of the casing. Kind of disappointing actually, that only half of it is really tempur material. The bottom half is just regular old mattress foam. I wouldn't have bought one of these mattresses for this project, but already had one, so...

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/mattress_01.jpg


Jamie had a special tool that we used to cut the mattress in half (actually more like 2/3rds & 1/3rd). The wide 'half' of the mattress is the same size as an XL twin mattress, so I can put fitted sheets on just that half if I want to.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/mattress_02.jpg


I purchased this Sunbrella fabric from a local upholstery shop. Hope I made a good decision going with this material. I have FOUR large dogs that will be living in this motorhome with me, so I wanted something that would be durable and stain-resistant, etc. I wanted the stripes oriented a specific way, so we had to put a seam down the middle of the mattress, but Jamie did a real nice job of hiding it by matching the pattern.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/mattress_03.jpg


Once that was done, we laid out all the materials and got to work marking dimensions.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/mattress_04.jpg


We used some type of heavyweight ballistic nylon that Metolius uses to make their haul bags (http://www.metoliusclimbing.com/haul_bags.html) and portaledges (http://www.metoliusclimbing.com/portaledges.html). The idea was to make the bottoms extra durable, so I can drag them outside or up onto the roof without worrying about ruining them.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/mattress_06.jpg


I learned a lot about pattern-making and sewing! I've done a lot of templating and pattern-making, but mostly for metal fabrication. It's amazing how much of that translates though. I think I'll be able to pick this up pretty quickly after I get the hang of the basics.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/mattress_07.jpg


We assembled the top and sides first (note the burly waterproof zipper and grab handles), and then we fit the bottom. We ended up taking in the seams around the top and bottom a couple of times, until we were happy with the fit of the cover. I'm thrilled with the way that it turned out, and it was really cool to get to learn how this kind of stuff is made.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/mattress_08.jpg


Thanks again Jamie!

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/mattress_09.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/camping_04.jpg

Making the mattress with Jamie is when I met this guy:
A while ago, I was over at Metolius (http://www.metoliusclimbing.com), where my buddy Jamie was helping me turn my queen-sized tempurpedic mattress into a futon (here's a pic (http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/mattress_07.jpg)) and he introduced me to another employee there, who also lived in a truck. We started talking, and I was asking him about his setup. It's a late-model Toyota Tacoma with a regular camper-shell on the back of it. He's got a couple of deep-cycle batteries and a small invertor, a bedroll, a backpacking stove, a few gallons of water, and all his hang-gliding equipment. He lives out in the wilderness east of Bend, and comes into town to work a few days a week. Showers at the gym. Sounded like he was really happy with his whole situation. When he asked me when my project was going to be done, I immediately replied, "It's pretty much done as soon as we finish this mattress". At the time, I had only just barely finished all of the woodwork (cabinets and all that stuff) and there was no plumbing, heating, or electricity, but this guy made me feel like such a bitch.

Awesome build thread! I would soo love to be able to do this. My dream is to build something similar, drive it to Alaska and live in it. Unfortunatley, due to having Narcolepsy I am seriously limited on driving, so I doubt it will ever happen. At least I can watch your progress and keep dreaming.

If you build a vehicle to travel, I seriously doubt you'd have any trouble finding a driver!

Very cool build.
I'm planning on something on a smaller scale in an m725 but appreciate all the links and info.

Subscribed

Sent from my SPH-M900 using Tapatalk

Thanks. This is the biggest project I've taken on to-date, but it's smaller than I was originally thinking. Started looking at 5-tons, but in the end I decided that I'd rather be able to go more places than have more space. An M725 camper would be rad!

I don't have room for a couch/bed set up so am going to graft a flip pac or maggiolina to the roof.

I'm looking at the same size shower drain and curious how you put the toilet in there.

I should add that I have long way to go, I have to get it running which means finishing the 6bt, cucv axles and brakes.

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Very cool build :smokin:

I don't have room for a couch/bed set up so am going to graft a flip pac or maggiolina to the roof.

I'm looking at the same size shower drain and curious how you put the toilet in there.

I should add that I have long way to go, I have to get it running which means finishing the 6bt, cucv axles and brakes.
What about a hard-sided pop-up (like an Alaskan Camper), or slide-outs? A slide-out to the rear wouldn't be too difficult. That's how I'm planning on building my new trailer.

I'm using a Thetford Electra Magic (http://www.thetford.com/HOME/Products/PermanentToilets/ElectraMagicModel80RV/tabid/116/Default.aspx) toilet. Decided to go this route after doing a ton of research (even explored the idea of incinerating waste (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=764312)). This toilet separates liquid and solid waste, so the same water can be reused to flush the toilet multiple times. Water conservation is something that I've given a lot of thought to, and will be collecting rainwater, recycling grey water, etc. The Electra Magic toiler has a small holding tank built into it, and I'm going to pump waste from that through a Shurflo macerator (http://www.shurflo.com/rv-products/rv-pumps/general-purpose-pumps/macerator-pump/default.html), then to one of two holding tanks. Alternating between the two tanks, I'll be filling one while the other is composting. The goal is to avoid ever having to visit a dump station.

The choice between building a military or a civilian truck really came down to whether I wanted to 'civilize' a military truck or beef-up a civilian truck. I've already explained why I found these deuces so appealing (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12508124#post12508124), and I wasn't unaware of the downsides. These big old trucks are loud and slow and the ride-quality is... not great. So before committing myself to building on this platform, I looked into each of these problems and determined that I wouldn't have much trouble modifying mah deuce to make life on the road a little more pleasant.

But before I get into these modifications, I want to say that I put more than 4,000 miles on it before making any changes and didn't find it to be anywhere near as unbearable as most people make these vehicles out to be. Sure there were springs poking through the driver's seat and sometime I felt like my teeth were going to rattle out of my head and there was a warning sticker on the passenger's side door that said "WARNING: hearing protection required for driver & co-driver" and the top-speed is only about 55mph, but you know what? I absolutely LOVE driving this thing. Might just be that my perspective is out-of-wack, but I didn't mind it a bit. Not in stock form, and definitely not after I made some improvements.

First item on the list was to add some sort of muffler. I don't know why these trucks were not equipped with any sort of mufflers in the first place, but the exhaust exits right above the windshield on the passenger's side of the truck, so it resonates through the whole cab. In any case, I figured that adding a muffler would be an easy way to tame the drone. Started by searching on steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/search.php) and saw that most guys were using a Walker muffler (part number 21470). Not one to follow the crowd, I proceeded to look at all the alternatives and in the end, came right back to where I started. The guys on SS really know their stuff, and had already figured the muffler thing out. SO I ordered one of the Walker mufflers and spliced it into the exhaust stack. Thought about re-routing it to dump in another location, but with all the doors and windows, I think the stock exhaust configuration might be the best choice.

The Walker muffler is 3.5" diameter in/out, which allows it to slip over the 3.25" diameter exhaust tubing perfectly. The overall diameter of the muffler is 7", the body length is 30" and the overall length is 38". The larger diameter of the muffler meant that I would need to make a new mount for the exhaust and modify the mirror mounts for clearance. Was able to modify and reuse parts in both cases though, so there was almost no fabrication required. This was a quick and easy cut/weld project and made a measurable difference as far as the noise that's transmitted into the cab. Still wear earplugs on long drives, but no longer consider them mandatory for shorter trips.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/muffler_01.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/muffler_02.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/muffler_03.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/muffler_04.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/muffler_05.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/muffler_06.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/muffler_07.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/muffler_08.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/muffler_09.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/muffler_10.jpg

...continued:

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/muffler_10.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/muffler_11.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/muffler_12.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/muffler_13.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/muffler_14.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/muffler_15.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/muffler_16.jpg

Next up was the turbo. Mah deuce was equipped with the coveted 'whistler' turbo, officially designated as a C model turbo. For some reason people love these things. The reason why beyond me. The novelty of that shrill whistle wore off almost immediately, so when I found out that the later-model D-series turbos were quieter AND made more power I started looking for one. Was prepared to pay, but it seems there's no shortage of people looking to trade their D-series turbos for whistlers. Responded to this post (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/40341-d-turbo-c-turbo.html) made by someone looking to trade a brand new D-series turbo and it was a done-deal.

Really did look almost brand new when I opened up the box, but was less-than-happy when I looked inside and saw that the turbo was full of packing pellets (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/41354-packing-pellets-my-new-turbo.html). Had read about a turbo-porting service (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/41365-turbo-porting.html) that one of the members on steelsoldiers provided, and this seemed like it would be a good time to go ahead and have that done. Ken (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/members/ken.html) provides this service as a favor to fellow enthusiasts more than as any sort of money-making proposition, so the price was very reasonable. Haven't put more than 50 miles on mah deuce since installing it, and made too many other changes at the same time to be able to say whether or not it made any difference performance-wise, but it's a lot quieter and that's what I was really after.

(new D-series turbo / old C-series turbo)
http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/turbo_01.jpg

(new D-series turbo / old C-series turbo)
http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/turbo_02.jpg

(ported intake)
http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/turbo_03.jpg

(ported exhaust)
http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/turbo_04.jpg

(new D-series turbo installed)
http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/turbo_05.jpg

These two things alone (muffler + turbo) made a huge difference. Still going to insulate the new cab and do a few more things to help with the heat and noise, and expect to be able to hold a conversation at a normal volume when it's all said and done.

Spent a bunch of time researching wheels and tires, considering 1) speed, 2) ride-quality, 3) payload, 4) traction, 5) fuel economy, and 6) price. It was only the fact that my truck was originally equipped with archaic bias-ply NDT tires that made it possible for me to improve on ALL these things at once.

Knew that I wanted to stick with 20" wheels so that I could take advantage of all the cheap military surplus tires. If I was planning to travel much internationally, I would probably switch over to 10-lug hubs and 22.5" rims, but that's not a big concern of mine right now. But for anybody that might be thinking along those lines, Ouverson (http://store.oemaxle.com/index.php?cPath=7) said they're able/willing to custom-make their rockwell hubs with a 10-lug patter, and there's a SS member working on custom 10-lug adapters (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/59289-6-bolt-10-bolt-wheel-adapters.html).

After looking at all the different sizes and types of tires that have been used on these trucks, I settled on the 11.00-series Firestone T831's (https://www.bfentirenet.com/product_catalogs/trucktires/app?task=TruckTiresPC&subtask=ttDetail&ctry=USA&language=en_us&modelID=600&partial=true) as the ideal tire for this application. Was tempted to go with the larger 395/15.5's, but managed to restrain myself. The T831's are 43.5" in diameter, where the stock 9.00 NDT's were about 39.5" tall. Figured this would give me a little more topend without bogging the truck down too much.

The T831's are rated at 7,390lbs in a single-tire configuration, which is more than the NDT's were rated for in a dual-tire configuration. The load rating and the reduction in weight / rolling resistance made dropping the duals and run singles all the way around seem like an obvious choice. The only benefit I could see to having all that extra rubber on the ground was all the extra built-in spares. I was actually pretty concerned about that given some of the places I'm likely to end up traveling, but I think I figured out a way around that problem (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/34885-driving-one-wheel-tire-axle-off-ground.html). I kept an eye on the military surplus auctions, and ended up buying twelve T831's that were all practically brand new and they cost me less than $200ea.

Running single T831's would prove to be a bit of a challenge though, when it came time to find wheels to mount them on. My choices were very limited, due to the narrow width of these tires and specified 8" rim width. The stock rims were very close to the right width, but the track-width would have been WAY too narrow if I ran them as singles and if I ran them to the outside the front/rear axles wouldn't track. The fact that these 2.5-ton rockwells have kind of an odd six-lug pattern wasn't helping matters, and I couldn't afford to have custom wheels made. There is a Canadian version of the deuce that was equipped with combat-style bead-locked wheels and 11.00 series singles, and those are available at pretty reasonable prices. But they still have a pretty narrow track-width, so I decided to go another route.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/deuce_hubstep_06.jpg

But before I get into these modifications, I want to say that I put more than 4,000 miles on it before making any changes and didn't find it to be anywhere near as unbearable as most people make these vehicles out to be. ... but you know what? I absolutely LOVE driving this thing. Might just be that my perspective is out-of-wack, but I didn't mind it a bit. Not in stock form, and definitely not after I made some improvements.

I'm thinking I better apologize in advance if anyone related to me ever shows up and kicks you in the nads... I've always loved the Deuce but have also always talked myself out of the idea of owning one as being totally impracticable - much to the relief of those related to me. You're being a baaaddd influence here... :laughing:

I read all this by 10:05. Its 10:50.

.MOAR!!!!!!
.MOAR!!!!!!
.MOOOOAAAARRRRR!!!!!!!
please?

I'm thinking I better apologize in advance if anyone related to me ever shows up and kicks you in the nads... I've always loved the Deuce but have also always talked myself out of the idea of owning one as being totally impracticable - much to the relief of those related to me. You're being a baaaddd influence here... :laughing:
These things are cheap enough that you can't afford NOT to own one. Or two or ten. There's a deuce for every occasion. If I wasn't planning on living in mine fulltime I'd have just built a simple camper by throwing my old 10ft Alaskan Camper (http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/alaskan_camper/alaskan_camper_01.jpg) on the back of a regular deuce with a cargo bed. Would happily drive one as a tow-rig. Hell, I'm seeing that it could actually make a viable wheeler if it was built right (bobbed, linked, etc.). Not much bigger than a Jeep when you strip it down to the essentials. Possibilities are endless. I am not any sort of military vehicle enthusiast by nature, but I'm fully infatuated with these things.

I read all this by 10:05. Its 10:50.

.MOAR!!!!!!
.MOAR!!!!!!
.MOOOOAAAARRRRR!!!!!!!
please?
Working on it. Please stand by.

These things are cheap enough that you can't afford NOT to own one. Or two or ten. There's a deuce for every occasion. If I wasn't planning on living in mine fulltime I'd have just built a simple camper by throwing my old 10ft Alaskan Camper (http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/alaskan_camper/alaskan_camper_01.jpg) on the back of a regular deuce with a cargo bed. Would happily drive one as a tow-rig. Hell, I'm seeing that it could actually make a viable wheeler if it was built right (bobbed, linked, etc.). Not much bigger than a Jeep when you strip it down to the essentials. Possibilities are endless. I am not any sort of military vehicle enthusiast by nature, but I'm fully infatuated with these things.


Working on it. Please stand by.
Me too! I mean, you can get one from $100 Man for like $6k bobbed and everything. And they are DIRT simple to work on. Really, of you wanted to, you could bob it, and sell the second rear axle for more build funds, or keep it for spare parts. The parts on these trucks do not wear out as fast as even a 1 ton truck, and those are decently tough! And don't even get me STARTED about Ouverson parts, 5.9 and 8.3 liter Cummins swaps, 7.2L Caterpillar swaps, HEMMT wheels...

SOO MUCH WANT!!!!.

Oh, and you are doing a GREAT job with this build thread. Keep up the good work, and by Jove, keep us posted!

What I ended up doing for wheels is this the following, and it's not anything that I thought of on my own. Somewhere on steelsoldiers I read about it being possible to flip the center-sections in the older deuce wheels that were riveted together. All the details are posted here (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/47925-flipping-center-sections-riveted-wheels.html), but only members can view images so I'll cut/paste.


gringeltaube (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/members/gringeltaube.html) created these drawings that he posted on SS (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/8207-15-5s-wow-what-difference-w-10-rim-build-16.html#post542795), comparing the geometry between a stock wheel and one that has had the center-section flipped.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/M35_wheel_center_section_flipped_01.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/M35_wheel_center_section_flipped_02.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/M35_wheel_center_section_flipped_03.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/M35_wheel_center_section_flipped_04.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/M35_track_width.jpg


Rounded-up a bunch of old riveted wheels, which was a bit of a hunt, because they were used on the older deuces but the newer wheels are all welded. Started blowing-out the rivets with a cutting torch. It's been suggested that there are a bunch of other (better?) ways I could have done this, but I was just working with the tools I had and everything came out OK in the end. This step took me about 1/2hr per wheel.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/mah_deuce_wheels_01.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/mah_deuce_wheels_02.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/mah_deuce_wheels_03.jpg

I used an angle-grinder to knock-off the slag and take off the paint where I had to weld-up the rivet holes, then filled the holes and ground all the welds down. This was pretty time-consuming.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/mah_deuce_wheels_04.jpg


Then I mounted the center-sections to one of the axles on mah deuce, which made a handy fixture to hold the center-sections while I trimmed an inch off the lip of each one. Used a square and a sharpie pen to mark a line 1" in from the lip, all the way around the wheel. Then I used a 4.5" grinder with a cutoff wheel to remove that ring (shown laying up against the center-section). I cut it freehand, but rotated the hub/wheel as I cut, to keep it in a comfortable position. Did this because I wanted to maximize the backspacing by welding the flipped center-sections as close to the outer lips of the wheels as possible.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/mah_deuce_wheels_05.jpg


Backspacing ended up right at 6", exactly where gringeltaube said it would be. That guy really knows his stuff.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/mah_deuce_wheels_06.jpg


This is how I checked to make sure the wheels ran true. Hammered on 'em until I got them where they needed to be, then tacked them into place. Was able to get them all within 1/8" (and most within 1/16"), which seems to be a better than the runout on an average stock rim off one of these trucks.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/mah_deuce_wheels_07.jpg


I only welded-up one wheel at first, just to see how it would go. Removed it from the axle to be welded, and welded that first one on the the frontside and the backside of the center-section. Then mounted it back on the axle to make sure the welding hand't affected the runout (it was fine). But when I posted pics on SS, gringeltaube commented that it might be a bad idea to weld on the backside of the center-sections (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/47925-flipping-center-sections-riveted-wheels-5.html#post546151). Welding in that nice deep V sure felt right, but I what he was saying made sense so I started a thread on pirate (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=864383) to ask about that. Brighter minds prevailed and convinced me that I should only weld on the outside of the center-sections. Glad I had only built one wheel at that point, and I got an extra for exactly that reason.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/mah_deuce_wheels_08.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/mah_deuce_wheels_09.jpg

This is what the first wheel looked like with one of the new tires mounted.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/mah_deuce_wheels_10.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/mah_deuce_wheels_11.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/mah_deuce_wheels_12.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/mah_deuce_wheels_13.jpg


(old wheel/tire combo for reference)
http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/mah_deuce_wheels_14.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/mah_deuce_wheels_15.jpg

I was curious about the scrub radius even though I couldn't really do anything about it. If I was having custom wheels built I might have gone with something closer to 7-8" of backspacing, but 6" was all I could get and I was pretty happy with that (especially for the price). So I posted on pirate (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=862464), but once again gringeltaube came through (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/47925-flipping-center-sections-riveted-wheels-2.html#post544020).

I had asked him:
Do you happen to know what the distance from the center of the u-joint to the wheel-mounting surface is gringeltaube? What about the kingpin inclination angle?

To which he replied:
9.6" and 8º, respectively.
Scrub radius in your case should be around 2 3/4"

G.

Thanks again G!

After assembling my 'practice' wheel, I realized that I should be truing the wheels off of the lip where the rings would seat. Worked out much better that way. All the finished wheels run very true.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/mah_deuce_wheels_24.jpg


After tack-welding the center-sections into place and re-checking the fit, I welded 'em up (on the outside of the flange only).

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/mah_deuce_wheels_16.jpg


I decided that I wanted to grind-out all the welds, so I went at them with a sanding disc on a 4.5" angle grinder.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/mah_deuce_wheels_18.jpg


Then I went back and filled in the low spots.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/mah_deuce_wheels_17.jpg


This is what they looked like after I finished grinding out all the welds. Not perfect, but then, nothing is on these old trucks.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/mah_deuce_wheels_19.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/mah_deuce_wheels_20.jpg

Then I hauled all those wheels down to Agri Trade School (http://autobody.com/agri-trade-school.html) in Salinas, where Tom sand-blasted them for me.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/mah_deuce_wheels_25.jpg


I was going to prime/paint them myself, but fortunately, a buddy of mine told me that I could get them powder-coated at Les Schwab for $25 before I bought paint. And that INCLUDES sandblasting. Dangit. Wasted a little bit of money there, but it worked out alright in the end. Dropped my wheels off with the guys at the Les Schwab up in Fremont.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/mah_deuce_wheels_26.jpg


They obviously have to send the wheels out for powder-coating, so it takes about a week. For $25/wheel, I wasn't complaining though. This is what they looked like when I came back to pick them up.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/mah_deuce_wheels_27.jpg


I went ahead and had them order new tubes and flaps for me. I could have mounted them myself, but I was already there and they do a LOT of work on big trucks. Man, they whipped these things out. It was cool to see how it should be done.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/mah_deuce_wheels_28.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/mah_deuce_wheels_29.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/mah_deuce_wheels_30.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/mah_deuce_wheels_31.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/mah_deuce_wheels_32.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/mah_deuce_wheels_33.jpg

...continued:

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/mah_deuce_wheels_34.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/mah_deuce_wheels_35.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/mah_deuce_wheels_36.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/mah_deuce_wheels_37.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/mah_deuce_wheels_38.jpg

Loaded them all back up and was so excited that I installed them all that night. Well, all except for one of them. Stripped a stud, and had to go buy a new one the next morning. Apologies for the crappy pictures.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/mah_deuce_wheels_38.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/mah_deuce_wheels_39.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/mah_deuce_wheels_40.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/mah_deuce_wheels_41.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/mah_deuce_wheels_42.jpg

Subscribed, nice build man

...continued:

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/mah_deuce_wheels_36.jpg


I'll be keeping my eye on this one. Like the way it's turning out.

Good thing there are still shops that will deal with that type of rim down there. Here no tire shops will touch them anymore.

Nat

Thanks. I wondered about that too, but that's Tracy there in that picture; he's the manager at the Les Schwab in Fremont and he didn't even blink when I asked him about mounting my tires on those wheels. They do a lot of work on heavy trucks, and he was really cool about letting me watch and ask questions and take pictures. Anybody in the area's sure to get good service there but anybody anywhere near a Les Schwab ought to take advantage of their powder-coating services. $25/wheel is crazy-cheap.

This is a really cool build. Need to add a duece or two to the wish list.

Those modded rims and new tires look great.

This is an awesome vehicle and great build thread! I am going to attempt to sell the wife on the idea tonight... keep fingers crossed! lol

These things are cheap enough that you can't afford NOT to own one. Or two or ten. There's a deuce for every occasion.

I think my relatives are starting to stockpile pitchforks and torches... Damn, you're a bad influence! :laughing:

I know this looks like an enormous vehicle, but it's only 26ft long bumper-to-bumper and the box itself is only 12ft long (inside). That's small. REALLY small. So I've spent a lot of time thinking about how to make best use of space.

Really wish I was able to add a cabover section to the box, but that was beyond the scope of this project. Not that it would have been so difficult, but at that point it would have been easier to make a whole new box. Believe me - I was tempted, but that's how the neverending story starts...and I'd rather spend my time traveling (instead of building the end-all ultimate motorhome). So I resigned myself to living within the existing box, but knew that I still needed to make use of that space above the cab somehow.

Designed a cabover rack in SolidWorks that would be made of tubing and sheetmetal, and would be attached to the box (floating over the cab). I had all the sheetmetal parts laser-cut at a local shop and had been planning on doing the install at my place, but the sheetmetal parts weren't done in time. By the time I got the parts, I had already moved out of my house.

Explained the situation to Graeme and he invited me to come down and work on my rig at his shop (http://g-fabmotorsports.com/). Took the two of us the better part of two days to assemble and mount this rack. Was a little bit tough to keep square as we were putting it together, and getting it into position on the truck was also a challenge. Turned out great in the end though.

The rack will eventually have a lid (hinged on the leading edge) and some type of mesh or something on the sides. Need to maintain some airflow because that's where I'm planning on mounting a generator and the water-heaters, AC condenser, etc. The four circular cutouts on the front are for driving lights.

Will be uploading all the CAD files related to this project to the CAD Library (http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/resources/cadlibrary/), where they will be available to download and use (free of charge).


http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/cabover_rack_01.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/cabover_rack_02.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/cabover_rack_03.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/cabover_rack_04.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/cabover_rack_05.jpg

We used tie-down straps to hold the sheetmetal portion of the rack in place as we riveted it into place. Moved on to the tubework from there. The cabover rack is tied into a horizontal tube (2" x .120-wall) that is bolted to the two lift-points at the top/front corners of the box. Similar tubes run down the sides of the box and across the back, tying into similar lifting points. The plan is to use that tubework to support a party deck and solar panels.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/cabover_rack_06.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/cabover_rack_07.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/cabover_rack_08.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/cabover_rack_09.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/cabover_rack_10.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/cabover_rack_11.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/cabover_rack_12.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/cabover_rack_13.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/cabover_rack_14.jpg

That big hole in the middle of cabover rack is where I mounted an AC condenser. I'm using a RedDot AC/heater (model R-5045) that was originally designed for armored trucks (the type used to transport money). You can read the full specs here (http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/reddot_r5045_specs_01.pdf), but it's a heavy-duty heat/AC unit that moves up to 430CFM and puts out 46,000BTU's/hr (heat) / 33,000BTU's/hr (AC). Went with one of RedDot's largest units (model R-4500), which has a nice low-profile. Haven't done anything related to the compressor yet. Was much more concerned about these components that I had to design/build things to accommodate. Have also been talking to the people at RedDot and Sy-Klone (http://www.sy-klone.com) about fresh air and recirculating air filtration and cabin pressurization systems (http://www.sy-klone.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=SI&Category_Code=R-SDX) though. Sent some CAD files to their engineers so they can help me decide how to duct everything. Never gave much thought to airflow and this kind of stuff before, but I'm learning that it makes a huge difference in the overall performance and efficiency of the system.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/mah_deuce_interior_01.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/mah_deuce_reddot_AC_01.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/reddot_ac_01.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/reddot_ac_02.jpg

Thanks again for all your help Graeme!

Back inside the box, my buddy Duane helped me figure out the electrical side of things. We spent some time talking about anticipated loads and how I wanted everything to work. Duane worked-up some schematic drawings, when we put together a shopping list and I spent about $1000 at Home Depot. Had to get some specialty products other places, but that took care of all the 110 wiring and switches and I bought a 250ft spool of 10-guage 3-wire electrical cable to make some extension cords (shore-power). Over the course of about a week Duane and I got all the old wiring stripped out and I made all the cutouts for the electrical outlets and switches.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/electrical_01.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/electrical_02.jpg

The other project I knocked out that week I spent at Duane's house was to fit the countertops and install the kitchen sink. Went with PaperStone countertops (http://www.paperstoneproducts.com/products-panels-slate.php). Eco-friendly blahblahblah. I really just liked the way it looks and it's supposed to be super-durable. We found PaperStone to be REALLY difficult to work with. It's crazy-dense, and caused the jigsaw blades to overheat and dull pretty quickly. Not complaining because that's precisely what makes it so nice once it's installed.

Most of the countertops were cut by the guys at Davis Cabinets on their large tablesaws, but we had to hand-cut the sink cutout. The template they made ensured clean cuts though, which was important because I wanted to use an undermount sink. Only catch was that I didn't have an undermount sink. I had a regular sink that I'd bought cheap off craigslist (brand new, left over from a remodel). Was determined to make that work because and there was no way that I was going to spend $500+ on a stainless steel undermount sink. Attempted to modify the sink to be installed as an undermount, stubbornly refusing to acknowledge that it wasn't working. Didn't stop until I ruined the sink and the countertop. Had to purchase a second sink and install it as an overmount in order to salvage the countertop. Should have just spent the money to do it right the first time. Would have saved money and gotten exactly what I wanted.


http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/davis_43.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/davis_44.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/davis_45.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/davis_46.jpg

I'll go ahead share one more embarrassing goof-up with you guys tonight. So stupid it's funny. Bought a 3000 watt Xantrex Prosine 3.0 (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=24138) pure sine-wave inverter. Came with some mounting brackets that I needed to modify in order to mount the inverter in the electrical cabinet. Cleaned the paint off the ends where I wanted to weld-on some little mounting brackets that I made. Geez, what's wrong? Did I forget to turn on the gas? Nope. Holy shit, these mounting brackets are ALUMINUM. Yup. I tried to weld steel to aluminum. Didn't work so well. The second set of mounting brackets turned out much better.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/inverter_mounts_01.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/inverter_mounts_02.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/inverter_mounts_03.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/inverter_mounts_04.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/inverter_mounts_05.jpg

Awesome build, can`t wait for updates... :eek:

WOW, you've done quite a job so far. I'm looking forward to seeing more.

Super cool build. Sounds like a great adventure.

This is a great build. Keep the posts coming. Are you going to put any creature comforts (a/c, modern seats, etc) in the cab?

This is a great build. Keep the posts coming. Are you going to put any creature comforts (a/c, modern seats, etc) in the cab?
Thanks, and yes. The RedDot heat/AC unit can be ducted to direct air forward into the cab and I'm planning on mounting some low-back Baja-type suspension seats on top of the factory 'springer' seat bases. Going to replace the stock springs and shocks with mountain-bike shocks though. Lots of other creature-comforts planned: things like having a water faucet built into the cupholders in the center console and that sort of thing. Was intending to cut a big hole for a pass-through between the cab and the box, but then I found that brand new cab and I just can't bring myself to cut it up. So I'm going to live without a pass-through for a while and see how that goes. Can always add it later.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/springer_seatbase_01.jpg

This thing is so fawking awesome! :smokin::smokin:
Really nice work, I can't wait to see the finished product.

This thing is so sick! Love the detailed build thread with all the pics. Keep up the good work.

Awesome project! I know what you mean about driving the duece. The looks you get and the feel of driving one is an experience in itself.

Thanks guys, appreciate all the compliments.

Had to flip the hubs on the rear axles in order to mount my new wheels and tires, and decided that would be a good time to service all the hubs and brakes. One of the wheel seals had failed and made a bit of a mess. Spent a LOT of time cleaning-up the axles/hubs/brakes with brake cleaner, wire brushes and a wire wheel on a 4.5" angle grinder. Was the first time I used the service manuals and I found them to be very easy to follow. They spell out every little detail, to the point where it's almost funny. But I guess that says something about who they expected to be servicing these vehicles...

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/axle_rebuild_01.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/axle_rebuild_02.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/axle_rebuild_03.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/axle_rebuild_04.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/axle_rebuild_05.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/axle_rebuild_06.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/axle_rebuild_07.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/axle_rebuild_08.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/axle_rebuild_09.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/axle_rebuild_10.jpg

What a mess. The front axle was covered in grime, but I've been really lucky - haven't had to deal with a single rusted/seized bolt or anything like that. Seems like this truck was really well-maintained. Think it has a lot to do with the fact that there is anti-seize on just about every piece of hardware on this truck. Has got me in the habit of using it more religiously myself.

The bearings in both of the rear axles were in great shape, but the bearing races on the front axle had these weird chatter-marks. Posted some pics on steelsoldiers (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/40699-take-look-these-wheel-bearings-brake-pads-drums.html) and then installed new wheel bearings and brake pads. That purple grease is Amsoil synthetic grease (http://www.amsoil.com/storefront/gsf.aspx). Also replaced all the wheel cylinders with new parts while I was in there. Installed a set of those silicone boots. Hope they hold-up better than the zipper-boots. Planning on installing some sort of boot-guards.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/axle_rebuild_11.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/axle_rebuild_12.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/axle_rebuild_13.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/axle_rebuild_14.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/axle_rebuild_16.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/axle_rebuild_17.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/axle_rebuild_18.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/axle_rebuild_19.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/axle_rebuild_20.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/axle_rebuild_21.jpg

Went through a ton of disposable nitrile gloves and paper-towels.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/axle_rebuild_15.jpg

Designed these hubsteps to make it easier to climb up onto the front fenders. They've gone through a few revisions now, but I might as well start at the beginning.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/deuce_hubstep_01.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/deuce_hubstep_02.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/deuce_hubstep_03.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/deuce_hubstep_04.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/deuce_hubstep_05.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/deuce_hubstep_06.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/deuce_hubstep_07.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/deuce_hubstep_08.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/deuce_hubstep_09.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/deuce_hubstep_10.jpg

The hubsteps work on the front and rear axles (stock axles/driveflanges) Pointless on Mah Deuce, but I think they might be useful on a cargo truck or a tractor.

Figured out how to make a few improvements while I was making my new wheels.

1) The way my original hubsteps were designed, the wheels were kind of hard to slide over the hubsteps and onto the hubs.

2) The original hubsteps didn't stick out any further than the front driveflanges, which kept everything nice and tight, but the steps were a little too small to be very useful.

3) The teeth on the original hubsteps were not very sharp, and I found my feet slipping off them occasionally.

So I redesigned them. The single biggest and most improvement is that the new hubsteps should make the wheels a LOT easier to put on and take off. Should be an easy one-man job now. You just slide the wheel over the hubstep and then slide the wheels up the spokes, right onto the hubs. I also added a 1/8" tall lip to stop the wheels from falling off the hub when one person is trying to wrestle a wheel/tire on/off. I also made the new hubsteps a 1/2" wider, so there's a larger platform to stand on. And you can see, the teeth are also a lot sharper on the new version.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/deuce_hubstep_11.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/deuce_hubstep_12.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/deuce_hubstep_13.jpg


So here's how they went together:

Start by fitting each of the spokes into the slots in the inner step-ring
http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/deuce_hubstep_14.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/deuce_hubstep_15.jpg

Then position the inner step ring and all the spokes on top of the bolt ring (the steps are keyed to the bolt-ring)
http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/deuce_hubstep_16.jpg

Then set the outer step ring down top of all the spokes (the steps are keyed to the outer step-ring)
http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/deuce_hubstep_17.jpg

Weld it up
http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/deuce_hubstep_18.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/deuce_hubstep_19.jpg

Grind it down
http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/deuce_hubstep_20.jpg

Here's a picture of a new-style hubstep next to the old-style hubstep. Note that the new hubstep sticks out just a little bit further, and the spokes make nice ramps to help slide the wheels up onto the hubs.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/deuce_hubstep_21.jpg

Man this is an awesome build! I've seen a few of your posts at Steel Soldiers, just ran across this.

Installed:

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/deuce_hubstep_22.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/deuce_hubstep_23.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/deuce_hubstep_24.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/deuce_hubstep_25.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/deuce_hubstep_26.jpg

Made a few more small revisions:

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/deuce_hubstep_31.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/deuce_hubstep_27.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/deuce_hubstep_28.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/deuce_hubstep_26.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/deuce_hubstep_30.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/deuce_hubstep_29.jpg

Was planning on selling these, but ran into problems with the vendor that was supposed to do the laser-cutting for me, and found another shop to produce them for me yet. If anybody can recommend a good laser-shop I'd appreciate it.

Wow. I don't know what's more impressive. The build or the documentation of the build.

Thank you for all the work you have put in to writing this up. I found myself at work today refreshing the page, hoping you'd have an update!

After finishing up the axles and brakes, figured I to complete the Lube Order before I put that 35lb bucket of Amsoil grease away. Then took one look at the all the zerk fittings under mah deuce and decided it would have to wait a few days (while I looked into getting a pneumatic greasegun). Ended up ordering a Lincoln Model 1162 (http://www.lincolnindustrial.com/asp/products/greaseguns.asp) and it rocks! Little bit messy to fill, but couldn't figure out any way around that. Made greasing all the zerks on this vehicle a breeze. Just hold the trigger down and it's full-auto, but it does have a variable-speed trigger so it's not just on/off.

Recruited one of my not-so-mechanically-inclined friends to help me with this maintenance, and that's when I started to appreciate the way the military service manuals are written. Printed out the section from the manual that he needed, loaded-up the greasegun, and turned him loose. He completed the whole job without having to ask me a single question, and I don't know if this guy has ever even changed a flat tire. Whole point is, these vehicles are NOT difficult to work on, and the manuals are almost idiot-proof.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/amsoil_grease_01.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/amsoil_grease_02.jpg

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http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/amsoil_grease_06.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/amsoil_grease_07.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/amsoil_grease_08.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/amsoil_grease_09.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/amsoil_grease_10.jpg

Went through the rest of the rig and replaced all the fluids with Amsoil products. The plan is to take regular oil samples, but to see just how long I can go between oil changes without blowing-up my brand new 5-ton multifuel engine (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12512566#post12512566). Hoping this Spinner II Model 960 centrifuge (http://www.spinnerii.com/index.cfm/lev1/866/divId/61/Models.and.Specs) lives up to expectations. CLick here (http://www.spinnerii.com/index.cfm/lev1/726/divId/61/How.The.Centrifuge.Works) to see how it works. They make some really bold claims about reducing engine wear (http://www.spinnerii.com/index.cfm/lev1/732/divId/61/Report:.50.percent.Less.Engine.Wear) and extending the time between oil changes (http://www.spinnerii.com/index.cfm/lev1/731/divId/61/The.Case.For.Extended.Drains), but unlike so many things, this actually makes a lot of sense. Centrifuges have been proven to be very effective in all sorts of different applications and I like that there are no consumable oil filter elements to change/replace. Just clean out the bowl and put it back together.

Know more or less where and how I'm going to mount this centrifuge, but have not made the mount yet because there are several other accessories that I'm going to need to mount in the same area, so it doesn't make much sense to install anything until I can install everything.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/amsoil_engine_01.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/spinner_II_mount_01.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/spinner_II_mount_02.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/spinner_II_mount_03.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/spinner_II_mount_04.jpg

Then I filled up the differentials fresh Amsoil Severe Gear differential lube.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/amsoil_axles_01.jpg

Drained the transmission and refilled that. Last thing left to do was put new fluid in the transfer-case. Figures that this is where I would run into problems. This is what I saw. Actually heard it first, draining fluid and thunk! thunk! thunk! chunks of metal falling into the drain-pan. There was a lot of it, and it didn't look good. Funny thing is, it never missed a beat. I didn't even know anything was wrong with it. Truck ran great. But it was a sprag-operated transfer-case, which isn't as desirable as the air-shifted transfer-cases they put in the newer deuces. So I was planning on upgrading eventually anyway. No big deal that I ended up having to do it sooner than later.

Posted-up on steelsoldiers.com that I was looking for an air-shift transfer-case (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/40969-think-i-need-find-another-transfercase-looking-air-shift-unit.html) and located one almost right away. I was all the way up in Portland, but the price was reasonable and it included one of the hard-to-find transfer-case PTO units.

Swapping transfer-cases was pretty straightforward. Parts are a lot bigger and heavier than what I was used to working on (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12442483#post12442483), but no more difficult. Sandblasted and painted the new transfer-case, installed new seals, and got it reinstalled without much trouble (except for the rain).

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/transfercase_01.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/transfercase_02.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/transfercase_03.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/transfercase_04.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/transfercase_05.jpg

The oil-line for the PTO unit had been slightly damaged somewhere along the line, probably during removal or transportations. Making a new one shouldn't have had to be such a pain in the ass, but I couldn't find these compression fittings anywhere and there wasn't enough room to remove the fitting without taking the parking brake drum off first. Took me a little while, but it turned out nice.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/PTO_oil_line_fittings_01.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/PTO_oil_line_fittings_02.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/PTO_oil_line_fittings_03.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/PTO_oil_line_fittings_04.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/PTO_oil_line_fittings_05.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/PTO_oil_line_fittings_06.jpg

Was SO excited to take Mah Deuce out for a drive after all the work I'd done. All that maintenance, new wheels and tires, etc. It was awesome! Until it broke. Only a few miles into the test-drive, the transfer-case started screeching and howling. Forced me to come to a complete stop, grinding in protest to any type of forward motion. Got under the truck and assessed the situation and it was the transfer-case. Something was wrong with it. Wasn't about to have mah deuce towed home, as that would have cost more than replacing any parts I might have to replace. So I put it into low-range and drove home at about 5-10mph. Made it, but it hasn't moved since. Need to buy another air-shift transfer-case. Luckily I can get a brand new surplus unit for about $800, so I'm not complaining. That's the risk you take buying used parts. May well have been something I messed-up when I replaced the seals. I honestly don't know.


Funny coincidence, the guy that I bought that transfer-case from also gave me a great deal on a towbar. haha. No joke.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/towbar_01.jpg


Also got the towbar 'feet' and a set of chain-wrap axle-clamps that will let me hook that towbar up to all kinds of things. I'll take a picture of those. They're really neat.

Since then, I managed to find a few more towbars. Going to chop-up a few extra legs to make extensions for my towbar so I can make an A-frame hoist like this (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/2780-frame-kit-hoist-m35-lets-talk-about.html). Still not sure exactly how I ought to go about that (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/2780-frame-kit-hoist-m35-lets-talk-about-10.html#post730258), so if any of you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear them.

Don't chop up a perfectly good towbar just to make an A frame. You can easily make the end for an A-frame without wasting a valuable towbar.

Don't worry. Just found some extra short-side legs. No complete/useful towbars will be harmed in the making of this A-frame hoist.

I can't believe that happened with the tcase? Oh wait yes I can because it happened to me with a 360 and has probably happened to all of us.

I'm curious to see how this centrifuge oil cleaner works. It looks like the same model is for a 6bt, how much is it?

How hub steps came out well, so you take cad drawings to a shop and have them laser cut?

Will there be more updates or are you dead in the water with the tcase?

Sent from my SPH-M900 using Tapatalk

Good deal ont he towbar parts. I know how desired they are over on SS. :D

Simca and Fiat ran centrifuge oil filters for many years with limited success. I would be wary as all the designs I have seen use a bypass that allows unfiltered oil to go to the engine in an effort to preserve normal oil flow and pressure. Only a percentage of the oil gets filtered as it reaches the filter, much like the old bypass filter systems from the '50s on back. If this unit works in conjunction with the normal filter system, I say go for it as long as it does not have an adverse effect on flow and pressure. If it replaces the stock filters, I would be very careful with that new engine. Just my .02

I can't believe that happened with the tcase? Oh wait yes I can because it happened to me with a 360 and has probably happened to all of us.

I'm curious to see how this centrifuge oil cleaner works. It looks like the same model is for a 6bt, how much is it?

How hub steps came out well, so you take cad drawings to a shop and have them laser cut?

Will there be more updates or are you dead in the water with the tcase?

No, the Cummins 6BT uses a smaller one. Spinner lists the price for your application here (http://www.spinnerii.com/index.cfm/lev1/904/divId/78/Buy.Now!?process=prod&product_id=1&category_id=1).

Good deal ont he towbar parts. I know how desired they are over on SS. :D

Simca and Fiat ran centrifuge oil filters for many years with limited success. I would be wary as all the designs I have seen use a bypass that allows unfiltered oil to go to the engine in an effort to preserve normal oil flow and pressure. Only a percentage of the oil gets filtered as it reaches the filter, much like the old bypass filter systems from the '50s on back. If this unit works in conjunction with the normal filter system, I say go for it as long as it does not have an adverse effect on flow and pressure. If it replaces the stock filters, I would be very careful with that new engine. Just my .02
After I bought that first towbar, I stumbled onto a treasure-trove of old military parts (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/conversations/49696-military-vehicles-parts-near-ft-hunter-liggett-need-saved.html). An old collector had recently passed away and his family hired a guy I knew to dispose of everything. Was a real shame actually. A lot of good stuff got scrapped. But I was able to save a bunch of towbars and some other misc. parts. Sent those out to SS members all over the country.

The Spinner centrifuge is a bypass filter, meant to be run in addition to the stock oil filtration system. But I'm going to replace the stock oil filter canisters with better filters too.

Will there be more updates or are you dead in the water with the tcase?
Sorry, I completely missed this. NO! Would be kind of ridiculous if I let a little thing like a transfer-case bring this project to a screeching halt, eh? Replacing the transfer-case just hasn't been much of a priority because there's no bodywork on the truck right now (getting painted), I'm about to start the engine-swap, and just ripped out the stock steering and braking systems (full-hydro steering & HydraMax brakes in the works). So the mah deuce isn't going anywhere anytime soon.

This is what the Tempurpedic mattress looks like after I cut it out of the casing. Kind of disappointing actually, that only half of it is really tempur material. The bottom half is just regular old mattress foam. I wouldn't have bought one of these mattresses for this project, but already had one, so...

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/mattress_01.jpg


BTW - there is a custom mattress builder just north of Seattle who makes real custom latex foam mattresses made to order, thickness, size, shape, whatever. Much better than Tempurpedic.

BTW - there is a custom mattress builder just north of Seattle who makes real custom latex foam mattresses made to order, thickness, size, shape, whatever. Much better than Tempurpedic.
Right on. Good to have options. Thanks for posting. My only complaints about the Tempurpedic mattress are: 1) they retain a lot of heat, and 2) they are very sensitive to temperature (stiff when cold, spongey when hot). Used it because I had it. Will see how this works out.

awesome project!

live the dream man, i wish i had the time and was able to travel.

where are you storing the guns?

Guns? I don't have any guns...




(in the cabinet behind the couch and in a safe under the bed)

What I ended up doing for wheels is this the following, and it's not anything that I thought of on my own. Somewhere on steelsoldiers I read about it being possible to flip the center-sections in the older deuce wheels that were riveted together. All the details are posted here (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/47925-flipping-center-sections-riveted-wheels.html), but only members can view images so I'll cut/paste.

One more comment; when you mess with the offset of the wheels you can easily put a lot more load on the bearings. Generally most vehicles are designed such that the centerline of the wheel is over the bearings so that the load on the bearings is correct.

I typically see this where people drastically change the offset on wheels, either by reversing them (if they can) or by buying wheels with a lot more offset.

From looking at your drawings I can't quite make out which is stock and which is mod (I think I know which is which) but then you flipped some of the flanges around and so on, so I am not quite sure where you wound up when finished (not to mention I am not sure where the bearings need to take their load, or how negative offset affects them, or the fact that you went to singles v. duals).

Also, you are probably carrying a lot less weight than the vehicle is rated for you will probably be fine, but I just thought I would mention it because this is something that a lot of people gloss over and then later wonder why their wheel bearings are FUBAR.

One more comment; when you mess with the offset of the wheels you can easily put a lot more load on the bearings. Generally most vehicles are designed such that the centerline of the wheel is over the bearings so that the load on the bearings is correct.

I typically see this where people drastically change the offset on wheels, either by reversing them (if they can) or by buying wheels with a lot more offset.

From looking at your drawings I can't quite make out which is stock and which is mod (I think I know which is which) but then you flipped some of the flanges around and so on, so I am not quite sure where you wound up when finished (not to mention I am not sure where the bearings need to take their load, or how negative offset affects them, or the fact that you went to singles v. duals).

Also, you are probably carrying a lot less weight than the vehicle is rated for you will probably be fine, but I just thought I would mention it because this is something that a lot of people gloss over and then later wonder why their wheel bearings are FUBAR.
Thanks, but I did consider that (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12519273#post12519273). The scrub radius is only 2.75", which I think is pretty reasonable, and the rear hubs are designed to be flipped like that.

Thanks, but I did consider that (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12519273#post12519273). The scrub radius is only 2.75", which I think is pretty reasonable, and the rear hubs are designed to be flipped like that.

Okay. I wasn't referring to the alignment issues with regards to steering, but rather the issues with bearings. But if you say you took it into account and that the hubs are designed for it, then I will assume you know what you are doing - especially since you surely know a lot more about these trucks than I do.

My comment was more a cautionary note for others with regards to the practice in general; just something I saw a lot of in my years working on rigs, especially lighter rigs with semi-floating axles and such; my first job as a teenager working in a VW/Porsche/Audi shop as a grease monkey, we saw a lot of this on Bugs especially, and later when I got into 4 wheeling I saw it a lot on various light trucks.

Heavier trucks, ag equipment (tractors and such) and industrial equipment, what I eventually got into before I quit, usually has a lot more versatility and extra robustness built into it. Light pickups like a half ton pickup or Jeep much less so.

One of the reasons I was thinking of it was I was also thinking about going to singles on my Dodge 3500 flat bed, but once I added up the weight I was going to put on it I decided to stick with duals to keep the wider footprint and load carry capacity.

My build (in the planning stage) is kind of on the other side of the line; I wanted a lighter truck with more highway speed that would get me to the trailhead. Interestingly, my truck's physical length, including the 12'x8' bed, is almost the same as yours, but it is a smaller truck in weight and carrying capacity, so I am going to have to really watch the weight.

Yupyup, I hear you. Here's a link (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scrub_radius) for anybody that doesn't know what scrub radius is. I should have included that in my first reply. From the pictures and explanation it should be clear how the amount of offset/backspacing on a wheel can affect the axle bearings. On the rear axles it's more a matter of simple leverage, but like I said, these axles were designed to have the hubs flipped to run single or dual tires. Not worried about bearing longevity in this vehicle at all.

thats a very cool project. ill definitely be following along.

Garrett

Great thread, I'm responding mostly to subscribe but thought I'd comment on the manuals. When I was in the Army in the '70s, the manuals came in series'. The XXXXX-10 was the first level maintenance manual. They were designed for the company level mechanic to do their level of maintenance. The manuals progressed to -20, -30, etc as the echelon of maintenance rose. The -10 was the one I used most, even though I was a mere operator and they were, as you stated, totally complete with their explainations of processes, but were written to a high school reading level The Army finally realized that their new all volunteer recruits only averaged about a sixth grade reading level. They confiscated all the -10s they could find (we hid them) and started issuing -5s to the operator. They came complete with cartoon caracters, Connie Rod and Torqem McGurk, to illustrate the various processes. It was ridiculous and seriously limited the quality of work that the operator could perform before sending the vehicle to the mechanics or higher for maintenance. On as side note, the -5s didn't show how to adjust governors as the -20 did. That was a handy item for performance mods!

Great thread, I'm responding mostly to subscribe but thought I'd comment on the manuals. When I was in the Army in the '70s, the manuals came in series'. The XXXXX-10 was the first level maintenance manual. They were designed for the company level mechanic to do their level of maintenance. The manuals progressed to -20, -30, etc as the echelon of maintenance rose. The -10 was the one I used most, even though I was a mere operator and they were, as you stated, totally complete with their explainations of processes, but were written to a high school reading level The Army finally realized that their new all volunteer recruits only averaged about a sixth grade reading level. They confiscated all the -10s they could find (we hid them) and started issuing -5s to the operator. They came complete with cartoon caracters, Connie Rod and Torqem McGurk, to illustrate the various processes. It was ridiculous and seriously limited the quality of work that the operator could perform before sending the vehicle to the mechanics or higher for maintenance. On as side note, the -5s didn't show how to adjust governors as the -20 did. That was a handy item for performance mods!
That's really funny. I know just what you're talking about.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/ps364_p18_19_airpak_vent.jpg

Been working on putting together an index (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12508124#post12508124), organized by topic, with links and sources.

Gawd, now they're even politically correct. Connie Rod's black now, with allot more clothing! The US Army, the original equal opportunity employer.

Says a lot about a lot, doesn't it? The fact that the military had to resort to turning service bulletins and manuals into comic books. There's none of that nonsense in the -10/20/30 manuals, and I would never complain about something like a service manual being overly clear, but it's a sad state of affairs. Shameful.

I much prefered the Old Connie.

But we had the -10's too, so you could actually get sh, uh, Stuff done.

Loving how well you are supporting others who may want to follow in your footsteps. thank you for taking the time to build this thread as a resource and not just a story.

There's none of that nonsense in the -10/20/30 manuals, and I would never complain about something like a service manual being overly clear, but it's a sad state of affairs. Shameful.\

Yes there is! Flip to the back of the manual to the "suggest changes" section and there is a hawt blond cartoon in every TM the Army makes! Also on the subject, the -24P is the parts manual and has exploded views of everything, sometimes it's easier to look in there than try to fumble through the poorly written manuals.

Well then I stand corrected. Only have the manuals I've downloaded from steelsoldiers.com.

Made a lot of progress on the index (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12508124#post12508124). Will get back to posting updates tomorrow.

Local one for sale... Damn you! :D

Buy it! Nah, that's actually kind of expensive if it's got a bad engine. Back there on the east coast you can buy these direct from govliquidation for a LOT less than out here on the west coast, so you should expect to pay a bit less when buying from private parties too.

I read the whole thread and instantly went to craigslist to see what was out there. I found three with the camper and one of those is rust free for 4,000. I may be owning a new vehicle this summer haha.

Great thread and incredible log of work.

Thank you for doing this for us to follow.

The M109 trucks make a great platform for a motorhome conversion, but I wonder if I might have been better off just building a custom box. Wouldn't have been too much more work, could have saved a lot of weight (stock box weighs about 4000lbs), and would have been able to make a little bit more usable space. Just something to think about if you're looking for a truck. Maybe buy a regular cargo truck and build a box? Here are a couple of examples, both really cool: F700 build on pirate (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=933305) and Topkick build on expo (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=45835).

Going to be uploading a lot of CAD files to the CAD Library (http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/resources/cadlibrary/), sharing almost everything that I've designed for mah deuce. A lot of things are specific to the motorhome conversion part of this project, but many of the things I'm making can be used on regular deuces (like these mounting brackets for a removable three-point receiver hitch (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/65107-2-removable-receivers-9.html#post785881)). I'm using Solidworks (http://www.solidworks.com/), so I'll be sharing my native design files, as well at universal formats (IGS? any special requests?) and eDrawings files. eDrawings is a free CAD viewer (http://www.edrawingsviewer.com/) made by Solidworks, and allows anybody to view these 3D CAD models.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/trailer_hitch_V3_01.png

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/trailer_hitch_V3_02.png

You're slackin buddy!!! :flipoff2:

After scrapping the uhaul trailer that I built (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12512218#post12512218), I picked up an M103A3 trailer (http://www.olive-drab.com/idphoto/id_photos_m103_trailer.php), which is basically a flatbed version of an M105 trailer (http://www.olive-drab.com/idphoto/id_photos_m105_trailer.php). Sits a little bit higher than the M353 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12512218#post12512218) that I used to build the uhaul trailer, but that's not such a bad thing (extra ground clearance and room for storage underneath the deck). It's also quite a bit lighter and the flatbed will make a much better platform to for an enclosure. Picked this one up in Washington. It's in great condition and the fellow I bought it from is a collector/enthusiast and he made me a great deal. We rigged-up some temporary bedsides and used the trailer to help a friend move from Seattle down to Santa Cruz, which helped offset the cost of the trailer. Mounted a set of matching wheels/tires and stripped it down to the basics.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/M103A3_trailer_02.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/M103A3_trailer_01.jpg

At first I was trying to fit everything into this trailer, but now I'm leaning towards more of a modular caravan concept. Probably just build a few different boxes for this trailer chassis to start, and then acquire more trailers as I find them (the M103's aren't quite as common as the M105's). Going to make a simple crane that will sit on top of the M109 box, and will be able to lift the trailer boxs on/off the trailer chassis.

Would love to get my hands on a water/fuel trailer (http://www.olive-drab.com/idphoto/id_photos_m107_trailer.php), and I'd like to build a full-on partywagon trailer too (probably based on an MKT-85/90 trailer) with a bar, big-ass BBQ, showers, etc. Could even load a vehicle on top of an M103 trailer if I reinforce the deck in a few spots.

This first one is going to be something of a dedicated workshop/toybox. Plan on outfitting it with a full assortment of tools, including a welder, tubing bender, saws, drills, grinders, etc. Most of the tools will be mounted on 2" receivers (like this (http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/tacoma_receivers_07.jpg)), so I can move things around to make efficient use of space. Hope this will make a good trailer for traveling, pit support at off-road races, and that type of thing. Will have extra fuel (diesel, gas, slut-tanks), water, waste storage tanks, as well as a generator and large battery-bank. Should extend the range of mah deuce and will allow the trailer to be used as a stand-alone basecamp.

Started a couple different threads about this new trailer project, and uploaded my design files to the CAD Library. Have only gotten as far as roughing-out all the basic dimensions. Still thinking about how I actually want to build this thing, so the CAD files I've uploaded aren't going to be too useful to anybody, unless you're only interested in the dimensions of the M103A3 trailer. But I will upload new files as things progress.

This screen-capture of the enclosure is already out-of-date, as I've decided that I'm going to mode the side-entry door around to the front of the trailer box so I can walk back and forth between the motorhome and the trailer (would like to put an awning on the back of mah deuce that would extend far enough to make a breezeway between the truck and trailer).

links
designing & building a small enclosed trailer (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=900104) (pirate4x4 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/))
building a lightweight structure to support weight (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=916722) (pirate4x4 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/))
making a fold-down trailer door (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=45548) (expeditionportal (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/))
M103A3 trailer & custom enclosure: V2 (http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/resources/cadlibrary/file/m103a3-trailer--custom-enclosure-v2/) (CAD files)

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/M103A3_trailer_01.png

You going to use all those fuel can mounts? :D

You going to use all those fuel can mounts? :D
yes, and a few more. Been stockpiling them and must have 8-10 by now.

Just found another one of those comicbook-style service bulletins.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/airpack_lube_bulletin.png

...and another. haha.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/torque_rod_check_bulletin.png

I mentioned before (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12512597#post12512597) that I stumbled onto a NOS cab, and a lot of the parts that I've picked up for this project came from the same place. The cab, a NOS hardtop, a whole pile of riveted wheels, the M103A3 trailer, and a whole truckload (a BIG load) of other misc. parts came from Brad Milne's yard in McKenna Washington. I've made a couple trips to his place already, and spent a few days with him, picking through parts and finding treasures that I didn't know I was looking for (like that cab). Real good-natured fellow. Allowed me camp in his yard and even let me drive this monster forklift, which was seriously one of the coolest pieces of equipment I've ever had the chance to operate. If any of you guys in the PNW are looking for parts for military trucks, he's a source that I'm reluctant give-up. The Gollum in me would prefer to keep his stash a secret. His number is... 360.400.1694.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/forklift_01.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/forklift_02.jpg

Stripping the truck down went quickly. But I just realized that I was mistaken when I wrote in a previous post that I haven't had any trouble with rusted or seized hardware. That's not true. No amount of persuasion could loosen a few of the screws that mount the upper door-hinges to the cab. I had to cut them off. Only took a minute, and that's really the only trouble I've had with any hardware. At least so far, but I think I've been through almost everything already. Making a note, as these words might come back to bite me.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/body_disassembly_01.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/body_disassembly_02.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/body_disassembly_03.jpg

After removing all of the storage boxes and everything from under the cab, I was shocked to see just how much clearance there is under there. Can't afford to give up that precious space, which is where I'm carrying a lot of fluids and batteries and other heavy stuff, but I'm realizing that it would be possible to build a deuce and a half that could get pretty damn shifty on the trails. Chop the front fenders off along the hoodline, bob it and ditch the bed, link it, etc. Maybe re-power (cummins?). I've got my hands full, but if anybody wants to build a hardcore deuce-based trailrig, I'd love to help design something like that. Send me a PM.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/body_disassembly_04.jpg

So this is what my mah deuce looks like right now. I hauled the new cab and all the body parts down to Agri-Trade School (http://maps.google.com/maps/place?client=safari&rls=en&oe=UTF-8&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=agri-trade&fb=1&gl=us&hq=agri-trade&hnear=Gilroy,+CA&cid=3903225435071687933) in Salinas. Tom sandblasted and painted the whole back half of my Tacoma (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=955469) Did a fantastic job and for what I thought was a pretty reasonable amount of money. Have so many parts that I needed to have sandblasted and painted for mah deuce that I've been having him work through them in batches, paying for more work as I can afford it. He's been really cool about that. Here are some pictures of the parts as I dropped htem off, sandblasted, and then epoxy-primed. Think I'll end up painting everything myself, just to save a bit of money.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/body_disassembly_05.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/bodyparts_01.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/bodyparts_02.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/bodyparts_03.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/bodyparts_04.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/bodyparts_05.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/bodyparts_06.jpg

And this is what the new cab looked like when I picked it up, after being sandblasted and epoxy-primed. This cab came with a reinforcing plate (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/20387-m66-gun-ring-reinforcement-plates-here.html) installed, which I understand the military installed in deuces that had M66 gunmounts installed, to keep the cabs from falling apart. Cool.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/new_cab_03.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/new_cab_04.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/new_cab_05.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/new_cab_06.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/new_cab_07.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/new_cab_08.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/new_cab_09.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/new_cab_10.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/new_cab_11.jpg

Noticed two things after I picked up the new cab.

1) There's some kind of patch-panel installed here, and I can't figure out why. This cab was definitely brand new (was still mounted to the pallet it was delivered on), so I can't understand why this is here. Maybe this isn't actually a new cab? Guess it could be an M35A2 cab that got stripped and prepped to be re-assembled as an M35A3? In that case, maybe it got scrapped because of the patch-panel? Happy it found it's way to me in any case.

The patch-panel is no big deal, but it's the sealing-surface for the hardtop so I'm going to cut it out in order to create a nice flat edge for the hardtop to sit on. I know I know - could just use a piece of foam or something to take up the gap, but I'd rather make it right.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/new_cab_12.jpg


2) The cab probably had something heavy set on top of it at some point in time, because there's a little bit of a bow in the windshield mounting channel at the back of the cowl. Should be easy enough to straighten though.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/new_cab_13.jpg

Back at home, waiting to be reinstalled. But I built some jackstands and set the cab off to the side. Might as well do the engine-swap before I start putting the body back together.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/new_cab_14.jpg

Oh, of course I did some bodywork before taking all those parts down to be sandblasted and epoxy-primed. Pretty boring stuff, just filled-in some random holes, welded-up a few cracks here and there, etc. Forgot I even had any pics of that work. Obviously ground-out all the welds.

Should look pretty fresh when it all comes back together. Then I'm planning to driving the whole truck down to Agri-Trade to have the chassis, suspension, axles and the box all sandblasted and painted.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/repairing_bodyparts_01.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/repairing_bodyparts_02.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/repairing_bodyparts_03.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/repairing_bodyparts_04.jpg

Yeah, that's a reman cab. I knew thta fromt he first pics since it has the pattern painted on it, I knew it had been installed on a truck and finished. Must have come back due to the paint flaking off. Probably improper prep. The gun ring reinforcement plate is a nice option. That with a hard top will make the cab a lot more solid. Toss in some Dynamat and you will have a nice comfortable cab though the winshield frames will probably still leak, lol.

In the future, if you know something I don't, post-up! Thanks for confirming that though, makes a lot more sense. Not sure what I'm going to do for insulation yet, still thinking about that.

Hey, so can you tell me if the cab was galvanized or _____? Tom and I were scratching our heads. It sure looked galvanized. Kinda chalky under the paint.

It's hard to say. I believe originally it would have been galvanized depending on the year, but I'm not sure what they do on a rebuild. It's possible it could have been dipped in something and not properly rinsed that caused a reaction once the paint was on. There are a million things that can go wrong with paint and I can't even begin to guess what all can go wrong with CARC that I assume it was painted with.

As for mentioning the cab being used, I thought about it but it didn't seem like it would make much difference but after see the post about the patch, I figured I would confirm it. :D

Had a hell of a time trying to find a hardtop on the west coast. Ended up purchasing a brand new hardtop for a 900-series 5-ton, which is a bit wider than the deuces and the 800-series 5-ton trucks. Shouldn't be too difficult to cut it down to the right width and on the upside, I'll have an extra-large rear window. Think I'll offset to the passenger's-side by taking the width out of the passenger's-side of the hardtop.

After I fit the new hardtop, it will be time to start building the rollcage. Want to do that while the cab is empty, and before it's mounted. Started posting about this in a thread about rollbars (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/2788-roll-bar-2.html#post449334) on the steelsoldiers forum, but might as well copy/paste/edit and add it to this thread.

Disclaimer: I know I know, this is pirate4x4, but a lot of people that are following this project aren't hardcore offroad enthusiasts.

In addition to putting rollcages in all of my off-road vehicles, I'm the type of person that would put a rollcage in a sedan, minivan, or just about anything else on four wheels. Think about the fantastic crashes we've seen racecar drivers walk away from, and then consider how many people die in relatively low-speed traffic accidents. Most of the cars on the road aren't nearly as safe as they could be. But building a race-quality rollcage is expensive ($3-5,000 minimum) and most people don't want to deal with the inconvenience. Personally, I don't want to go out like that (traffic collision). This is my daily-driver (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=955469). I built that rollcage to survive cartwheeling through the desert at 80mph+, so I feel pretty safe in that truck on-road too.

And I feel reasonably safe in mah deuce. We're probably not too likely to roll these vehicles if we drive them responsibly. It's the blowout, brake failure, or some other kind of catastrophic mechanical failure that I worry about most. Also concerned about the real possibility of a low-speed flop off-road. Can see myself getting myself into situations where that's always a real possibility. The height of the M109 box on my truck would probably protect me in most cases, but then I went and added that cabover rack. Sure don't want that thing to come crashing down into the cab.

So I'm going to build a rollcage for Mah Deuce. Nothing too crazy. Not going to attach the rollcage to the frame because the cab is mounted on springs. Just going to try to make the cab a little bit more crush-proof. If the cab separates from the chassis, so be it. The seats and harnesses will be mounted to the rollcage, so I'll launch with the escape capsule.

Took some rough dimensions (old cab w/soft-top) and whipped-up these SolidWorks models. Here are a few rough sketches to show you guys what I've been thinking about. Not really any more complicated than a rollcage that you might expect to see in a Jeep. Just a little bigger tubing. Not a whole lot of room to go with anything much bigger than 3" diameter tubing, so that's what I'm using for all the perimeter tubes in these models. Will have to pay to have the tubing bent because my bender/dies only go up to 2". Might even look into having these tubes CNC-bent and laser-notched. Would sure beat having to make some of those tricky compound notches by hand (http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/content/techarticles/75/chopshop_article8_25.jpg).

If anybody wants to download these CAD files to take a look at the 3D models, you can open/view them with a free program called eDrawings (download it here (http://www.edrawingsviewer.com/)). It's made by Solidworks, so it's totally safe to download and use. You can spin the 3D models around, take measurements, make notes, comments, etc. It can be really helpful in collaborative discussions like this, where it's sometimes hard to visualize what someone it trying to communicate without 'seeing' it.


Version 1 is about as simple as it gets. Every rollcage starts with a good perimeter cage, and they con't have to be complicated. You could even connect the A-pillar hoop to the B-pillar hoop with straight tubes, but that would eat into precious headroom. Even a simple rollcage like this should provide some measure of additional safety in a low-speed flop.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/mah_deuce_rollcage_V1_01.png
V1 Solidworks file (http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/mah_deuce_rollcage_V1.SLDPRT) (right click -> download / save as)


Version 2 just shows a more elegant method of joining tubes. Notching tubes to make joints like these is VERY time consuming, but it creates a super strong with clean, flowing lines, no matter what angle you're looking at it from. Not sure how much that really matters to anyone in a Deuce, where you're not likely to ever even see it (unless you're running around topless). Might look out of place on a MV, almost too pretty. But still, probably my favorite way to make these types of joints.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/mah_deuce_rollcage_V2_01.png
V2 Solidworks file (http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/mah_deuce_rollcage_V2.SLDPRT) (right click -> download / save as)


Version 3 is where I've left-off (continuation of Version 2). Just starting to think about cross-bracing. The problem is, I hate compromises. I'd like to build a race-quality cage, but I don't want to make this vehicle any more impractical than it already is, and I don't want to completely destroy the look of the stock interior. So I'm going to settle for 'better than nothing' in this case. I might make a simple bolt-in cage, but I'll probably end up cutting into the body and the dash just a little bit, so I can make the cage fit tighter and look cleaner. Either way, I'm going to try to keep the visible tubing to a minimum. Thinking about cutting the plates out of the door openings though, and replacing them with tubing kind of like what I've shown here in Version 3. Could always plate-over them again, and make it look more stock-ish...

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/mah_deuce_rollcage_V3_01.png
V3 Solidworks file (http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/mah_deuce_rollcage_V3.SLDPRT) (right click -> download / save as)

What about a couple horizontal tubes across the rear wall, similar to what you have in the front. But one of them down at the bottom, and the other intersecting your "peace symbol" bracing.

I see what you are saying about the door openings - hard to get any tubing in there without it being in your way.

Dynamat is good but really expensive. You can get the spray on sound deadener for much less and it will work damn near as well. Another thing to consider is actual foam insualtion on the fire wall and if you can swing it under the carpet. That will make a huge difference in road noise from the engine and tires. While you have that cab off you might consider spray sound deadening or line-X (some spray on) on the bottom of the cab and the firewall on the engine side. Anything to absorb or block sound in that truck will be a help. Also dont forget to get the inside if the doors and behind the seats. Sound from the rear wheels is very noticable.

Where did you get the rockwell parts? I need to rebuild a set.

thanks
micky

What about a couple horizontal tubes across the rear wall, similar to what you have in the front. But one of them down at the bottom, and the other intersecting your "peace symbol" bracing.

I see what you are saying about the door openings - hard to get any tubing in there without it being in your way.
My CAD models don't show the tubing on the floor, but there will be tubes that run along the door openings and the back wall of the cab, but the cab is actually pretty small and there's no room for a horizontal tube behind the seats. Think I might just weld the cage to the cab and reinforce the sheetmetal along the back wall instead.

Dynamat is good but really expensive. You can get the spray on sound deadener for much less and it will work damn near as well. Another thing to consider is actual foam insualtion on the fire wall and if you can swing it under the carpet. That will make a huge difference in road noise from the engine and tires. While you have that cab off you might consider spray sound deadening or line-X (some spray on) on the bottom of the cab and the firewall on the engine side. Anything to absorb or block sound in that truck will be a help. Also dont forget to get the inside if the doors and behind the seats. Sound from the rear wheels is very noticable.

Where did you get the rockwell parts? I need to rebuild a set.

thanks
micky
Considering all those options right now, and that's the main reason why I haven't done anything. Been working on my tacoma (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=955469), doing the interior right now. Using a combination of sound-deadening paint, waterproof insulated flashing tape, foam, and carpet. Want to see how it turns out before I decide what to do in mah deuce. The other thing is that I'm not sure whether or not I'm willing to trade a little noise/comfort for the ability to hose-out the cab.

Oh, and I got my rockwell parts from odiron.com (http://www.odiron.com/store/)

Bed liner does a fairly respectable job of deadening sound. I did it on the floor of a truck I had and cut cab sound by a good 20% and that was just the inner floor.

If you do the outside of the firewall and floor and then the Inside of the firewall and floor and back of the cab you could get some real reduction, and get a noticeable drop in cab noise.
(do the doors in dynamat if there is space inside though.)

And you can still pressure wash the inside if you want!
(though to high a psi can peal up liner if the surface is not prepped right or you use the cheap stuff.)

Yeah, that's definitely an option. some kind of bedliner applied to the inside, underside and firewall of the tub would probably be my first choice, but I had an awful experience with Line-X in an old Jeep tub. Started peeling/lifting/bubbling. Total nightmare. Don't think it was prepped right, seams were not sealed, something. I don't know. Might end up going that route again, hoping for better results.

In the future, if you know something I don't, post-up! Thanks for confirming that though, makes a lot more sense. Not sure what I'm going to do for insulation yet, still thinking about that.

for deadening, sound, and heat insulation look into products from the company Second Skin Audio (http://www.secondskinaudio.com/products/Sound-Deadening-Materials.php). you would probably be interested in their undercoatings, the spectrum spray-on coating or their spectrum sludge coating. as well as the firewall ceramic coating to keep radiant heat out of the cab doubled with their heatwave insulation mats for the firewall and floor.

ive used their damplifier pro vibration damper mats and i love it. there is almost no resonance in my sheet metal in the cab and when you knock on the door skins and cab body, you get a hollow thud instead of a pinging, ringing sound. a good friend of mine has used the spectrum spray on his diesel and he said it made a big difference with the road noise he used to get from the tires and driveline and what not.

in my honest opinion, this is a better product than dynamat at a comparable, if not better price. ive used both companies and the cheapy alternative of roof flashing tape (back in my young days) and there really is no comparison of dynamat to the Damplifier pro.

Thanks for the suggestion. I actually used some leftover Spectrum from Second Skin to seal the floor in the box (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12509423#post12509423). Have used it on several other vehicles with fantastic results. Only reservation about using it in the cab on mah deuce is that I would kinda like to build-up a little more thickness. It's just bare sheetmetal, and even after I painted the whole inside of the cab in my tacoma (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=955469), it was still pretty loud. Quiet-ER for sure, but not quiet. Adding heavy-backed carpet and foam has helped a lot. Just don't know whether or not I want to put carpet in the cab in this vehicle.

Thanks for the suggestion. I actually used some leftover Spectrum from Second Skin to seal the floor in the box (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12509423#post12509423). Have used it on several other vehicles with fantastic results. Only reservation about using it in the cab on mah deuce is that I would kinda like to build-up a little more thickness. It's just bare sheetmetal, and even after I painted the whole inside of the cab in my tacoma (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=955469), it was still pretty loud. Quiet-ER for sure, but not quiet. Adding heavy-backed carpet and foam has helped a lot. Just don't know whether or not I want to put carpet in the cab in this vehicle.

hmmm... mustve missed that bit about using spectrum in the box. i thought that was some kind of paintable moisture barrier at first glance. kinda like what guys use in non acrylic/glass aquariums. haha. now you got me wondering what kind of solutions there are for your cab. maybe insulation topped off with marine grade carpet? idk... great build btw, love the detail youre putting into this!

I would carpet, foam/ insulate the cab on top of a spray on coating of some sort. I think you will spend more time in the cab driving than tracking dirt in.

Get/make some big ass floor mats with lips on them to catch dirt and crap, then remove it and hose that off. You should be able to contain the mess and have carpet.

You're probably right about that (the carpet).

I mentioned this (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12509114#post12509114) briefly earlier in this thread, but a recent discussion on rv.net (http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/24850666/gotomsg/24852496.cfm#24852496) made me a realize that maybe it's something that I should explain in a little more detail.

Other than the box vs. a cargo bed, there's no difference between my M109A3 and a regular M35A2, which is what most people recognize as a deuce and a half. The M109 box actually has skids on the bottom of it and only takes a few minutes to remove the hardware that secures the box to the chassis. Here are a couple of pictures to show how it's mounted to the chassis.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/box_mounts_03.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/box_mounts_01.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/box_mounts_02.jpg

(what looks like rust is really just undercoating & crushed red cinder-rock they put on the roads in OR in the wintertime)

So part of the plan is to build a low-profile flatbed (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/54931-flatbed-under-m109-box.html) that will be sandwiched between the box and the chassis. Don't expect to drop the box often, but will be useful if/when I set up camp somewhere for an extended period of time. The trailer box (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12583877&posted=1#post12583877) will also be removable, so I'll be able to set my camper and trailer boxes down on the ground, and use my truck/trailer for other things. Have gone to a lot of trouble to design the camper box to be mostly self-contained, to make it easier to take it on/off the truck. Going to build something like oversized camper-jacks to make removing and installing the camper box easier. Greenjeepster on steelsoldiers showed me how some heavy equipment is loaded/unloaded (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/49855-has-anyone-built-big-slide-truck-camper-m35-deuce-5.html#post570346) like that, using a salt spreader as an example. Think that's what I'm going to copy, more or less.

Building mah deuce to travel, and want to be able to visit some really remote places. Plan on spending a lot of time off-road, but with everything in the world that I own inside that vehicle, I'm not going to be taking too many unnecessary risks. More about getting there (and back) than taking the most challenging route. But as soon as I drop off my house, it's just a truck, and as much as I love it, it would be relatively cheap and easy to replace. So when I'm talking about building rollcages, adding lockers, modifying the suspension and adding full-hydro steering, please keep in mind that this is a truck that I plan on using in other capacities.

Went down to Salinas today and picked up the doors and windshield frame so I can cut down the hardtop and start taking some accurate measurements for the rollcage. Hoping to get busy on that this weekend, but am working outside so am at the mercy of the weather.

If the weather doesn't cooperate, will spend my time bringing this thread up-to-date instead. But I'd rather be working on mah deuce than writing about it.

wow, what a great build so far! looks great man

Started cutting down the 900-series 5-ton hardtop to fit the new cab. Was exactly 12" too wide. Got the lower/back part of the new hardtop cut down and welded back together. Kinda like the offset rear window. Not going to matter most of the time anyway.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/bodyparts_07.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/hardtop_02.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/hardtop_03.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/hardtop_04.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/hardtop_05.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/hardtop_06.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/hardtop_07.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/hardtop_08.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/hardtop_09.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/hardtop_10.jpg

Got all the insulation removed from the inside of the upper part of the hardtop, and will cut that down tomorrow (if it's not raining).

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/hardtop_11.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/hardtop_12.jpg

Got the top part of the hardtop cut apart today. Took the width right out of the middle. One of the support ribs was right on a cut-line, so I removed it. Peeled it using a hammer and chisel instead of drilling out all the spot-welds. Not too concerned about the holes because I'm going to reinforce the roof by gluing a laser-cut panel on the outside. That panel will also serve as a low-profile roofrack with integrated tiedown points. Think I might also try to reinforce the roof on the inside by adding layers of insulation and fiberglass. Gotta look into how I might want to go about that.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/hardtop_13.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/hardtop_14.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/hardtop_15.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/hardtop_16.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/hardtop_17.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/hardtop_18.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/hardtop_19.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/hardtop_20.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/hardtop_21.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/hardtop_22.jpg

Was really nice out today, so I stopped work early and took my dogs for a run. Gonna take a minute to introduce them because they're a big part of this whole equation. Slayton is the big red one and Lola is my little girl. They're both carolina dogs (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carolina_Dog). Designed and built this motorhome with them in mind. Wanted to have enough room to live/travel with another person and my two dogs comfortably. Was pretty challenging making room for everyone and everything in a 12ft box... and then my dogs had puppies. Six of them. This was back in March of last 2010, almost exactly a year ago. Ended up keeping two of them, sort of by default. Couldn't find homes for them with friends/family, and didn't want to sell them. So my wolfpack has doubled in size and it's got me scratching my head. Honestly don't have any idea how I'm going to make this work. Will probably end up designating a large portion of the trailer as the doghouse. Seems like the obvious answer.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/dogs_01.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/dogs_02.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/dogs_03.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/dogs_04.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/dogs_05.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/dogs_06.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/dogs_07.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/dogs_08.jpg

Are you a BlueRibbon Coalition (http://www.sharetrails.org/) member? Started to a giveaway thread (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=962096) in the gen 4x4 forum, hoping to encourage people to join and/or contribute (https://www.sharetrails.org/secure/join_or_contribute/).
Enter to win a really nice Ron Davis Racing Products (http://www.rondavisradiators.com/) aluminum radiator.

Glad my pic on SS helped. Nice dogs.

As part of that first round of maintenance, I drained the fuel, changed all the filters, and pulled the pump. The fuel filters were in pretty good shape but there was a bit of gunk and sludge in the tank and in the bottom of the filter cans. No rust though, which was a relief. Posted on steelsoldiers, asking about the best way to clean out the fuel tank (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/41232-best-way-clean-out-fuel-tank.html), and decided to have it hot-tanked. Also had it lined with a product called Red-Kote too. Learned afterwards that I could have purchased applied something similar at home.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/fuel_system_01.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/fuel_system_02.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/fuel_system_03.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/fuel_system_04.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/fuel_system_05.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/fuel_system_06.jpg

The fuel pump did have a bit of rust on it, and the guys at the radiator shop where I had the tank cleaned and lined suggested using muriatic acid. Worked great after I figured out how to neutralize it (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/paint-bodywork/45315-neutralizing-muriatic-acid.html) afterwards. Forgot to snap a picture of it all cleaned-up.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/fuel_system_08.jpg


Also noticed that the rubber pickup hose had a hole in it where it had rubbed up against the hinge-clamp on the pump. So I replaced it and routed it carefully.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/fuel_system_07.jpg

Isn't it funny how those little thing drive you crazy?
Once you get them all addressed you'll think it's worth a fortune.
I rebuilt and repowered a 37 ft RV the same way about 10 years back.

Good looking dogs you have. I spent many a years camping with my Sheltie years ago. He went everywhere with me.
Keep up the good work.
If you ever come through North Central Texas and want to srop in I've got planty of room for the Rig and Dogs to run out here for a visit.

Would enjoy looking over the Deuce.

Thanks SSSRodeo. Really appreciate the invitation and might just take you up on it. Have actually been looking into becoming a Texan (http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=663209). Yee-Haw!

Thanks SSSRodeo. Really appreciate the invitation and might just take you up on it. Have actually been looking into becoming a Texan (http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=663209). Yee-Haw!

Yep, you'd like it out here. I ride Adventure Bikes too.
Got a tricked out KLR. We use to ride into Mexico a lot only the climate is not to heathy down there right now.
Here's a link to our ride last Summer.
http://www.klr650.net/forums/showthread.php?t=83156&highlight=Geezers+Dual+Sports
I'm the guy in the Neon Jacket!

One of my riding buddy has a plated XR 650 Honda that's a hoot to ride on the street.

We're North West of DFW and lots of work going on the Oil Bidness around here. A man with skills can make a living here a lot easier than other places.
But, you gotta get used to the heat. And Texas is a big place to find work and a place to fit in.

We've got plains, forest, mountains, Ocean and Hills all in one state.
And Colorado is our Official Playground!

When you come this way drop by. I've got RV hookups for two next to the Shop. Complete with a dump station!
Even got a shop big enough to fix your Deuce inside.

Curtis

I've been thinking of building an M109 as a camping/expo rig for a while now. I'll have to pass this on to my father in-law that lives in Lakeview too. I'm sure he would love to do something like this for long camping trips. He might even want to drive up and take a look at yours sometime. :beer:

A lot of good ideas in here and very well put together. Thanks for the effort in sharing all of this with everyone.

Posted this on steelsoldiers: ultimate onboard fuel filtration / processing setup (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/alternative-fuels/52209-ultimate-onboard-fuel-filtration-processing-setup.html). I'm new to all this stuff, but I knew that some of the steelsoldiers members have a lot of experience dealing with WMO, WVO, and filtering/processing a variety of other fuels/fluids - so I asked them to take a look at the list of components I'd put together. Got a lot of helpful input about things like heating, magnetic filtration, what to look for in selector valves, etc.


In the spirit of using my new multifuel LDS engine (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12512566#post12512566) to it's full potential, want to equip Mah Deuce with the ultimate fuel system. Talking about being able to pour just about anything flammable right into the fuel tank, knowing that it will be processed and filtered before it reaches the engine. Since I'm going to be living/traveling in this M109 motorhome fulltime, all the fuel processing equipment has to be built into the fuel system.

When I started researching fuel filters and related components, the name Racor kept coming up. Everything I read seemed to indicate that they set the standard when it comes to fuel filtration. So I contacted them, and they've been really enthusiastic about this project. We're calling it 'an exercise in overkill'. Although Racor has a ton of experience filtering all types of fluids, it's not often that they're asked to do it all in one system. The problem is that a lot of components (filters, seals, etc.) are made to work with one type of fluid, and are not compatible with another. But I think we've came up with this list of components, that when properly configured, would seem to be able to filter just about any type of fuel.

So here's a basic rundown of the system as I'm currently envisioning it:

There will be a total of 100 gallons of fuel capacity, split evenly between two tanks: one 50 gallon tank in the stock location on the passenger's-side, and another stock 50 gallon fuel tank on the driver's-side (where the spare tire used to be). Was planning on duplicating something like what's in the deuce and a half and 5-ton tractors, which were equipped with dual tanks and selector valves to switch between tanks. But steelsoldiers members like cranetruck changed my mind (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/alternative-fuels/52209-ultimate-onboard-fuel-filtration-processing-setup.html#post596121) and convinced me that I should separate the diesel and alternative fuel systems. So one tank will be designated as the clean diesel tank, and the other will be designated as the 'slut-tank'.

1) Filtration will start with one of these funnel filters (http://www.maesco.com/products/racor/r_funnel/r_funnel.html), which I'll use whenever I'm filling the slut-tank with fuel/oil from questionable sources.

2) Racor's Marine Turbine 1000 (http://www.parker.com/portal/site/PARKER/menuitem.7100150cebe5bbc2d6806710237ad1ca/?vgnextoid=f5c9b5bbec622110VgnVCM10000032a71dacRCR D&vgnextfmt=EN&vgnextdiv=&vgnextcatid=2748872&vgnextcat=MARINE+1000MA+FUEL+FILTER%2FWATER+SEPARA TOR&Wtky=FILTERS) units will serve as the primary fuel filters (one for each system, equipped with 20-30 micron filters). These things look amazing! It's a centrifuge, a filter, and a water-separator all built into one unit. Cranetruck told me these were stock equipment on the HEMTT's (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/alternative-fuels/52209-ultimate-onboard-fuel-filtration-processing-setup.html#post596121).

3) Although the Turbine 1000 units are specifically designed to separate water from Diesel, Racor told me that I would need an additional water filter to separate the water from used motor oil, ATF, hydraulic fluid, and WVO. They recommended one of these filters (http://www.launchrun.com/RacorCustomers/7811%20Rev%20-%20%20(Hydrocarbon%20FW%20Series%20Filters%20-%20April%202009).pdf) in one of these filter housings (http://www.parker.com/portal/site/PARKER/menuitem.7100150cebe5bbc2d6806710237ad1ca/?vgnextoid=f5c9b5bbec622110VgnVCM10000032a71dacRCR D&vgnextfmt=default&vgnextdiv=&vgnextcatid=2733110&vgnextcat=MARINE+FBO-14-MA&Wtky=FILTERS). Evidently those have a much higher percentage of water in them, and the water is suspended in those fluids in such a way that it makes it difficult for the Turbine to separate the water from them. Only caveat is that this filter is not compatible with gasoline, so I'll have to make a bypass line that I can switch over to whenever I put gasoline through the slut tank. No problem.

4) And then these filters (http://www.parker.com/portal/site/PARKER/menuitem.7100150cebe5bbc2d6806710237ad1ca/?vgnextoid=f5c9b5bbec622110VgnVCM10000032a71dacRCR D&vgnextfmt=default&vgnextdiv=687630&vgnextcatid=2927856&vgnextcat=75%2FB32009+FUEL+FILTER%2FWATER+SEPARATO R&Wtky=) will be equipped with 10 and 2-micron filters, and will serve as the secondary and final filters in the system.


So what do you guys think? What would you add, or take away, or do differently? How would YOU design/build the ultimate fuel system for a deuce? The only thing to keep in mind, is that space is at a premium. This is a motorhome. I'm not trying to turn Mah Deuce into any type of dedicated fuel-truck.


Turbine 1000 (1 of 2)

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/fuel_system_09.jpg


FBO filter (look at the size of those fittings!)

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/fuel_system_11.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/fuel_system_12.jpg

Also been talking with the people at Magnom (http://www.magnom.com/) about their magnetic filters. Evidently, they're able to remove 99% of all ferrous metals from just about any type of fluids. It's not a mesh/media-type filter, so they're not rated in microns, but I was told that they can/will reliably filter down to less than 1 micron. Sounds great, right? I'm looking at the Max (http://www.magnom.com/index.php/info/product/max/) and the Clear 5 (http://www.magnom.com/index.php/info/product/clear_5/). The Clear 5 looks like it would be a lot easier to service (clean), with it's removable bowl - but's it's also pretty spendy (about $800). Would like to use at least one of these magnetic filters, especially after reading about all the metal that's suspended in waste motor oil (WMO).

Not exactly sure what I'm going to do about heating in the tanks. To start off, I'm just going to install one of these Racor coolant heaters (http://www.parker.com/portal/site/PARKER/menuitem.bb22d5a82bbb5b147cf26710237ad1ca/?vgnextoid=a2d9b5bbec622110VgnVCM10000032a71dacRCR D&vgnextfmt=default&vgnextcatid=2967592&vgnextcat=NOMAD%20COOLANT%20HEATERS&vgnextdiv=687630&vgnextpartno=320HTR4&Wtky=) in each of the fuel supply lines, before all the filters. I know that the tanks will also need to be heated in really cold weather too, so I might also drill a few holes in the top of the tanks and install some bulkhead fittings that will run engine coolant through a coiled loop of copper tubing (or maybe something like PEX tubing?). Radiant heating is being used throughout the vehicle, with multiple heat sources, so it will be very easy for me to create a dedicated loop to heat the fuel tanks (going to do something similar for the water tanks).

Going to retain the stock in-tank electric pumps, and these multifuel engines are also equipped with mechanical fuel pumps that are strong enough to pull fuel from the tanks. This just goes along with the requirements that these vehicles had to be able to operate without any type of functional electrical system. But I'm concerned about the restrictions that the filtration equipment will create, so I'd like to build-in another backup. The stock electric in-tank pumps are expensive to replace, and that's not the type of part that I could pick up at a local auto parts store. So I was thinking about adding inline pumps. Then I found out that Racor makes an optional 24V electric priming pump for the Marine Turbine, and I've been told that they're working on a full-flow electric pump too. Would like to add a pair of those full-flow pumps whenever they become available. Just like the idea of having a backup (or two) when it comes to parts like fuel pumps that I might have a hard time replacing in the middle of nowhere.

This FPM-050 fuel polishing unit (http://www.parker.com/literature/Racor/7847_Rev_-_FPM-050_Fuel_Conditioning_Module_For_Marine_Applicatio ns.pdf), along with a FPM-PTC-12 timer/controller, will circulate the fuel through the filters on a programmable timer, so I shouldn't have to worry about fuel going bad if/when Mah Deuce might be parked somewhere for a while. Evidently these fuel polishing units are used on a lot of ocean-going boats and in industrial applications where large quantities of fuel need to be stored for long periods of time. These fuel polishing units are pretty energy-efficient and my inverter will automatically turn on a generator whenever the batteries discharge to a pre-set point, so power shouldn't be much of a problem. But ideally, I'd like to power the fuel polishing units (and everything else onboard) with an array of solar panels on the roof of my M109 box.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/fuel_system_10.jpg

There are going to be several selector valves in the system, that will need to do things like:

1) switch between tanks

2) return fuel to the tank it came from

3) redirect fuel from the clean tank to flush out the slut tank's lines & filters

4) bypass the FBO filter when running gasoline in the slut tank

5) run in closed-loop to filter / polish fuel

I'd like to set it up so that when I select a tank using valve #1, valve #2 would also be switched over so that fuel is coming from, and being returned to, the same tank. I'm sure I could do this with some type of simple mechanical linkage, or two switches, but it would be ideal if I could find one valve that would operate two circuits at the same time. What would be the best way to handle the electrical side of things? Should I just use manual switches to turn fuel pumps on/off, or should I tie them into the selector valves in the fluid circuit somehow?

hammer suggested 5-ton selector valves (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/alternative-fuels/52209-ultimate-onboard-fuel-filtration-processing-setup-4.html#post646624) and I thought those were exactly what I was looking for. But I'm having second thoughts as I'm starting to make line drawings to figure out how to plumb everything. When feeding the engine from the diesel tank, I'll want to return the fuel to the diesel tank - and when I'm feeding the engine from the slut tank, I'll want to return the fuel to the slut tank. But when I'm purging the system (running diesel from the diesel tank through the slut tank's lines and filters), I'll want to return that fuel to the slut tank. So I think I'm going to have to use two separate control valves. That is, unless there's a three-position valve that would allow me to:

1) pull from diesel tank -> return to diesel tank

2) pull from slut tank -> return to slut tank

3) pull from diesel tank -> return to slut tank

Also thinking that position 3) would also allow me to transfer fuel from the diesel tank to the slut tank without having to install another fuel pump. This might be useful if I ever need to thin any of the alternative fuels in the slut tank.

cranetruck had some good advice for me (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/alternative-fuels/52209-ultimate-onboard-fuel-filtration-processing-setup.html#post596121) about sourcing valves,

...use aircraft, direct action type. Stay away from "pilot" operated valves, they will clog...all those little passages...

Haven't gotten into that yet though. Need to figure out where/how everything is going to be installed first.

As far as where I might locate all of these components: yes, I've given it some thought, but I'm not going to worry about it too much until I figure out exactly what components I've got to make room for. One option is to put them between the framerails, right where the airtanks are. I need to relocate the inside tank anyway (to make room for the t-case PTO driveshaft). Another option might be to mount them where the stock toolbox is (under the driver's seat). Not sure if that space is tall enough though. I've also still got quite a bit of room in the engine compartment (no heaters or other accessories in there yet, except for a Spinner II centrifuge - for the engine oil). So yeah, got a few options. No definitive plans yet though.

I was wondering if u could tell me how much they charged to sand blast and prime ur cab because I want to do they same thing and maybe my bed to. I live pretty close to Agri trade.
Thanks

You know, I'm honestly not sure how much it might have cost just to sandblast and prime the cab because I had so much other stuff done at the same time, including the whole back half of another truck (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12505074#post12505074). Try giving them a call? 831.663.2727

Ok thank you

Not exactly sure what I'm going to do about heating in the tanks. To start off, I'm just going to install one of these Racor coolant heaters (http://www.parker.com/portal/site/PARKER/menuitem.bb22d5a82bbb5b147cf26710237ad1ca/?vgnextoid=a2d9b5bbec622110VgnVCM10000032a71dacRCR D&vgnextfmt=default&vgnextcatid=2967592&vgnextcat=NOMAD%20COOLANT%20HEATERS&vgnextdiv=687630&vgnextpartno=320HTR4&Wtky=) in each of the fuel supply lines, before all the filters. I know that the tanks will also need to be heated in really cold weather too, so I might also drill a few holes in the top of the tanks and install some bulkhead fittings that will run engine coolant through a coiled loop of copper tubing (or maybe something like PEX tubing?). Radiant heating is being used throughout the vehicle, with multiple heat sources, so it will be very easy for me to create a dedicated loop to heat the fuel tanks (going to do something similar for the water tanks).

Check these guys out real good stuff for what you want to do. Love the build,Carry on
http://www.arctic-fox.com/sitepages/pid74.php

Check these guys out real good stuff for what you want to do. Love the build,Carry on
http://www.arctic-fox.com/sitepages/pid74.php
Awesome, thanks for the link! At first I thought you were talking about these Arctic Fox campers (http://www.northwoodmfg.com/index.php).

Always thought it would be neat to do something like this. very nice job so far

We use Arctic Fox heaters on all the trucks we build. They are great units. We build Aerial bucket trucks so we use then for the hydraulic oil and fuel.

Thanks, I'll look into those.

Made a new shifter. It's much longer, and is positioned closer to the steering wheel. Wanted to top it with a pineapple grenade, but the lemon was a lot more comfortable.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/shifter_01.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/shifter_02.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/shifter_03.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/shifter_04.jpg

Looks great. Is the shifter that high from factory?

No, I lengthened it quite a bit. The stock shifter was down at about the height of the seats. Lengthened the throw a bit, but not like it matters on a big old truck like this.

Got the top part of the hardtop all stitched back together. Not perfect, but I think it turned out pretty good considering how poorly made it was in the first place. Might actually be straighter now than it was when I got it. Will finish welding it up and fit it to the cab sometime later this week. Then I can start designing the rollcage.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/hardtop_23.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/hardtop_24.jpg

Just took these pics to show somebody on steelsoldiers (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/66334-making-fiberglass-hood-3.html#post793680), but might as well post them here too. Stumbled onto this brand new fiberglass hood while I was at Brad's place (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12585053#post12585053) and had to have it. This was made to fit the newer M35A3 trucks. It's only about 3lbs lighter than the stock steel hood, but it's MUCH stronger and I'm expecting it to be a lot quieter than the steel hood too. The A3 hoods are a little bit longer than the A2 hoods, so I'll have to trim it to fit, but that'll be easy; just one straight cut across the back edge of the hood and since this was a brand new hood, it didn't even have holes drilled for the hinges yet.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/A3_hood_01.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/A3_hood_02.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/A3_hood_03.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/A3_hood_04.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/A3_hood_05.jpg

Just found out that the A3 hood is 2" wider at the nose (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/66334-making-fiberglass-hood-3.html#post793760). Gringeltaube just posted this diagram on steelsoldiers:

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/M35A3_hood_dimensions.jpg


Looks like I'm going to have to figure out how to make it all work. The hood side-pieces will be easy, and I've been thinking about building a custom grill anyway...

Honestly the hood sounds like a lot more work than it is worth. Re sell it and spend the time/energy/motivation that will get you more in the end.
Just my 2C

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/hardtop_23.jpg
Are those butt welds on the roof sections?
If so, unless you reinforce them the oil can flex is probably going to keep popping that seam.
Do you have a pneumatic panel flanging tool?
They look like this if somebody isn't familiar with them!
http://www.northerntool.com/images/product/images/15826_lg.jpg
You can get them from several sources but, I’ll use the Northern Tool link to give you an idea. I love mine. It has made a big difference in my custom body work! Here's a link to read up on them at.
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_14322_14322
They allow you to leave a ½” overlap flap by punching in a “Z” in one side. This tool also will punch in the holes for spot welds with a mig welder if you don’t have a dedicated spot welder.
Since you’ve got the sheet metal spot weld with a mig thing down it would be a cinch for you. This flange will give you a stronger seam joint and are well worth the price when you consider you won’t have to redo the butt welds again.
Of course you could weld a reinforcement strip over the under side to the seam to beef it up. But that’s a pain sometimes. But, with the little hole punch part of the tool, it makes it a lot easier.

Looks like the Fiberglass hood will be a lot of work but once you cut it down it may save you some weight. But then again, maybe not so light if you go overboard with the reinforcing on the fiberglass splicing. That part is really fun if you can make the pieces line up where you want them. I like working with fiberglass. It’s so much easier to fudge with.
I think I’d go with cutting down the glass hood, just to keep the “WTF Factor” going.

Love the Grenade Shifter handle. It just says "Road Rage, Mad Max Style"!

Curtis

Honestly the hood sounds like a lot more work than it is worth. Re sell it and spend the time/energy/motivation that will get you more in the end.
Just my 2C

Looks like the Fiberglass hood will be a lot of work but once you cut it down it may save you some weight. But then again, maybe not so light if you go overboard with the reinforcing on the fiberglass splicing. That part is really fun if you can make the pieces line up where you want them. I like working with fiberglass. It’s so much easier to fudge with.
I think I’d go with cutting down the glass hood, just to keep the “WTF Factor” going.
Not planning on cutting the hood. Just going to re-mount the side-hood pieces and either modify the grill, or make a new one. No big deal, really. Am sure you will agree when you see what I'm talking about.

Interesting that a new hood has the pattern already on it and was painted before the fixtures were added. So much for them not having a pattern until being installed on a truck. Perhaps the A3s are done differently or maybe my source on the pattern being done after final assembly was wrong? Something to ponder... :D

Somehow I took read into it that you were going to cut it according to the cut lines on this picture.
http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/M35A3_hood_dimensions.jpg
And based on that picture and the underbracing it didn't look like it was going to be easy.
We will rely that you have it worked out and we wait to see it.

Curtis

Are those butt welds on the roof sections?
If so, unless you reinforce them the oil can flex is probably going to keep popping that seam.
Do you have a pneumatic panel flanging tool?
They look like this if somebody isn't familiar with them!
http://www.northerntool.com/images/product/images/15826_lg.jpg
You can get them from several sources but, I’ll use the Northern Tool link to give you an idea. I love mine. It has made a big difference in my custom body work! Here's a link to read up on them at.
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_14322_14322
They allow you to leave a ½” overlap flap by punching in a “Z” in one side. This tool also will punch in the holes for spot welds with a mig welder if you don’t have a dedicated spot welder.
Since you’ve got the sheet metal spot weld with a mig thing down it would be a cinch for you. This flange will give you a stronger seam joint and are well worth the price when you consider you won’t have to redo the butt welds again.
Of course you could weld a reinforcement strip over the under side to the seam to beef it up. But that’s a pain sometimes. But, with the little hole punch part of the tool, it makes it a lot easier.
Thanks for posting. Really appreciate this type of input, as I'm always interested in learning about better ways to do things. This isn't just show-and-tell, there are a lot of areas where I need help!

Yes, that's just a butt-welded seam. Was planning welding it up like the back panel (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showpost.php?p=12608398&postcount=186). Not strong enough? Not going to be a problem here because of the way I'm going to reinforce the roof, but am curious.

I'm going to cut-down a big sheet of aluminum to reinforce the roof and to create a low-profile roofrack (with tie-down points) that I will glue to the top of the roof. On the inside, I think I might line the hardtop with fiberglass. Want to be able to carry stuff on top of the cab when I don't have the camper on the back.

Interesting that a new hood has the pattern already on it and was painted before the fixtures were added. So much for them not having a pattern until being installed on a truck. Perhaps the A3s are done differently or maybe my source on the pattern being done after final assembly was wrong? Something to ponder... :D
I'm sure you were right about the cab being remanufactured, but this hood has to be brand new because it doesn't even have hood hinges drilled.

So, you still gonna try and install that fiberglass hood?

Personally, i think it should be let go and stick with stock. a cut down like that would be a lot of work, likely will never look as good and you would only save 3# anyway.
yeah it is stronger, but how weak is the old one?

Either way, i am Loving your project.
and my wife hates it. lol
(I keep looking at old army trucks on the computer at the auctions near here.
She just Knows i am coming home with one someday. *grin*)

Your butt welds will be just fine. When I was in the shop the only time we put a flange on something was whe we glued panels on.

So, you still gonna try and install that fiberglass hood?

Personally, i think it should be let go and stick with stock. a cut down like that would be a lot of work, likely will never look as good and you would only save 3# anyway.
yeah it is stronger, but how weak is the old
The hood is NOT getting cut down the middle, it's only getting trimmed down to the right length. Making the fenders and grill fit is easier than it sounds. You'd have to see how it all goes together to understand, and I can't show you because my truck is still in pieces. But trust me. No big deal.

Your butt welds will be just fine. When I was in the shop the only time we put a flange on something was whe we glued panels on.
You think so? I have done stuff like this before, but don't really know what I'm doing when it comes to bodywork. Just making it up as I go, hoping it holds together.

Made a new shifter. It's much longer, and is positioned closer to the steering wheel. Wanted to top it with a pineapple grenade, but the lemon was a lot more comfortable.


http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/shifter_02.jpg



Lol, got a lot of folks around there lookin to steal a deuce, do ya? Love the build!

Lol, got a lot of folks around there lookin to steal a deuce, do ya? Love the build!

Gotta think dude, that truck probably does not have an ignition key. Most of them you flip a switch to on, and push a button. Sometimes you have to mess with a hand choke, but thats about it. Some older semi trucks you just insert the key and turn it, then push a button to start. You can easily break into the truck, pop the keyed ignition switch out, cross some wires, push the button, and voila! You've got a running semi at your disposal.

You think so? I have done stuff like this before, but don't really know what I'm doing when it comes to bodywork. Just making it up as I go, hoping it holds together.

First, I would like to say, "Awesome!"

Second, as an autobody tech, I would recommend something like the flanging tool in the future, or to create a joint with another thin strip of metal. Basically butt the two parts together, then weld the reinforcing strip over the top (or bottom), bridging the seam. It makes it much stronger. We do this when splicing in a new sheet metal section like a quarter panel, and call it "sleeving". Ideally, you weld the sleeve on by punching or drilling 1/4" holes a few inches apart down the whole length of the weld.

EDIT: LOL, it would figure that my first ever post on Pirate would be for autobody advice...

First, I would like to say, "Awesome!"

Second, as an autobody tech, I would recommend something like the flanging tool in the future, or to create a joint with another thin strip of metal. Basically butt the two parts together, then weld the reinforcing strip over the top (or bottom), bridging the seam. It makes it much stronger. We do this when splicing in a new sheet metal section like a quarter panel, and call it "sleeving". Ideally, you weld the sleeve on by punching or drilling 1/4" holes a few inches apart down the whole length of the weld.

EDIT: LOL, it would figure that my first ever post on Pirate would be for autobody advice...

think about it...umless you use resistance welding what does the flange do? If you run a bead accros the top of the flange it is basically the same as abutt weld. if you put spots through the holes you make with the tool there is way less weld and then you have problems. You will be fine

There are going to be several selector valves in the system, that will need to do things like:

1) switch between tanks

2) return fuel to the tank it came from

3) redirect fuel from the clean tank to flush out the slut tank's lines & filters

4) bypass the FBO filter when running gasoline in the slut tank

5) run in closed-loop to filter / polish fuel

I'd like to set it up so that when I select a tank using valve #1, valve #2 would also be switched over so that fuel is coming from, and being returned to, the same tank. I'm sure I could do this with some type of simple mechanical linkage, or two switches, but it would be ideal if I could find one valve that would operate two circuits at the same time. What would be the best way to handle the electrical side of things? Should I just use manual switches to turn fuel pumps on/off, or should I tie them into the selector valves in the fluid circuit somehow?

hammer suggested 5-ton selector valves (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/alternative-fuels/52209-ultimate-onboard-fuel-filtration-processing-setup-4.html#post646624) and I thought those were exactly what I was looking for. But I'm having second thoughts as I'm starting to make line drawings to figure out how to plumb everything. When feeding the engine from the diesel tank, I'll want to return the fuel to the diesel tank - and when I'm feeding the engine from the slut tank, I'll want to return the fuel to the slut tank. But when I'm purging the system (running diesel from the diesel tank through the slut tank's lines and filters), I'll want to return that fuel to the slut tank. So I think I'm going to have to use two separate control valves. That is, unless there's a three-position valve that would allow me to:

1) pull from diesel tank -> return to diesel tank

2) pull from slut tank -> return to slut tank

3) pull from diesel tank -> return to slut tank

Also thinking that position 3) would also allow me to transfer fuel from the diesel tank to the slut tank without having to install another fuel pump. This might be useful if I ever need to thin any of the alternative fuels in the slut tank.

look at the factory fuel tank selector valves from the dual tanked F-series trucks in the early 90's they switch the return to the same tank as the source. I'm thinking specifically of the '94-97 powerstrokes but the earlier IDI trucks would have the same valve also, you'd have to research fuels compatibility though many are running B100 and WVO with no problems and wmo blends, you would need to evaluate it for gasoline. Then you would only need a 3 way valve to provide pulling from the diesel and returning to the slut. Be aware that this configuration (pulling from one and dumping to the other) has the potential to quickly overfill the return tank.

Lol, got a lot of folks around there lookin to steal a deuce, do ya? Love the build!

Gotta think dude, that truck probably does not have an ignition key. Most of them you flip a switch to on, and push a button. Sometimes you have to mess with a hand choke, but thats about it. Some older semi trucks you just insert the key and turn it, then push a button to start. You can easily break into the truck, pop the keyed ignition switch out, cross some wires, push the button, and voila! You've got a running semi at your disposal.
Exactly right. No keys. Came with the chain and padlock instead. Going to be adding a keyed ignition switch, locking door handles, and a bunch of other security-related stuff.

...as an autobody tech, I would recommend something like the flanging tool in the future, or to create a joint with another thin strip of metal. Basically butt the two parts together, then weld the reinforcing strip over the top (or bottom), bridging the seam. It makes it much stronger. We do this when splicing in a new sheet metal section like a quarter panel, and call it "sleeving". Ideally, you weld the sleeve on by punching or drilling 1/4" holes a few inches apart down the whole length of the weld.
Thanks for the input. I can see how this might be advantageous in a lot of situations, especially when repairing a body panel that you can't access from the backside. But the way I've stitched these panels together, I don't think there's much chance they're coming apart. Not saying that I've done such a great job, there's just a lot of weld surface area. You really think it'll be a problem?
You will be fine
I'm kinda thinking so too. Like I said before, it doesn't even really matter in this application because of how I'm planning on reinforcing the roof, but I'm still interested in doing things well. Would not have guessed that butt-welding the panels back together might ever be an issue.

look at the factory fuel tank selector valves from the dual tanked F-series trucks in the early 90's they switch the return to the same tank as the source. I'm thinking specifically of the '94-97 powerstrokes but the earlier IDI trucks would have the same valve also, you'd have to research fuels compatibility though many are running B100 and WVO with no problems and wmo blends, you would need to evaluate it for gasoline. Then you would only need a 3 way valve to provide pulling from the diesel and returning to the slut. Be aware that this configuration (pulling from one and dumping to the other) has the potential to quickly overfill the return tank.
Thanks for the suggestion. I've made a note about that.

Simply AWESOME!! Very cool thread/build. Wanna sell it? :)

Sure, everything's for sale. haha.

First, I would like to say, "Awesome!"

Second, as an autobody tech, I would recommend something like the flanging tool in the future, or to create a joint with another thin strip of metal. Basically butt the two parts together, then weld the reinforcing strip over the top (or bottom), bridging the seam. It makes it much stronger. We do this when splicing in a new sheet metal section like a quarter panel, and call it "sleeving". Ideally, you weld the sleeve on by punching or drilling 1/4" holes a few inches apart down the whole length of the weld.

EDIT: LOL, it would figure that my first ever post on Pirate would be for autobody advice...

I'm not an autobody guy (just a shade tree body guy), and always wondered about those flangers. The way I see it (right, wrong, indifferent), is that they make it easier to align two panels and take out the issue of getting a consistent weld gap. Fitup can be much less precise! They also allow you to spot/stitch weld the new panel to the old, instead of having to fully weld the seam. Heck, can't you use adhesive to make repairs with panels like that? Maybe I'm wrong?

I replaced some quarters in a body, and just butted the panels together. It took a lot of fitting, and was slow, but in the end I had a fairly consistent .02" or so gap all around. When I tack welded the panel with a 110V mig; the weld definitely fully penetrated and stuck the pieces together great. Given the curve of the panels I was working with, not sure the flanger would have worked well, and the strap of metal would have been impossible to fit down there tightly to both panels. I know they make those clamps that go between two butted sheets to help hold the parts in place and set-up a nice weld gap. What am I missing? Is a flange really the better way to do it? Always willing to learn.

Sorry for the interruption. The Duece is awesome!

Not an interruption at all, I'm interested too. I can see how a flange or a backing strip might add strength. Also makes sense about being able to stitch-weld. Can see how these butt-welded joints might fatigue next to the weld and break. Just finished welding-up the top panels and I'm going to go pick up some hardware right now so I can (temporarily) install the hardtop and windshield frame on the cab.

One issue when welding to pieces of sheet metal together in "butt" orientation is warping due to heat.
Adding a strip to reinforce the area can help considerably with that issue.

But you got it done and looks good, so no worries.

Got the new hardtop installed on the new cab for the first time (test-fit). Haven't ground-out any of the welds yet, and and you can see the gap in the middle between the back panel and top panel. That will go away. Think it turned-out alright, but need to reinstall the windshield frame and hang the doors before I pat myself on the back. Will tackle that tomorrow.

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/hardtop_25.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/hardtop_26.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/hardtop_27.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/hardtop_28.jpg

http://www.trailslesstraveled.com/media/forums/mah_deuce/hardtop_29.jpg

Looks good! You're butt welds look strong. I really doubt you'll have any issues, since that looks like relatively thick sheetmetal. The concern really comes in to play with modern automobiles that have relatively thin sheetmetal. I only brought it up since you're interested in alternative methods. Since I might not have been clear, if you use a back plate, sleeve or flange, you would weld it to your original piece using the holes you drill, then still run a bead down the seam to finish it off. If using a backing plate (instead of a flange) and you leave a slight gap (a couple millimeters), you weld the backing plate with the seam, too. What you end up with is a butt weld with a welded on backing plate for additional strength. We do this every time on a car, since virtually everything is structural in some way on a modern unibody vehicle. The end result before grinding looks something like Frankenstein's neck scars from his stitches. A welded bead down the middle, with a row of welded holes on either side of the bead.

To the poster asking about doing it with quarter panels: if you use one of the pieces of metal you trimmed off from near where you're splicing the new panel in, you can (with a little shaping) fit it inside the old quarter panel and clamp it in place. Weld it in via a few holes pre-drilled through only the outer piece. Then, once you set the new quarter panel in place, you can use some self tapping sheetmetal screws to pull the replacment panel and the sleeve together, essentially clamping it flush with the old panel, before you weld the holes and seam. And you're absolutely right, it takes a lot of fitting and trimming to replace a quarter panel.

How was towing with it?

Thanks for posting mobius. That's really helpful.

How was towing with it?
Well the stock multifuel engine (LDT465) only puts out about 130hp and my M109A3 weighed about 16,000lbs empty, so it was pretty slow even when I wasn't towing a trailer. But that uhaul trailer weighed almost exactly 4000lbs, and I could hardly tell it was back there. Never even bothered hooking up the trailer brakes. Stopped just fine. Backing up was a little bit tricky, just because it was a relatively short trailer. The new 5-ton multifuel engine that I'm swapping-in puts out a little more power (180hp) and the new M103A3 trailer I'm building will also be a bit lighter, so I think it'll make a pretty good package.

Great build, have been following all your updates. I saw this (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=963761) today while working in Aspen. It reminded me of your build although perhaps slightly bigger and not so practical.

Whoa, I've never seen anything about that vehicle anywhere online before. Not too many of those owned by civilians yet.