Ideas for putting a Winnebago Lesharo onto a 4x4 Chassis

htrj

New member
Hi, this is my first post on here. Although I have found myself visiting this, incredibly useful, site many times over the years I thought today that I had better sign up.

What I know about building expedition vehicles can be written on the back of a stamp but I do have some experience when it comes to bolting things together and I have an insatiable appetite for travel so it seems inevitable that I will combine those two aspects at some point. That point maybe sooner than I realise given what I am about to suggest.

Not too far from me is a abandoned, low milage mid 80's Winnebago Lesharo that the owner will let me have if I can move the thing. For those of you who don't know what that is its a compact size RV based on a Renault Trafic van. It seems well equipt with 240v electrics, genset, two double beds, swivel chairs, shower, toilet, etc etc. The down side is that most of the chassis is rotten and the engine has seized so really its only good for the body.

For simplicity, my initial thoughts were to plonk the Lesharo shell onto an extended Unimog 404 chassis and running gear. I think that would actually make it too tall to be practical and the 'mog drivetrain might be too primitive for long distance travel. Then I realised that some of the 435 and 437 unimogs had exactly the same wheelbase as the Lesharo but the sheer size of those engines might be too much to fit under its bodywork. After a little more thought I "remembered" that I have 2 Land Rover Discovery 1's chassis' lying at the top of the garden. Perhaps they could be blended to created the desired 3.7m wheelbase. Maybe I should rethink the whole project and use something else altogether.

So, that is my inspiration but as mentioned earlier I know nothing about building expedition vehicles. Would this be a worthy expedition vehicle project or have I just described building a ridiculous, steroid pumped Winnebago monster truck?

I look forward to hearing from people more experienced than me.
 

htrj

New member
Thanks for the response,

I've come across that thread and that vehicle a few times since I began scheming up this project. Clearly its new owner is very pleased with it. The trouble for me is that being on this side of the atlantic Ford and Chevy 4x4 running gear is not easy to get hold of so I wonder if there are any other suggestions for possible drivetrains from either EU or Jap manufacturers. I've since found reference to a Tacoma based "LeComa" which could be an option and i've also found the the MWB Mercedes 311 Sprinter has the 145" wheelbase that would fit. As they did a 4x4 version of those that maybe a good contender.

Also, what that thread does not discuss is how well the Winne' shell holds up on rough roads or how well insulated it is in cold conditions, or how secure it would be in less than hospitable places, it is just fibreglass afterall.

In my own optimistic mind I would like to end up with a vehicle capable of a trip from the UK to Capetown, for instance. I know people have done trips like that in pretty ordinary vehicles but I just wonder if i'd be better off putting the effort into something altogether tougher rather than modifying something that was designed for cruising smooth and straight US highways.

p.s I've found that the Land Rover engines sit far too far back in the chassis to fit under the Winne' bodywork, so the Landie chassis idea is out.
 

htrj

New member
Thats not a bad suggestion for simplicities sake but having spent sometime driving around europe I realise that there are quite a few benefits to being able to get from your living accomodation to your drivers seat without getting out of the vehicle. Also there some very high costs involved in putting trailers on ferries so I think thats out.

I have found that this has a similar wheel base and width to the Winnebago:

IFS County.jpg

So I could potentially just unbolt the Winne back end and blend it into the cab of the transit:

1989 Le Sharo.jpg

Its just a damn shame you can't get spares for 4x4 bits of those transits!! Time to rethink again....
 

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