'90 Mercedes 917 Camper Build
- Thread starter UpperCrust
- Start date
ShootingFish
New member
Looks fantastic! I can't wait to see more :Wow1:
canals1164
Observer
Very very nice!!
UpperCrust
Building and Learning
The camper is coming together nicely! In a couple weeks I will be visiting it and taking it for a test run for the weekend. It won't be totally complete but it will be enough to camp in for the weekend. I will post tons of pictures and video when I return.
BUT... 4 months ago my wife gave birth to twins, so now we are a family of 5 which is a problem. So it looks like we will have to sell this truck and buy a double cab. Pretty disappointing since I have been working on this build for 18 months now. But there needs to be a place for the kids to sit and sleep. And yes they could just ride in the camper but if I'm driving around in Africa I want them to be seat belted in. And some countries require "seats" for everyone inside the vehicle.
BUT... 4 months ago my wife gave birth to twins, so now we are a family of 5 which is a problem. So it looks like we will have to sell this truck and buy a double cab. Pretty disappointing since I have been working on this build for 18 months now. But there needs to be a place for the kids to sit and sleep. And yes they could just ride in the camper but if I'm driving around in Africa I want them to be seat belted in. And some countries require "seats" for everyone inside the vehicle.
Haf-E
Expedition Leader
Since you are US based (and we can do things not allowed in a lot of places) I would just extend the cab enough to fit three child sized seats in there and go use the truck a bit. Move the flat bed back a bit and you are done - probably would only require 2 feet to make it work. Most Euro double cabs are much to large / long and really reduce the area left for the box on back.
UpperCrust
Building and Learning
Haf
I thought about that but how much time and money should I spend changing the truck to make it work for only a short time? And them try to sell it with all the extra cab space that is pretty unusable to a normal person? Then I have to stretch the frame to pull the camper back another 24 inches because the hangover for the camper would be far too long. Looking at another 6 + months of fabrication work and thousands and thousands of $. Plus there is no place for the little ones to sleep inside the camper.
I tried to figure out for the longest time trying to figure out how to make it work. But at the end I was trying to fit a square peg in a round hole.
There are a few options out there for reasonable sized double cabs.
I thought about that but how much time and money should I spend changing the truck to make it work for only a short time? And them try to sell it with all the extra cab space that is pretty unusable to a normal person? Then I have to stretch the frame to pull the camper back another 24 inches because the hangover for the camper would be far too long. Looking at another 6 + months of fabrication work and thousands and thousands of $. Plus there is no place for the little ones to sleep inside the camper.
I tried to figure out for the longest time trying to figure out how to make it work. But at the end I was trying to fit a square peg in a round hole.
There are a few options out there for reasonable sized double cabs.
Haf-E
Expedition Leader
Yes - if the camper doesn't work then that isn't a great option. I think the extended cab might be desireable to any travellers - great if you have dogs and would allow an in cab sleeping area perhaps for one person. Having space in the front for a small fridge and gear is especially nice when there is no pass thru on the camper. Also would allow the passenger seat to recline for napping while underway.
You might talk with Rebel off-road about the Isuzu double cabs and their upcoming retrofit of 4wd to them. Other than that I don't know much about them but I have seen them in Australia a bit when I was there.
You might talk with Rebel off-road about the Isuzu double cabs and their upcoming retrofit of 4wd to them. Other than that I don't know much about them but I have seen them in Australia a bit when I was there.
mk216v
Der Chef der Fahrzeuge
From what I've been told, Rebel is just doing the one-off for the boss. No plans to make a kit at all. Although if you really want this done, PM me as I have further info...
Many great DoKa's here!; https://www.firetruckmall.com/AvailableTrucks/European-Style-Units
UpperCrust
Building and Learning
Brindle Mtn has some cool things for sale but most of the European trucks are still in Europe which means you have to import them and the 25 year rules still applies.
^^ Not surprisingly, at all, the gentelman with whom I spoke (in the USA) about a European fire truck for sale, knew absolutely nothing about the 15 year (Canada) or 25 year (USA) rules for importation, nor did he know that qualifiying (year) Fire Trucks were exempt from import duty (into the US).
One would "think" that people in the business, would know these things...
and down the toilet, we go.....
One would "think" that people in the business, would know these things...
and down the toilet, we go.....