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RE: Mitsubishi Fuso FG 4x4 with service body and camper
You must not have read the most recent info on Hackney's rig. His frame failed in SA and he shipped the truck home and is considering what to do. There has been a lot of discussion on Expedition Portal about the problems people have been having with Fuso frames. I don't have a pivot frame on mine. There have been at least a couple of Fuso frame failures on pivot frame trucks.
They seem to have no problem with the Canter, although they have adapted them as a Bushfire Light Tanker for some Bushfire Fire Brigades(Forestry type fires).
Mitsubishi flew a team of engineers out to Australia to observe the prototype light Tanker. They found they had to strengthen the frame in places as well as simplify the gearbox and electronic systems for a very hot fire environments.
They do use the 4 x4 Canter as a off road motorhome.
One of the major Aussie converters of Canter's to motorhomes and off-road buses has a proprietary mounting system that distributes the load over the full length of the frame while still allowing for frame flex. They don't use pivot frames. They have had great success with that system. Most of the US versions of Fuso/Canter campers are one-off experiments. Some have worked, some haven't. Carl Hunter's went around the world without problems. The problems are probably related to the loads carried on the trucks. I haven't had mine weighed yet, but it's probably in the 10,000lb range, well under the truck's rating.
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kerryedwards
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07/03/09 02:08pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Mitsubishi Fuso FG 4x4 with service body and camper
Although Hackney's camper held up fine some worry the constant flexing on 3rd world roads might be hard on a US style TC. Did you put a spacer between the camper overhangs and the storage boxes to reduce the flex or go the other way so it has space and can't pound against the top of the boxes as it flexes?
You must not have read the most recent info on Hackney's rig. His frame failed in SA and he shipped the truck home and is considering what to do. There has been a lot of discussion on Expedition Portal about the problems people have been having with Fuso frames. I don't have a pivot frame on mine. There have been at least a couple of Fuso frame failures on pivot frame trucks.
There's space between the overhangs on the camper and the boxes. The AC on the Fuso appears to eat a lot of fuel.
I have no idea how long the camper will hold up on rough roads. It's an experiment.
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kerryedwards
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07/03/09 12:56pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Mitsubishi Fuso FG 4x4 with service body and camper
http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/uu319/dkedwards/fusotreasureisland-1.jpg
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kerryedwards
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07/03/09 12:50pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Mitsubishi Fuso FG 4x4 with service body and camper
http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/uu319/dkedwards/100_1287.jpg
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kerryedwards
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07/03/09 12:45pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Mitsubishi Fuso FG 4x4 with service body and camper
http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/uu319/dkedwards/100_1311-1.jpg
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kerryedwards
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07/03/09 12:41pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Mitsubishi Fuso FG 4x4 with service body and camper
It's the uploading to photobucket that is causing the problem. I'm uploading large images to photobucket that turn out tiny once on photobucket.
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kerryedwards
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07/03/09 11:28am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Mitsubishi Fuso FG 4x4 with service body and camper
I've tried to make the pictures bigger. Unsuccessful so far. If someone can help on that score I'd appreciate it. I'm picking up the pictures from my photobucket page.
Gets 11-14mpg depending on conditions. I drove the truck home from NC to CO empty (only the service body and a couple of oil tanks) when I bought it. Ride was horrible. Now that it's loaded and the tire pressures correct, ride is fine. For the most part it's about comparable to the 96 Suzuki Sidekick Sport I own.
Camper is a 95 Texson (same as a current Northstar). I built it with the idea of a multi-continent expedition camper. If my calculations are correct, it will fit inside a tall shipping container so it can be shipped without having to RORO. I had to make some modifications to the service body to get the camper to fit. I had to raise the bed to the level of the top of the wheel wells so camper would clear boxes and cut a section out of the back right box so the camper bulge behind the wheel well for the bath shower pan would fit. The raised floor gives me some storage below.
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kerryedwards
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07/03/09 10:33am |
Truck Campers
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Mitsubishi Fuso FG 4x4 with service body and camper
I recently finished getting my truck and camper together and since it's a pretty rare combination, I thought I'd post some pictures here in a separate thread even though I posted some pictures on the picture thread. I bought the FG used. It was a service truck for Sunbelt Rental in its prior life. Had to make some modifications to the service body to get the camper to fit.
http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/uu319/dkedwards/fusotreasureisland.jpg
http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/uu319/dkedwards/100_1383.jpg
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kerryedwards
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07/01/09 01:41pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Hauling Kayaks
I used the Yakima wide body artificial gutters on the sides of the pop top on my camper, then Quick n Easy feet with 1 1/2" square steel tubing for bars. I couldn't see the 96" bars on the Thule site, but I use Thule racks on my car and I would be suspicious that a standard Thule bar that long would bend too much in the middle with a substantial load.
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kerryedwards
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02/16/09 08:32am |
Truck Campers
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