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I think I've decided to live in a garbage truck!
invite response
2015 Mar 13, 8:42pm 2,501 views 4 comments
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that struck me as a good package for an RV conversion, then on the peterbilt site I saw that they're the manufacturers of the 320, a pretty cool looking truck.
You better drive one first. These are city local delivery trucks. The comfort levels are usually pretty inadequate for any type of highway driving.
How long does the hot water last for a nice long shower?
http://thegreatestrealestateblog.com/2011/07/garbage-truck-converted-into-mobile-home/
Bellingham Bill
2015 Mar 14, 9:44pm
"Talk about wasting gas and wasting heating"
nah, I'd have CNG tanks on board. CNG is so cheap the drillers are just burning it off now.
Seriously, when I was working for The Man my commute was 90 miles a day. With a 40,000 pound payload capacity, I could put in enough batteries to move the truck that far no doubt.
and as for hot water, with a tankless heater the hot water will last as long as there's water in the tank . . . maybe I'll install one of these:
http://www.recyclingshower.com.au
along with one of these:
http://store.ecoloblue-world.com/en/158-ecoloblue-30me-maximum-efficiency.html
8 gallons a day oughtta be enough : )
(my pad in Tokyo had a tankless heater on the balcony and it was pretty great, except when the rain got in it and it wouldn't fire up!)
ISTM for one or two people the primary challenge with RVing is weight limits, not space per se, as long as you don't dedicate half the available space trying to furnish the interior like an apartment. . . Well, that and money . . . like a boat, an RV no doubt is a big money suck . . .
. . . or at least the chassis of one.
At the In N Out yesterday I happened to see a Peterbilt 220
that struck me as a good package for an RV conversion, then on the peterbilt site I saw that they're the manufacturers of the 320, a pretty cool looking truck.
They also support CNG conversion, which makes total sense for a truck of this size & weight.
http://www.peterbilt.com/products/alternative-fuels/320/
Plus in the first picture note the lift axle at the back . . . someday it shouldn't that impossible to put in a generator on that axle, to regeneratively charge the battery pack when going downhill (and save the brakes, too!) . . .
Hopefully it also can't be too hard to wire in an electric motor on a third axle somewhere, too, for power assist on getting going and going uphill . . .
The back tandem axle can be AWD, too, for pretty damn good off-roading ability and 40,000lb of capacity.
Not that I can load it that heavy, but it's better to have an underweight RV than an overweight one.
Looking over the body upfitter manual for the 320, I learned that these kinds of trucks are pretty much like Legos from the engine on back -- you've got the two steel frames running lengthwise aft of the engine, and you're free to mount axles wherever you want on the frame.
With the low roof height I'd like to design a pop-up living space, to cut down on the air drag and security when I'm away from the rig.