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Inviscid Motorsports Poor Mans Toter Conversion build

16K views 121 replies 44 participants last post by  liv2mx 
#1 ·
I went from a dedicated F350 with a 39' enclosed gooseneck, to this. Previously I was way overweight and didn't have the capacity to haul a second rig. Riding in a F350 for a long distance isn't uncomfortable, but they certainly aren't the best for over the road applications. The good part of the F350 was power was never an issue (it is now with a pig of a CAT motor). I have wanted a dedicated toter for a while, and this is the cheap way to do it. This is what I picked;

1998 Freightliner FL70 Expediter Truck
CAT 3126 motor, 230hp, 660 ft lbs.
7 speed Spicer OD manual trans.
160K miles, but it has a 1999 motor in it, so that was swapped in at some point.
Air ride rear suspension
Air brakes.
72" sleeper cab.
32K GVWR
4.33 rear axle, puts me at about 1700 RPM at 68 ish
Dual 75G diesel tanks

After some research, I founds it is very easy to convert these to an RV. You have to schedule an officer to come to your house and do an on-road inspection form (TR-54). Basically just checking lights, horn, wipers, simple things like that. You also have to fill out a certification form (TR-34). The TR-34 is where you classify that you have a permanent mounted cooking facility (as easy as a microwave) and a permanent sleeping quarters (as easy as a futon bed screwed to the floor). You also have to write where you got the parts and how much you paid. Warning, they will tax you on those items.

With the TR 54 and TR 34, you go to the SOS and ty to find the person there that knows the most. You need to re-classify your vehicle title to an RV. Registration on the Toter is only a couple hundred bucks a year. Not bad for a 32K gross truck.

RV insurance is cheap. GMAC via Good Sam wrote a poilicy for me. A lot of other companies didn't want to insure the truck since it was a conversion and not a manufactured RV. GMAC didn't care. The Good Sam Roadside Assistance is awesome. $100 a year and they come change your tires roadside for free, free towing, etc.

Here are a few pics of the outside. We'll get to the inside later. In these pictures you can see the RV door I added to the side, and the large ramp in the back, which is operated via an electric winch.



 
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#14 ·
That thing is sick Bill... any plans to do a ridiculous vinyl or some sort of artwork/tagging/graffiti mural or paint job to it? needs some tints, looks like a pimp my rig shit thing they should have on history channel?
i wanna see the insides, looks comfy as fock...
is this for business or just traveling to and from comps? assuming you still do those...
havent talked to you in like 5 years bro, im assuming you graduated and Inviscid Motorsports may be your own company? Rock crawling buggy builders, maybe something with ford race cars or somethin along those lines?
Do you still have the cj8? i never got to see that thing after paint although i remember the build..
 
#18 · (Edited)
No vinyl or warps, or stickers at all actually. I am seriously flirting with danger regarding DOT and using that "RV" for personal use and not for a business (IE racing for money). I don't really want it to stand out unless I end up going DOT approved.

The CJ8 is long gone haha. Here is how it ended life. Unfortuantly is was pretty much parted out, but the frame, tub and cage ended up in Colorado.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v625/billbridge/jeep/lowered/IMG_1780.jpg

I've had 2 buggies since then and just started to get into competitive racng, mainly endurance stuff like Ultra 4 (King of the Hammers) and TREC (at the Badlands). here is the build thread for the race buggy.
http://www.greatlakes4x4.com/showthread.php?t=207502&highlight=inviscid


RE the pass through, you may not want to do it due to fumes getting into your sleeping quarters. I know Pat hated that when he had his white whale.
Do you meanfumes from the Freightliner or from the buggy? I've always slept in the enclosed trailer and the buggy fumes never bothered me, but they were certainly there. The Dust from having the back gat open during a race was out of control though. Never dealing with that again.

Wow i just can't believe it.. all your friends say way to go look at it, it's bad ass and ect...

Well i am not a friend of yours and that looks like Shit...

Maybe you can call me a True Friend now cuz i told you the truth.. :teehee:
I generally don't car what other people think, and you're no exception. The point of this thread is so other people can get ideas for their projects or give ideas for mine. Your comment is worthless in either case.

^^^wat^^^

Dude, stop drinking for breakfast.

Back on-topic:
The "garage" needs a roof A/C unit and the plastic freezer curtains. Other than that, OMGAWESOME.
I can't put anything on the roof of the box for overpass height reasons. As far as putting a AC unit for the sleeper, it's not going to happen. The cost for the one or maybe 2 times a year that I would use it just doesn't make sense. The truck has AC for when it is running down the road, which actually does a descent job of controlling the temp in the sleeper. The sleeper does have an Aux heater that runs off engine coolant, but I think I'm going to remove it since I need the space for other things. All that will start making since when I post interior sleeper pics.
 
#29 · (Edited)
I personally think a white delivery truck would look more like a commercial vehicle than if you graphic it up like a motorhome looks.

Granted it wont draw any attention, but if he does get pulled over and the cop see's a white delivery truck with an rv title he may be more suspicious than something with a bunch of graphics that looks like a motor home and has an rv title.. Just my thoughts.
 
#32 ·
id keep it nice and simple. maybe a couple stripes like your saying. try not to draw alot of attention.
im sure you have researched nazi california laws. i know teams were getting big time harrassed the last couple years getting in and out. the border knows about KOH and does what it can to make its money. didnt bluetorch have to leave the rig and trailer 2 years ago at the check in station for having it all graphiced up?
 
#34 ·
yup, any sort of graphics, advertising, etc without a DOT number is a huge no-no. I work with a guy that races in all sorts of trans-am series stuff and within the last 2 or 3 years there are piles of horror stories about teams being stopped and harrased with toter homes, which all lead to huge fines. And this is in a bunch of states, not just commifornia. He had a crew cab FL70 and a 48' stacker and is terrified to take it south. He is getting DOT approved for next year.
 
#37 ·
real nice bill. needs some naked chick mudflaps though.
 
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