MACK-RV

[chris1953]

It was Christmas 2015 when I bought 1989 R688 FC from the fire department at Princeton, Missouri. They had bought it from Lakeside Fire Department, near Syracuse, NY, in 2004. It had done 22,000 miles and had 460 hours registered on the generator.

[chris1953]

The journey from Missouri to Winnipeg was an expensive adventure to say the least. The front nearside tire lost it's tread just north of Des Moines in a snowstorm on Interstate 35. Nobody would come out and fix it so the police made me get it it towed. Luckily, the tow company also did tires but wouldn't touch the split rims. In the end, I bought two new 22.5 tubeless tires and the rims to go with them. The tires were 15 years old.

Eventually got home two days later and parked the truck down beside the house. 

[chris1953]

I was still driving long-haul, so progress was slow. Stripping out the interior and cutting the stainless steel framing to give more space was first. With hindsight, I should have bought a plasma cutter as angle grinders didn't last very long cutting the stainless.

[chris1953]

Finally started construction, using as much of the stripped-out materials as possible. Including the Worlds largest knife and fork draw.

[chris1953]

One year on. Another Winter. Slow progress continues but I get a fridge fitted and the interior starts coming together.

[chris1953]

Finally some warmer weather and I can get on with the outside storage boxes. Fresh water and waste water tanks installed plus a place for my tools.

[HarryS]

Very Nice!

[alex g]

Excellent keep us posted with your progress

[chris1953]

Slowly it began to come together. Not fast enough for the neighbours who thought the truck would never move again from beside the house.

[chris1953]

Finally in September 2017, it was finished enough for the first camping trip.

[chris1953]

I retired from long haul truck driving in April 2018 and things started getting done a whole lot quicker. A roof rack with 300 watts of solar power. Four big deep cell house batteries and a 2000 watt inverter were added along with new seats and steering wheel.

[chris1953]

To help with noise suppression in the cab, I fitted some Dynamat and carpets. Then it was off to British Columbia for the Summer and the first big trip.

[chris1953]

November 2018 and it was time to go South in order to avoid the cold Canadian winter. Straight South from Winnipeg to the Gulf Coast of Texas and Magnolia Beach before a trip to the Alamo.

[chris1953]

From Texas, we headed West through New Mexico, into Arizona and down into Baja California. The roads were not that good in Mexico and diesel was expensive but beer and groceries were cheap. We spent about a month south of the border before going to Quartzsite, Az, for the big RV show where we met several other Class 8 Motor Home Conversions.

[chris1953]

The Summer of 2019 was spent back in British Columbia where the Mack now had a rear deck and awning. We were full-time living in the truck at this time and headed back to Arizona and Mexico when the weather changed. Heading as far South as Santispac before we became aware of Covid 19 and the forth-coming pandemic. We arrived back in Winnipeg at the end of March and have ben here ever since. We are waiting for a vaccination and given up on going anywhere soon. But it has given me time to post all this and i hope you enjoy the story so far. Stay safe, stay well, Happy Christmas and a better New Year.

[Truck Shop]

 Very Nice

[Vladislav]

Thanks for sharing. Very interesting and many nice pictures.

[29Bowtie]

What a great adventure you been having. Thanks for sharing. If you ever need anything while in BC, send me a message or call me at the Mack/Volvo dealer on Annacis Island in Delta, BC.

[mrsmackpaul]

I seemed to have missed this thread somehow up until now

Looks like a fun adventure so far

 

 

Paul

[chris1953]

On 6/14/2021 at 2:53 PM, 29Bowtie said:

What a great adventure you been having. Thanks for sharing. If you ever need anything while in BC, send me a message or call me at the Mack/Volvo dealer on Annacis Island in Delta, BC.

Thanks for the offer of help in BC. Still in Manitoba for the Summer. I’ve taken a seasonal spot in the woods by a lake and great to be back in the truck and out of the house.

[jettertrucks]

that is cool

 

 

[Bullheaded]

Very cool. That truck must get a lot of looks when you show up! Nice job you did.

[chris1953]

Update on the MACK-RV: after a Winter of storage, we are back in the woods beside the lake for the Summer. Finally gave up on poor quality solenoids for the battery isolation problems and bought a heavy duty marine battery cut-off switch; hope it lasts. New hobby is wood carving, so did a low relief one of the truck in basswood.

[navypoppop]

Chris1953, 

Being an rver myself I would love to have an R model to pull our 5th wheel. I really like our Ram but an R like yours would be the ultimate way to go. Nice job that you did from start to now. I envy you.

[mowerman]

I don’t know how I missed this post truck is gorgeous he  has had other posts of that truck that I have responded to somehow I never saw this one that thing is perfect. you might’ve given me an idea for my DM… Bob