
love that kenworth- got a few pics of it. Its roof is on hydraulics and lowers back down. I agree on styling - is a bit ginger bread. It rolled into a service station in Motueka once when i was filling up- fuck i couldnt get my camera out quick enough!!!
answers...
I will put costs down as much as possible- nothing to hide and if it helps others out to build something I'm all for that. I just love sauna houses on wheels and we need more of them
So far costs...
Truck was $6500. We hunted for ages and wanted something that would be long in the deck and wheelbase. This is about as long as you get on twin wheels, and can hence drive on class 2.
I thought trucks would be cheaper here in NZ- they are cheaper in UK. more trucks to pick from over there I guess. I would have loved an even older truck but they are either fucked or expensive and usually very short.
Bonus is that this one has a sleeper cab. I'm getting a CB and gonna rename myself smoky....
Steel is next big cost- I've priced up 40 x 40 x 1.6 and looking at about $1100 for the lot. Legally you can build it in what ever you want if its permanently mounted- shit you could build it out of straw! But then it would blow away when driving..
I built the last one out of steel as its easy,light and strong. then build wood framing onto it.
For the outside we were going to clad in ply- at a cost of $900- 1000...but then we found Brent at Plankville in Richmond- he is our current hero of the mo. $100 we have paid for all that wood! we will be getting all our wood there including flitchs for the benches etc.
Once we have built the outside 'box' then we will be back to work as our housetruck funds will be dry.
We are keeping the deck as its really well built and bloody strong. I have been tinkering with the idea of making the house removable but that means some serious steel and bracing due to its length plus weakening effect of having pop outs. So I'm going off the idea- the likely hood of us removing it is slim anyway. It will mean a nice solid structure!
Over the cab we will have a hinged lift up bedroom base so the cab can swing through. This is a big mistake others have made where come cylinder head off time etc they are looking at engine out the bottom. It easy to do and we did this set up on the last truck built.
Insulation will be polystyrene - fairly cheap and easy to fit. Better than Batts which we used last time which tend to slump and settle with all the movement as you 'Possum Borne' it through the hundalees...
Rx3 is gone to another Kiwi in london village. He might be bringing it to NZ one day though...
I will post up some pictures of plans etc soon. I'm still planning and constantly looking at other truck on sites such as...
http://www.mrsharkey.com/and...
http://www.htnz.co.nz/gallery/housetrucks/alex