Nice video. I still haul my 48’ flatbed to make money so I went with a receiver hitch and haul a 40’ tow behind camper. I made a removable bed to go over the existing fifth wheel to haul my Harley and Samurai. Of course I’ve been welding and fabricating for 35 years so that helps. Stay safe. ✌️
Thank you Aaron! For this video. This is good to know just in case anybody who has a hauler can convert like you did. Great job!👍 Stay safe and travel safe. Hope all is well with your new bed. And fifth wheel.
Thanks Kevin. It really is the most comfortable way to travel with a fifth wheel that we've experienced. So glad your enjoying the videos. First bed build video will be out next week. :) Safe Travels
I have a 2017 Cascadia and for the electrical I hardwired (soldered connections) everything at the rear (no need for a Jackelope), used a Hayes Air Activated Trailer Brake Controller, and ran the electric brake and lights wires to the 7 pin connector. Also have a 4 pin trailer connector and Class V, 2-1/2” receiver hitch so I can pull a various assortment of trailers. Electrical and brake controller took me about 6 hours and cost about $400 for all hardware and materials. I have pics of everything if you or anyone else is interested. Love watching all your videos!! ✌️
All you need for wiring conversion is a part like draw tite 119178. It does the same thing as jackalop but hundreds of dollars cheaper. Also for trailer brakes to work properly you need a Hayes air to electric brake controller. If you don't tie into air brakes you won't get proportional brakes control. Also if your mounting hitch behind axles (but really any hitch on hdt) you need a air ride hitch to lessen the forces on camper and prevent frame damage
The Tuson brake controller works perfectly and does give proportional brake control. DRV fifth wheels are electric over hydraulic disk brakes so no air required. I agree on the hitch. We started out with a Comfort Ride hitch and it was garbage. Changed to the ET Senior airbag hitch and it was awesome. I would recommend ET or Trailer Saver. Don't waste money on the Comfort ride hitch. Safe Travels
@JonesN2Travel the air only goes to brake controller to tell how much you are pushing on the brake pedal. MDT and HDT won't dip the nose like pickups will and that's what electric brake controllers look for to adjust brake force. Yes the Tucson works but not as well as Hayes and is also $500 more then Hayes. Plus takes you OBD plug away so you can't use any tuner or guage screen
Nicely done Aaron! I have a 2000 Volvo with Jackalopee and the DirecLink (Tusan) setup. I bought the rig a year or so ago and was plagued with the trailer brakes intermittently activating in sequence whenever the left blinker was turned on; made for some serious trailer porpoising! It took me some time to noodle out the problem, but once I did, the setup works well. I pull a triple axle TH which I used to haul with a RAM 3500. We just returned from a 1600 mile jaunt to the Black Hills and back...the trip was much more relaxing in the HDT!!! I have no doubt you will enjoy your rig...
Thank you. I agree, its much more enjoyable, comfortable and less tiring driving the Volvo than our F-350 we used to tow with. Thanks for checking out the video. Safe Travels
OMG...I can't wait to see the video about the converted bed of your HDT. Like Kevin, I also drove a tractor trailer rig for a living for about 15 years, so this option has definitely peaked my interest. Very Cool. Bill
Thank you Bill. So glad you are enjoying the videos. Our first truck bed build video is already uploaded and will be out next week. :) Stay tuned. Safe Travels :)
What is the process for changing the registration on an HDT from commercial vehicle to a private RV? I would think the DMV would make you jump through a bunch of hoops.
We are registered in South Dakota and its super simple. Check out the video where we explain how its done. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-LcX1Las6Bjw.html
Now for the million dollar question. Expense. What can one expect to extend, wire, lay bed down from a commercial side to the RV side of the world? If you have it all done, and not personally lift a wrench, wire, etc? 10K? 8K? From a reputable source that is. I know Tipsy Marlin got quoted some $8K for the extending part....As you know, they walked away from that quote.
Hi Mike. Yes I do remember that quote. When Tipsy Marlin asked me about it I recommended they run. :) I paid $2k to have the frame extended and my already owned hitch mounted. We paid around $2500 for the used Comfort Ride Hitch but if you go with a new one or a new ET you're looking at about $5k for the hitch installed by RVH Lifestyles. I only know that because when I called to get a quote from RVH for the frame extension he tried talking me into a ET hitch. As far as wiring goes, when we first had our frame extended and the hitch added, our fabricator simply re-attached the stock light bar on the rear and plugged it back in. Then I installed the Jackalopee and new 7 pin for the fifth wheel. I would estimate this is probably a couple hours of shop labor but I'm not sure exactly how much it would cost. The Jackalopee was a couple hundred bucks and the Tuson brake controller was about $400 and I installed that as well. I paid $700 for the fenders brand new with mounts and again, I installed them myself. I was going to have the place where I bought the fenders install them but the shop foreman, well, lets just say not a very friendly guy. :) Then a couple sheets of marine grade plywood to finish off the deck between the frame rails. So all in I paid $47k for the truck and about $5500 for what I added (including $2500 for the hitch I already owned). All in around $53k to get down the road with my fifth wheel. If you want to have RVH Lifestyles build you a nice smart car bed your looking at $10k to 'who knows how much' depending on options, bed style etc. The bed you see in this video my father-in-law and I built ourselves for about $1500 in materials (3 part bed build series coming soon). Sorry for such a long response but I wanted to be transparent. Hope this helps. Safe Travels
Wow. This is really cool. We are in a pull behind travel trailer so this is a huge difference from what we pull. But VERY cool. This is quite the setup.
What is the point of adding a computer board to the light system I wired a dump truck one time to haul a backhoe trailer using a 7 flat rv pin connector it was as simple as making a 25 ft extension with male 7 round pin commercial plug on one end and a female 7 flat rv on the other not sure I would want to add a cpuboard one more thing to worry about and just extra cost near as I can tell
Your living the life that my wife and I want to live. We have about 4 more years before retirement. Is there anyway you could put the cost of the bed and hitch out here for us. Just so we can prioritize our want to our needs. I do understand that cost change but it would give us some idea. I'm looking at a Volvo as well. Thanks for the great videos.
Hi Steven. The ET hitch will run about $5k. To have a bed like ours built would run about $15k. Of course you could build one a lot cheaper yourself if you have access to the facilities like we did. :) Hope that helps. Thanks for checking out the video and for following along. Safe Travels
Great videos - lots of things to think about. One question: How has your emissions equipment been hanging on? I’m seriously considering a class 8 to pull our camper - but the replacement cost of the ‘One Box’ is outrageous. Do you know if the light engine load helps to lengthen its life? Any experience is greatly appreciated! Keep up the fine work!
I have two Smart cars so I find it really interesting how RVers are hauling them. Would like to see how you get the Smart car up into that sideways hauling position and also how you tie the car down once in place.
Stay tuned, we have that coming in a video really soon. It is pretty cool that we can load the car on our truck and take it wherever we want to go. :) Thanks for following along. Safe Travels
You dont need that box for the trl wiring. You just a 5 wire to 4 wire converter plus aux power and brake wire added. Im sure its cheaper than that box. I just stumbled on this vid. What about title/ registration for something like this trk because its been repurposed to a toy hauler vs a class 8 rig
Thanks for the input. The Jackalopee is just a simple all in one solution but I realize it isn't the only way to go. :) As far as registration we are registered as an RV in South Dakota, super easy. Check out the process in this video. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-LcX1Las6Bjw.html Thanks for checking out the video. Safe Travels
That sure looks like and RVH tandem modular bed. It looks like we have been two, three steps behind you in the same process. Our truck was probably in the yard when you picked yours up.
I know..if you need to ask the cost..you can't afford it..but by the looks of it.. you need to use the money from the sale of your house..to fund this complete conversion.
Hey there. Right now the prices are high but we only paid $47k for our truck and have about $60k in it with the bed and drom box. May not be as expensive as you think when compared to buying a new dually truck. 😁 Thanks for following along. Safe Travels
Hi Bobby. I don't have any drawings. I basically took some measurements of a few different Smart car beds and some ideas from pictures and went with it. I could send you some measurements if you'd like. Just email us at jonesn2travel@gmail.com and I'll do my best to get whatever measurements from our bed that might help you out. Thanks for following along. Safe Travels
Just purchased my rig at the East Coast rally in Crossville Tennessee several weeks ago! Where did you find the lettering for the side of your truck that says private RV not for hire? Thanks, now part of the HDT community😁
Thanks for following along. Congrats on getting your HDT and welcome to the family :) I found the letters on eBay, premade. Just searched for Private RV Not for Hire on Ebay and they popped up. I think I paid $11 bucks or something like that. Any print shop that does vinyl lettering should be able to make one for you as well. :) Safe Travels
Hi Adam. I've seen rigs like ours with a ball mounted on the deck for gooseneck trailers. I really don't have any experience with gooseneck trailers but I don't see why it wouldn't work. :) Thanks for checking out the video. Safe Travels
Hi Ben. We did all of our conversion ourselves except for the bed extension so if you don't need an extension then you could skip that part. Hope that helps. Safe Travels
Wouldn't a 2 axle version or conversion be better for mileage and on road maintenance. Also is it advisable to purchase an older rig that say fell out of CARB compliance to convert to Toter or RV status. I live in an area that has several nice highly maintained 2 axle trucks used for Agricultural hauls most have c7 or 3126 and 10 speed and longer rails that have fallen out of compliance and not considered glider kit worthy as it cost less to upgrade to newer rigs.
Some people do single their trucks for fuel efficiency, etc. but I chose to leave it tandem so I don't have to worry about weight. I still get a couple more miles to the gallon than I did in my dually so I am perfectly happy with it tandem. You could purchase an older rig and not have to worry about the carb compliance and you may be able to find an older truck with low miles that will work perfectly fine. Remember that these trucks are basically in retirement using them for RV haulers so last a long time. :) Thanks for following along. Safe Travels
Enjoying your videos - your don’t a great job. What is the wheel base on your purchase & what do you think is the best length? I purchased a MX 450 last May from Rolling Retreats and am considering following what you have done instead of using my Ford 450. Keep up the great videos - very helpful. Thank You!!!😄
The wheel base of our truck is around 235 inches. As far as length it all depends on what you want to haul on the back of the truck. We only did a 30 inch frame extension for the hitch and with our wheel base we had plenty of room for the smart car without having to stretch the frame any longer. I've heard that you don't want to extend the frame more than 5 feet behind the rear axle so that is a good rule of thumb. Hope that helps. Safe Travels
@@hihaveaniceday9386 ya it would as an rv hauler for Synergy or Horizon or many others. Plus bigger 5th wheels require 1 ton duallies or higher. You could also change out the fifth wheel and put regular bed on and do driveway towaways. Right now tho the prices to do that specialty is subpar for rates. It is more for those with another income already like pensions.
I'm in the processes of converting a 2016 Volvo 670. I also have a DRV mobile suite 38RSSA with the electric over hydraulic and Independent spension. Which Tuson DirecLink controller, & Heavy Duty Truck Module Kit did you use? Im unsure of wich one to buy and unsure of the brand my actuator is
Hi Ismael. We have the standard suspension and electric over hydraulic disk brakes on our DRV. I purchased the (HDCON-16PIN) kit. Its the only one they have that will fit the Volvo I think :) Hope that helps. Safe Travels
Awesome rig. I am thinking on buying a semi truck to haul my RV. How can I convert the semi to non commercial? How much will the insurance cost? Thanks I am a CDL Driver so driver license should not be a problem. Thanks
Hi Trusty Trucking. We are domiciled in South Dakota and they make it super simple to register the truck as either a private truck or an RV with a completed affidavit. Your state may be different so I would recommend checking with your dept. of motor vehicles. The insurance for ours, with a full-timers policy is about 1200 a year. Hope that helps. Safe Travels
Hi Richard. The truck already had weed burner exhaust so that was one thing we didn't have to modify. :) However, we do have other HDT friends who's trucks have stacks and they left them in place in most cases. Thanks for checking out the video. Safe Travels.
W HAVING OWNED A SEMI TRUCK IN VAN A SEMI TRUCK DRIVER I THINK IT'S ABSOLUTELY INSANE TO PUT YOUR WEIGHT BEYOND THE REAR WHEELS SOMEDAY THAT'S GOING TO COME AROUND TO BITE YOU FAR BETTER TO STRETCH THE FRAME OR BUY A TRUCK TO BEGIN WITH IT IT HAS AN EXTRA LONG FRAME THAT'S WHAT I WOULD HAVE DONE OH WELL YOU CAN'T CURE UGLY OR STUPID . D . A . G . BOULDER COLORADO
Hi David. Not sure if your calling us ugly and stupid but it really isn't called for. I guess you've never pulled a bumper pull trailer, that is exactly what its like pulling out fifth wheel in this configuration. Another fact is that you should never unload the front axle to the point its unsafe and we are actually unloaded a smaller percentage than with an OTR trailer with the hitch mounted between the axles. Maybe before you call someone out next time you should check your facts or keep your opinions to yourself. Safe Travels
I know is seems like a lot of work but converting the tandem rear axles to a single axle will improve your fuel economy. The weight your hauling doesn't need the tandem axle set up. The ride should be a little better also. Really its not hard to do, the technical part is reconfiguring the driveshaft is the hardest part.
Hey there. For budget reasons I built the bed myself. I'm into the bed for around $3k but you could have a bed made like mine for around $10k. You can also get a bed built for $50k so just depends on how fancy and your budget. Hope that helps answer your question. I found that building out my HDT was much cheaper than buying a new pickup. Safe Travels
@@leejohnson6173 Yes, anything with air brakes requires an air brake endorsement. But an air brake truck pulling a trailer with hydraulic brakes can be pulled with a class 5 or 3 with an airbrake endorsement. If the trailer has air brakes, you need a class 1A.
Do you need a CDL to do this if you are going to use a old semi to hall your 5th wheel RV? Since its no longer got the normal 5th wheel to haul a semi trailer.
We registered ours in South Dakota as an RV so no DOT or CDL required. Thanks for checking out the video and following along. If you'd like to know more about registering a HDT as an RV in South Dakota check out this video: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-LcX1Las6Bjw.html Safe Travels
Hi Burning Rubber. No, since the truck is registered as an RV there are no DOT requirements. Some of our friend's HDTs are registered as personal trucks so the same non-DOT requirements apply. Hope that helps. Safe Travels
Hey y’all, safe travels, and again great to spend time with y’all here in Quartzite. Where were y’all in the portion of the video you were discussing the plywood in the center of the frame? Thanks.
Because this is cheaper than a motorhome AND we have much more space in a fifth wheel toyhauler than in a motorhome. There really is no comparison. Thanks for watching. Safe Travels
Class 8 trucks are much more reliable than motor homes and will go over a million miles, plus the safety factor the Class 8 has is many times more than any motor home.
With a motor coach you lose a ton of ceiling height. Residential 5th wheels have a lot more room, a spacious feel and I have 4 - 5 times the storage and cook prep area that my motor coach friends have. They are lovely but we would never trade. : )
Hi Drew. We've registered the truck in South Dakota as an RV so no CDL or DOT required. Makes it simple. :) Thanks for checking out the video. Safe Travels
@@JonesN2Travel so you didn’t have to do anything special to register it as an rv? I thought you had to remove one axle to do it? Do you need to be sd resident to do it?
@@drewmurphy2796 there are a couple of things the truck must have to register as an rv in SD such as microwave, fridge, porta toilet etc. There is a form you fill out telling the state that it has the required items. Number of axles is irrelevant. Check out our video here where we explain the entire SD process. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-LcX1Las6Bjw.html
I'm not sure the exact length. I do know that as you extend you actually unload the front axle so be careful of that. We have friend start haul a 4 door jeep lengthwise on their truck, I believe his truck is 35' long. Hope that helps. Safe Travels
Thank you. Yes, that's our completed bed. It is diamond plate with black bed liner sprayed on. :) Say hi to Collins and the rest of the crew for us and Maggie :) Safe Travels
@@JonesN2Travel Throw that into a video, I'd be curious to see it done. I know your friends Suite Travels do it too. I think it would be "hairy" doing it. Must look like your in a rocket headed for the sky going up! LOL
We get about 11 miles per gallon average in the HDT versus 7 to 9 in the dually we had so its actually cheaper to drive. Thanks for following along. Safe Travels
Hitch is about $4k, Fenders and Brackets about $700 new and the plywood was about $50 from Home Depot. Yes, that is right. I only pointed that out because when you say something is simple the people who can't do it themselves will be disappointed. :) Thanks for following along. Safe Travels
You guys like to spend money. I do this all the time. Folks you don’t need to add to your frame!! Slide your fifth wheel all the way back. The fenders, it’s a good idea! The electrical, build it yourself or or buy one. They are cheap as heck! Not digging on this guy, but, he loves just spending!!! And he drives a Volvo…🙄 good luck to everyone, but good grief.
