Go big or go home:

MTVR

Well-known member
I recently purchased a 2007 Oshkosh MTVR. We intend to convert it into an overland expedition type vehicle and do full-time RV living.

For those not familiar with the MTVR, it is an all-terrain military 6x6 truck built for the U.S. Marine Corps, and it is...big- nearly 12 feet tall. MTVR occupants look down into 18-wheel tractor-trailer rigs on the highway. It's powered by an 11.9 liter (730 cubic inch) Caterpillar turbodiesel that puts out 425 horsepower and 1,550 pound-feet of torque. The runflat tires are 53" tall, and weigh 500 pounds each. The truck weighs about 30,000 pounds empty, and with a GVWR of 62,200 pounds, has a rated payload capacity of 30,000 pounds. It can ford five feet of water.

It's also much more sophisticated than the older/smaller 2-1/2 ton and 5-ton trucks- the MTVR has a heavy-duty 7-speed Allison double overdrive automatic transmission, a single-speed transfer case, full-time all-wheel-drive, five selectable drivetrain lockers, coil-sprung long-travel fully independent suspension, dual central tire inflation systems, beadlocks, ABS, traction control, power steering, air-ride seats, can easily do 65mph, and the late-model ones like mine even have air conditioning.

The U.S. government originally paid about $250,000 for it. After they put about 3,000 miles on it, I was able to purchase it at auction for $15,500. The tubeless Michelin radial tires still look like new.Our new home.jpgOur new home 2.jpg
 
Last edited:

Peter_n_Margaret

Adventurer
At 13 years old, you will need 8 new tyres before venturing too far.:cry:
Unless of course the military already did that for you.:) In Oz they tend to change them at 5 years even with no wear.
Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 motorhome
 

MTVR

Well-known member
At 13 years old, you will need 8 new tyres before venturing too far.:cry:
Unless of course the military already did that for you.:) In Oz they tend to change them at 5 years even with no wear.
Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 motorhome

Yeah, I suspect that is probably the case here also. I'll know more when the truck arrives. Either way, it's not a big deal- relatively youthful surplus tires are readily available, are not that expensive, and can be replaced in the field without a tire machine or tire irons, thanks to the O-ring sealed 2-peice beadlock wheels.

...and it has 6 tires, not 8. We were looking at a Mercedes-Benz 3544 8x8 in Europe, but ended up buying this 6x6 here in the U.S. instead.
 

1000arms

Well-known member
The bed has fold-down removeable tailgate and bedsides, so it can be used as a flatbed. The bed also has ISO locks that mate directly with shipping containers. We're thinking of buying a 20-foot shipping container, and building it out as our overland expedition box.

Get two shipping containers. Stack one on the other and just tell everyone that the top one is your roof-top-tent! :cool:

If you do use a 20' container, I suggest thinking about having a "deck/porch", on top of the container, to be able to sit/eat/cook with potential for a phenomenal view. You might be high enough up to catch a breeze that doesn't touch the ground in some areas, which is nice for keeping the bugs away.
 

MTVR

Well-known member
Get two shipping containers. Stack one on the other and just tell everyone that the top one is your roof-top-tent! :cool:

If you do use a 20' container, I suggest thinking about having a "deck/porch", on top of the container, to be able to sit/eat/cook with potential for a phenomenal view. You might be high enough up to catch a breeze that doesn't touch the ground in some areas, which is nice for keeping the bugs away.

Lol. With one shipping container, it should be just below the legal height limit. We'd like to cover the roof with solar panels, but we're also looking for a work around to allow us to have a rooftop area also, possibly with a screened-in pop-up tent.

If we do, I'd want to be able to have a removable railing system that I could install when we're parked, to make safer to be up there.
 

1000arms

Well-known member
Lol. With one shipping container, it should be just below the legal height limit.

Yeah, that was part of my joke about two 20' containers with the top 20' container being your RTT. :)

I had been recently reading https://expeditionportal.com/forum/...e-neat-ugly-cool-interesting-vehicles.208368/ :cool:

We'd like to cover the roof with solar panels, but we're also looking for a work around to allow us to have a rooftop area also, possibly with a screened-in pop-up tent.

If we do, I'd want to be able to have a removable railing system that I could install when we're parked, to make safer to be up there.

Maybe a hinged railing system mounted to the top of the container? Swing each piece up into place and secure it? Offsetting the hinge heights would help keep it simple and complete. You could do the same for some benches and a table, just bring up a few pads to strap to the seats.
 

Peter_n_Margaret

Adventurer
...and it has 6 tires, not 8.
What, no spares?????
As an aside, these big (wide wheel base) vehicles have huge tyre problems in Oz. The Toyotas keep the tracks free of tyre stakes, but these monsters find lots of new ones on the edges and wreck lots of tyres. I am talking about the tracks that they can get down, many they simply can't.
Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 motorhome
 

MTVR

Well-known member
If it were me... I'd sell it and buy a "9 series" with a Cummins 6CTAA with an mechanical Allison and a 2 speed transfer case. Your truck like LMTV's & FMTV's are/ were fleet vehicles (why do you think you and the LMTV folks got thier rigs for so cheap)?!?!?! They are always followed by big wreckers. If you don't believe me... Than I HOPE YOU HAVE A BUTT LOAD MONEY IN YOUR "TRACTOR FUND"!!!!

How much experience do you have with the MTVR?

We have adequate funds to support this truck.
 

Ramdough

Adventurer
How much experience do you have with the MTVR?

We have adequate funds to support this truck.

Jack has a lot of experience with heavy expedition vehicles and regularly expresses his dislike for the modern army/marine trucks. My understanding is he likes lower gear ranges, manual everything, and mechanical everything. That limits options to older trucks.

I am going the M1083A1 route. I think if you have the patience, money, patience, money, and time, you will be fine. Keep in mind these are well used and abused trucks.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

MTVR

Well-known member
My understanding is he likes lower gear ranges, manual everything, and mechanical everything. That limits options to older trucks.

Thanks.

FWIW, the MTVR, even with it's single-speed transfer case, has a crawl ratio of over 58:1, not including the torque multiplication offered by the automatic transmission's torque converter. It has so much gearing, that the transmission automatically starts out in second gear, unless you tell it to go all the way down to first. In effect, "low range" has been moved from the transfer case into the transmission.

It also puts out 1,550 pound feet of torque at just 1,200 rpm.

And it's full time all wheel drive system has selectable lockers in all three diffs and the transfer case.

The MTVR gives up nothing to the older trucks in these areas.
 

RPhil

Adventurer
Thanks.

FWIW, the MTVR, even with it's single-speed transfer case, has a crawl ratio of over 58:1, not including the torque multiplication offered by the automatic transmission's torque converter. It has so much gearing, that the transmission automatically starts out in second gear, unless you tell it to go all the way down to first. In effect, "low range" has been moved from the transfer case into the transmission.

It also puts out 1,550 pound feet of torque at just 1,200 rpm.

And it's full time all wheel drive system has selectable lockers in all three diffs and the transfer case.

The MTVR gives up nothing to the older trucks in these areas.

It looks like an awesome platform. I hopped over to Steel Soldiers and saw some of your posts there as well. Years ago I had dreamed of a deuce and a half, but this vehicle seems way more awesome.

I will be watching and living vicariously through you.
 

MTVR

Well-known member
Keep in mind these are well used and abused trucks.

That's why I chose one that is 13 years old instead of 35 years old.

Mine is showing a little over 3,000 miles and 200 hours of operation. Those two numbers jive with each other, and they also jive with the 80 photos of the truck.
 

MTVR

Well-known member
I am going the M1083A1 route. I think if you have the patience, money, patience, money, and time, you will be fine. Keep in mind these are well used and abused trucks.

Congrats. We looked at the FMTV, the Unimog U2450L, and the Mercedes-Benz SK 6x6 vehicles before arriving here.

We can afford to do this, and I am retired, so I have the patience also. I am also technically proficient and physically capable.

Tell me more about your vehicle? What year? Where and how did you register and insure it?
 

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