vincen47

Nice resto-mod style build. Classic, with a few modern updates. Nice work.

Looking great. Nice work on that trailer.

Looks great. No frills, strictly business. Nice rig!

Nice build, great paint finish.

Absolutely fantastic. I love the look of this rig. I especially like the worn look of the bottom of the dump bed. Wow.

What an interesting project.

Nice resto mod with the 6bt and the Alcoas. It would make a good weekend hauler.

Just in case some of you are not on the other forum, I thought I’d start a WIP thread here, too. It is an usual project, but these rigs are becoming more and popular in the race and general RV travel markets, so you may have seen them on the road… Imagine taking a retired truck and building your dream RV from it? This build will be mostly custom work, just like the real thing. These rigs don’t roll out of the ‘ol Winnebago factory…and you find models like this in a kit, either. I will use Italeri’s 378 for some parts, along with Bill Drennan’s 379 hood. Lots of scratcbuilding and a host of aftermarket parts. Inspiration for this project came from rigs like this, (though the one above is a 389) where a used or factory-fresh commercial class 8 chassis is stretched and a coach body is added, creating the ultimate RV. The ultimate RV starts with the ultimate engine. Some may argue differently, but I think Cat’s 3406e from the late 1990’s is the finest example of diesel power, especially when it’s been decked out in aftermarket chrome and ceramic performance parts. I started with a resin Cat 3406E from Jamie at Moluminum. I detailed it using Ken Smith’s Car Modeller article on Fotki. I used 3d printed elbows from modelbuildermatt on Shapeways and metal fittings from Detail Master. Several engine components were scratch-built. The 18 speed Eaton Auto-shift transmission came from Moebius, with a lot of detail parts added using reference photos. Jamie’s casting didn’t include the 3 dimensional “CAT” logo on the chrome timing cover, but I added one using a casting of a Cat lapel pin I found on EBay that was the perfect size. I’m not a pro resin caster by any means, but I’ve found casting small, very simple parts, to be useful in this project. It took me several attempts, maybe a half-dozen, to get the valve covers looking good. I finally found putting Molotow down first, then adding the black in the recessed areas via a Molotow black pen was best. Careful painting of the red stripe and a triangle-cut of a yellow decal finished the iconic look of the Caterpillar 3406e’s valve covers.I put together a simple engine stand using square styrene tube. I currenty use it for other engines that are waiting to be installed in the next chassis. It’s a handy tool. That’s the basic engine so far, more about the other engine components when we get to the chassis installation. Ask questions, I’m sure there’s explanations I missed. Next, let’s get the frame rails laid down…

Thanks, I appreciate it.

Here we have the cab and hood started. First, the firewall needed some corrections, most importantly the intake port needs to be the same on both sides. I’m not sure why Italeri goofed that up, but the opening on the vehicle’s right side, left facing the firewall, needs to be lowered and modified to match the other side. While I was at it, I removed the shallow example of a windshield washer reservoir with the intent of rebuilding a more realistic version to attach to the firewall. I eventually decided to make one that mounted to the radiator housing instead, as seen in an earlier post. Then, I cut out and created the pocket for the windshield wiper motor. I added an Ultraroof from Models by Dave, and it has the visor mounting brackets built-in. I broke a couple of them, but made the repairs. They are delicate. A lot of filler to smooth things out. I’ll also need to add rivet detail to replace some of it that was removed during the bodywork process along with some that wasn’t there to begin with. The 379-127 hood is a Bill Drennen casting, purchased from P&P resin years ago. It’s a bit hard to find nowadays, but contact Jamie at Moluminum, he has the molds. I added inner fender detail, along with a good deal of clean-up and filler to get everything as perfect as I can. I’ll also be adding proper rivet detail to the hood shortly, just like the cab. It’ll still need more filler, sanding and a final coat or two (or three) of primer and filler/sanding in between, before rivets are added and a final coat of primer before paint. Preparation can be frustrating, and it is 90% or more of the finishing process, but it’s a necessary evil. I added an improved center hood trim piece from styrene strip/shapes, and that’ll get some rivet detail as well. To better fit those bigger front tires, I added fender flares from re-worked Italeri 378 fender trim with styrene strip/quarter round. The “J” hood hinges are from GW trucks. For the cab floor, I decided to experiment with balsa wood strips and laying the “hardwood flooring” similar to the real thing. Sanded and stained, I like the results, and it’ll just need another coat of floor wax. Probably won’t be able to see the cab floor very well on the completed build, but it’s cool. Certainly easier to lay this type of flooring than in real life! I hope you’re still enjoying the build. More to come…

Here is the start of the RV body. It’ll be curbside, as I’m crazy, but not that crazy (at least enough to fully detail out an interior). Maybe on a future build. Anyway, like my previous Aeromax RV conversion build, I started with a 3d printed radius-cornered frame a scale 34’ long, and added .060” styrene sheet for side panels. I penciled in and cut out window openings, in a pattern to match a custom interior layout I have in my head that includes a front bunk area, but not one over the cab. I added additional sheet below the belt line for the utility and storage bays, and corrugated sheet for window shades to give the future tinted windows some “depth” and detail behind them. To get a slightly crowned roof, I placed a styrene panel down the center above the ceiling joists, and again above the sub-roof. The wheel wells were cut out and quarter round added for trim, along with docking light inserts. Lots of sanding, primer, putty, sanding, primer…

She’s a beauty. I like the added details like the hood ornament and stacks. Nice.

True, what comes with it is a Traxon ZF 12 speed, not available in North America, so I’m going to use the Eaton 10 speed that comes in the A&N W990 chassis kit. If I didn’t have that transmission, I’d use the Eaton 13/18 from Moebius (with or without the autoshift components, depending on the build) or the Eaton from the Italeri Peterbilt Series 60 (looks pretty close to a Eaton RT Series 13 speed).

I’d think it would fit, but curious to see for sure. I ordered one myself, I plan to use it in the A&N W990 kit. It’s a good choice for your T800. Looking forward to seeing it.

Good color choices, it’ll be a nice build.

That’s a beautiful truck. Makes a great resto-mod. Maybe gets some work, but nothing too hard in its semi-retired life, and always gets cared for, washed and polished. Maybe it’s the boss’ truck, something you’d see at a truck show. Nice work.

Next up, I’ll add the frame-mounted primary fuel filter, a common sight on these Cats. I took a fuel filter from a Italeri Series 60, with a scratch built frame mount and fuel lines. Just to the right of the cab mount, I added a Bendix AD-SP Air Dryer and associated connections and hoses. I started with an air dryer from CTM, and modified it a bit to better represent the Bendix model, and used decals from Modeltruckin for both the fuel filter and air dryer. For the engine cooling system, I wanted something more on the lines of a modern-looking aftermarket coolant reservoir, rather than the Italeri kit’s radiator top tank I have on it in the earlier photos. The newer Paccar trucks, like the 389, 589, and W990, have something similar from the factory. I started with the coolant tank from the A&N W990 kit, modifying and casting it in two halves. Using clear resin, the top half was tinted white to look like the slightly translucent white plastic, and the bottom half in translucent red. The long-life coolant used for these trucks is red, I’ve learned. The unit is mounted to the top of the radiator with Tamiya bolt detail, and a photo-etched model car garage radiator cap tops it. I made a windshield washer reservoir using a similar process, starting with the windshield washer tank from a modified resin casting of a Moebius Lonestar kit part for the bottom portion, tinted translucent blue. For the top portion and mount, I modified some unknown engine part from the parts box, cast in white-tinted clear resin. The chassis is basically complete, for now. More detail to add to the engine area once the hood is in place. Next up, we’ll start the cab, hood, and coach body. Glad everyone is enjoying the build so far.

Yeah, you have a good thing started. Dark cherry will look good.

Nice builds, they look great. I like the color on the Mack and the Moebius wheels look great on the Dodge.

Welcome to the forum!

Welcome to the forum. I have you saved as a favorite seller on eBay. Nice parts.

To connect the charge air cooler to the turbo and engine block, I used rubber air to air connectors from Moluminum along with Plastruct elbows and aluminum tubing, cut to fit and painted with Molotow chrome. The rubber air connectors came in blue and orange, and though that’s common in real life, (orange on the hot side, blue on the cool side) I opted to paint them rubber black to better match the overall look. You can find black silicone connectors on 1:1 trucks as well.I also added the chrome rings around the connectors by using brass zip ties from CTM, painted chrome. That was one of the most tedious things I’ve done on this build, but the only option that seemed to work. Painting the recesses chrome was a failure, so CTM to the rescue. For the exhaust exiting the turbo, I needed a flex tube, just like the real thing, in order to make the awkward curvature needed to fit between the engine block and frame. Once I had the plastic tubing bent to fit, I wrapped it in wire, and added putty between to get the look. Painted in aluminum, it works well. I finished with adding the tubing clamps where the connections are with chrome bands made from strips of furnace tape.

Excellent job on a unique build.

Thanks, I appreciate that.

Now that we have a rolling (non-rolling) chassis, time to install the engine and add the radiator and charge air cooler. It’s a squeeze, but she fits. There’s a lot of extra parts adding to the overall engine width, like the serpentine bracket, so I made sure to measure and test fit beforehand. To connect the driveline, I made three driveshaft carrier bearings from styrene. Onto the CAC: There’s a void in the aftermarket for a proper charge air cooler/air to air aftercooler. Italeri tried in the 378 kit, but it leaves a lot to be desired. I used the Italeri kit parts as a basis for creating an aftermarket CAC in the style of a Duralite. I added photo etched radiator mesh and modified the side of the kit radiator. Then, adding putty to create the shape needed. The kit’s radiator coolant reservoir was added to the top at this point, but I will replace it later with a better version. On the front side, I added a parallel flow AC condenser unit, made with photo etched mesh. I’ll add the lines to and from it later, as well as the air intake connectors and pipes to the turbo and engine block.