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BAOBAB

MY CURRENT HOME ON WHEELS

Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.

-Helen Keller

A scenic landscape featuring a lake, mountains, and a cloudy sky, with an orange off-road vehicle on a rocky shoreline. Overlaid is a large black gear with the word "VEHICLE" in bold orange letters.

The Truck

The base vehicle is a 2002 Stewart & Stevenson M1085, former American Army sea container hauling truck. I took a 12 foot communications box from another vehicle & then extended it to the full 21 foot box that sits on the truck today. It is powered by a 7.2L Caterpillar turbo diesel engine that is mated to an Alison 7 speed automatic transmission. Even with 330hp & full time six wheel drive & Eco Hubs I find I get around 10mpg. Top speed is around 75 miles per hour- but you will rarely find me pushing over 65 mph as I tend to take the back roads looking for adventure.

Watch The Full Build Series Here!

The Habitat

My full time home on wheels was converted from an empty green box in just over three months time, I had sold my prior rig & had to get it done. The habitat interior measures 17 feet long by 8 feet wide (135 square feet). The garage, which houses my motorbike is 4 feet wide with both rear van doors & a side entry door for the moto loader. My priorities in the design were a full size home shower, a complete kitchen, a bed that did not need to be set up each day & an “office” to work from. The habitat is insulated for 4 seasons, the water tanks & lines are all internal to prevent freezing and most importantly I wanted the final product to feel like home .

The Cab

The original military cab was spartan. It was loud, hot & super uncomfortable. I upgraded the seating to German made Scheel Mann seats. Cab improvements include endless amount of sound deadening material, air conditioning, radios & even a refrigerator. Controls from the military include push button automatic transmission, a computer controlled central tire inflation system & even air brakes.

The Garage

The garage was really the reason that I built this truck. I wanted to get my motorbike inside, out of the elements and simplify the loading & unloading process that proved difficult on my prior truck. The state of the art Neodyne Loader is able deploy the bike in under 2 minutes! The garage is also home to my electronic systems; including the Go Power Solar controllers, a 3000 watt inverter, a 1200 amp hour bank of lithium batteries, my lighting controls & my fuses & circuit breakers. In addition, my water systems are also housed here including; a 170 gallon fresh water tank, hot water heater, pump & valves.

Quick FAQs ON THE STEWART & STEVENSON:

2002 former military M1085 based out of Fort Bragg NC
6x6 (full time) with locking interaxle differential
330hp Caterpillar turbo diesel 7.2L
7 speed Allison automatic transmission
30% torque front - 70% rear on normal operation, 50/50 with locked diff
32 quart engine oil capacity
3.07:1 axle gear ratio (with Eco Hubs installed) (3.07 high speed ring & pinion)
air brakes
260/140 amp dual 24/12 volt alternator
central tire inflation
177 inch wheelbase
maximum grade 60%, approach angle 40%, departure angle 40%, side slope 30%
water fording depth 60 inches
Ground clearance 22 inches
solar panel capacity 2000 watts
Battery capacity 1200 amp hours lithium
170 gallon fresh water tank, 20 gallon grey tank, cassette toilet
total loaded weight 30,000 lbs
MPG approximately 10 (120 gallon diesel tank)
Top speed: around 75 mph
Habitat amenities include: double sink, dual zone fridge, oven, range top, microwave, toilet and sink bathroom- separate full size shower, large wardrobe, fold out kitchen table, water purification system, air conditioning, electric awnings, roof vent fans, propane marine heating system