Extended Sleepers

Another thing for guys having sewer smells
I found a concoction on FB that works great
About a 1/4 cup dawn dish soap. 1/4 cup Calgon liquid. 1-4 cup borax powder

I have zero issue and friends who had in the past no longer do with this brew

 

I don’t know anything about van but as a general rule the more you are on the hook for the better the pay
Such as you secure the load like cars or flatbed. Over size etc

I’m sure there are specialized markets in all trailer types but I just know flat and car hauling

Others might have different ideas but I would try and get into flatbed and then working towards getting on with a company that has a more niche business

 

I've thought a lot about extended sleepers and my biggest frustration is that it's not easy to just buy an empty box. I'd rather build mine out myself.
None of the common companies will talk to you about this for liability reasons.

-The best thing on powering the house is that you can get away from the unreliable and underperforming truck APU's. You have space with an extended sleeper for a proper diesel generator like the diesel pusher motorhomes have. Most extended sleepers are spec'd with these already I think.

-As mentioned, for black water just spec a cassette toilet. Or better yet a composting type. No need for a black tank.


A few things I would do differently than any I've seen so far on most of these:

- I'd have a mini split for climate control in the house, with the addition of a big arse bunk heater to supplement it. All of the bunk heater manufacturers make bigger diesel bunk heaters for marine applications. They just aren't discussed for trucks because they aren't needed.

-I'd also have the roof covered with solar panels. You have flat space on an extended sleeper to use better quality panels than all the surface mount/curved ones you see on trucks these days. The quality of the flexible panels is absolute junk compared to what you can get in a rigid panel. Without an inefficient rooftop RV air conditioner you have even more space for solar. About the only hole in roof would be for a 14x14 roof vent/fan. You can soak up some serious free power with the 8x12' (give or take) space a typical extended sleeper has. I would dedicate about a third of it to the chassis batteries and 2/3 to nursing the house bank along but of course it won't do nearly the job in a day that a diesel genny will in an hour or two of running.

- Speaking of house battery banks, go lithium. So much lighter, longer lasting and the prices are coming down daily.

-Run a coolant loop/heat exchanger for hot water. Limitless hot water this way.

-Put an electric valve on your gray water tank and empty it rolling down the road.

-I'd put a residential fridge/freezer in it if I were living on the road. A smallish one but still much bigger and better than any RV/truck fridge. Big motorhomes have been doing this for years. They last, contrary to popular belief. Stuff like this is why I'd want to build my own custom cabinets to match my appliances.

Here's the floor plan I've had my eye on for years. I think I could build a palace on wheels with a 132" box and roughly this floor plan.

 

For someone who operated for 45 years on the other end of the spectrum, cabovers, last one having a 168" wheelbase(instead of 120" sleeper on a conventional getting near or over 300") it boils down to you and your lifestyle. Personally i would take the money and invest it in real estate or other appreciable asset.

It has almost nothing to do with trucking.
Under no circumstances can you justify the additional expense and operational limitations by the numbers, no matter how many dinners you cook, motel rooms you don't buy or showers you take in it. No one talks about the enormous depreciation loss on these things. If they were financially viable, they would be far more common.

To put it another way, it is a want, not a need.
And if you want one, then get one.

 

First thing I did was tear out the factory refrigerator and put in a much better and larger. One works every bit as good as the one in the house.
I also would have a bigger bed that would come down a track system from the ceiling of some sort and then when it was up to the ceiling below, it would be a sofa he’s not laid out very efficiently. They’re nice, but there’s so many better ideas you can do if you just think about it

one picture is before and one is after I moved the microwave up and made a bigger hole

 

I couldn't agree more. It's definitely a want and not a need, unless you are a specialized team or you don't have another home.

Money isn't the limiting factor on why I don't have one already. It's basically that mostly I don't need it the way I run and partly I haven't gotten around to it.

I'd like to build one or maybe rebuild a used one someday but I almost always make a profit on stuff I buy/build/flip and as you said I doubt it could be done on one of these.

 

Thanks - I appreciate that.

 

Like mentioned before, mine is just the 'cassette' style potty - you just pull it out of the slide behind the door, and tote it off to dump. If I am at the house, I'll just lift the lid on one of the septic tanks at the house, or dump it in a stock pond.

This may sound weird, but we have a 16,000 gallon inground swimming pool. I did the math on 'Peeing in the pool" - and by my calculations, the dilution equals , well - we're on well water here, and I'd rather drink out of the pool after peeing in it than drink from a municipal water supply.

The threads that get all freaked out about dumping pee in the grass often amuse me. My grey water tank is non existent - and I truly believe I am doing the general truck stop a favor by dumping soapy water on their lot.