Component manufacturers can't take the time to support individual customers - most of whom are unprepared and unqualified to use the products - and don't want to risk the damage to their reputation from failed installations. This is the same situation regardless of the size of EV; there is good reason that DIY EV conversions now commonly use components salvaged from production EVs. It's even the same for engine swaps in conventional vehicles: while some engines are available in "crate" form, the practical way to get an engine for a vehicle that didn't come with it is to salvage one from a worn out or wrecked vehicle that had that engine from the factory.You said you hear from time to time about others that think of but never bring to fruition their plans, and I am not surprised when I see how much info is missing and how the hurtles placed from some businesses make it hard on diy. My case in point is that TM4 out of quebec has a series of direct drive motors that can be directly coupled to the rear axles of Busses, Semi tractors, Motorcoaches and other heavy vehicles with little to no effort but will only sell to corporate clients. No individuals can buy their product.
Lots of people have seen a market for conversions; most of the their businesses have failed. The most likely to stay in business are those that avoid capital investment by doing only custom conversions, not trying to produce some sort of converted product. While they are not available everywhere, there are lots of companies still doing this. Sure, a large motorhome would be an unusual project, but since these conversion companies have no production line or product, they could do a motorhome as easily as any other random new model project... as long as they can get a big enough motor. We've discussed the questions of how big and how many motors for a motorhome in other threads in this forum.If I were a much younger man I would be tempted to establish an EV transformation shop as a corporation as I see a good market for it.
I am known for doing what has never been done before and hope to continue in those efforts. Again good luck to all who venture the path less traveled.![]()
Wow, that fuel consumption is stupendously bad. You could probably save both fuel and total operating cost by just removing the engine and towing it (with a heavy-duty tow truck) when you want to move. Our 37-foot motorhome on a 2008 F53 22,000 lb GVWR chassis uses not much more half that amount of fuel, with the V10 and 4R100 transmission.1994 Gulfstream sunscreen 2000 : Ford F53 chassis, 460 fuel injected engine. 2 fuel pumps (1 in tank) 75gal tank
34 foot coach with 3 coach battery, 2 chassis batteries, 10 heated storage bays that go all the way accross.
80 lb propane tank & propane fired 3500 watt generator (I installed this to replace 1200 watt gas generator)
17000 lb GVWR, 24000 lb GCWR, 10900 lb curb weight & infinitely rebuildable.
Fuel non-economy is barely 4 mpg city 5 mpg hiway.
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With the fuel supply problems it has cost me $4450 to travel 190 kms or to put it another way $22 per km.
The current transmission doesn't matter unless you plan to keep it in the conversion (probably more trouble than it's worth). If you do keep it, the transmission doesn't matter much because any transmission has enough ratios and any automatic is an expensive hassle. But if you are keeping it... I doubt there was every any choice in F53 transmissions. In 1994, it appeared to use the E4OD (electronically controlled 4-speed with overdrive top gear) version of the Ford C6 transmission (the stronger of the two automatics Ford had for trucks at the time), although I suppose it's possible it still had the hydraulically-controlled original C6 (a 1994 is too old to have the final "4R100" version of the C6 series). Just make sure that the torque converter can be locked up for efficiency; an original C6 does not include a torque converter lockup clutch, but an E4OD does.At this point I have not been able to accertain what the tranmission is or the rear drive ratio.
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Imagine if fuel problems persist and I have to continue to move just 12 times at the same rate as the previous 4 moves can I justify spending $13350 for 570 kms or am I better to spend $15000 for free dependable travel (because you get power for free in your campground stall rent).
I doubt that you can make an acceptable vehicle of this size for $15K, but as you get further into planning you'll see....Imagine if fuel problems persist and I have to continue to move just 12 times at the same rate as the previous 4 moves can I justify spending $13350 for 570 kms or am I better to spend $15000 for free dependable travel (because you get power for free in your campground stall rent).
The axle is presumably a Dana 80, and probably has a tag on it which can be interpreted to provide the final drive ratio. The chassis information placard (which should be found stuck somewhere in the interior near the driver's seat) which shows the GVWR and GAWR should also have an axle code; again, it won't directly list the final drive ratio, but the code can be looked up to provide that.At this point I have not been able to accertain what the tranmission is or the rear drive ratio.
Your budget is too small by a factor of four - and I am one of the most "Scottish" builders on this site!Budget is 15000, Campground are spaced with-in 75 kms of each other in Alberta so a target range of 100 kms mostly hiway is desirable
It's good to understand the goalsBudget is 15000, Campground are spaced with-in 75 kms of each other in Alberta so a target range of 100 kms mostly hiway is desirable
Carrying the weight of the battery is always a concern in EV design. Of course, this is already being considered:can you get 1200-1500 kg of batteries (2400-3000 lbs?) under the floor? think size of 2x tesla 85-100 kWh pack.
It -can- be done if the vehicle can carry the batteries...
Although big RVs are on truck chassis, so they look like they can carry a lot, they also tend to be carrying nearly their full allowed load (of a house, basically) when they leave the factory. A big battery could easily be too much, although of course the engine (and perhaps transmission) and some related systems are deleted, so only the net weight increase matters.1994 Gulfstream sunscreen 2000 : Ford F53 chassis, 460 fuel injected engine. 2 fuel pumps (1 in tank) 75gal tank
34 foot coach with 3 coach battery, 2 chassis batteries, 10 heated storage bays that go all the way accross.
80 lb propane tank & propane fired 3500 watt generator (I installed this to replace 1200 watt gas generator)
17000 lb GVWR, 24000 lb GCWR, 10900 lb curb weight...
While the ad's spec of "SMITH 80KWH ELECTRIC ENGINE" makes no sense, the truck might have either... Smith Electric made a box truck that could either serve as a starting point for a conversion, or serve as a donor for everything electric. I believe some were outfitted with as high as 150kwh which would easily surpass your distance requirements. Here is an example of one for sale:
https://www.truckpaper.com/listings/trucks/for-sale/19003471/2010-smith-newton
I agree. Vehicle ads routinely have errors, claiming engine and transmission combinations which were never offered, and the advertiser doesn't bother to check that the ad is correct; an ad for an EV is even more likely to be wrong.I'd assumed whoever wrote the ad didn't fully understand the vehicle, and that it would have the 80kwh battery.
Most commercial vehicles - with diesel engines - can't maintain anything close to 60 mph on substantial grades. On an 8% grade (common in mountain passes), you're lucky to get 30 mph out of a loaded big rig. As a first approximation, a 40-ton (80,000 lb or 36,000 kg) truck would require about 770 kW (1033 hp) to just raise the mass up the slope, in addition to the power needed to overcome rolling and aero drag. With half that power and real-world drag, 60 mph is not reasonable on any significant grade.For it to be useful it would definitely need to be able to maintain 60mph regardless of grade(in the US) so that is surprising to hear it can't!
Perhaps, but a usable salvage Duramax (GM pickup/medium-duty V8 diesel) is $5K or more here, and that's for just the bare engine to replace a dead one in a diesel pickup. Add everything else needed, and $15K isn't a generous budget... but of course which currency (USD or Canadian dollars) matters.If the motorhome is worth keeping around - Swap in a 7.3L Powerstroke... 4BT cummins, 6BT cummins... lots of options that would be well under the $15k budget and properly tuned would achieve 15mpg or so.