Working now on the air cleaner for the Bobber. The assembly is currently just dry fitted.

Another size comparison photo showing my two Oshkosh projects:

How I have to find another HEMTT LHS to get the load handling gear and the flat rack for the new MTVR LHS.

So jealous. Great job.

The start of the shortened loadbox:

Vehicle front is to the right.

Top view:


Bottom view:


Portion removed approximately 1 - 1/4 inches wide.

Plan for cutting the sideboards on the loadbox:


Note that the center division of the three uprights on each sideboard panel is slightly wider than the other two.

The bobber short bed:


Box undercarriage:

Slightly relocated the smaller front mud flaps a bit towards the rear of the loadbox.

Progress photos on the short bed:

Michael, you really know how to crank out a quality product. I really love to follow your builds. They are so inspiring. You also seem to be a master at doing research.

Regards,

Eric

Thank you Sir. I have been running sort of a model chop shop ever since I was in grade school. (Some years ago!) Combining multiple model kits to produce a vehicle I could not have gotten otherwise.

As to my research; Until the internet came along research usually came in the form of large "coffee table" books $$$ but now that has all changed, I am glad to say.

Looks really great!

Another small detail that I just "HAD" to add to both the 8x8 and the 4x4:

The two mounting brackets under the hydraulic oil reservoir (just behind the cab) are supposed to be perforated. I think Trumpeter really should have added these two pieces to the PE fret.

I used a twist drill to give myself a starting hole and then finished by carefully rotating a #11 X-acto blade in the hole to enlarge it.

For the finished tank I also needed to add the missing filler cap. A piece of sprue and a little bit of plastic rod did the job.


There will be input and outflow hoses added to the reservoir as well - more on this later.

Footnote: That small detail on each end of the reservoir is a sight glass for checking the fluid level.

I apologize as I know this has been posted elsewhere but I wanted to once again comment on the really nice rubber tires that come with the Mk23 kit.
Trumpeter has done a exceptionally fine job on this offering!

Revisited my "distressed" cab seating last night. I might have overdone the color and wear'n tear but I like it!

Wanting to add some bit of bracing detail inside the cab but so far I have been able to find very few Mk23 cab interior photos:

Progressing on the cab interior bracing:

Underbody detail of the 4x4 - current status:

Installed most of the tie-downs and other hardware around the short loadbox.

Another of my hard to see (I admit it!) added details: The tool/storage drawer between the frame rails under the Mark 23 loadbox floor.

(It is a pet peeve of mine that hardly any model manufacture has ever included this semi-obvious detail in any of their cargo truck models. The one exception is the otherwise beautiful but flawed new Deuce and a Half offering from HobbyBoss.)


Scratch built tool drawer now installed in my MTVR 4x4 bobber:


A similar scratch tool drawer I built under my Diamond T Wrecker:


HobbyBoss provides this tool drawer on their large series of Deuce and a halves:

A detail that Trumpeter got wrong on the Mk 23 instruction sheet:



CORRECTION TO FOLLOW:




CORRECT: and makes the most sense!

I feel I should point out that while Trumpeter includes all the mounting points for them, they fail to include any of the roof ribs for the loadbox as seen here stowed behind the cab.

Another of the Oshkosh "TerraMax" self driving vehicles:

Following Gino's lead I am dressing out the cab interiors and the doors on both trucks:

The doors are looking good. Nice job.

Thanks Gino -- I appreciate it!

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

CORRECTION FROM EARLIER:



CORRECTION FROM EARLIER:

I originally thought this ladder was some sort of folding affair so I blindly followed the Trumpeter instructions as written. However, something just did not feel right. Later photo discoveries of the actual Oshkosh truck revealed this to be a simple, FIXED, ladder attached to the INSIDE of the loadbox gate.

Perhaps a pain in the A$$ when trying to cube out the entire load area but otherwise a simple, low cost solution to the overall problem of physically climbing up into this very tall loadbox.







(Bottom three photos - Oshkosh Defense)