Relocating the battery to the rear.

[P. A. Schilke]

Back story Phil...when I started as a young designer at Ford back in 1985, there was a top secret mid engine project underway...you probably know what I'm talking about...it didn't make it and was swept under the rug...forward to 1999, my chief designer asked me to sketch up a concept to bring to the big boy table and see if a Ford mid engine super car can be resurrected...a few months later, we were given a go...in 2000, the project "Petunia" was well on it's way and I was the lead exterior designer...for better or worse, career choice led me to leave Ford for GM right at this time and the project was handed to my friend, Camilo, who finished the project and is credited along Jay Mays for this design...He has several GTs but I have the original sketch...

Hi Sid,

Very cool....I heard of Petunia but never saw any sketches....Thanks for resurfacing this from the foggy depth of my memory!

Best,
Phil Schilke
Ranger Vehicle Engineering
Ford Motor Co. Retired

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[dtech]

...and yes, most motorhomes are a financial dumpster fire.

We REALLY bought ours right, although it wasn't a motorhome when we bought it- it was an armored 6x6 gun truck that had been attached to a Marine special forces unit.

When it was new in 2007, it cost the U.S. government $250,000. It never deployed, and after putting about 3,000 miles on it, they sent it to auction, where we snagged it for about $15,000 in nearly perfect condition- I had to replace one exterior light bulb.

last saw that truck in the movie "Jeepers Creepers" 23 yrs ago. Now I'm getting a bit concerned.....

 

[Sheepdog]

last saw that truck in the movie "Jeepers Creepers" 23 yrs ago. Now I'm getting a bit concerned.....

I don't think so- 2000 was the first year for the MTVR, and they've only been in private hands for a couple of years- ours is a 2007.

Maybe you're confusing it for a Deuce or a 5-ton, both of which are MUCH smaller, cruder, and less powerful.

The Deuce (2.5-ton truck) is designed to carry 4,000 pounds. The 5-ton is designed to carry 10,000 pounds. The MTVR is designed to carry 30,000 pounds. An MTVR could carry two 2.5-ton trucks in the bed and still have several tons of cargo capacity left over. You could load a 5-ton with 10,000 pounds of weight, and an MTVR could then carry the fully-loaded 5-ton.

2.5 and 5-ton trucks are leaf-sprung solid-axle trucks. Originally, they didn't have power steering, automatic transmissions, CTIS, lockers, heaters, sound insulation, or even hard tops. The MTVR has dual CTIS, five drivetrain lockers, a heavy-duty Allison double-overdrive automatic transmission, an insulated hard cab with air conditioning and an air ride seat, power steering, power brakes, full-time torque-distributing all-wheel-drive, ABS, traction control, long-travel (16") fully-independent coil-sprung suspension, and so on.

2.5 ton trucks originally had about 100 horsepower. 5-ton trucks originally had about 200 horsepower. They both struggled to reach 45 mph. The MTVR is powered by a 12-liter (732 cubic inch) intercooled CAT turbodiesel with 425-horsepower and 1,550 pounds of torque, and easily reaches it's top speed limiter of 65 mph.

They're just light-years better than the old trucks...

 

[Sheepdog]

I was on the list to buy a Ford GT in 2005 but married my wife...so we ended up buying a Motorhome instead for about $50,000 more that the GT. Today the Motorhome is worthless and the GT is through the roof.....sigh!

Best,
Phil Schilke
Ranger Vehicle Engineering
Ford Motor Co. Retired

So back then, did you have to "audition" to get an allocation?

 

[P. A. Schilke]

So back then, did you have to "audition" to get an allocation?

Hi Sheepdog,

Dealer had a lottery for two that they were getting....Only two of us would agree to allow the car to sit in the dealership for several months. There was a dealer premium of $100,000 on each car...

Best,
Phil Schilke
Ranger Vehicle Engineering
Ford Motor Co. Retired

 

[Sheepdog]

Hi Sheepdog,

Dealer had a lottery for two that they were getting....Only two of us would agree to allow the car to sit in the dealership for several months. There was a dealer premium of $100,000 on each car...

Best,
Phil Schilke
Ranger Vehicle Engineering
Ford Motor Co. Retired

$100,000 of "second sticker" ADG (Additional Dealer Gouging) above and beyond the Monroney, means that they were speculating, not selling...

 

[P. A. Schilke]

$100,000 of "second sticker" ADG (Additional Dealer Gouging) above and beyond the Monroney, means that they were speculating, not selling...

Hi Sheepdog,

Yep....MSRP was $100,000 but out the door was $200,000....

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