Good job Skyshark! I’ll be buying a few and now you’re on board maybe a few other modellers will pick up on this. The AFV M54 is a great donor, but I cant get the front winch to fit inside the frame siderails, Dammit.
I’ve decided to build a 2nd M813 down the road, as my first isn’t really good enough. I plan to use an AFV M54, with the M800 cab being 3D’d by James Lee and some DEF or PA wheels.
I’m looking for a realistic loadout for this, maybe the PSM water pump, tank set although that was destined for another M54.
Any other ideas for an M813 in ODS? I’ve got the dump, tractor and wrecker so………
Neat idea Gino. I’ve got the gun in my stash.
Thanks for your suggestion.
James Lee is making one…Is he the guy from Hobby Link…
I didn’t know about Hobbylink. He’s got my RM M818 kit to help with the design.
Hey Gino, do you know of any articles about making a folded-back tarp for trucks?
He is our own James_Lee and does 3d CAD design and printing on demand. I don’t believe he is connected to Hobby Link at all though.
Don’t know of any articles, but it is pretty easy to do with tissue paper and Elmer’s white glue. Use the type of tissue paper you use for wrapping shirts in a box as a present. Fold it how you want it and dilute the white glue with water to a consistency a little thicker than whole milk. Gently brush the glue all over the tissue and let it dry. Once dry it is stiff and in the shape you want, then paint it like any other plastic or resin tarp. It gives a bit of texture as well.
You can use the same technique to make rolled up tarps, tanker’s rolls, and bedrolls too.
Old school modeling and still comes out looking great.
1 Like
Good stuff. I’m not linked to Hobby Link Japan or Hobby Linc as Gino said. I like their services though. 
1 Like
I am sucker for James’s work and one can make a Marine truck win win for me. 
1 Like
Once again, thanks for the tip. I’ll save that for when I build the “M813 Mk2”.
I’ve suggested to James that he makes a second M800 cab. One that is sized for all those old Italeri M925’s etc sitting on shelves out there.
He’s using an AFV M54 kit to size the one he’s working on now.
1 Like
Good to know, I have the AFV kit awaiting a future build……now as a M813.
The M813 is basically a M54 from the front of the cab forward changed to the M800 series truck hood and bumper…
Yes, the hood and frame are six inches longer to accommodate a different engine. This also gives the front of the hood a more pointy look on the M813 as opposed to the flat nose of the M54. The wheel base (179") is the same on both.
M54
https://archive.armorama.com/www.geocities.ws/vietnammodeling/Full_Size_draw_M54.jpg
I wonder if they actually adjusted/reworked them or just reboxed their old M800 cab set and other parts that were originally designed for the Italeri M923/M925 trucks, which were too narrow. The old sets didn’t fit on the correctly proportioned AFV Club M54A2 kit.
They may have done. They were all in their old range. Maybe they “bit the bullet” and re-sized the cabs (and dump box, wrecker deck and fittings) to fit AFV’s M54.
One clue re retooling; the earlier Wrecker was a ten-wheeler, but I see the new one is on big singles, the six-wheel setup.
Wonder when they moved the Wrecker onto big singles. Later in the truck’s history I’d guess?
It would make sense going forward to move to the AFV kit as a base. Maybe this site is inspiring manufacturers?
Anyway James, please carry on. The cabs and fuel tanks are needed!
All,
Real Models posted on FB their 3D prints for the conversions:
Looks pretty good. I am going to try to do just as a good job.
2 Likes
Those do look good.