WO2005108141A2

WO2005108141A2 - Method of manufacturing vehicles and vehicles made thereby

Info

Publication number: WO2005108141A2
Application number: PCT/US2004/010367
Authority: WO
Inventors: James C. Leblanc, Sr.; James C. Leblanc, Jr.
Original assignee: Leblanc James C Sr; Leblanc James C Jr
Priority date: 2004-04-06
Filing date: 2004-04-06
Publication date: 2005-11-17
Also published as: WO2005108141A3

Abstract

The vehicle which may consist of a member of a family differently configured vehicles generally consisting of a body including front and rear end sections each having a rear wheel and a configuration common to the front and rear end sections, respectively, of the vehicles of the family of vehicles and an intermediate section selected from a group of intermediate sections having different configurations interconnecting the front and rear end sections to form an integral units; sets of wheel units mounted on at least the front and rear end sections of the body; a power plant mounted on the body; drive means operatively interconnecting the power plant and at least one of the wheel units; and a steering system mounted on the body and operatively connected to at least one of the wheel units.

Description

METHOD OFMANUFACTURINGVEHICLES AND VEHICLES MADE THEREBY

This invention relates to vehicles and more particularly to a family of vehicles having different configurations, and a method of manufacturing such family of vehicles. This invention further contemplates a novel fixture for manufacturing such family of vehicles.

Background of the Invention In responding to natural disasters such as fires, earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, floods and the like, and also man made disasters including chemical, biological and nuclear attacks, federal, state and local government agencies typically are posed to deploy their resources to protect and rescue personnel and property. Usually included in such resources are a variety of vehicles capable of fighting fires, rescuing personnel, transporting responding personnel and equipment, traversing bodies of water and performing various other functions. Such vehicles, consisting of special purpose vehicles and produced in comparatively small numbers, are relatively expensive to manufacture, operate and maintain. In view of the nature of such vehicles, it is the principal object of the present invention to provide a family of vehicles which may be deployed for the aforementioned purposes which are not only less expensive to manufacture but which are highly versatile, reliable and effective in use. Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved method of manufacturing such a family of vehicles. A still further object of the invention is to provide a novel fixture which may be utilized to economically manufacture such vehicles. Summary of the Invention The several objects of the invention are achieved by providing an improved method of manufacturing a vehicle which may consist of a member of a family of vehicles generally consisting of fabricating a body including a front end section having a configuration common to the front end sections of the other vehicles of such family of vehicles, a rear end section having a configuration common to the rear end sections of the other vehicles and an intermediate section having a configuration selected from a group of different configurations, interconnecting the front and rear sections; mounting a set of wheel units on such body; mounting a power plant on the body; operatively connecting the power plant to at least one set of wheel units; and providing a steering system on the body operatively connected to at least one set of the wheel units. The practice of such method is facilitated through the use of a novel fixture generally consisting of an elongated base unit; a pair of end units supported on the base unit with one thereof displaceable relative to the other along a line of travel, one of such end units having a set of reference surfaces against which plates of material may be positioned and joined together to form a front end section of a body of the vehicle, and the other of the end units having a set of reference surfaces against which plates of material may be positioned and joined together to form a rear end section of the body; and at least two intermediate units disposable on the base unit, between and spaced from the end units, each having a set of reference surfaces against which plates of material may be positioned and joined together to form an intermediate section of the body which may be joined to such front and rear sections. The spacing between one of the end units and the other end unit and the number of intermediate units used depends on the wheel unit configuration of the vehicle being manufactured. In the manufacture of a body having a 4x4 wheel configuration, the end units of the fixture are spaced closest together and two intermediate units positioned at and corresponding to the number of wheel units are employed. In the manufacture of a body for a vehicle having a 10x10 wheel configuration, the end units are spaced furthest apart and five intermediate units are spaced between the end units, corresponding to the positions of the wheel units. In the manufacture of bodies having intermediate wheel configurations including 6x6 and 8x8 wheel configurations, the end units are correspondingly spaced and a corresponding number of intermediate units are spaced therebetween.

Brief Descriptions of the Drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle having a 10x10 wheel configuration manufactured by the method embodying the present invention; Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating the different combinations of vehicle configurations that may be manufactured by the use of the method embodying the present invention; Figure 3 is a perspective view of a fixture which may be utilized to practice the method embodying the present invention to produce any of the combinations of vehicles indicated in Figure 2, including the vehicle illustrated in Figure 1 ; Figure 4 is a side elevational view of the fixture shown in Figure 3; Figure 5 is a top plan view of the fixture shown in Figures 3 and 4; Figures 6 through 13 are side elevational and perspective views, illustrating a sequence of positioning and securing together of panels in the fabrication of a vehicle body through the use of the fixture; Figure 14 is a side elevational view of the fixture shown in Figure 6, modified to accommodate the fabrication of a body for a vehicle having a 6x6 wheel configuration; Figure 15 is a perspective view of the fixture shown in Figure 14; Figure 16 is a view similar to the view shown in Figure 14, illustrating a number of panels positioned on the fixture in the fabrication of a body of a vehicle having a 6x6 wheel configuration; Figure 17 is a perspective view of the fixture shown in Figure 16; and Figure 18 is a perspective view of a number of components of a vehicle body fabricated on the fixture shown in the previous views, illustrating such components in exploded relation.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments of the Invention Referring to Figure 1 of the drawings, there is illustrated a vehicle 10 which exemplifies the type of vehicle with which the present invention is concerned. It generally consists of a body 11 supported on a set of wheel units 12, a power plant including an engine and transmission mounted within the body and a drive line operatively interconnecting the power plant and one or more of the wheel units and a steering system also mounted in the body and operatively connected to one or more of the wheel units. The vehicle has a 10x10 wheel configuration and is of a maximum size adapted to accomplish various missions. For performing a variety of other missions, such vehicle may be modified to provide a vehicle having an 8x8 wheel configuration by omitting the wheel unit in the third wheel position and shortening the wheel base, a vehicle with a 6x6 wheel configuration by omitting the wheel units in the second and fourth wheel positions and shortening the wheel base a greater amount and a vehicle having a 4x4 wheel configuration by omitting the wheel units in the second, third and fourth wheel positions and shortening the wheel base still further. The wheel units along with their suspension systems are described and illustrated in greater detail in International Patent Application No. PCT/US03/31228 filed October 3, 2003. The power plant and drive line arrangement of such vehicles is described and illustrated in International Patent Application No. PCT/US03/31307 filed on October 3, 2003. The steering system of such vehicles is described and claimed in International Patent Application No. PCT/US04/01011, filed on January 16, 2004. Such applications are incorporated herein by reference. Within the scope of the present invention, vehicle 10 and the modifications thereof are manufactured by the method of providing a front end section of the vehicle which is common to all of the aforementioned vehicle configurations, a rear end section common to all of the aforementioned vehicle configurations and an intermediate section selected from a group of differently configured sections interconnecting the common front and rear sections to form an integral unit. Such various combinations of vehicle sections are illustrated in Figure 2 which shows a front end section 20 common to all of the vehicle configurations, a rear end section 21 common to all of the wheel configurations and optional intermediate sections 22 through 26. Front end section 20 includes a wheel unit 27 which would always occupy the first wheel position in any of the vehicle configurations. Rear end section 21 includes a wheel unit 28 which would occupy the second, third, fourth or fifth wheel position depending on the intermediate section of the vehicle to which it is a part. To configure a vehicle having a 4x4 wheel configuration, intermediate section 22 would be formed between front end section 20 and rear end section 21 so that wheel unit 27 would be in the first wheel position and wheel unit 28 would be in the second wheel position. To configure a vehicle having a 6x6 wheel configuration, intermediate section would be formed between front end section 20 and rear end section 21 so that wheel unit 27 would be in the first wheel position, wheel unit 29 of intermediate section 23 would be in the second wheel position and wheel unit 28 would be in the third wheel position. To configure a vehicle having an 8x8 wheel configuration, intermediate section 24 would be formed between front end section 20 and rear end section 21 so that wheel unit 27 would be in the first wheel position, wheel units 30 and 31 of intermediate section 24 would be in the second and third wheel positions, respectively, and wheel unit 28 would be in the fourth wheel position. To configure a vehicle having an extended 8x8 wheel configuration intermediate section 25 which is similar to intermediate section 24 but with wheel units 32 and 33 thereof being spaced further apart than wheel units 30 and 31, would be formed between front end section 20 and rear end section 21 so that wheel unit 27 would occupy the first wheel position, wheel unit 32 would occupy the second wheel position, wheel unit 33 would occupy the third wheel position and wheel unit 28 would occupy the fourth wheel position. Similarly, to configure a vehicle having a 10x10 wheel configuration as shown in Figure 1, intermediate section 26 would be formed between front end section 20 and rear end section 21 so that wheel units 27, 34, 35, 36 and 28 would occupy the first through the fifth wheel positions, respectively. The bodies of vehicles consisting of different combinations of sections as shown in Figure 2 are of a monocoque construction, formed of a plurality of metal panels cut in appropriate configurations and welded in together. Such bodies may be efficiently and economically fabricated in a fixture 40 as shown in Figures 3 through 5. Such fixture generally consists of a base unit 41, a stationary end unit 42 rigidly mounted on an end of the base unit, a moveable end unit 43 supported on the base unit and displaceable therealong relative to stationary end unit 42 and at least two intermediate units 44, the number of which depends on the wheel configuration of the vehicle being manufactured. Base member 41 consists of a pair of longitudinally disposed, transversely spaced I- beams 45 and 46 forming a pair of rails, a longitudinally disposed I-beam 47 disposed between I- beams 45 and 46 and a plurality of transversely disposed, longitudinally spaced I-beams 48 securing the longitudinally displaced beams together into an integral unit. Stationary end unit 42 is provided with a number of structural members providing reference surfaces against which pre-cut metal panels may be positioned and tack welded together to form a lower front end portion of section 20 of a vehicle body being fabricated. Moveable unit 43 is provided with a platform 49 on which there is supported a number of structural members having reference surfaces against which pre-cut metal panels may be positioned and tack welded together to form a lower, rear end body portion of section 21 shown in Figure 2. The displacement of end unit 43 relative to stationary end unit 42 would depend on the type of vehicle body being fabricated. In the position shown in Figures 3 through 5, end unit 43 is positioned to form the body of a vehicle having a 4x4 wheel configuration. In fabricating the bodies of vehicles having greater wheel bases such as vehicles having 6x6, 8x8 and 10x10 wheel configurations, moveable end section 43 would correspondingly be displaced greater distances from stationary end unit 42. The number and the spacing of intermediate units 44 between stationary end unit 42 and moveable end unit 43 again would depend on the type of vehicle body being fabricated. Each of such intermediate units would be positioned in the positions of a wheel wells of the body being fabricated. In the positions shown in Figures 3 through 5, intermediate units 44 are positioned to fabricate a body for a vehicle having a 4x4 wheel configuration which would include a front end section 20, a rear end section 21 and an intermediate section 22 as shown in Figure 2. Each of the intermediate units also is provided with a set of reference surfaces against which pre-cut metal panels may be positioned and tack welded together and to end sections 42 and 43 to form a body of a monocoque construction. Each of intermediate units 44 has a substantially H-shaped configuration including a pedestal portion 50 in the center thereof, a pair of laterally projecting leg portions 51 and 52 and a pair of laterally spaced, upright portions 53 and 54. Pedestal portion 51 is supported on center rail 27 and is provided on the upper end thereof with a horizontal reference surface 50a. Leg portion 52 includes a laterally projecting segment 52a and a downwardly and laterally projecting segment 52b which rests on rail member 45. Leg portion 51 is similarly configured and is supported on rail member 46. Upright portion 53 includes a vertical segment 53a provided with a reference surface 53b on the inner side thereof and a laterally and upwardly projecting segment 53c provided with a horizontal reference surface 53d. Upright portion 54 is similarly configured having an inwardly facing reference surface opposed to reference surface 53b and a horizontal reference surface 54d lying in the same horizontal plane as reference surface 53d. Each of the intermediate units is adapted to be positioned at the position of a wheel well of a body to be fabricated on the fixture, and provide reference surfaces for locating floor, side and roof panels of the body. Fixture 40 may be configured to fabricate the body of any of the vehicle combinations shown in Figure 2 to arrive at the type of vehicle shown in Figure 1. In fabricating the body of a vehicle having a 4x4 wheel configuration, consisting of a common front end section 20, a common rear end section 21 and an intermediate section 22, end unit 43 is positioned on base unit 41 an appropriate distance from stationary end unit 42, and two intermediate sections 44 are mounted on base unit 41 at positions corresponding to the wheel positions of the body being built. Suitably configured panels are cut, positioned against reference surfaces on stationary unit 44 and tack welded together to form the lower front end of the body being fabricated. Similarly, suitably configured panels are cut, positioned against reference surfaces on moveable end unit 43 to form the lower rear end of the body. Panels are then positioned on surfaces such as 50a on the intermediate units 44, and tack welded together, interconnecting the lower front and rear sections to form a floor as illustrated in Figure 6, 7 and 9. Panels are then cut, positioned against reference surfaces such as surfaces 53b and 54b and tack welded together and to the lower front and rear end sections and the floor portion of the intermediate section to form areas defining wheel wells 60 as best shown in Figures 8, 10 and 11. The upper front end portion may then be added as shown in Figure 8 and side panels may be added interconnecting the front and rear end sections of the body as shown in Figures 10 and 12. With the side portions thus assembled, panels may be added between the front and rear end sections and the side walls of the body to form a power plant compartment 61 as shown in Figure 13. The remaining panels including panels forming the upper rear end section of the body are added to complete the body with the panels thereof tack welded together. In addition to individual panels being cut to a suitable size and configuration and then positioned on fixture 41 and tack welded to other similarly positioned panels, various subassemblies of such panels may be tacked together and added in assembly form on the fixture. Such subassemblies may consist of assemblies defining wheel wells, the upper front end portion of the body, the upper rear end portion of the body and perhaps the assembly of panels defining the power plant compartment. Furthermore, in addition to forming separate upper and lower portions of the front and rear end sections, such sections may be assembled entirely and then joined together by an intermediate section. Figure 18 illustrates various components of a body which may be either positioned on the body as panels or subassemblies. In addition to the panels comprising the lower front and rear end portions of sections 20 and 21 and the floor portion of the intermediate section, upper front end subassembly 70, power plant compartment subassembly 71 and wheel well assemblies 72 may be preformed and assembled with other components on the fixture. Once the panels and preformed subassemblies forming the vehicle body are tack welded together, resting on base unit 41 and surfaces 53d and 54d of the intermediate units, the body may be hoisted off of fixture 40 and transported to and positioned on an orbital fixture to permit the body to be rotated and the panels thereof to be permanently welded together to form a body of monocoque construction. The configuration of the intermediate units and the manner in which the panels and subassemblies are mounted thereon permits the body to be lifted off of the fixture unobstructed. After the final welding of the body has been completed, it may be removed and placed on stands for assembly of the other components of the vehicle. Initially, the suspension systems and wheel units are mounted in the wheel wells. The power plant is mounted in compartment 61 and a drive line is installed on the floor components of the body, interconnecting the power plant and one or more of the wheel units. Similarly, the steering system including a steering wheel assembly is mounted in the front end of the vehicle along with appropriate linkages interconnecting the steering assembly with one or both of the wheel units. The vehicle then can be completed by installing various other components including all hydraulic and electrical systems. In the manufacture of the body of a vehicle having a 6x6 wheel configuration including a common front end section 20, a common rear end section 21 and an intermediate section 23, the fabrication procedure as described in connection with the fabrication of a body for a vehicle having a 4x4 configuration is followed except that in setting up fixture 40, moveable end unit 43 will be spaced a greater distance from stationary end unit 44, an additional intermediate unit 44 is added and the three intermediate units 44 are spaced between the stationary and moveable units at positions corresponding to the wheel positions of a body of a vehicle having a 6x6 wheel configuration, as shown in Figures 14 through 16, and suitably sized and configured panels may be cut, positioned on the fixture and tack welded together along with various subassemblies of panels to form the body. As in the previous description, the body may then be removed from the fixture, transported to and finally welded together in an orbital fixture and then removed, positioned on stands and equipped with various systems to complete the vehicle. Similarly, a body of a vehicle having an 8x8 wheel configuration including the common front end section 20, a common rear end section 21 and an intermediate section 24 or an extended intermediate section 25 may be formed by further displacing the moveable unit relative to the stationary unit of the fixture to increase the wheel base and providing for intermediate units spaced between the stationary and moveable units at positions corresponding to the wheel positions of a body for a vehicle having an 8x8 wheel configuration. The procedure as described again may be followed to provide a vehicle having an 8x8 wheel configuration. Finally, a body for a vehicle having a 10x10 wheel configuration as shown in Figure 1 including a common front end section 20, a rear end section 21 and an intermediate section 26 may be fabricated merely by displacing moveable unit 43 still further from stationary unit 44 to provide for a further increased wheel base, providing five intermediate units 44 spaced between the stationary and moveable units at positions corresponding to the wheel positions of a vehicle having a 10x10 wheel configuration and essentially following the procedure as previously described. The use of common front and rear end sections of the body being formed, a fixture as described and simply modified power plant, drive line and steering systems provides not only for the production of a number of differently configured vehicles including vehicles having 4x4, 6x6, 8x8 and 10x10 wheel configurations but the economical production of such vehicles. Not only the wheel configurations of such vehicles may be varied but the configurations of the intermediate and upper rear end sections thereof. The upper intermediate and rear ends thereof may be configured to provide for the transport of personnel and/or cargo, various implements such as cranes, fire fighting equipment and the like or tactical equipment, depending upon the intended mission of the vehicle. Either a single vehicle having a specified configuration or a family of vehicles having different configurations economically can be manufactured using the fixture. The various combinations of vehicles shown in Figure 3 may be produced or even a set of differently configured vehicles may be produced simply by reconfiguring the reference surfaces on the stationary, moveable and intermediate units of the fixture. Although the embodiment of the invention has been described as having stationary and moveable end units of the fixture, it is within the scope of the invention to provide either of such units being stationary and the other being moveable or either of such end units being moveable to provide displacement of the end units to further provide for the production of bodies of vehicles having different wheel bases. From the foregoing detailed description, it will be evident that there are a number of changes, adaptations and modifications of the present invention that come within the province of those having ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains. However, it is intended that all such variations not departing from the spirit of the invention be considered as within the scope thereof as limited solely by the following claims.

Claims

We claim: 1. A body of a vehicle which may consist of a member of a family of differently configured vehicles, comprising: a front end section having a wheel well and a configuration common to the front end sections of all of the vehicles of said family vehicles; a rear end section having a wheel well and a configuration common to the rear end sections of all of the vehicles of said family of vehicles; and an intermediate section selected from a group of intermediate sections having different configurations, interconnecting said front and rear end sections to form an integral unit.

2. A body according to claim 1 wherein said body is of a monocoque construction.

3. A body according to claim 1 wherein said body comprises a number of metal panels welded together.

4. A body according to claim 1 wherein said intermediate section is provided with no sets of wheel wells to provide for a vehicle having a 4x4 wheel configuration.

5. A body according to claim 1 wherein said intermediate section is provided with one set of wheel wells to provide for a vehicle having a 6x6 wheel configuration.

6. A body according to claim 1 wherein said intermediate section is provided with two sets of wheel wells to provide for a vehicle having an 8x8 wheel configuration.

7. A body according to claim 1 wherein said intermediate section is provided with three sets of wheel wells to provide for a vehicle having a 10x10 wheel configuration.

8. A body of a vehicle which may consist of a member of a family of differently configured vehicles, comprising: a lower front end section having a wheel well and a configuration common to the lower front end sections of the vehicles of said family of vehicles; a lower rear end section having a wheel well and a configuration common to the lower rear end sections of the vehicles of said family of vehicles; an intermediate section selected from a group of intermediate sections having different configurations, interconnecting said lower front and lower rear end sections; an upper front end section selected from a group of upper front end sections having different configurations interconnecting said lower front end and intermediate sections; and an upper rear end section selected from a group of upper rear end sections having different configurations interconnecting said lower front end section and said intermediate section.

9. A body according to claim 8 wherein said sections form a body of monocoque construction.

10. A body according to claim 8 wherein said intermediate sections include configurations having zero, one, two and three sets of wheel wells to provide for vehicles having 4x4, 6x6, 8x8 and 10x10 wheel configurations, respectively.

11. A vehicle which may consist of a member of a family of differently configured vehicles, comprising: a body including front and rear end sections each having a wheel well and a configuration common to the front and rear end sections, respectively, of the vehicles of said family of vehicles and an intermediate section selected from a group of intermediate sections having different configurations interconnecting said front and rear end sections to form an integral unit; sets of wheel units mounted on at least said front and rear end sections of said body; a power plant mounted on said body; drive means operatively interconnecting said power plant and at least one of said wheel units; and a steering system mounted on said body and operatively connected to at least one of said wheel units.

12. A vehicle according to claim 11 wherein said body is a monocoque construction.

13. A vehicle according to claim 11 wherein said intermediate section of said body is selected from a group of intermediate sections having zero, one, two and three sets of wheels, and there is provided a sufficient number of sets of wheel units therefor to provide for a vehicle having one of a 4x4, 6x6, 8x8 and 10x10 wheel configuration.

14. A vehicle which may consist of a member of a family of differently configured vehicles, comprising: a body including lower front and lower rear end sections each having a wheel well and a configuration common to the lower front and rear end sections, respectively, of the vehicles of said family of vehicles, and an intermediate section selected from a group of intermediate sections having different configurations interconnecting said lower front and lower rear end sections, an upper front end section selected from a group of upper front end sections interconnecting said lower front end section and said intermediate section and a rear upper end section selected from a group of upper rear end sections interconnecting said lower rear end section and said intermediate section, to form an integral unit; sets of wheel units mounted on at least said lower front and rear end sections; a power plant mounted on said body; drive means operatively interconnecting said power plant and at least one of said wheel units; and a steering system mounted on said body and operatively connected to at least one of said wheel units.

15. A vehicle according to claim 14 wherein said body is of a monocoque construction.

16. A vehicle according to claim 14 wherein said intermediate section of said body is selected from a group of intermediate sections having zero, one, two and three sets of wheel wells, and there is provided a sufficient number of sets of wheel units therefor to provide for a vehicle having one of a 4x4, 6x6, 8x8 and 10x10 wheel configuration.

17. A vehicle comprising: a body including a front end section, a rear end section and an intermediate section selected from a group of intermediate sections having different configurations, interconnecting said front and rear end sections to form an integral unit; sets of wheel units mounted on at least said front and rear end sections; a power plant mounted on said body; drive means operatively interconnecting said power plant and at least one of said wheel units; and a steering system mounted on said body and operatively connected to said wheel units.

18. A vehicle according to claim 17 wherein said body is of a monocoque construction.

19. A vehicle according to claim 17 wherein said intermediate section of said body is selected from a group of intermediate sections having zero, one, two and three sets of wheel wells, and there is provided a sufficient umber of sets of wheel units therefor to provide a vehicle having one of a 4x4, 6x6, 8x8 and 10x10 wheel configuration.

20. A vehicle made by the method of: fabricating a body including a front end section having a wheel well and a configuration common to the front end sections of a number of vehicles, a rear end section having a wheel well and a configuration common to the rear end sections of said number of vehicles and an intermediate section selected from a group of intermediate sections having different configurations, interconnecting said front and rear sections to form an integral unit; mounting a set of wheel units on said body; mounting a power plant on said body; operatively connecting said power plant to at least one of said wheel units; and installing a steering system in said body operatively connected to at least one set of said wheel units.

21. A vehicle according to claim 20 including fabricating said body as a monocoque body.

22. A vehicle according to claim 20 including selecting said intermediate section from a group consisting of intermediate sections having zero, one, two or three sets of wheel wells, and providing a sufficient number of sets of wheel units therefor to provide a vehicle having one of a 4x4, 6x6, 8x8 and 10x10 wheel configuration.

23. A family of vehicles comprising: a selected number of vehicles; each of said vehicles having a body provided with front and rear end sections of configurations common to the front and rear end configurations, respectively, of the other of said vehicles; and each of said vehicles having a body provided with an intermediate section selected from a group of intermediate sections having different configurations.

24. A family of vehicles according to claim 23 wherein each of the bodies of said vehicles is of a monocoque construction.

25. A family of vehicles according to claim 23 wherein the body of each of said vehicles is provided with front and rear end sections each having a wheel well and an intermediate section selected from a group of intermediate sections having zero, one, two and three sets of wheel wells and there is provided a sufficient number of sets of wheel units therefor to provide for a vehicle having one of a 4x4, 6x6, 8x8 and 10x10 wheel configuration.

26. A method of manufacturing a body of a vehicle constituting a member of a family of vehicles, comprising: fabricating a front end section with a wheel well, having a configuration common to the configurations of the front end sections of the bodies of all of the vehicles of said family of vehicles; fabricating a rear end section with a wheel well, having a configuration common to the configuration of rear end sections of all of the bodies of the vehicles of said family of vehicles; and fabricating an intermediate section interconnecting said front and rear sections, said intermediate section having a configuration selected from a group of different configurations.

27. A method according to claim 26 including forming said body as a monocoque construction.

28. A method according to claim 26 including selecting said intermediate section configuration from a group of configurations providing zero, one, two and three wheel wells to accommodate a vehicle having one of a 4x4, 6x6, 8x8 and 10 10 wheel configuration.

29. A method of manufacturing a body of a vehicle constituting a member of a family of vehicles, comprising: fabricating a lower front end section with a wheel well, having a configuration common to the configuration of the lower front end sections of the bodies of all of the vehicles of said family of vehicles; fabricating a lower rear end section with a wheel well, having a configuration common to the configurations of the lower rear end sections of the bodies of all of the vehicles of said family of vehicles; and fabricating an intermediate section interconnecting said lower front end and lower rear end sections, said intermediate section having a configuration selected from a group different configurations.

30. A method according to claim 29 including forming said body as a monocoque construction.

31. A method according to claim 29 including selecting said intermediate section configuration from a group of configurations providing zero, one, two and three wheel wells to accommodate a vehicle having one of a 4x4, 6x6, 8x8 and 10x10 wheel configuration.

32. A method of manufacturing a vehicle constituting a member of a family of vehicles, comprising: fabricating a body including a front end section with a wheel well, having a configuration common to the configuration of the front end sections of the other vehicles of said family, a rear end section with a wheel well, having a configuration common to the configuration of the rear end sections of said other vehicles and an intermediate section having a configuration selected from a group of different configurations interconnecting said front and rear end sections; mounting a set of wheel units on said body; mounting a power plant on said body; operatively connecting said power plant to at least one set of said wheel units; and providing a steering system on said body operatively connected to at least one set of said wheel units.

33. A method according to claim 32 including selecting said intermediate section configuration from a group of configurations providing zero, one, two and three wheel wells to accommodate a vehicle having one of a 4x4, 6x6, 8x8 and 10x10 wheel configuration.

34. A method of manufacturing a vehicle constituting a member of a family of vehicles, comprising: fabricating a body including a lower front end section with a wheel well, having a configuration common to the configurations of the lower front end sections of the other vehicles of said family, a lower rear end section with a wheel well, having a configuration common to the configuration of the lower rear end sections of said other vehicles and an intermediate section having a configuration selected from a group of different configurations, interconnecting said lower front and lower rear end sections, an upper front end section selected from a group of upper front sections and a upper rear end section selected from a group of upper rear end sections; mounting a set of wheel units on said body; mounting a power plant on said body; operatively connecting said power plant to at least one of said wheel units; and providing a steering system on said body operatively connected to at least one set of said wheel units.

35. A method of manufacturing a family of vehicles, comprising : fabricating bodies of a selected number of vehicles, each including a front end section with a wheel well, having a configuration common to the configurations of the front end sections of the bodies of the other of said vehicles, a rear end section with a wheel well, having a configuration common to the configurations of the rear end sections of the bodies of said other vehicles and an intermediate section having a configuration selected from a group of different configurations, interconnecting said front end and rear end sections; mounting a set of wheel units on each of said bodies; mounting a power plant on each of said bodies; operatively connecting the power plant of each of said vehicles with at least one set of wheel units thereof; and providing a steering system on each of said bodies operatively connected to at least one set of wheel units thereof.

36. A method according to claim 35 including forming each of said bodies as a monocoque construction.

37. A method according to claim 35 including selecting said intermediate section configuration of each of said vehicles from a group of configurations providing zero, one, two and three wheel units to accommodate a vehicle having one of a 4x4, 6x6, 8x8 and 10x10 wheel configuration.

38. A method of manufacturing a family of vehicles, comprising: fabricating bodies of a selected number of vehicles, each including a lower front end section with a wheel well, having a configuration common to the configurations of the lower front end sections of the bodies of the other of said vehicles, a lower rear end section with a wheel well, having a configuration common to the configurations of the lower rear end sections of the bodies of said other vehicles, an intermediate section having a configuration selected from a group of different configurations, an upper front end section selected from a group of upper front end sections and an upper rear end section selected from a group of upper rear end sections; mounting a set of wheel units on each of said bodies; mounting a power plant on each of said bodies; operatively connecting the power plant of each of said vehicles to at least one set of wheel units thereof; and providing a steering system on each of aid bodies operatively connected to at least one set of wheel units thereof.

39. A method according to claim 38 including forming each of said bodies as a monocoque construction.

40. A method according to claim 38 including selecting said intermediate section configuration of each of said vehicles from a group of configurations providing zero, one, two and three wheel units to accommodate a vehicle having one of a 4x4, 6x6, 8x8 and 10x10 wheel configuration.

41. A fixture for manufacturing a family of vehicles having different configurations, comprising: an elongated base unit; a pair of end units supported on said base unit and displaceable relative to each other along a line of travel, one of said end units having a set of reference surfaces against which plates of material may be positioned and joined together to form a lower front end of a body of a vehicle, and the other of said end units having a set of reference surfaces against which plates of material may be positioned and joined together to form a lower rear end of said body; and at least two intermediate units disposable on said base unit, between and spaced from said end units, each having a set of reference surfaces against which plates of material may be positioned and joined together to form an intermediate section of said body which may be joined to said front and rear sections.

42. A fixture according to claim 41 wherein two intermediate units are provided, spaced apart for fabricating a body having a 4x4 wheel configuration.

43. A fixture according to claim 41 wherein three intermediate units are provided, spaced apart for fabricating a body having a 6x6 wheel configuration.

44. A fixture according to claim 41 wherein four intermediate units are provided, spaced apart for fabricating a body having an 8x8 wheel configuration.

45. A fixture according to claim 41 wherein five intermediate units are provided, spaced apart for fabricating a body having a 10x10 wheel configuration.

46. A fixture according to claim 41 wherein each of said intermediate units is provided with reference surfaces against which panels at least partially defining wheel wells of the body, may be positioned.

47. A fixture according to claim 41 wherein each of said intermediate units is provided with at least one reference surface against which a panel of a floor structure of the body being fabricated may be positioned.

48. A fixture according to claim 42 wherein said end and intermediate units are provided with configurations peπnitting a body substantially formed thereon to be lifted thereof substantially vertically.

49. A fixture according to claim 41 wherein each of said intermediate units includes a pair of laterally spaced, lower sections supportable on said base unit, a pair of laterally spaced, upright sections disposed on inner ends of said lower sections and an intermediate section interconnecting lower portions of said upright sections.

50. A fixture according to claim 49 wherein each of said lower sections project laterally and downwardly in an area corresponding to a wheel well area of the body to be fabricated on said fixture, each of said upright sections is provided with a first reference surface against which a panel comprising a component at least partially defining a wheel well of said body may be positioned, and a second reference surface against which a panel comprising a roof component of said body may be positioned, and each of said intermediate units is provided with a reference surface against which a panel comprising a floor component of said body may be positioned.