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  1. #26
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    the gach
    Posts
    5,661
    I've thought about this a lot too. My plan is aluminum quonset hut type box on a custom flatbed.
    But Ellen kicks ass - if she had a beard it would be much more haggard. -Jer

  2. #27
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Location
    Lake Tapps
    Posts
    45
    You better believe if I ever see anything looking like this in a parking lot I'm in. I will be headed right over with beers for everyone on board. Get r done!

  3. #28
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Among Greatness All Around
    Posts
    6,628
    Quote Originally Posted by Canuker View Post
    Sleeping for 5-6 seems like it will be a feat. Curious to see how youll achieve it! Definitely following this project.

    Also the swivel captains chair idea is dope.
    6 adults may be pushing it. It all depends on the over cab area size and design. Typical is a bench/couch style bed that slides out into the walk isle for 2 adults, dining table with 1 or 2 bench seats that folds down for 2 more. Then the over cab of the truck area bunk bed style loft.

  4. #29
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
    Location
    Vermont
    Posts
    1,483
    Quote Originally Posted by Chugachjed View Post
    I've thought about this a lot too. My plan is aluminum quonset hut type box on a custom flatbed.
    I saw a set up like this in downtown BTV last night on the way home from work. Tried to get a pic for this thread but the light changed before I could get my phone out. Looked like a good use of space and it appeared to have a home made fiberglass shell. They had another separate gear room over the cab of the truck with a pitched roof for aerodynamics over the hut in the back. If it is still around town I will try and get a shot of it.

  5. #30
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    Missoula
    Posts
    268
    Flouder, definitely would love to see a pic if you run across that thing again.

    Couple things here.
    We're definitely aware that weight is going to be an issue and areas where overloading will cause issues (axles, tires). Maybe shouldn't have posted that pic of the house- that was more related to the comfort found within than building materials...

    Second, I've done some work with SVO before and do have an idea of what we're getting into. I have some relatives who've used an onboard filtration system before and want to have that in place to avoid lugging all our fuel with us (saving weight, right?).

    Third, this thing is NOT going to be a stealth vehicle. It will reek of fried food, have a smokestack coming out of the top, be an unmistakably camperesque shape and possibly have a figurehead coming out the front. We are relying on the jdtiltons of the ski world to point us to camper-friendly locales wherever we travel.

  6. #31
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Denver
    Posts
    2,624
    This is a noble project. Do your hw and I wish you luck! Keep us updated!

  7. #32
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    northern BC
    Posts
    30,881
    Quote Originally Posted by deft_funk View Post

    Second, I've done some work with SVO before and do have an idea of what we're getting into. I have some relatives who've used an onboard filtration system before and want to have that in place to avoid lugging all our fuel with us (saving weight, right?).
    .
    well if you already got all yer properly processed fuel you don't have to think about it for the whole trip, whats it like running WVO in really cold winter temps

    doesnt the searching out of WVO becomes its own lifestyle and why would you care about the extra weight of lugging around all yer WVO if you are driving for free

  8. #33
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Posts
    264
    I wish you & your project well! I'm sure you have seen the Outdoor Research Tiny House project on a trailer? EXACTLY like your pickup bed camper house, only on a trailer. Consider doing that because you will obviously gain axles and you can get two or even three HD axle sets under your rig for best engineering & safety. Plus it drops your floor down by about 2 feet, which is huge, which you consider the roof. They gained a loft! A trailer may be THE way to go. You can haul with your Homer T Ricketts SVO pickup, or when Homer gives up the ghost, you get a Homer Two!

    You will also gain the entire bed of the pickup to be used as you wish. It's a huge plus. The only downside I can think of is obviously towing thru winter weather. The other plus is that you can uncouple the trailer and drive about as necessary.

  9. #34
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    Missoula
    Posts
    268
    Horace's transformation is moving along now that the weather is warming up and Henry did a charming writeup on the recent work we've put in:

    Well, dat rig dere don’t run wit no mo’ consistency than a belt be keepin’ pants on a potbelly. I reckon we needs us a good ol bit o’ alternator work and a God honest pair o’ suspenders for dis ‘ere job. But we aint no breed o’ buckaroos to be to deeply perturbed ova’ some minor mishap of da motor, an’ being the sensible young bucks we is, we just be movin’ on ta dat dere utta end o’ da presidin’ Ho’ T Boggywatah. Lil’ Baby Jesus as my witness, we gone done crawled right unda’ dat dere son o’ a shut-yo-mouth an’ got right ta givin’ dem rusty bolts all kinds of hell. But dem inbred lugga-nuts plain ol didn’t wanna budge, so I tol’ em, I says, “Listen ‘ere, ya crusty lil’ fixins, I know ya been having relations wit dis ‘ere bolt fo’ ova’ twenty year, but now yous gots to go, an’ by God, I’m da one who gonna make ya.” I says dat an’ I look at ‘em real mean like, just like I done when dat cousin Billy Bo o’ mine dipped his greasy ol’ finger in Momma’s fresh corn puddin’. Soon as I put dat fear o’ God in ‘em wit that mean look o’ mine, all but two o’ dem fixins ran scared straight home to Motor City, Michigan. Dem last two were some stubborn devils, they were, but we gone lifted one o’ dem plug-in grinders from dat dere Zepher boy and dem bolts aint no match fo’ our fine technologies. By God, we removed dat truck bed and bestowed upon our lawn a right fresh piece o’ ornamentation, uh huh!

    Got the writeup and some more pics on the website. In any case, we've done a little bit of work on the engine & electrical, next main engine project is diagnosing and fixing our starting issues. I was able to talk with the Green Mountain Freeride guys briefly on running SVO in a winter ski rig (same exact engine in fact), and was pumped they've been able to make it work well. Based off their experience we're not going to worry quite so much about filtration and settling the oil as long as it's of good quality, and put more effort into heating the fuel lines. Seems like collecting oil on the road would be feasible, although it may end up being more practical to stockpile it at home carry as much as possible.

    As for the camper, we're pricing out materials right now and getting ready to order up. We're going to go with steel crossbars on the frame, probably 2" square tubing. Angle steel will run around the perimeter of the frame to provide both a base for the wood studs and some lateral stability because we can bolt into the studs horizontally. Wood as our main structural material because it is cheap/free and easy for us to work with, both framing initially and also attaching cabinets, bunks, and anything else we want to put inside.

    Progress is slow-ish but steady and on target for what we were expecting. I'll post another update when we start getting things framed up.

    Click image for larger version. 

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  10. #35
    Join Date
    Dec 2004
    Location
    SoCal
    Posts
    6,749

  11. #36
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Posts
    2,528
    What a great project. I like the cuts of your jibs.

  12. #37
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Posts
    699
    Kewl. Looks like a ton of fun to build and then get many sweet mountain adventures with. Keep on postin'!

    Sent from my Dell Streak using TGR Forums

  13. #38
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    Missoula
    Posts
    268
    Making more slow but steady progress. Starting is now fixed, got the final bits for the veggie oil conversion on the way, and it's starting to look like more than just a truck without a bed. We've got a writeup and a few other pics here, but basically have all our metal framework either bolted or welded in place and rust-treated, so our next step is to start framing things up in wood. Very psyched to see some progress, and I think we're still on track for getting a few late summer/early fall test trips in before winter hits.

    Click image for larger version. 

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  14. #39
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Not Brooklyn
    Posts
    8,319
    I though I saw "homemade Campari", instead of "camper!" I was excited for a second there. Has anyone else noticed how the price of Campari has skyrocketed? It's really been fucking with my Negroni budget.

  15. #40
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    Missoula
    Posts
    268
    ^^^^^ The best summer drink.

    When the camper is completed, maybe I'll look into homemade Campari and do a TR.

  16. #41
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Location
    Bozeman, MT. (Originally from Amsterdam, Netherlands)
    Posts
    157
    So how's progress coming along? I love the conversion you're doing!
    Really want to do something similar myself some time.
    I'm in Bozeman tomorrow (and the 7 months thereafter) and would love to check your Horace out some time! Could probably learn a ton, which is good, because I know absolutely jack shit about cars. I don't even have my drivers license for that matter.

  17. #42
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    Missoula
    Posts
    268
    Made some more progress. Sub floor and wheel well cutouts are in. Rubber sheathing, rigid foam, plywood and lots of silicone caulk and car underbody spray on all seams to keep the gnar out. Next weekend we are hopefully framing up the walls, at which point it will start to look like a camper rather than a flatbed. Hopefully get this sucker rolling by Thanksgiving.

    TijmenDal, shoot me a PM and we can figure out sometime you can swing by to check it out.

    Click image for larger version. 

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  18. #43
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    Pleasuretown
    Posts
    1,095
    Nice work so far. I built a camper trailer last summer. It took 3x as long as I expected and cost 3x as much, but has been well worth it. Those pics remind me of when I first got the subfloor done. PM me if you are ever looking for ideas, especially with regard to materials. I went through countless hours researching and testing the right "stuff" for everything. Might be able to save you some time and money.

  19. #44
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Denver
    Posts
    2,624
    This is rad!

  20. #45
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    in the trench
    Posts
    15,691
    ya dude. subscribing to this one

  21. #46
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    Pyongyang
    Posts
    685

  22. #47
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    Missoula
    Posts
    268
    Got some more work in this weekend. It's supposed to snow all week which means that it will be real shitty working conditions but a huge inspiration to put an hour or two in after work before it gets dark. We still have to do a bunch of metal reinforcements on the wall, but it was huge for us to finally have something that resembles a camper.

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    Walls done, ready to go up

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    First wall up

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    This thing is HUGE!!!

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    View out the window

  23. #48
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    Missoula
    Posts
    268
    Trying to get it sheathed before the snow comes on Thursday:

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    Nice sunset in town tonight.

  24. #49
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    Pleasuretown
    Posts
    1,095
    Looking like solid progress.

  25. #50
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Posts
    1,147
    So that's a pretty huge eave facing the front of the truck. Are you including a cabover portion to the camper? Otherwise it looks like there would be a large amount of uplift on the roof even at moderate speeds.

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