A 79 C/O Alaskan with some improvements.

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Hey guys! Have spent a lot of hours on this site. Found info on electrical systems, plumbing, hydraulics... Was inspired by some of the beautiful campers I saw.
I picked up my Alaskan last year down in Bend Oregon. I live in nelson B.C. Built a dolly for it and rolled it into the garage to work on over the winter and have managed to get away for a few trips this summer. The wife a new baby (1 year old) and our big dog.
It has been our first experiences with a truck camper. A definite upgrade from a tent. We love it.
I just wanted to report on a few of the improvements I made and some fabricating I did in case someone else will find them useful. If I can help inspire a new Alaskan camper owner as you guys did for me I'd be happy.
Any questions please let me know and I'd be glad to try and help out.
So here goes.






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Truck is a 97 f250 diesel with air bags. Hauls the camper with absolutely no problems.

Camper had original cushions. Decent condition but gross. Not the kind of cushions a wife will lay down on.
So I stripped the fabric off. Washed the foam in the tub. Pain in the ass but after being quoted $1100 for new foam and fabric from the local upholstery shop I decided it was worth the trouble. Put the time in, lots of soap, keep changing the water, stand up to dry by a register and good as new. I did order a new foam mattress for the bed. I then borrowed the mother in laws sewing machine, picked a discounted roll of fabric for $50. Got a tutorial on sewing and set to work. Ended up pretty good.


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There was a cupboard in the back corner that was for a toilet. I removed the door (toilet was already out) and built shelves. Works well. Wife gets one, I do and the top one is for toiletries. The flip up top has a mirror installed on the bottom.


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The wiring was a bit of a disaster. Spent a lot of time just trying to understand it. A diagram I found on this site helped a lot. I removed the old water tank and in its place installed a half size tank and built a battery box (sealed) with a vent to the outside.


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I ran the battery cables to 2 terminal blocks to keep the wiring neat. I used a marine breaker panel that act as switches. 1- volt meter, 2- lights (installed new marine 12volt lights, sleeping area, over dinette and over sink, 3-stereo I installed, 4-fridge.

Also ordered all new roller shades.

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The previous owner had the propane tank in the toilet cupboard. He would move it outside after he set up camp. Also the propane line ran all the way around the camper to the right side. I removed all that extra line and ran it out the rear left side and mounted the tank to rear wall of the camper. I ordered forklift propane tank mounts. Very happy with them. Incredibly strong, used bolts and fender washers to install. Also on the topic of gas I installed a canister that holds a 1 litre camp fuel bottle on the outside for the colman lantern.


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When the camper is on the truck there is a space for storage between the camper and the box on the left side. Perfect fit for 2 camp chairs and our picnic table tent. I mounted a couple of fence gate latches to prevent them from falling out in transit.


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I wanted a place for some fire wood and was looking around for an aluminum box I could mount on the right side. Nothing came up so I ended up mounting a double size milk crate instead. Worked great. I put in a spacer to keep it back from the camper a couple inches. I had an outboard motor cover I picked up from princess auto. I slipped it on and it was a perfect fit. Really happy with this addition. Holds a $7 bundle of fire wood they sell at the camp grounds.





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The camper didn't have a roof rack and this was a must. It did have bolts through the side (front and back) where a roof rack may have once been. The pattern of the bolts didn't seem to match any racks I have seen on Alaskans before so it seemed buying one was not an option. So I called in a favour and went up to a welder friends shop and we made one that would use the same bolt pattern. The bolts went right through the camper and into some flat bar on the interior.






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I used a skill saw to cut a slit in a 2" abs pipe. I slipped the pipe over the rear bar which allows me to put the canoe on the roof alone. Get the end up then it rolls the rest of the way.


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Will get some more pictures tomorrow and finish up the report.


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So like I said I removed the full size water tank and replaced it with a half size I ordered off amazon. I used a mix of pex and rubber hose to run lines. I had to replace the pump sink faucet. They are cheep but also built cheap. Works good. I replaced both hoock ups on the outside. Hook the water up to one and when it's full it blasts out the other. Tank is sufficient for the camping we do. Lasts 3-4 days without being to carefull. I run a small hose off the sink drain and just stick it in a 4l water jug for grey water.



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I installed a 12volt fan under the top cabinet. Tied into the wiring for the light installed under the same cabinet.
Replaced the old 12v outside light with a new LED one. It's bright but the light it gives off is not very pleasant.


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Came up with this as a hanger for the Colman lantern. One on each side.





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Camping with a 1 year old was a bit of a challenge. Came up with this to keep him confined while we're cooking or when he was having a nap and we were sitting outside.




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They are curtain or shower curtain rods. I used those plumbing clamps to fasten them to the hydraulic rams. Takes about 2-3 minutes to set up but collapse down for storage.


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The Perrelli webbing (I think that's what it is called) is kind of rough on the outside. I ordered a roll but only replaced the door section. Will get to the rest later. It is expensive stuff.


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Installed a digital thermometer in the camper. It reads outside and inside temp. Found a consistent 5' Celsius spread during our trips when we were in the camper. Worth the $20 purchase price.




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Also installed a co alarm as well as a smoke detector. In the same picture you can see I screwed pipe insulation along the wood edge leading into the bunk. It was just bare wood and the boy kept hitting his head on it.


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