murr
Advanced Member
The shell is completed - well for now anyway. It's a 2010 Tacoma double cab 4X4 Bobcat we bought used last year. First I want to thank the WTW contributors for their ideas and help when I needed some information and Mark BC for his kind help as well.
The finished camper weighs in at 770 lbs which includes a full propane tank and 15 lbs for the steel lock box I've just finished. I was really surprised to see how well the PU handles- like the camper isn't even there - even on the sloped and ditched logging roads where a truck normally twists so much. And no suspension mods. We wanted an open floor plan with lots of storage, uncluttered counter space, dead simple amenities and seating where both of us could park with feet stretched out all in a 6' by 6' space. I gave my wife the window seat and I'm tucked out of the way in a far corner: a good arrangement for both I think.
The cabinetry is incredibly light because the drawers are really boxes that come out and can be put on a picnic table or taken into the house to fill or empty and they are held in place with the yacht style of lift and pull security. All the boxes are made from 1/4" Baltic birch with 50 yr old African mahogany trim to give additional support at the finger pull area. Those finger pulls are surprisingly useful as you can tuck a lot of stuff in the hole without opening the drawer. Yes, putting so many ringed nails into thin plywood was a bit trying but the results are satisfactory for my purposes. The white trim wood is our local Garry oak. Because I banged my head a few times when the camper was on blocks in the shop one of the first things I did was to glue a soft wood (Red cedar) to the top of the door frame; the sides got the mahogany treatment. Both my wife and I tested the head saver and it works well. No bruises, no swear words: nothing.
A 6 day cooler fits under the forward window so we have very little electrical draw - only the 'house' LED lights, a 46 milliamp propane detector and a fan if we need it. I decided on an isolated electrical system supplied by a small 34 amp hour battery in the camper. We are comfortable with portable lights for reading. If for some reason that battery falls below 12.4 volts I can simply unplug that battery and plug in the Taco battery. I also carry a small charger that will recharge the camper battery overnight at a plug in.
p://www.wanderthewest.com/forum/uploads/1340015929/gallery_3027_391_1907738.jpg[/IMG]
The Wave 3 that I bought from Gene Rubin slides into the isle for use and swings out to aim the heat forward - to where I sit. That was brilliant. I just have to stop the beer in the cooler from heating up. The Wave swings back and slides out of the way when not in use. Beside the water container are 2 - 1/1/2 litre water bottles in a box which are convenient for frequent use. If we need to take more water there is lots of room.
I had ordered an awning track so I simply made oak and 1/8" plywood slides which I sewed onto the short side of a Sil-Tarp every 12 inches and also made 2 stainless steel hooks for the corners that fasten to holes drilled through the base of the roof lock downs. The hooks aren't really necessary but should aid in stabilizing the tarp during setup. The slides and tarp stow nicely in the stuff sack. Can't wait to try it out for real.
I would like to hook up a rear awning as well. Does anyone have suggestions for attaching that? The struts seem to interfere a bit back there. The stock curtain rod holders were crying out to be replaced so again Garry oak did the trick. They were very quick to make and fine little brass nails that slide into holes in the rod hold everything together solidly.
I was very pleased when Marty at ATC kindly offered to seal my roof with any sealant that I supplied. However I was quite surprised to see that he used my 25 year-to-lifetime sealant right next to the 44 roof screws that have only a 5 to 7 year life expectancy.
We've used the camper only once but it surpassed all our expectations. It's a pleasure to be in and I know we'll enjoy the extended trips that will come up.
The finished camper weighs in at 770 lbs which includes a full propane tank and 15 lbs for the steel lock box I've just finished. I was really surprised to see how well the PU handles- like the camper isn't even there - even on the sloped and ditched logging roads where a truck normally twists so much. And no suspension mods. We wanted an open floor plan with lots of storage, uncluttered counter space, dead simple amenities and seating where both of us could park with feet stretched out all in a 6' by 6' space. I gave my wife the window seat and I'm tucked out of the way in a far corner: a good arrangement for both I think.
The cabinetry is incredibly light because the drawers are really boxes that come out and can be put on a picnic table or taken into the house to fill or empty and they are held in place with the yacht style of lift and pull security. All the boxes are made from 1/4" Baltic birch with 50 yr old African mahogany trim to give additional support at the finger pull area. Those finger pulls are surprisingly useful as you can tuck a lot of stuff in the hole without opening the drawer. Yes, putting so many ringed nails into thin plywood was a bit trying but the results are satisfactory for my purposes. The white trim wood is our local Garry oak. Because I banged my head a few times when the camper was on blocks in the shop one of the first things I did was to glue a soft wood (Red cedar) to the top of the door frame; the sides got the mahogany treatment. Both my wife and I tested the head saver and it works well. No bruises, no swear words: nothing.
A 6 day cooler fits under the forward window so we have very little electrical draw - only the 'house' LED lights, a 46 milliamp propane detector and a fan if we need it. I decided on an isolated electrical system supplied by a small 34 amp hour battery in the camper. We are comfortable with portable lights for reading. If for some reason that battery falls below 12.4 volts I can simply unplug that battery and plug in the Taco battery. I also carry a small charger that will recharge the camper battery overnight at a plug in.
p://www.wanderthewest.com/forum/uploads/1340015929/gallery_3027_391_1907738.jpg[/IMG]
The Wave 3 that I bought from Gene Rubin slides into the isle for use and swings out to aim the heat forward - to where I sit. That was brilliant. I just have to stop the beer in the cooler from heating up. The Wave swings back and slides out of the way when not in use. Beside the water container are 2 - 1/1/2 litre water bottles in a box which are convenient for frequent use. If we need to take more water there is lots of room.
I had ordered an awning track so I simply made oak and 1/8" plywood slides which I sewed onto the short side of a Sil-Tarp every 12 inches and also made 2 stainless steel hooks for the corners that fasten to holes drilled through the base of the roof lock downs. The hooks aren't really necessary but should aid in stabilizing the tarp during setup. The slides and tarp stow nicely in the stuff sack. Can't wait to try it out for real.
I would like to hook up a rear awning as well. Does anyone have suggestions for attaching that? The struts seem to interfere a bit back there. The stock curtain rod holders were crying out to be replaced so again Garry oak did the trick. They were very quick to make and fine little brass nails that slide into holes in the rod hold everything together solidly.
I was very pleased when Marty at ATC kindly offered to seal my roof with any sealant that I supplied. However I was quite surprised to see that he used my 25 year-to-lifetime sealant right next to the 44 roof screws that have only a 5 to 7 year life expectancy.
We've used the camper only once but it surpassed all our expectations. It's a pleasure to be in and I know we'll enjoy the extended trips that will come up.
