New 1976 8ft CO owner

[PackRat]

You may find that the bed walls are taller on your new truck which means you need a "spacer" to raise the whole AK up so it fits flat on the floor and does not ride on the bed walls as that will tear it apart. You can measure the AK now and go to the Ford store and measure a truck to see what kind of height you need to clear the truck bed rails and can fabricate that item while you are waiting for the truck to arrive.

There are several methods from 2x4s to redwood ply to dense foam but the key is to not let moisture wick up into the AK plywood flooring and rot it out so that is goal along with raising it up enough.

This waiting also gives you time to decide on what method you want to secure the AK to the truck and to order the components you choose so there is no waitig time once the truck arrives.

That AK would have slid right into my '88 F-250 as the bed rails are lower on that one than on the newer trucks but I was #2 behind you on that one...oh well.......

 

[62C20]

Oh no doubt about it. I'm thinking there will need to be a good 4 inch block-up for the new truck. Right now there is 1 3/4 inches of plywood under the camper so it clears the roof of the 62. And it could use another inch to be safe.

One thing that concerns me is the possibility of interference between the new trucks doors and the curved lower edge of the cabover. There is no problem with the 62 because the rear edge of its doors have a forward slope to them, along with being dimensionally smaller overall. Pics below. And I seem to remember the previous owner mentioning something about this with his late model Ford truck. It seems the radius of the lower section of the cabover on the newer Alaskans is much steeper to fit the late model trucks.

We'll see what happens. For use with the new truck, I don't want to have to block it up too high or move it to the rear so far that the tailgate won't close.

 

[PackRat]

Is the new truck a standard cab, an extended cab or a four-door? i hear the four door is the problem, but it may also be dependant on which truck mfger, Ford, Chevy, Dodge?

Like I said, time to measure the AK and then visit the dealer to measure a truck like the one you ordered.

Let us know what you find out.

 

[62C20]

The new truck coming is a 2017 F-250 regular cab long bed, 4x4, 6.2 gas.. This new truck is going to be great. I ordered it way back in July with all the electrical and mechanical options to be a capable backcountry camper hauler. It will have the 4.30 gears so it should be quite the hot rod.

I really wanted an Alaskan because I think they go well with vintage trucks like my 62 Chevy. I've been building out the 62 to be used for long road trips. A nice long trip to Alaska is the ultimate goal. But I'd also like to be able to load the Alaskan onto both trucks without a lot of drama. The F-250 for the back country trails and rougher stuff and the 62 for trips to the not so rough stuff.

Going down to the dealer to do some measuring isn't going to really accomplish anything in this instance. This particular Alaskan is either going to fit on the new truck to my liking or it isn't. If there are any issues with fitment on the F-250 that can't be worked out, the camper can stay with the 62 and I'll look for a different one for the F-250.

I will definitely report on how the old Alaskan fits onto the 2017 Ford. In the meantime I'll be working on the few remaining important details to be worked out before the 62 Chevy is ready for long distance travel.

As for the Alaskan, the re-sealing starts this week. Starting at the top and working down. And maybe get it off the truck and onto a rolling platform and into the garage. We'll see.

 

[longhorn1]

Are you going to get the 62 painted. It is such a good looking truck, maybe cherry red, just thinking. jd

 

[62C20]

Paint!? Didn't ya know, this oxidized " patina " is all the rage right now in the vintage auto scene. People are actually trying to apply or duplicate the patina look on vintage trucks that don't have a natural one. It is almost impossible to do and almost always just ends up looking like the vehicle is being sanded in preparation for a real paint job. The term for this is " faux patina ".

I've had a ton of people tell me not to paint it and to just put a clear coat over it for protection. I may do that. But if for some reason I need to take the bed off, then I most likely will do a paint job. Probably white.

 

[hangster]

I prefer the weathered faded original look.

 

[PackRat]

I think you will be OK with just raising up the AK to clear the box rails. I think it is new enough so sliding it in between the tailgate will not require rebuilding the back section of the AK to fit. I think if you go up 3" or so you will not only clear the bed rails but the top of the truck cab. Here is a 2016 F250 to see how the door angle lines up with where the curve on the AK will be in the down position and the other pic is of a '73 AK in a more modern looking F250.

Please post pics when you get the new truck on how it fits as others will be buying new trucks and trying to fit older AKs as well!

 

[62C20]

I also am kind of fond of the weathered farm truck look. A paint job is at the bottom of the list.

Packrat, I think you're right. The old AK should into the new truck without too much trouble. This AK has a straight 4x8 bottom so it fits a stepside narrow bed. Fitment into a wide side bed won't be an issue. So hopefully a three or four inch block-up will be good for cab and door clearance.

I have my annual Death Valley/Panamint Valley trip over the Thanksgiving holidays so fitment with the new truck has to be ready by then.

 

[62C20]

Well I've received my supplies to begin the re-sealing job. I'm starting at the rear roof vent working down then forward to the cabover. After removing the rear roof vent assembly there wasn't any evidence of water intrusion thankfully. When I took down the bottom piece from inside the camper I found some interesting writing in red marker, pic below.

One question I have is where to find the vent hatch rubber sealing gasket. The present one is dry and shrunken and I'd like to replace it. Are these still available or do I need to find a suitable substitute?
Pics below. The pic of the gasket is a little blurry, sorry. Third pic shows the edge where the gasket is supposed to go.

 

[hangster]

you could have a genuine rd hall signature there. I can't find his deceased date so maybe not.

 

[Rusty]

probably his sig....congrats

he died Dec 13, 1990...check the obit and the newspaper date

any of the original equipment is difficult to find if not impossible...especially rubber parts....if minor deviations are allowed on your camper...now might be an opportune time for a fantastic fan addition...not to deter you from a restoration...but those fans are the best...especially when your cooking spagetti

 

[62C20]

I wonder if RD Hall put a hidden signature In the campers that were built in the facility where he worked. That would be neat.

I kinda figured finding original parts would be questionable, but I should be able to find some kind of gasketing material to work.

A fantastic fan would be a useful addition but that would be beyond the scope of this project, at least for now. My scope for the foreseeable future is to make sure the camper doesn't leak and the top goes up and down more or less smoothly. Basically, I'm trying to do this as cheaply as possible.

This camper is going to used for down and dirty back country exploring so it is only going to have the basics. No leaks or cold drafts for sure and a good heater.

 

[PackRat]

If you have one of those Camping World or RV repair facilities in the south Bay, take that gasket with you. It may be a standard type roof vent seal which they may have. I think the old Lance I had used a similar type seal so maybe a Lance Parts website would show the same one as you have.

 

[62C20]

Thanks Packrat, good suggestion. There is an RV service outfit fairly close to me in Scotts Valley.

Good progress this weekend. Got the rear roof vent, drip rail and the eye brow over the door re-sealed. This is a lot of work.

Also, my Ford dealer contacted me to say the F-250 is on the train headed West. Yay!

 

[PackRat]

I remember replacing the aluminum vent tops on the Lance with some really cool smoked plastic tops.....WRONG! They did not like old Mr. SUN beating down on them after a couple years even though I did like the subtle lighting advantage of them during the daylight hours. The gasket fit onto the vent frame on the roof so they only needed a couple screws to replace them....that was a mistake though.

Some previous owner had driven down the highway with the vents all the way open and the wind bent them. I should have just bent them back into shape and not tried to "improve" the design. While it is advisable to drive with the FRONT window slightly open to create airflow that keeps road dust OUT, the roof vents were not designed to stay all the way open when driving at highway speed for long periods of time.

If you post photos of your progress, others who need to do the same tasks will appreciate it immensly!

 

[62C20]

You are right about those plastic vent covers. I've had two Lance campers and have replaced my fair share. As you said, the sun just eats them up.

I'll keep this thread posted.

Here is pic of the rig I just sold this summer and downsized to the Alaskan. I didn't need to replace any covers on this one though.

 

[PackRat]

Back in the day, we had an 8' NCO we took up into the Sierras....towed an 11' aluminum boat behind the F-150 4x4 and loved it. Except for ONE thing....I'm 6'4" and need ROOM in the bed and that meant the wife and I were a little cramped in the front dining area bed. I thought upgrading to the Lance was the way to go...it even had a toilet which sealed the deal for the Mrs.

For that I upgraded to an F-250 4x4. It was OK but a real boat on uneven roads so we stayed on the blacktop after one trip off on fire roads.

Fast forward to now, I'm looking to split the difference....I don't want another "boat" so a 10' is not for me, I liked the 8' tucked in behind the tailgate and I definitely look forward to having two decent beds for us this time around.

PS...I was "Number Two" behind you on that AK! Oh well, I'll keep looking...some are too far gone for me, some are just too far away and some are not realistically priced for the location/condition.

 

[Rusty]

this is a great conversation....I was considering a "more convenient" camper....bigfoot or a northern lite....but I tow a serious boat....

I'm thinking I'll stick with what I've got

 

[PackRat]

Rusty...we've all read about guys having to do suspension additions to carry a heavier load than their truck was meant to carry on the rear axle especially. For the benefit of anyone interested, the GVWR is the total weight of the vehicle and that INCLUDES the tongue weight of the boat you want to pull. In addition, you can't just figure that since your front axle is UNDER its max load you can overload the rear axle since it don't work dat way.

Many options abound when you need to UP the ability of your truck to carry the camper you want, all the junk you carry + people and the tongue weight but eventually you need to also factor in the giddy-up and go and the whoa-nelly ability of the drivetrain and brakes.

For those reading this for the first time around, don't just buy a "nice" truck and then have to figure out how to spend a bunch of money to upgrade the ability of it to carry your camper/boat/gear/passengers and don't buy a small V-8 or V-6 if you are going to carry serious weight.

I hauled an 8' NCO and towed a light aluminum boat/outboard with I think a 305 cu in in my F-150 with no sweat....up into the Sierras too. I'd suggest the F-250 and BIG V-8 (gas or diesel) with an 8' bed (extended cab or 4-door) if you go with a eight or ten foot AK with or without the cab over area.

The OP here has a cool '62 Chevy that might be a tad overloaded with the 8' CO without some modifications, but it sure will be OK with the new F-250 he ordered!

As noted in other posts on WTW....figure out how MUCH truck you need for the load and then buy the truck, not the other way around or you may be driving unsafe or spending money you didn't allow for to try to get the truck to carry the load SAFELY!

Can't wait for pics!