Switcheroo - 1 Bored Clerk's 2013 Tacoma Build

Here's a link to the camper thread. It's the same one as before...I just carried on with the new flatbed and now the start of the new camper.

1 Bored Clerk's DIY Camper

https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?sh...rtal.com/showthread.php?t=164181&share_type=t


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The bumper is a simple design. Almost no welding!


Here's what I'm building. Taillights are different than what's shown here.


Some raw materials. The main bumper tube and some material to sleeve some through holes. And other steel for other projects.


Using two Teraflex JK shackle mounts...


And an FJ Cruiser hitch receiver


Everything should fit nice and clean


Frame mounts and fill plate back from laser cut and bend


Test fitting some of the pieces. Trailer hitch wiring plug on the left. License plate in the middle and the TRD OFF ROAD 110v outlet on the right. The backup camera will be above the license plate. A shore power plug may fill in on the far right. We'll see.


All through holes drilled with sleeves welded in to prevent crushing under force.


But plates welded in for the bottom bolts of the FJ hitch



Initial mockup. Looking good!


Tweaking and fitting. Making sure everything will work once powdercoated


Taillight mounts. Normally I would have had these laser cut and bent out of more reasonable material and with interesting shapes cut out but I didn't want to spend the calendar time for the shop to do it so I made these out of angle steel then spent way too much time and energy drilling 3/4" holes. I think it'll look cool but it'll probably be too subtle to have been worth the time and effort. Oh well! I should see the parts back the end of next week.



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Got everything back from powdercoat!


Looks pretty good.

Then I turned down the head size on the mounting bolts so they fit inside the recesses of the shackle mounts.




I used some cold blue for guns to darken the edges of the bolts. Didn't want to see any shiny in there.


Got it all bolted up this morning! Looks pretty good. I still have some small stuff to do: mount license plate, mount backup camera, cleanly route all the factory wiring and plug everything in. I have some end plates being 3D printed by a friend of mine. Those will go on when they're ready.



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Looks really clean. I love your use of the drill press and file to turn down the diameter of the bolt heads.

IndoorCat said:

Looks really clean. I love your use of the drill press and file to turn down the diameter of the bolt heads.

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Thanks! The file/drillpress is great as long as you don't put yourself in a position to be harpooned by the file. Be smart and it works great for making round things. I've turned a piece of aluminum round stock into a sphere for a small sculpture and about a zillion other things. It's pretty efficient.


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Got my 3D printed endcaps. I'm going to wait to permanently install them until I get my underbed storage done: which I'll be working on this weekend. I also got my plan together for the backup camera. I'll get that mount designed this weekend and out for 3D print as well.




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3D printed backup camera mount ready to go!




Now I just need to drill two holes and bolt it up! Will get it done by the end of this weekend. Been working on my camper project so much, this just keeps getting pushed.


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1 Bored Clerk said:

So, I made a huge left turn on this. I sold the rear bumper that I just finished. I sold the truck bed. I sold the last camper I started to build. And, I replaced it with a UTE flatbed!

Here it is with 500lbs of fence material in the bed. It's pretty awesome. I like having a flatbed a lot.

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Fricken sweet and BEAUTIFUL!!!!

Greenbean said:

Fricken sweet and BEAUTIFUL!!!!

Click to expand...

Thanks!


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Rear bumper is done!


The last piece of the rear bumper has been mounted.


Check out the quality of that photo! Fading light, iPhone...pure awesomeness.


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Looks great. I'm assuming you live in Vancouver and work in Portland...? Sounds like best of both worlds tax wise . Can't wait to see the camper completed

Live and work in Washington. If you work in Oregon, you pay Oregon income tax regardless of where you live.


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I didn't realize "utebed" was still selling in NA. That is awesome to know.

jgpoirier said:

I didn't realize "utebed" was still selling in NA. That is awesome to know.

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Absolutely! The beds are lightweight and simple. No-frills.


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swear I am not stocking you. Glad I found your build though. Picking up my bed in a few weeks!