Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed the picts. I have mods listed in the first posting on the thread. I have the All-Pro 3" lift kit on the front and 5" expedition leaf pack on the rear. My front is cranked all the way up to clearance the 33" tires, but I blow out CV boots once a year or so and I have no down-travel. It makes for a rough ride and I will get around to a solution eventually.
ComaRed: Adventures and Build Thread, 2004 Tacoma DoubleCab TRD
- Thread starter loudboy
- Start date
Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed the picts. I have mods listed in the first posting on the thread. I have the All-Pro 3" lift kit on the front and 5" expedition leaf pack on the rear. My front is cranked all the way up to clearance the 33" tires, but I blow out CV boots once a year or so and I have no down-travel. It makes for a rough ride and I will get around to a solution eventually.
Dances with Wolves
aka jk240sx
Bwahhahahahahahahaha! :bowdown:
Well folks, she's evolving. I ended up with a bunch of free time and spare cash (Now taking applications for #8, if you want to send em my way Dancing With Wolves), so I decided to build a pop-up camper. It's not going to be luxurious with carpet or even a floor, rather I am going to modify a ladder rack to have side panels and a fiberglass roof. All work seen in the following pictures is done by me with whatever scrap metal I could find at my company's maintenance facility (I'll admit, it's some high quality scrap at times).
I started with a ladder rack off Craigslist that was much too big for my little truck, so I cut it down and welded it back to fit. Clearance from the underside of the cab-overhang to the cab is about 4". With the ladder rack bolted to the bed I am able to jump up and down on the forward lip without a worrying amount of flex, so it won't hit.
I started with a ladder rack off Craigslist that was much too big for my little truck, so I cut it down and welded it back to fit. Clearance from the underside of the cab-overhang to the cab is about 4". With the ladder rack bolted to the bed I am able to jump up and down on the forward lip without a worrying amount of flex, so it won't hit.
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(For anyone still not seeing pictures due to photobucket's new stupid pay policy, here's a link to by-pass extensions for your browser)
https://www.google.com/search?q=browser+extensions+photobucket&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8
https://www.google.com/search?q=browser+extensions+photobucket&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8
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Next comes side panels. I'm using 1/8" aluminum all the way around. It's a little heavy, but hard to beat for the price of free-fiddy. Corner pieces I bent by hand by clamping the sheet under a pipe of the correct diameter to the work table, then putting my shoulder into it and swearing a lot. These picts show it being held together with small sheet metal screws, but the end product has countersunk stainless flathead bolts into threaded holes in the frame. Rear doors are barn-door style, split down the middle on overkill(but free) stainless steel hinges. The finished product (after paint!) has 3m Very High Bond tape anywhere aluminum meets steel to hold the sheets steady, stop rattles, and prevent galvanic corrosion. All seams are then caulked with UV stabilized silicone.
Now time for the roof. After an abandoned by educational attempt at using wood, I decided I'd have to teach myself to weld aluminum.
Although I gave up on wood for a number of reasons, I did learn a great way to bend wood. I cut a board of maple into thin strips, then steamed them in a simple rig: Cut a couple holes in a trash bag, run the strips through the bag, and tie the bag opening around a boiling crab pot for an hour or so. Once spongy to the touch, I clamped the wood to the desired shape. It worked great and I'll definitely use this ancient and simple method for future projects.
I'm comfortable welding steel, but everyone always says that aluminum is so difficult and scary so I've never tried. Well forget what you've heard! With proper prep and a little practice (the company's $5000 auto-tuning Millermatic 350P didn't hurt either), I am able to confidently MIG weld aluminum! MIG welding with a spool gun is like a light-saber and a hot glue gun had an unholy love child, and it' stupid fun.
The roof will lift up 36" on gas struts and bracing. I think I'll be relying on the fabric to add rigidity once raised, but I'll also have straps in place to control the range of motion.
Although I gave up on wood for a number of reasons, I did learn a great way to bend wood. I cut a board of maple into thin strips, then steamed them in a simple rig: Cut a couple holes in a trash bag, run the strips through the bag, and tie the bag opening around a boiling crab pot for an hour or so. Once spongy to the touch, I clamped the wood to the desired shape. It worked great and I'll definitely use this ancient and simple method for future projects.
I'm comfortable welding steel, but everyone always says that aluminum is so difficult and scary so I've never tried. Well forget what you've heard! With proper prep and a little practice (the company's $5000 auto-tuning Millermatic 350P didn't hurt either), I am able to confidently MIG weld aluminum! MIG welding with a spool gun is like a light-saber and a hot glue gun had an unholy love child, and it' stupid fun.
The roof will lift up 36" on gas struts and bracing. I think I'll be relying on the fabric to add rigidity once raised, but I'll also have straps in place to control the range of motion.
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For the roof I am using fiberglass over poly-carbonate twin-wall. The twinwall is airgapped channels 8mm thick and UV treated; it's commonly used to build greenhouses. It is incredibly strong and super light. Tap Plastic sells 4'x8' sheets for about $130; I used a 6'x12' sheet from Interstate Plastics for $180 so that I wouldnt have to stitch two pieces together. For fiberglass I used 15oz X-Mat on top, 5oz fabric all over, and West System epoxy (Edit: Regular West System Epoxy WILL NOT bond to polycarbonate. Ask me how I know... The folks at West System are incredibly helpful and knowledgable though; their G-Flex epoxy DOES bond to polycarbonate). The finished product is light, rigid, and strong: I'll definitely be able to walk on it if I need to.
First I cut the twinwall to the basic shape, cutting one wall of the twinwall along its exterior radius axis to allow it to flex
I held the bends in place with temporary bracing while foaming-in and reinforcing gaps and edges
After a very education and messy process, this is the nearly complete and trimmed roof shell
First I cut the twinwall to the basic shape, cutting one wall of the twinwall along its exterior radius axis to allow it to flex
I held the bends in place with temporary bracing while foaming-in and reinforcing gaps and edges
After a very education and messy process, this is the nearly complete and trimmed roof shell
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I had to rush this project to a steady storage point so i don't have any pictures, but the rack is powder coated black, the body panels are (nicely) rattle-canned black, and the roof is bolted on. I'll have more picts of that in a few months, but until then you guys should check out my new ride! :sombrero::smiley_drive:
Some of the crazy cool vehicles from New Zealand and Antarctica
Hagglunds' at the Antarctic Center in NZ. These pretty ones are used for rides around the little park, but they are very serious vehicles in daily use down on the ice. Not quick, but unstoppable on a little Ford gas engine.
Some crazy 6x6 sight-seeing Land Cruiser
"Mental Case", a Navy high mobility forklift. Ugly as hell, and I love it
Trekker, my dream rig
Standard shuttles here are E-350s on 38" BFG-ATs
And last but not least, IVAN THE TERRA-BUS! Those tires are as tall as I am; that rig is about 65ft long
Hagglunds' at the Antarctic Center in NZ. These pretty ones are used for rides around the little park, but they are very serious vehicles in daily use down on the ice. Not quick, but unstoppable on a little Ford gas engine.
Some crazy 6x6 sight-seeing Land Cruiser
"Mental Case", a Navy high mobility forklift. Ugly as hell, and I love it
Trekker, my dream rig
Standard shuttles here are E-350s on 38" BFG-ATs
And last but not least, IVAN THE TERRA-BUS! Those tires are as tall as I am; that rig is about 65ft long
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Back from Antarctica, new job, new house, fresh go at finishing up with project.
As I mentioned earlier, West System epoxy WILL NOT bond with polycarbonate, as you can see below. My solution was to cut out a few sections, carefully encourage a clean gap between plastic and fiberglass, and squeeze West System G-Flex into that space as a primer. G-Flex WILL bond with polycarbonate and fiberglass epoxy. Seems to have worked very well.
Quick mock-up of the canvas using a cheap-o Harbor Freight tarp.
Shell top on and raised to get it centered and measured for fabric
Laying out fabric. Using 10oz PVC vinyl because it is UV stabilized, waterproof, lightweight, easily worked and glues, and incredibly tough.
Attached the shell to the aluminum skeleton using roof rack rails bolted through the fiberglass to aluminum rivnuts.
Fabric on, roof up!
Tons of space inside! That's a Full size 4" memory foam mattress up there, sitting on plywood with a layer of foam insulation underneath.
Partially painted and out on a shake-down run through Tillamook National Forest in Oregon. Worked wonderfully! Warm, dry, and easily set up/broken down in moments. Definitely notice the wind noise, drag, and weight though.
As I mentioned earlier, West System epoxy WILL NOT bond with polycarbonate, as you can see below. My solution was to cut out a few sections, carefully encourage a clean gap between plastic and fiberglass, and squeeze West System G-Flex into that space as a primer. G-Flex WILL bond with polycarbonate and fiberglass epoxy. Seems to have worked very well.
Quick mock-up of the canvas using a cheap-o Harbor Freight tarp.
Shell top on and raised to get it centered and measured for fabric
Laying out fabric. Using 10oz PVC vinyl because it is UV stabilized, waterproof, lightweight, easily worked and glues, and incredibly tough.
Attached the shell to the aluminum skeleton using roof rack rails bolted through the fiberglass to aluminum rivnuts.
Fabric on, roof up!
Tons of space inside! That's a Full size 4" memory foam mattress up there, sitting on plywood with a layer of foam insulation underneath.
Partially painted and out on a shake-down run through Tillamook National Forest in Oregon. Worked wonderfully! Warm, dry, and easily set up/broken down in moments. Definitely notice the wind noise, drag, and weight though.
Total cost is close of $3k, unfortunately. Tools investments are part of that cost, but I spent A LOT of money making mistakes on the fiberglass/resin. That West System epoxy is not cheap. Great learning experience though.
Edit: Okay, more like $1500 on actual supplies, materials, and hardware. Fiberglass and resin was the most expensive single part, but the fabric, gas struts, stainless steel hardware, powdercoating, and roof racks were major contributors too. The rest of the build cost was in tool investments (oh no dont make me
)
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Lets catch up on some adventures and stuff, shall we? Not many picts of the trucks but many of the places the truck has taken me.
First off, needed a new way to pay for the adventures, so I hopped a ship
(Not my image. I stole a cleared picture so I dont get my ass fired)
Sunset looking out across Hood Canal at the Olympics from Trident Sub Base
Port Angeles and the Olympic Peninsula is a dump. Dont come up here.
Found a ************ lady who puts up with me. She's the one, @Dancing With Wolves, the search is over. I know you were very concerned.
Took a roadtrip through Oregon. Started from Portland, headed out the coast and south, then inland up the Umpqua River Valley, up Hwy 99 to Bend, over to John Day area, then back across Mt Hood to home. Great five day trip. Oregon is a playground.
Great air museum at Tillamook
Old EMD train/ship engine
Devils Teapot or Thors Butthole or something. It shoots water up out of a hole.
Dronie from our campspot in the Tillamook State Forest. Great forest center there, definitely worth a stop.
Headed up the Umpqua River Valley (this trip was last fall, btw)
First off, needed a new way to pay for the adventures, so I hopped a ship
(Not my image. I stole a cleared picture so I dont get my ass fired)
Sunset looking out across Hood Canal at the Olympics from Trident Sub Base
Port Angeles and the Olympic Peninsula is a dump. Dont come up here.
Found a ************ lady who puts up with me. She's the one, @Dancing With Wolves, the search is over. I know you were very concerned.
Took a roadtrip through Oregon. Started from Portland, headed out the coast and south, then inland up the Umpqua River Valley, up Hwy 99 to Bend, over to John Day area, then back across Mt Hood to home. Great five day trip. Oregon is a playground.
Great air museum at Tillamook
Old EMD train/ship engine
Devils Teapot or Thors Butthole or something. It shoots water up out of a hole.
Dronie from our campspot in the Tillamook State Forest. Great forest center there, definitely worth a stop.
Headed up the Umpqua River Valley (this trip was last fall, btw)