LX450 + CHINOOK CONVERSION

[swcruiser]

Hello all! I've been a lurker on the site for awhile and have been inspired by many of the things I have seen here. I frequent the Ih8mud site which i know has some crossover in members and posts. I have an expedition style lx450 which has been an amazing vehicle. Last year i was introduced to the 70s era Chinooks and got the itch to mate the two together. For my needs it would be an excellent fit. Providing full services but maintaining low COG and can get me pretty much anywhere the lx450 could go on its own. i do a lot of hunting and backcountry stuff so I'm frequently away from small towns. A pop up would let me have many conveniences and be much easier than pulling my expedition trailer all over. I have been reading a lot of people wanting to utilize the chinook bodies on other platforms and hope my efforts will be helpful and/or inspiring...

Anyway here is the list of whats happening:

1996 lexus lx450 (bought another LX from a board member that had a rear end collision)
1976 Toyota chinook
metal frame built on lx rear bed
below body storage
freezer
asme horizontal propane tank
hot water heater
25ish gallon water tank. would like more but don't think i will have room
awning attached to chinook metal frame
outside shower
inside smev combo stove, sink and cutting board
couch which doubles as bed
outside cargo boxes
solar panel + controller
deep cycle battery
heater with digital control
seamark digital gauges for water, propane, battery
hydrualic winch
35" MT
3 " super HD 868 OME coils rear and heavy in the front

i have posted most of the build thread on mud so i don't want to duplicate but i will post when i have major advances.




Here are some pics of the recent progress... you can also check out the posts on MUD... http://forum.ih8mud.com/80-series-tech/593286-lexus-lx450-chinook-expedition-vehicle.html

 

[Mc Taco]

Very cool!

 

[bahndo]

************, I checked it out on mud- should be a really cool rig when all finished up.

 

[thebrassnuckles]

Outstanding!

 

[tanglefoot]

Wow--really great! Looks like it was supposed to be that way. I had to laugh--I don't think a Chinook has ever been that close to a Lexus badge--hopefully they don't reject each other.

 

[swcruiser]

thanks! its gone fast when Ive been in town but it was a lot more work then i thought. Its always a combination of scope creep and having to redo something that got screwed up... doh! plus i like to do things right the first time.

Im still trying to figure out if i should lift the tailgate badges and put them on the chinook. What is it called now ????? I originally thought i could bolt the fiberglass and metal together once it was done right but fiberglassing the joint ended up making the most sense and after the bedliner it does look like its suppose to be there.. very forgiving!!!

 

[AeroNautiCal]

That just looks so good!

I think your updating it to the Lexus chassis is inspired, just don't let Mike Hiscox see it else he'll be looking for a Chinook and a Sawzall. (o:

 

[mhiscox]

:clapsmile:

This will be a wonderful vehicle and it shows amazing talent. (Plus extra points accrue to anyone with the necessary courage to cut apart a perfectly good Lexus. )

 

[trump]

Nice! I'll be following this one. Great work!

 

[VanIsle_Greg]

Like!

 

[Overland Hadley]

Fantastic!

 

[swcruiser]

thanks for the compliments!!!! Ive been trying to figure out the counter section. On the far right you see the freezer which will double as a counter surface and be level with the rest of the counter space. Ive been looking at different stove, sink, cutting board combos and single units and think this is going to fit the bill perfectly.



They seem to be hard to find in the states. I have a couple calls to make today but also have a backup from a friend who is returning from OZ in Dec.

 

[swcruiser]

i forgot to mention the LX had rear quarter damage on the DS. It was the perfect buy for me as i didn't need the rear end and it made the first cut easier...:sombrero: I was actually debating still as the lx drove so nice after i picked it up. It was a higher mileage that had the head gasket redone. After i sell all the parts Ill be into it for less than 2k! The chinook was $100. I figured I couldn't really loose if i cldn't complete the project. Of course I've already put a lot into it... we all know how are budget projects really work out economically... Anyway the lx drives better than my other one. Also my skills are still in development! Im no professional when i see some of the other builds out there but Ive also decided the best way to learn is to dig in.....DEEP! When your overwhelmed you learn to work and learn fast! I hope to have this completed by early spring. i go back and forth between east and the southwest so unfortunately i have to work on things in pieces. Anyway,
if you have suggestions would love to hear them!

 

[mhiscox]

The sink/stove combo you've targeted is pretty much the one I had in my Mog camper, and it worked great. If you have any connections in Europe, it should be easy to find a bunch of options through Reimo (the German equivalent of Camping World); check at reimo.com for an on-line catalog. And if there's no other option, Eurocampers (eurocampers.com) can order and ship things out of the Reimo catalog. It's expensive and can easily take 2-3 months for the shipping, but it's an alternative.

BTW, shrewd dealing on the truck and cabin. Very impressive.

 

[thedjjack]

I am without words....awesome!

Ya I have looked for those stoves too....hard to find in North America (I wish the North American RV market would start to utilize space and efficiency instead of making bigger RVs with bigger generators and more amps when they plug in and 40 feet of wasted space...I mean they are just starting to install LED interior lights).

Not sure about inspections for propane in your area. Worth looking into prior to the install of the propane. Up here we would need a structural inspection on the truck, motor vehicle inspection and a propane inspection to register the rig (legally, I looked into it for swapping a Chinook (utility shell) onto a 1982 4x4 truck).