tlbrewer
Observer
I've been a lurker here for awhile...probably 6 months or more. Since I've posted a couple of replies to threads, I figure it's about time for an introduction.
I came to the Portal when doing a search on Alaskan Camper info. I came across "Carlyle's" Alaskan Camper Buildup thread and read it front to back several times. Lots of great information there. Thanks Carlyle for a great writeup.
One of the things I really like about this site is that everyone has a different definition of what an "expedition" camper is to them. Anything from a Tacoma with a flip top or FWC up to a Unimog, etc. with a custom coach mounted on back. No matter what it is, it's Ok and everyone seems to be willing to offer advise or help for a person to reach that end.
For most of the last ten years we have camped in an 8 1/2 foot, early 70's model, ElDorado slide-in camper. First carried in a 1973 GMC 1/2 ton pickup, then in my 1992 Ford F350 crewcab diesel. Not what you would call an expedition camper by any means. In that ten years, I think we stayed in a campground twice so "boondocking" is the norm for us. Now we're getting somewhere, right. We still have the camper sitting out behind the barn, but now that the kids are grown and gone, it's just my wife and I(and 2 dogs) and it's more convenient for us just to rent a cabin in the mountains. As 40 something empty nesters, comfort and convenience have become more important to us and higher on our list of priorities. But the bug is still there.
Since I am a part time woodworker and have a pretty well equipped shop, I have considered building my own completely self-contained, yet comfortable truck camper. I've done a lot of research and would use special woods, laminations, and steal from the technologies used in the wooden boat building industry. I'm confident that the end result would be far different than what one generally pictures when you think of traditional, wood structure, truck campers. For those of you that are into woodworking, the 200 MPH "Splinter" is a car made completely of wood(except for the engine) using modern technology to create something truly unique.
But everything is a compromise.
My wife is a professional photographer, specializing in horse shows, rodeos, and other livestock events. So we travel a lot in the summer months. Our biggest expense is hotel rooms...sometimes including rooms for employees. So my definition of an expedition vehicle has changed. Now I see the need to build a slide-in cargo body, for lack of a better term, to house photography equipment and a place for the dogs to travel. Now what about living arrangements and workspace for us and possibly 1 or 2 employees? There's a lot to be said about a nice shower and a big comfortable bed after a day spent in the rodeo arena. Travel trailer. What platform to base it on or start with? Outside of some of the "caravans" I see built in Australia, I've found nothing that catches my eye...poor build quality, expense, practical application. Nothing that I have found moves me. Except....
I was an Air Force crewchief for 20 years so I have found that I have a particular affinity towards Airstreams. Not the way they come from the factory, but the design has me thinking. There are some companies out there that really do some over the top stuff to Airstreams. I'm thinking why not get a builder, gut it, and start from scratch making it the way I want it to be. Something on par with Earthroamer as far as appointments go. Add some ground clearance and use the info I've learned here. I'm talking about things like cassette toilets, water management, inverter technology, high output batteries, low voltage lighting and appliances, charging systems, etc. Since my idea of exploring is fire roads and back roads into the national forests, I think this may fit the bill as my definition of an expedition vehicle. Oh yea, my base vehicle is an '06 Chevy 3500 4x4 crewcab with a Duramax and Allison 6 spd so hauling cargo and towing a TT aren't really an issue.
So you say what does this have to do with full size domestic trucks. It seems that the vehicle of choice here is primarily Dodge, with a few Superduties thrown in for good measure. Don't get me wrong, if I were buying an '09, I would be leaning toward the Dodge product. And I love the first gen 12v Cummins models. I've been following "UHAULER's" build thread and he also has a great truck platform to build on. Most people (at least those under 40 yrs old) dont' know that there was a Ford diesel truck before the Powerstroke. Or that Ford and Chevy offered diesel pickups years before Dodge got in the game. The early Ford IDI, also an IH product, was a simple design just like the 12V Cummins, although not quite as beefy. Once started it only requires one wire (fuel shutoff solenoid) to stay running, no computer to read codes from (unless you have an E4OD transmission), it is completely mechanical, and will run on WVO, bio, or just about any quality of diesel. This makes it ideal for travel outside of the US where fuel quality may be an issue, as proven by the early Turtle Expedition vehicles.
I invite anyone with a love of domestic diesel trucks to visit the Oilburners website where I am also a longtime member. http://www.oilburners.net/forums/
If you want to learn about the history of early Ford diesel pickups or just want something to read, you can check out an article I wrote titled "Know Your IDI History" which is posted permanently on Oilburners at http://oilburners.net/forums/showthread.php?t=14615
By the way...my name is Tom and I live in New Mexico.
My stable:
My daughter's truck before and after shots
My wife's truck and a shot of the engine after I did a top end rebuild and detail
My truck when new...added some things since then
I came to the Portal when doing a search on Alaskan Camper info. I came across "Carlyle's" Alaskan Camper Buildup thread and read it front to back several times. Lots of great information there. Thanks Carlyle for a great writeup.
One of the things I really like about this site is that everyone has a different definition of what an "expedition" camper is to them. Anything from a Tacoma with a flip top or FWC up to a Unimog, etc. with a custom coach mounted on back. No matter what it is, it's Ok and everyone seems to be willing to offer advise or help for a person to reach that end.
For most of the last ten years we have camped in an 8 1/2 foot, early 70's model, ElDorado slide-in camper. First carried in a 1973 GMC 1/2 ton pickup, then in my 1992 Ford F350 crewcab diesel. Not what you would call an expedition camper by any means. In that ten years, I think we stayed in a campground twice so "boondocking" is the norm for us. Now we're getting somewhere, right. We still have the camper sitting out behind the barn, but now that the kids are grown and gone, it's just my wife and I(and 2 dogs) and it's more convenient for us just to rent a cabin in the mountains. As 40 something empty nesters, comfort and convenience have become more important to us and higher on our list of priorities. But the bug is still there.
Since I am a part time woodworker and have a pretty well equipped shop, I have considered building my own completely self-contained, yet comfortable truck camper. I've done a lot of research and would use special woods, laminations, and steal from the technologies used in the wooden boat building industry. I'm confident that the end result would be far different than what one generally pictures when you think of traditional, wood structure, truck campers. For those of you that are into woodworking, the 200 MPH "Splinter" is a car made completely of wood(except for the engine) using modern technology to create something truly unique.
But everything is a compromise.
My wife is a professional photographer, specializing in horse shows, rodeos, and other livestock events. So we travel a lot in the summer months. Our biggest expense is hotel rooms...sometimes including rooms for employees. So my definition of an expedition vehicle has changed. Now I see the need to build a slide-in cargo body, for lack of a better term, to house photography equipment and a place for the dogs to travel. Now what about living arrangements and workspace for us and possibly 1 or 2 employees? There's a lot to be said about a nice shower and a big comfortable bed after a day spent in the rodeo arena. Travel trailer. What platform to base it on or start with? Outside of some of the "caravans" I see built in Australia, I've found nothing that catches my eye...poor build quality, expense, practical application. Nothing that I have found moves me. Except....
I was an Air Force crewchief for 20 years so I have found that I have a particular affinity towards Airstreams. Not the way they come from the factory, but the design has me thinking. There are some companies out there that really do some over the top stuff to Airstreams. I'm thinking why not get a builder, gut it, and start from scratch making it the way I want it to be. Something on par with Earthroamer as far as appointments go. Add some ground clearance and use the info I've learned here. I'm talking about things like cassette toilets, water management, inverter technology, high output batteries, low voltage lighting and appliances, charging systems, etc. Since my idea of exploring is fire roads and back roads into the national forests, I think this may fit the bill as my definition of an expedition vehicle. Oh yea, my base vehicle is an '06 Chevy 3500 4x4 crewcab with a Duramax and Allison 6 spd so hauling cargo and towing a TT aren't really an issue.
So you say what does this have to do with full size domestic trucks. It seems that the vehicle of choice here is primarily Dodge, with a few Superduties thrown in for good measure. Don't get me wrong, if I were buying an '09, I would be leaning toward the Dodge product. And I love the first gen 12v Cummins models. I've been following "UHAULER's" build thread and he also has a great truck platform to build on. Most people (at least those under 40 yrs old) dont' know that there was a Ford diesel truck before the Powerstroke. Or that Ford and Chevy offered diesel pickups years before Dodge got in the game. The early Ford IDI, also an IH product, was a simple design just like the 12V Cummins, although not quite as beefy. Once started it only requires one wire (fuel shutoff solenoid) to stay running, no computer to read codes from (unless you have an E4OD transmission), it is completely mechanical, and will run on WVO, bio, or just about any quality of diesel. This makes it ideal for travel outside of the US where fuel quality may be an issue, as proven by the early Turtle Expedition vehicles.
I invite anyone with a love of domestic diesel trucks to visit the Oilburners website where I am also a longtime member. http://www.oilburners.net/forums/
If you want to learn about the history of early Ford diesel pickups or just want something to read, you can check out an article I wrote titled "Know Your IDI History" which is posted permanently on Oilburners at http://oilburners.net/forums/showthread.php?t=14615
By the way...my name is Tom and I live in New Mexico.
My stable:
My daughter's truck before and after shots
My wife's truck and a shot of the engine after I did a top end rebuild and detail
My truck when new...added some things since then
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