project: Redneck motorhome

[Mike368]

Hi everyone
My motorcycle is my main transport, so just needed something to haul stuff, drive on snowy/icy days and take to the cabin. After searching for a little while I found this.



Good dirt cheap run around, check!

Vacation plans got changed, so having owned it just over a week camping gear and dog was loaded up. Bought a twin size air mattress, working stereo (installed in parking lot) got an oil change and off we went on a nearly 2000 mile trip through Oregon, Cali, Nevada and Idaho. The truck worked great, only problems where a flat tire(picked up a nail) and a flat air mattress(fixed with duct tape). It worked so well it got me thinking, this truck could be so much more then just a cheap run around. So run around/ project it has become.

As it sits right now.

1986 4x4 long box,2.5-3 inch lift, 30/9.50r15 bfg, 4.56 gears, 22r with weber carb, 5spd, working stereo and canopy.









Things needed soonish. POWER FREAKING STEARING!!! curtains, inverter, figuring out ways to stash stuff.

Things hopefully down the road. 33/10.50r15 bfgs, bumpers, rocksliders, winch, LSDs or selectable lockers...

 

[djtc]

Nice truck!I wish we had rust free ones like that here.

 

[robert]

Nice truck but I'd put some thought into the 33s; even with a regear it'll be underpowered. JMHO but I'd bring it down and go with a decent 2" lift like an OME and some 31s.

Curtains are easy if you don't mind drilling a few holes in your top for some sort of curtain rail otherwise I'd use heavy duty Velcro and just expect to replace it periodically; I did the Velcro route on my first Tacoma but the SC heat would quickly trash the adhesive on it so I ended up using some 550 cord and some hangers. I used the washers with the rubber on one side and a dab of silicon in the holes and never had a problem with them leaking. My current shell has a Yakima track I added that that I just used the dab of silicon on the holes and it's been fine too.

 

[tanglefoot]

Nice find on the long-bed. It looks great!

You might consider keeping it stock. Early on, I was really into the modifications on the '85 but now that I'm older and (I'd like to think) wiser, I wish I'd kept things more original, and some things are tough to change back.

30x9.50 is one of my favorite tire sizes for these. Just beefy enough to keep the wheels off most of the rocks but not too tall or wide. I think too much tire really cripples these things. I love how they drive on smaller tires.

I also love my manual steering! I like the feel and the under-hood simplicity. You can adjust the steering effort by changing tire pressure. At 45 psi, the steering effort isn't bad at all!

Isn't it amazing what a coat of wax will do?

A home-built sleeping platform really opens up the sleeping area and offers plenty of cargo space underneath.

Enjoy! These things are a whole mess of fun. They might seem like a cheap beaters, but they have so much heart that they become part of the family and you want to baby them (at least that's what happened to me).

 

[Mike368]

Nice truck!I wish we had rust free ones like that here.

Thanks, I feel bad for you guys that live where the salt the roads.

Nice truck but I'd put some thought into the 33s; even with a regear it'll be underpowered. JMHO but I'd bring it down and go with a decent 2" lift like an OME and some 31s.

Curtains are easy if you don't mind drilling a few holes in your top for some sort of curtain rail otherwise I'd use heavy duty Velcro and just expect to replace it periodically; I did the Velcro route on my first Tacoma but the SC heat would quickly trash the adhesive on it so I ended up using some 550 cord and some hangers. I used the washers with the rubber on one side and a dab of silicon in the holes and never had a problem with them leaking. My current shell has a Yakima track I added that that I just used the dab of silicon on the holes and it's been fine too.

The 33s would be a second set so not worried about it being under powered, dual or lower geared transfercase go a long way to solving that. It's geared perfectly for 30s right now, so planned on sticking with them for mains. I ran 35s on my '83 and have still gotten stuck in snow where I could open the doors head up to the cabin.

Nice find on the long-bed. It looks great!

You might consider keeping it stock. Early on, I was really into the modifications on the '85 but now that I'm older and (I'd like to think) wiser, I wish I'd kept things more original, and some things are tough to change back.

30x9.50 is one of my favorite tire sizes for these. Just beefy enough to keep the wheels off most of the rocks but not too tall or wide. I think too much tire really cripples these things. I love how they drive on smaller tires.

I also love my manual steering! I like the feel and the under-hood simplicity. You can adjust the steering effort by changing tire pressure. At 45 psi, the steering effort isn't bad at all!

Isn't it amazing what a coat of wax will do?

A home-built sleeping platform really opens up the sleeping area and offers plenty of cargo space underneath.

Enjoy! These things are a whole mess of fun. They might seem like a cheap beaters, but they have so much heart that they become part of the family and you want to baby them (at least that's what happened to me).

Funny you say that, first day driving it I said forget this and pulled it over to the truck shop after work to air them up to 45psi. I bought a key and a heater special when I was 18, it seemed much easier back then now I'd take power steering.

It took me months to find it, didn't want anything but a long box, 4x4, 22r-22re, 5sp. I've been working on plans for a sleeping platform in my head since talking to a couple in Lakeview with that setup for a taco. Dirt cheap reliable transport yes, but have never thought of it as a beater. It is amazing what a few hours of buffing and a coat of wax can do, I could honestly get make a quick 1,000-1,500 with just a detail and stereo install.

 

[Mike368]

Not liking the 30/9.50/15 BFG ATs on it, time for new tires. This is a rescue truck the p.o. had been just letting it sit and rot, the tabs where 2012 so it hadn't been on the road in at least 2 years. My guess is the tires had gone bad. I've been thinking about which way to go for a little while, either a new set of 30" ATs for road use and a set of 33/10.50 MTs when needed. A set of 31-32s for a one set do it all tire. Deciding to keep it simple I came up with this.



31/10.50/15 Goodyear Duratracs, a not quite ATs or MTs tire That can(Hopefully) do it all. The short time I've had them they are a huge improvement over the old tires in everyway. I will report back on them with more miles.

 

[Mike368]

The problem with old toys? You use them, not work on them. Not a lot of up dates but got the racks mounted.craigslist is a fantastic thing, took a little while but found all mounts and rack on the cheap. This weekend taking 4 days, headed to the ranch, toys going in the shop for new brake pads, sleeping platform, and the whole mothers day thing. So more pics coming soon.

 

[Crenshaw]

Great looking truck! If I were you, I'd quit while you're ahead- build your platform and drink beer. That awesome truck doesn't need to get sucked down the rabbit hole of endless tinkering. Man I wish I would've held on to my red '85 extended cab.