The Tacobox Build - A Mini Baja Surf Camper

[Cruiser79]

Very nice build! Compact and low profile, looks perfect! Is the tent sturdy enough for high winds? There could be a lot of wind when going to shore I guess! But with the side towards the wind, the roof looks like a good wind guard.
Do you have a heater and boiler as well? I can imagine that it takes a long time for your wetsuit to dry.. Mine is wet for at least 2 days when it isn't hung above a heater.

For the tools; in Holland lots of contractors use Festool tools. I have a circular saw with a kind of rail. You just mark the board you want to cut on both sides, get the rail on top of it and the cuts are perfectly straight!
It looks like this;

 

[poorturtle]

Very nice build! Compact and low profile, looks perfect! Is the tent sturdy enough for high winds? There could be a lot of wind when going to shore I guess! But with the side towards the wind, the roof looks like a good wind guard.
Do you have a heater and boiler as well? I can imagine that it takes a long time for your wetsuit to dry.. Mine is wet for at least 2 days when it isn't hung above a heater.

For the tools; in Holland lots of contractors use Festool tools. I have a circular saw with a kind of rail. You just mark the board you want to cut on both sides, get the rail on top of it and the cuts are perfectly straight!
It looks like this;

I would love a Festool but they're so much more expensive here.

CA / Baja does get cold but it's not too bad. 3:2 & 4:3 suits. They stay a bit wet for sure but generally we just hang em outside to dry. Thought about adding outlets for fan hangers but didn't bother.

The tent should be sturdy enough - haven't gotten it out yet (next weekend will be the first time). It's not so windy here but down south it can howl. Generally it's directional, and we normally camp using the car as a wind block, which is why I had the tent open to the side instead of front or back. Going to add some dowels inside to prevent the gas struts from coming down during gusts.

 

[Cruiser79]

That's not too bad indeed, in Holland we go kiting with at least 5/4, hood, gloves, shoes etc. Water temperature is 4 degrees Celcius at the moment
Preventing the roof to go down is a real good idea, especially in winter the gas struts can collapse all of sudden is my experience...
How did you make the doors and lockers closing? Are they watertight? And what kind of canvas did you use for the tent?

 

[INSAYN]

Going to add some dowels inside to prevent the gas struts from coming down during gusts.

You can use some plastic hose to keep the struts from collapsing. Find some plastic/vinyl tubing at your hardware store that has the ID to match the piston OD, and can be flexed a bit but still hold it's shape under pressure. Slice the tubing so it has a slit the entire length of it. Cut length to fit the exposed strut piston length. Spread the tubing and slip over the piston.

You can do the same thing with smaller PCV tubing as well, just rip a slit in the tube with a cut off wheel.

 

[poorturtle]

You can use some plastic hose to keep the struts from collapsing. Find some plastic/vinyl tubing at your hardware store that has the ID to match the piston OD, and can be flexed a bit but still hold it's shape under pressure. Slice the tubing so it has a slit the entire length of it. Cut length to fit the exposed strut piston length. Spread the tubing and slip over the piston.

You can do the same thing with smaller PCV tubing as well, just rip a slit in the tube with a cut off wheel.

Great idea!

 

[poorturtle]

That's not too bad indeed, in Holland we go kiting with at least 5/4, hood, gloves, shoes etc. Water temperature is 4 degrees Celcius at the moment
Preventing the roof to go down is a real good idea, especially in winter the gas struts can collapse all of sudden is my experience...
How did you make the doors and lockers closing? Are they watertight? And what kind of canvas did you use for the tent?

The door seals are the weak point in this build. Really difficult for me - but I'm working on em. The only one that's still a problem is the large back door. It's more flexible than I'd like and wants to pull up off the seals. I bought some compression handles to help with that, and plan on installing them soon. Here the main issue is dust, not water, but coastal Baja dust is super fine and abrasive. You really want a good seal.

I'm using combo cam locks on everything, which in hind site is a mistake. Next time I'd go with compression latches instead of cams.

 

[poorturtle]

Success and failure on the first outing!

The camper stayed on the back despite the bumps. So did the jerrycan - Ha! The suspension is definitely being tested by all the weight though - going to have to upgrade soon as those bushings are complaining.

Managed to get to Font's Point and Clark Dry Lake Bed - two areas I've not seen yet. Great shots, lots of fun.

Unfortunately the wind came up as it often does in Anza. Super strong. Since I forgot to bring braces for the inside of the tent, and I didn't want the gas springs failing while I slept, I decided to head for home. Ended up stopping in Ramona because the wind was pretty slack there and I still wanted to give the camper a go. Pretty stoked - it was chilly, but not that bad in the tent. It was an rv-friendly county campsite, but whatevs. My allergies didn't act up while I was sleeping, which is awesome. If anything, I think there's some leftover epoxy & cedar dust in the storage areas. My eyes got all burnt after I loaded but it wasn't any worse after a sleeping in the tent. Hoping a thorough wash-down or five will solve the issue.

Woke up this morning to make some coffee, and damn - the water pump failed. It turns on, and sounds like it's working, but not moving any water. I have a feeling the vibration / bumpy roads have wrecked it. It was a cheap one - a $30 seaflo, but that's still a bummer. Anyone have any recommendations on good water pumps?

Anyway, here are a few pics:

 

[02rangeredge]

out of curiosity, is there a reason you opted not to mount the tent braises to the ceiling of the tent itself?

 

[poorturtle]

I've also got a $30 SeaFlo water pump and it has held up well, including through Death Valley washboard. Perhaps some soldering came loose in the pump?

Hmm - good to know. Weird that it's running but not pulling water so I'm not sure it's a soldering issue. Maybe a valve? Guess I should pull it apart before trying to return it.

 

[poorturtle]

out of curiosity, is there a reason you opted not to mount the tent braises to the ceiling of the tent itself?

Sorry - not quite sure what you mean. Right now I've got gas springs attached to the roof which open and hold it. I need to put in extra braces for windy nights.

Do you mean why aren't they inside the tent? Only 'cause this was simpler.

 

[02rangeredge]

Sorry - not quite sure what you mean. Right now I've got gas springs attached to the roof which open and hold it. I need to put in extra braces for windy nights.

Do you mean why aren't they inside the tent? Only 'cause this was simpler.

I was thinking by brace you meant some sort of rod or pole that couldn't compress that would run from ceiling to floor, what sort of brace system are you using than?

 

[poorturtle]

I was thinking by brace you meant some sort of rod or pole that couldn't compress that would run from ceiling to floor, what sort of brace system are you using than?

Ah gotcha. Yeah that's what I need to add. Just 2 rods inside. Forgot to buy those and cut em down.

Right now there are just 60lb gas struts on the back and front, and I really don't trust it's enough in strong gusts.

 

[poorturtle]

Dang - had a bit of a delayed reaction with the allergies. Not nearly as bad as when I was building but still there.

Not sure this is going to work out. I'll be taking it on one more trip and if I still have the reaction, it'll be posted for sale, or more likely, stripped for parts to build v2.

 

[poorturtle]

Grab an air compressor and blow all the dust out with high-pressure air. Then consider sealing the material with some sort of epoxy-like finish.

All the wood was sealed with epoxy... I tried blowing it out - part of the problem is I think it's actually the epoxy dust itself that's the issue, and it really doesn't want to blow or wash off. Sanding it sort of works, so does scrubbing with soap, but it's really fine and sorta sticky. At first I thought it was the cedar but there isn't any in the gas or storage compartments, and opening those really gets me.

I dunno. Thanks for the advice. I'll definitely try that again.

I'm really bummed on the situation, but am trying to look at it with positivity. If I do have to scrap this, I'll be able to reuse most of the hardware and electronics, and incorporate some changes, as well as use a faster method with materials that don't mess with me (ie, aluminum, steel & birch).

Gonna aim to clean it up and still go on the trip next month, then we'll see.

 

[poorturtle]

I've also got a $30 SeaFlo water pump and it has held up well, including through Death Valley washboard. Perhaps some soldering came loose in the pump?

Ok, so I disconnected the pump, ran it a minute, reconnected it to the tank, and then it worked. Very strange. But, it's a good reminder to always have tools with you on the road.