1997 Cummins Towho/Expo
- Thread starter blakeape
- Start date
warrpath4x4
Adventurer
you might want to think about pulling those springs, you are going to see alot of frame flex come out of it like that. having the bed hard bolted to the frame will make it more rigid.
I think a little flex is a good idea with as rigid as the bed is going to be. It worked great this weekend on a trip to the Lochsa River in Idaho despite a blown airbag on the way down. I am loving the storage down the sides and actually put a couple hrs into the bed this afternoon
Spencinator
Adventurer
Anymore updates on the rig? I love the setup and I am also planning on a flatbed when I get a camper. I like the idea of building storage compartments next to the camper especially since I have a standard cab, I need as much storage as I can get. How are the flatbed mounts working out? Is the frame of the Jayco aluminum? I like the style of that camper but want a durable frame. You have any interior pics of the camper? Thanks and good work!
I have been busy trying to get my house ready to sell, but have put a little time in on this thing. I got my lower boxes and their doors built with the diesel fuel filler neck figured out and mounted. I took the bed off the truck and am working on the finish welding, grinding and then primer and paint!
I haven't really researched the framing and construction of the Jayco. I bought it about 4 years ago from a friend for $2700 and am finally getting ready to give it some love. It needs a little exterior attention, its own battery, a few latches, a water line, some roof rack attention and a general once over. My wife, 103 lb dog and I are going on a little road trip towards the end of July and will be spending quite a bit of time in it. I have always been happy sleeping under a topper and standing around a fire and thought about selling the camper, but my wife loves it.
I have Pacbrake airbags on the truck and 1 blew a few weeks ago. I got a call from them today saying they would "take care of me" today, so I am very optimistic they will warranty them we'll see. The truck definitely sags in the rear without them.
So far the frame mounts are working great, I'll twist it up and see how she does once she's back together.
I haven't really researched the framing and construction of the Jayco. I bought it about 4 years ago from a friend for $2700 and am finally getting ready to give it some love. It needs a little exterior attention, its own battery, a few latches, a water line, some roof rack attention and a general once over. My wife, 103 lb dog and I are going on a little road trip towards the end of July and will be spending quite a bit of time in it. I have always been happy sleeping under a topper and standing around a fire and thought about selling the camper, but my wife loves it.
I have Pacbrake airbags on the truck and 1 blew a few weeks ago. I got a call from them today saying they would "take care of me" today, so I am very optimistic they will warranty them we'll see. The truck definitely sags in the rear without them.
So far the frame mounts are working great, I'll twist it up and see how she does once she's back together.
Spencinator
Adventurer
Nice work on the flatbed. I like the idea of storage with also keeping in mind clearance. I know even when I upgrade to a camper Ill still spend most of the time near the fire. Id just like to have the extra room, bathroom, and having the bed over the cab.
mangymarmot
Lost
Thanks for sharing your build. Most of us love seeing and reading the evolution of a vehicle/tool.
NorthernWoodsman
Adventurer/tinkerer
Haha, so happy that I got this thread back on track. Lots of great work on your truck man. The flat bed looks great even though they're not my preference. I do love the way you kept the side boxes under the flat bed high and tight under there. The lines on it look real good.
Curious, what kind of mpg's do you get hauling the camper?
Curious, what kind of mpg's do you get hauling the camper?
Curious, what kind of mpg's do you get hauling the camper?[/QUOTE]
Now that I am on WVO I don't really keep exact mileage data anymore. It's kind of tough to tell because I just dump the filtered grease in the tank and don't have a good way to measure it, but I can say I haven't bought diesel in over 1900 miles!
PRIMER!!!
Now that I am on WVO I don't really keep exact mileage data anymore. It's kind of tough to tell because I just dump the filtered grease in the tank and don't have a good way to measure it, but I can say I haven't bought diesel in over 1900 miles!
PRIMER!!!
I went 4 wheeling over in Idaho and towed my 1 ton Tacoma with the Dodge and the camper loaded on the flatbed for the first time. Everything was great, the extra space under the camper is so useful. It was the first time we didn't have the inside of the camper overflowing with, chairs, coolers, veggie oil, grill, firewood, etc.
The Taco and the Dodge can share a 37 inch MTR for a spare so I just tossed one in the back of the Tacoma for that trip, but we have a trip to WY coming up next week and I am not dragging a trailer so a swing out is in the works. It hangs a little bit further off the back than I originally planned, but I think it will be fine. These are just mock up pics, there is a lot more gusseting/welding already done.
The Taco and the Dodge can share a 37 inch MTR for a spare so I just tossed one in the back of the Tacoma for that trip, but we have a trip to WY coming up next week and I am not dragging a trailer so a swing out is in the works. It hangs a little bit further off the back than I originally planned, but I think it will be fine. These are just mock up pics, there is a lot more gusseting/welding already done.
Thanks. When I built my front bumper I incorporated a 2" receiver hitch into it. I though about just building a mount that slid into it that could carry a spare, but decided I'd rather have the tire on the rear. Maybe you could whip up something like that?
