GR8ADV
Explorer
The truck was weighed prior to the work for the up and coming suspension upgrade. So yes, but in all honesty I do not expect a material change due to the remodel.
2003 Mitsubushi FG Overland Camper Renovation
- Thread starter PaulJensen
- Start date
The truck was weighed prior to the work for the up and coming suspension upgrade. So yes, but in all honesty I do not expect a material change due to the remodel.
GR8ADV
Explorer
As iffy as the wiring was, the box itself is in outstanding condition and the vehicle has been maintained very very well.
GR8ADV
Explorer
The propane will be staying. It currently serves the outside BBQ and Grill (cant live without those) as well as the kitchen cooktop. After being away from the world for a 2 week stint (gotta love that real size fridge and freezer) we barely moved the needle on the propane tank. So we have more than enough propane to last as long as we would ever want. We will be adding a propane fired instahot to the mix as well for the shower and kitchen. We will be keeping the small electric instahot for the sink but getting rid of the large electric instahot that heated the shower water as it could only ran on shore power. I do not expect having any propane shortage problems.
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Without starting a debate, I will just say that I prefer propane cooking over diesel for speed, taste and odor, and maintenance, so we will be sticking with it.
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I will admit it is nice to have diesel fired heater given that it runs for extended periods in the cold.
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mhiscox
Expedition Leader
Look as if the biggest problem was that it was done by someone who didn't know they'd invented cable ties and wire sleeving. Easier to trace, though.
Good luck getting everything to come together as you want it. Should be a nice upgrade.
Nice inverter. I put a similar one in our build (Magnum hybrid 4,000 watt pure sine).
I had a tiny issue with mine but live a couple miles from the Magnum factory so just carried it over there. The nice folks fixed it the same day. It is brilliant, doesn't even turn on the fan when running a 900 watt microwave for a few minutes.
I had a tiny issue with mine but live a couple miles from the Magnum factory so just carried it over there. The nice folks fixed it the same day. It is brilliant, doesn't even turn on the fan when running a 900 watt microwave for a few minutes.
Gr8adv: "As iffy as the wiring was, the box itself is in outstanding condition..."
Paul Jensen: "The subfloor looks like 2x5 "car decking"...The condition is solid with no rot"
Not bad for a vehicle that has already traveled through 40 countries on six continents! See http://www.questconnect.org/ for reports. This is a great example that you don't need to buy a fancy custom camping vehicle to live for an extended time on the road.
The camper body shell was built by Unicell, a supplier of frp commercial truck products. They have offices in Buffalo and Toronto. I think this model is part of their "dry freight" line. http://www.unicell.com/UnicellVanBodies/DryFreight.aspx
Paul Jensen: "The subfloor looks like 2x5 "car decking"...The condition is solid with no rot"
Not bad for a vehicle that has already traveled through 40 countries on six continents! See http://www.questconnect.org/ for reports. This is a great example that you don't need to buy a fancy custom camping vehicle to live for an extended time on the road.
The camper body shell was built by Unicell, a supplier of frp commercial truck products. They have offices in Buffalo and Toronto. I think this model is part of their "dry freight" line. http://www.unicell.com/UnicellVanBodies/DryFreight.aspx
Here's a link to a Flickr Site if anybody wants to see pictures of the places this vehicle has been.
With a new owner and a new fit-out, I'm sure new adventures are in the works.
With a new owner and a new fit-out, I'm sure new adventures are in the works.
PaulJensen
Custom Builder
03
(above) With the major electrical demo done, the breaker panels were relocated closer to the power source... Sharing the inverter / battery compartment...
The inverter was mover over a couple of inches and lowered about the same...The solar controller was treated the same way...I just know that later the new empty space will be needed, and I will be glad to have it...
(above) The separate panels were ganged together in a recess mount VG fir case...VG fir will be the predominate wood inside the cabin...The panels are recessed to prevent the switches from being accidentally bumped...The panel case was kept low to open up the possibility of additional storage under the future countertop...
(above) I was gifted more than enough clear VG fir to do whatever I want trim wise on the inside...The first few strips make up the panel case...There is a groove around the fir case that the edges of the panels fit in... Slick...
(above) View from outside, looking into the battery / inverter case...the new panels are in place with a bit of reconnecting of existing circuits done...
(above) Close up of the combined panels and some very preliminary wiring into the panels...
(above) With the location of a central design feature established, my thoughts go to the routing of wiring and plumbing lines... With the Fuso, there is no underfloor, across the cabin, wiring or plumbing... Just makes sense...So to get wire and tubes to the other side I will run some kind of 'chase' to route those things...
Wiring and plumbing needs to get to the shower/ toilet area, and the existing shower stall and seating are an obstacle to doing that...Besides they are butt ugly and poorly constructed... Every time I look over there I feel depressed that it so funky (in the bad sense of the word)... Time for a change...
(above) Twenty minutes later it is as open up as it gets... I feel much better... Now the whole cabin will be refreshed and hopefully pretty cool, figuratively speaking...
(above) The fresh water tank will remain although it is a bit too tall to design natural height seating around... I need to think about this a bit...
(above) The kitchen cabinet, next to the battery compartment, will be home to the new tankless propane fired water heater... I made a mock up, to scale, plywood cube to help visualize placement...The water pump will be in that compartment as well...The diesel fired air heater is pretty much unmovable there, but I can rotate it enough for the air distribution hose to be un-kinked when finally set...A lot of stuff in a small space, thank you Mike Hiscox for the formal training...!!!...
I am feeling really good how this has come apart and how it will come together...
(above) With the major electrical demo done, the breaker panels were relocated closer to the power source... Sharing the inverter / battery compartment...
The inverter was mover over a couple of inches and lowered about the same...The solar controller was treated the same way...I just know that later the new empty space will be needed, and I will be glad to have it...
(above) The separate panels were ganged together in a recess mount VG fir case...VG fir will be the predominate wood inside the cabin...The panels are recessed to prevent the switches from being accidentally bumped...The panel case was kept low to open up the possibility of additional storage under the future countertop...
(above) I was gifted more than enough clear VG fir to do whatever I want trim wise on the inside...The first few strips make up the panel case...There is a groove around the fir case that the edges of the panels fit in... Slick...
(above) View from outside, looking into the battery / inverter case...the new panels are in place with a bit of reconnecting of existing circuits done...
(above) Close up of the combined panels and some very preliminary wiring into the panels...
(above) With the location of a central design feature established, my thoughts go to the routing of wiring and plumbing lines... With the Fuso, there is no underfloor, across the cabin, wiring or plumbing... Just makes sense...So to get wire and tubes to the other side I will run some kind of 'chase' to route those things...
Wiring and plumbing needs to get to the shower/ toilet area, and the existing shower stall and seating are an obstacle to doing that...Besides they are butt ugly and poorly constructed... Every time I look over there I feel depressed that it so funky (in the bad sense of the word)... Time for a change...
(above) Twenty minutes later it is as open up as it gets... I feel much better... Now the whole cabin will be refreshed and hopefully pretty cool, figuratively speaking...
(above) The fresh water tank will remain although it is a bit too tall to design natural height seating around... I need to think about this a bit...
(above) The kitchen cabinet, next to the battery compartment, will be home to the new tankless propane fired water heater... I made a mock up, to scale, plywood cube to help visualize placement...The water pump will be in that compartment as well...The diesel fired air heater is pretty much unmovable there, but I can rotate it enough for the air distribution hose to be un-kinked when finally set...A lot of stuff in a small space, thank you Mike Hiscox for the formal training...!!!...
I am feeling really good how this has come apart and how it will come together...
Looks good!
Paul
Do you plan to place the dinette booth on a raised platform, about one step in height?
May I suggest angling the lower section of the bench inward so as to make sitting more comfortable?
PaulJensen
Custom Builder
Yeah...I like that...
GR8ADV
Explorer
Yes that is the way it was before (stepped up). It did sort of separate the sitting area from the rest. This sounds good but I think it took away a bit from the interior flow and roominess. Maybe a different tank? Paul knows best...
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PaulJensen
Custom Builder
04
(above) After some more work, it looks like this...Trying not to get to OCD with this stuff, but still make it understandable...
(above) Say hello to waterlines... Protected somewhat from the BBQ and slide in bags...
(above) Simple, fast. cheap...
(above) Refrigerator wiring #1 ... Oversize wires to start are a good thing... A splice under the bed, for the fridge circuit maintains the # 8 wire to the fridge... The standard is set...More power, "mo bettah"...Room for expansion later, if needed...
(above) Relocating the electrical drop back here, to one point, just makes sense... The 3/4" wiring chase does too...
(above) Back At the top of the fridge, the conduit continues...
(above) ....behind the fridge, at the top...
(above) Better than before...
(above) Basic wiring and plumbing completed...
(above) Where there once was a mess...
(above) Changes done...
(above) The water pump makes better sense on the same plane as the tank...
The rough in is close to being finished...
(above) After some more work, it looks like this...Trying not to get to OCD with this stuff, but still make it understandable...
(above) Say hello to waterlines... Protected somewhat from the BBQ and slide in bags...
(above) Simple, fast. cheap...
(above) Refrigerator wiring #1 ... Oversize wires to start are a good thing... A splice under the bed, for the fridge circuit maintains the # 8 wire to the fridge... The standard is set...More power, "mo bettah"...Room for expansion later, if needed...
(above) Relocating the electrical drop back here, to one point, just makes sense... The 3/4" wiring chase does too...
(above) Back At the top of the fridge, the conduit continues...
(above) ....behind the fridge, at the top...
(above) Better than before...
(above) Basic wiring and plumbing completed...
(above) Where there once was a mess...
(above) Changes done...
(above) The water pump makes better sense on the same plane as the tank...
The rough in is close to being finished...
