4WheelResto

[resto]

Costancy of Purpose

Longhorn1 had asked a number of excellent questions elsewhere. In order to properly answer them it essential to understand why I made the design choices I did.

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So, firstly, I wanted the camper to be compact. I don't notice it much while driving, parking etc.. And in my case, where we get a lot of rain, I don't want to store it outside—I can back into my garage (with less than 1" clearance). I then use a modified lift to remove the camper and place it on a trolley. Which I then wheel over to a set of double doors leading into my basement (with less than 1" of clearance on the sides). Inside the dry, heated, finished portion of my basement I lift the roof (with several inches above) to allow it to dry and store it there. The size of the Ranger II (or an Eagle) works perfect for me.

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The problem is this compact means limited space. The following picture illustrates the size difference of a Eagle size camper on the same truck as mine vs a camper made for the Toyota Tundras flanking it.

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Secondly, I can get by with less creature comforts because most of the trips I will use it on will be less than 1 week. I might camp 3 days then stay in a stay motel 1 day. Usually our trips involve the following activities: road cycling, mountain biking, trail running, or hiking. We are not planning any heavy duty expedition style trips so my unit won't need solar panels, winches etc.. We will also use "easy" forest service when exploring the backwoods. Roads that we use won't likely result in us getting stuck but require a 4WD. The Toyota is a tough little 4WD. The only off-road additions I made were oversized tires, and the addition of a Tacoma "off road" rear e-locker. The fabrication and retro-fit was done by local Toyota expert Ryan from Disturbed Industries.

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The third consideration is the lack of horsepower that goes with having a older 4 cylinder truck.

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With these 3 things in mind I formulated a minimalist design!!!
The plan was keep the weight down, and prevent the interior from becoming to cramped. To accomplish this I started with a shell, and the attitude that I would only bring the gear I would carry in my backpack.
Obviously, I will take more than what goes in my backpack, but you will see as I go forward that that is the attitude I use.
Please keep these insights in mind when trying to understand why I did things the way I did.

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So with that out of the way, let me answer one of Longhorn1's questions: What is the grey box in the interior?
Answer: It is a indication I lack confidence. See, I don't want to use the regular fridge, stove, heater, propane bottle, hoses, fittings, etc., normally found in a FWC. They weigh a lot, and take up lots of room. Can I get away with only the things I might put in my pack? It might not be ideal, but....
If I not happy in the end that grey box is the propane housing as found on most FWC. Hopefully it will be a mistake, as I will be successful without it. In the meantime I will use it as outside storage.

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Now with this post out of the way I feel more comfortable and will start adding more pics and ideas this weekend.

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[pappawheely]

Looks brand new, excellent work!

 

[longhorn1]

Thanks for the follow-up. I think this is one of the best build-outs that I have seen. jd

 

[resto]

Stainless

Stainless steel can be a big mistake with the aluminum siding and frame of a FWC. This is because of galvanic corrosion. I took steps to prevent this from occurring and thus have more durable steps and latches. They look great too!

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[tanglefoot]

I like your build philosophy a lot. It looks like you're doing a much better job of keeping weight down than I am.

I ended up with about the largest pop-up that will go on a compact truck--8 foot floor, wider body, wood construction. I took a pretty minimalist approach with it though. It came without a furnace or propane bottle, and I removed the fridge. I use a 1-pound propane bottle (lasts a fairly good while) in the outside enclosure, with an adapter for the stove and an ice cooler for food. I did go with a 2nd battery and a small solar system (10W) to charge it, but the systems are very basic: propane stove, hand-pumped sink, and some lights.

The power thing is all relative. If you go back in time and start making comparisons, the 22RE is perfectly adequate, if not impressive. The 22RE Toyota Truck took the "best in class" power award in the mid-80s, and if you compare it with earlier air-cooled VWs, it's a powerhouse!

I really enjoy my compact camper on '85 Toyota combo. The higher center-of-gravity with the camper does take some getting used to, but it definitely goes where you won't find most other campers.

I like how you went with an E-locker in back. I have a rear locker also (LockRight), and it does really help with traction. Another mod that I feel makes a big difference, especially with the weight, is lower low-range gearing. I didn't want to use double-cases, so I put a 4:1 gearset in the single case. It really makes a big difference with ability to get over obstacles (especially in combination with the locker) and with low-speed control, to help keep the camper from wildly rocking back and forth.

Incredible combo you have there, and really impressive work! Enjoy!

 

[longhorn1]

Galvanic issues occur between dissimilar metals: Galvanized/Aluminum, copper/galvanized, aluminum/copper. There is no reaction between stainless and aluminum.

 

[ripperj]

The research I did, seem to imply there was a reaction between ss and Al, but unless immersed in salt water( like a boat) it will take years ( think decades ) , so I decided not to worry about it. My Alaskan that I'm building/ rebuilding has lots of ss screws thru the aluminum skin

 

[brianjwilson]

Great work! The black trim and access doors really tie it together. I like the silver spur FWC but the white trim and doors don't look nearly as clean as what you did. Did you actually buy most of the access doors that way, or paint them yourself?

 

[resto]

Galvanic issues occur between dissimilar metals: Galvanized/Aluminum, copper/galvanized, aluminum/copper. There is no reaction between stainless and aluminum.

I am no expert on this, and there have been whole threads on this subject that still left me unsure. When I spoke with both FWC and ATC I was warned not to use stainless steel screws. FWC had an experience with one purchaser who had bought a new camper and asked for SS screws throughout. Within 1 year the owner was back getting all screws replaced as corrosion was already occurring.

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When I researched I remember seeing a number of charts showing the degree to which galvanic corrosion occurred with dissimilar metals. As memory serves, there were two types of SS. One type had a strong response, the other quite weak. I also believe the climate in which you live would be a contributor. Areas with salt on the roads (winter), or air (seaside) would contribute. But I'm way over my head talking about this so I added a warning.

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The supplier I used said the type of (or treatment to) the SS I bought was safe in this regard. By using SS on my camper I am trying to say I was not deterred by the concerns expressed by others.

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Interestingly, the latch I used is SS with a aluminum baseplate—and it is warrantied.

 

[ripperj]

Yup, I hear you, I was pretty confused when trying to figure out if it was a problem.

 

[seeNik48]

Greetings from a fellow PNWer. You did an absolutely beautiful job on both the camper and the truck. Also, you are smart to keep the weight down. Our DD is a 1999 Tacoma 4 cylinder extended cab. At one point, we had a FWC eagle but had the full package. Too much weight made for a few few bad braking situations. Even if yours is lighter weight, you may want to beef up the brake system. Our last scary moment came while driving Highway 20 through the North Cascades and the tunnels near Newhalem. We skidded taking the corner too fast and am I glad no one was coming the other way. I do miss the camper as it was well made and much simpler than our current set up (hubby was the one who wanted the bath, etc.). I hope you have many adventures ahead of you. And, you have a wife who is on the same page.

 

[resto]

Hopefully this will be the last time I will bring up SS. Again, I had gone with SS latches and steps and are not too worried about them causing problems. Besides I insulated them from the aluminum with butyl. I think they are well worth the extra cash.

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Here is a latch from the original. Note that if you could see the screw section it would have rust on it more like the screws shown (a different alloy or coating is used on this section). These screws were also from my camper.

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One needs only look at the screws in the photo to see why SS screws would be nice to use. But I am not as confident about using SS screws when it comes to the galvanic corrosion issue—they would be making direct contact with thin gauge aluminum, and the report from FWC...?

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To get a better picture how they perform I am going to try a experiment. I have scrap frame tubing and aluminum siding from the camper. I will screw the siding to the frame scraps with various screws (including both types of SS) and place them outside for a few months. We get a lot of rain. I will report the findings.

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[resto]

tanglefoot. Thanks for the feedback. Its comforting to know there a number of people that can relate. Weeks from now I will announce my weights empty, then loaded with gear—lets see how I do for weight, and how much comfort I had to give up to get there.

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seeNik88. Good point on the brakes. I will first try to answer the brake problem by keeping the weight down. I hope I won't have to upgrade the brakes. We will see.

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[ripperj]

What kind of screws does FWC use on the outside?
I will be interested in your experiment , I was going to do the same thing, but too lazy

 

[tanglefoot]

You already have the better, IFS front brakes (w/ventilated rotors) and larger rear drums than the '85 and earlier Trucks, so that's a help. Sometimes adjusting the linkage to the load-sensing proportioning valve (LSPV) in the back can make a big difference. Often, at the stock setting, the back brakes aren't doing their share of the work. You don't want them to do too much, of course, and lock up before the fronts, but there's usually more they can do. One way is just to bend the linkage between the LSPV and the rear axle so that the valve end of it is up higher. I was pretty impressed with the difference after messing with that.

I ended up disconnecting the linkage from the axle end and wiring the linkage up to the underbody, so the valve setting is all the way up. Make sure to do plenty of brake tests to make sure there isn't too much rear-brake bias if you do this though.