Alaskan Mini and Fuso FG

[haven]

Call me crazy, or maybe inspired...

Alaskan Camper just announced a new smaller design for mid-size trucks like the Toyota Tacoma. The camper is 76 inches long, and weighs about 1000 lbs with water and propane on board. The camper is designed to fit in the bed of the pickup, with the door at the rear bumper.

Now for the crazy part. How about mounting two of the new Mini campers side by side on the bed of a Fuso FG, with the camper doors facing the passenger side of the vehicle?

One camper would be for sleeping and storage, the second for cooking and a minimalist bathroom. Or use the second unit as a garage for motorbikes or an ATV. Or set up the second unit as an office. Or a kids' room.

Alaskan Camper will modify a Mini to your design, so you could make the interior to match the way you want to use it. Alaskan will build a camper for use on a flatbed, making extra storage space out of the cutouts that normally fit over the wheelwell in a pickup bed.

The dimensions of the Alaskan Mini show it will fit sideways on a Fuso FG. The cab on the newer FGs is 78.5 inches wide, while the camper is 76 inches long.

Looking at the head-on photo below, I'd say the Mini is no wider than the Tacoma in the photo is, or about 75 inches. So I'm estimating the length of two Alaskan Minis set side by side on the Fuso to be 75 + 75 = 150 inches. The distance from the Fuso cab to the end of the frame is 157 inches, so you might be able to find a place for a spare tire or fuel cans behind the cab, above the transmission.

So why even consider such a wacky idea? First, it puts the entry doors to the campers on the side of the vehicle. A door at the rear gets very dusty and muddy, and you can't help dragging all sorts of crap into the camper when you get in an out of the camper. A side entry is much cleaner.

Second, I like the Alaskan Camper's pop-up hard side camper design and proven strength.

Third, one Alaskan Mini cost $13,000, so two = $26,000. That's inexpensive compared to a Fuso custom camper solution.

Fourth, two Alaskan Minis will weight about 2000 lbs, that's quite light.

Fifth, the two campers would be less susceptible to damage than a single long camper as the truck frame twists over uneven terrain.

Sixth, Alaskan will customize the Mini to meet your needs.

Maybe not so crazy after all, eh?

Thanks to forum member David_in_TX for letting us know about the Alaskan Mini. See his post and the discussion about it here
http://expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=24538

See details and more photos in Truck Camper Magazine
http://www.truckcampermagazine.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=723&Itemid=34

Chip Haven

 

[washington taco]

At 1000 LBS, thats 50 LBS uder max payload. How about putting that pig on a diet. Only my second post I am just honest!!!!!!!

 

[dhackney]

So why even consider such a wacky idea? First, it puts the entry doors to the campers on the side of the vehicle. A door at the rear gets very dusty and muddy, and you can't help dragging all sorts of crap into the camper when you get in an out of the camper. A side entry is much cleaner.

Take it from somebody who's lived in a rear entry pickup camper for 21 months: a side entry is a lot cleaner.

Fourth, two Alaskan Minis will weight about 2000 lbs, that's quite light.

Hey, that means we could bring more stuff! Oh, wrong idea...

Fifth, the two campers would be less susceptible to damage than a single long camper as the truck frame twists over uneven terrain.

I'd still put them on a subframe and use a four point mount. There are a lot of advantages to having everything on a 'payload' subframe that can be removed for service/repair of the Fuso chassis. Do not ask me how I know this.

Maybe not so crazy after all, eh?

Chip, only somebody truly crazy would ever call any idea you had crazy.

Some additional advantages:
a) With the campers down you have less wind resistance = better gas mileage.
b) With the campers down, you can fit the rig into a container for shipping. Believe me, container-capable shipping is a VERY worthy goal. Not that spending the last four weeks trying to book RoRo or flat rack shipping has shaped my opinion or anything...
c) If you put them on a 3 or 4 point pivot platform (highly recommended with the Fuso frame) you can remove one camper (perhaps the mother-in-law unit - see crane reference below) and now have a short flatbed for cargo, more motorcycles, pyrotechnics, work use, etc.

The only challenges I see are:
1. You would need to have an overhead crane or an A frame & hoist to remove and install them. Not a show stopper. You could install a truck delivery crane (used for construction deliveries, etc.) on the Fuso and then have the ability to remove one unit at any time to open up flatbed room for bonfire firewood collection, major beer run, etc.
2. You would lose access to side storage/systems on the mating seams (between cab back and front edge and where the two units were side by side) This implies long (camper length) storage spaces in those areas accessible from the 'front' and 'back' ends of the camper (now the left and right sides of the Fuso chassis). This could limit systems placement (batteries, sewage, propane, etc.).
3. You would need to allow some space between the units to prevent scraping/friction damage.
4. As we do, you would need to allow about 1.5 hours to egress from the cab at any North America campground. The time is required to hold a press conference for all the curious campers who mob you before you can even open the cab door.

Doug

 

[haven]

Washington Taco, the cargo capacity of the 2009 Tacoma Access Cab 4x2, as pictured in the photos of the Alaskan Mini, is 1310 lbs. In the Truck Camper magazine article, the folks from Alaskan Camper acknowledge that the truck will be right at maximum GVWR with the camper plus truck occupants, and they recommend some sort of helper springs.

However, this has nothing to do with the discussion here. The Fuso FG is a medium duty cab forward truck with GVWR of 14,000 lbs and a cargo capacity of more than 7000 lbs. Adding two 1000 lb Mini campers to the back of an FG will just smooth out the ride!

Chip Haven

 

[haven]

Here's some more raving lunacy about using a pair of Alaskan Mini campers, turned sideways, on the back of a Fuso FG.

Dorrie at Alaskan Campers responded to my inquiry about the dimensions of the new Alaskan Mini. It turns out to be very close to being a cube. That's perfect for my idea of mounting the Mini sideways on a Fuso FG

Alaskan Mini
overall length 79"
overall height, roof lowered 58"
overall height, roof raised 79.5"
overall width 78"

The Fuso FG cab is about 59 inches taller than the frame rail right behind the cab. Add six or eight inches for a subframe, and the Alaskan Mini with roof lowered would sit perhaps 5 inches taller than the cab.

The late model FG cab is 78 inches wide, not counting the mirrors. So the Alaskan Mini, if sitting sideways on the Fuso chassis, would stick out about a 1/2 inch on each side of the cab.

The camper width between the wheel wells is 40". Since the overall width is 78", the wheel well setback is 19" on each side. This space would make very useful storage compartments when enclosed.

The long wheelbase Fuso FG (the only model sold in USA today) measures 157 inches from the back of the cab to the end of the frame. Two Alaskan Minis sitting side by side measure (78+78)= 156 inches.

As Doug H. said, if two Minis sit side by side, access to these outside compartments would be blocked. So we'd have to ask Alaskan Camper to provide access to the compartments from inside instead.

If I were mounting two Minis side by side with doors facing the sidewalk, I think I'd add a metal platform to the side of the truck. When folded down, the platform would create a "front porch" where you could walk from one Mini camper to the other without going down to street level.

When folded up against the side of the campers, the platform could block entrance to the doors of the campers as a security measure. Or maybe the platform should fold down, creating a fender skirt effect over the rear wheels. Or better still, maybe the platform should push back horizontally into a long, narrow slot beneath the campers. Hmmmm.

Chip Haven

 

[kookynet]

chassis twist angle

any figure of the maximum twist angle of the chassis ?

On Doug's very interesting web site picture (http://www.hackneys.com/mitsu/index-pivot-frame.htm) I estimate the twist angle to be around 7 degrees.

Is that correct ? Could it be more ?

I assume the fuso on the picture is a 133" wheel base (a shorter chassis would lead to smaller angle, right ?).

Thanks
Robert