Chinook camper on a Jeep Comanche, has it been done?

[KC0GFG]

Whilst perusing the craigs list I came across the a guy selling just the back fiberglass shell for an old (78) toyota chinook camper. And I thought to my self, that would be awesome on my 90 MJ. I figured here might be good place to ask if anybody has done it or considered doing it?

I'm still researching specks and all to figure out if it will work on a short bed MJ I don't think it's been done before. I did catch a blurb about the original campers having a 110" wheel base and the tape measure tells me the MJ is right at about 112".

Here's what I'm thinking only more MJ in the front
http://toyotachinook...ook-4x4-diesel/

any input would be a big help

 

[thedjjack]

here:

 

[Henry_G]

Most of the conversions I've seen have been done on Toyota truck bodies. I haven't seen one put on a Jeep chassis but it shouldn't be that much more difficult.

Found on this site:

A few technical questions have been answered in this thread:

http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/53667-1977-Chinook-Questions

Sounds like a great project!

 

[thedjjack]

I would personally stretch a Jeep YJ or TJ or CJ and use that if I was going to build a Jeep.

Cooler then the MJ (no offence) and more real frame...

 

[Henry_G]

I would personally stretch a Jeep YJ or TJ or CJ and use that if I was going to build a Jeep.

Cooler then the MJ (no offence) and more real frame...

The OP already owns the MJ so it might make more sense to use what he currently has. I would personally start with a truck platform for a project like this but I don't have as much fabrication experience to really understand how difficult it would be to use a YJ, TJ or CJ platform. You need around a 110in wheelbase to line up the wheel arches of the camper shell.

This is a much bigger camper shell, but it gives you an idea what it could look like. I think the Chinook shell would look better compared the one pictured. The lower clearance of the chinook pop top can be beneficial.

 

[Henry_G]

Another larger example...

 

[pappawheely]

Is that real or photoshopped? Aren't the cherokees unibody construction? How would you attach the camper to a structure that has no frame? I have never seen one with a dually axle in the front either.

 

[Mundo4x4Casa]

Pappa,
The MJ is the midsized jeep pickup built in the late 80's that actually did have a frame. There were a couple variants on this. My friend had an '88, long WB, one metric ton model. Yes, 2200 pound capy. It has a hybrid 6" lift kit. Front part from RE, rr as an SOA. It had a thick tube, Dana 44 (w/trac-loc) on the rear axle but had the higher spline count axle shafts, 33x9.50's, and 4.56 gears. So, the weak point would actually be the RG&P. The front axle was a Dana 30, high pinion, Power Lok which was plenty good enough for his purposes. Jeep 4.0L six, the AW4, and NP242 t.case (w/full time feature). The rear springs were many leaved and had the over-load upper secondaries. This model was a rare beast indeed. Here is a pic:

He got rear ended, so had to replace the tailgate and bed with the normal one, without the One Metric Ton logo.

I always thought this would be good candidate for a small truck camper.
jefe