CUCV M-1009 Baja Chase/ pit support and Camping Project.

[1976K5Chalet]

Etech.

A chalet camper is not the only option ava to u. 4 wheel pop tops can still be found on craigs list. I have one that needs a new home since i am switching gears.
Also if u want a brandy new one built to ur specs might i suggest Coyote RV out of commerce city colorado (denever). I believe the owners dad was the originator of the 4 wheel pop tops back in the day before they sold the buisness. They really make some interesting campers on a wide variety of chassis's. Ie...ford raptor..new 4 door jeep....etc.

DW

 

[etech]

1976k5chalet,
Do you have any pictures of the pop top camper, or of the one your wanting to get rid of? Also about how much. I'd like to check that out. I'm always opened to ideas, but as for having a custome one built, that may be a idea much later, however if I do it now, it will wreck the budget I planed for on this rig. I'm trying to keep this truck with in reason.

 

[etech]

okay, so I have taken some time to update and post photos, but here is a couple photos and details of what I have been working on.

I got the GPS in a while back, and now working on the center console, stereo, gauges, and what not. I ordered some southco flush latches, for access panels, and my storage bin doors. The console covers my 4x4 shifter, So I'm going to make a access door in the top of the console that opens so I can reach in and shift to 4x4.

The plan for the console is to spray bed liner on the outer panels, and then I'm going to lay a layer of 3K carbon fiber 2x2 twill cloth over the center section. (mostly for looks, ) I'm looking for some sort of simple a/c vents I can mount in it (I have been looking at 05?+ f-150 vents the round ones) and need some simple cup holders. (Any suggestions any one? ) Also I need to decide on what switches, and where to mount my race radios.

I started laying out the back storage boxes, and the sleeping deck. lots of ideas much in part to this forum, very good information here and ideas. thanks again to all here.

I mounted the roof rack today. I really did not want one but it looks okay, and I don't really see any way around it. My CUCV is just to small not to have one. Sooooo with that said, its on and I still have a few more mods to make to it. I modified the mounts for it, and mounted it as low as possible. The rails touch the top of the body, so I'm going to lay a layer of rubber under them to keep vibration down, and as to not rub through the roof and damage the fiberglass.

I still have to make a floor for the rack ( trying to decide on what material, plywood sprayed in bed liner, expanded steel welded on, or aluminum that is bead rolled and dimple die holes) as well as weld on my light tabs and mount my LED light bars. I bought a 8 inch for a back up light, and I think I'd like to get a 42" light bar for the front then maybe a couple 12" bars for the sides for camp/ work lights. The 2 small lights up front are Hella 4000 compacts with a HID kit from my Company rated at 100w :Wow1: not 35w, and uses ballasts for 24v system. They are crazy bright.

I'm also looking for a decent awning I can attach to the sides or over the back that wont brake the bank, and any ideas for mounting my hi lift jack, and a shovel to the rack.

 

[chasespeed]

Looking good man, love the build...bada$$.....

On the console/shifter issue... when I did my Bronco, I "adjusted" the angle of the shifter, to come out the side of the console... took a few tries to get it right, least amount of bend and length while still being to work it, and more, allowing my wife to work it. once I got the angle right, I made the slot, and closed the gap with nylon bristels... was clean, simple, and worked great without any doors.... plus I also got rid of my column shift....

My vote on the floor of the rack, expanded metal... probably cheapest, and fastest... the aluminum would be great, but, I would save that for a full on custom rack...

Chase

 

[bob91yj]

A friend of mine had some bling cupholders he got from West Marine. They were mounted on a gimbal, didn't spill in the roughest terrain!

See you and the truck in a couple of weeks in San Felipe!

 

[racemedic]

Looking good! I also vote for expanded metal. I used to have a rack like yours on my old Suburban and used plywood and never liked it, but it's what I had at the time and got the job done. How many radios you installing? How many switches you mounting?

 

[77blazerchalet]

1976k5chalet,
Do you have any pictures of the pop top camper.....

Speaking on behalf of ol' Doug, there are these ones for comparison in Denver Craigslist ads: http://denver.craigslist.org/rvs/2595373798.html http://denver.craigslist.org/cto/2591173403.html

Probably in both cases the sellers want to sell the whole vehicle & camper, so you might do well with Doug's FWC camper.

 

[etech]

Bob, So Laird called me tonight and said that he only needs Ivan and I from this area I guess that means no Travis, and no Joaquin, So I don't really see the need to take 2 trucks and Ivan wants to take big blue, so I doubt I'll be taking the blazer to baja... I also sorta doubt that it will be ready in time. I'm a little worried about making its first trip a baja trip ( let alone the Baja 1000, Sorta like taking a climbing class at the local gym and then trying to tackle Mt. Everest the next day) with the turbo just being mounted, and not too much test time. I'd Like to put some miles under it with the turbo on to be sure its good on this side of the border before venturing to the other side of the border I'm going to still keep plugging away on it, Time will tell but maybe the first race i"ll take it too may be the 250 next year. )o;@

Racemedic. thanks I just may do that, I have narrowed it down to aluminum sheet or expanded steel, I'm just worried that the expanded steel will be really harsh on anything I put up there, that stuff is really sharp, also what do you drive now? As for radios I plan on mounting 2, I have a Icom 2200H, and a Motorola Mara trac, that currently is at Fisher comm in Blythe trying to get programed. They are having problems with the software for it, as its all MS DOS based... ya its old. but its one of the best radios for the price and pushes 110w min. One of the Search and Rescue guys here in town told me about them.

1977blazerchalet
I thought you had one for sale too. I'll check into the others, but I really don't need any more trucks, I have way too many now. however it may be worth buying it for the camper and selling the blazer it comes with.

 

[racemedic]

Understand about the expanded steel. How about rectangular welded wire mesh? Mara Trac's are good radios but programming has always been an issue. We still have some in service and if I need to program any I have to make a trip to Riverside to our main shop to do it. All our frequencies are set so we dont have to program them very often. Let me know if they can't get it done and I'll see what I can do. I drive a Tacoma double cab, the burb was many years ago. I mostly used my roof rack as a platform for the beach chair, great for watching the desert races and I could sleep in the back, wish I still had it.

 

[77blazerchalet]

...1977blazerchalet
I thought you had one for sale too. I'll check into the others, but I really don't need any more trucks, ...may be worth buying it for the camper and selling the blazer it comes with.

Sold mine last August, posted in this thread. My google map of the Chalets for sale has the orphaned units designated as "shells-only" if that helps to skip the problem of having to deal with an extra truck. Better to keep a good quality Chalet together for its collector value. Also worthwhile to do periodic searches for "blazer camper" at Craigslist to turn up the occasional aftermarket ones....

 

[etech]

77blazerchalet, thanks for the pointers, I'll keep checking. that pop camper is exactly what im looking for. I think a chalets are a little much for what Im looking for, they are very cool, but I just want something a little less. that pop top fit the bill perfectly, so I'll keep looking for one for a decent one at a fair price. thanks again for introducing me to them.

Racemedic.

Ya I should have started with a sub, but its hard to find a clean sub with as little miles as my cucv. But if I found a clean 4x4 diesel 3/4 ton sub Id be all over it.

I think B. Royer is trying to see if he can program them, if not then I may need your help, thanks for the offer, I may end up taking you up on it.

I have a list of about 76 freqs that need to be inputted. I think the mara trac holds 99 channels, as long as your not using the clamshell head. The reason for the program is they are new units and were shipped with no programing. I have a list of all our race freqs, and once programed I doubt I'll need them done again.
the welded mess would work well I think.

Those tacos are great trucks. I sponsored a class 7 taco for quite some time. The truck is very fast. I built custom center mounted arms for it, for free to help him with his effort. ( it was 76" wide out side to outside up front to be with in score 78" rules, and cycled a strapped 21" of front travel. with the stock frame. you can have a lot of travel with toyota's even with their wide frames if you do the math correctly. also only 1/8" bump steer through the whole travel.)

I'm also thinking about building a slide out ladder into the roof rack, if I can fit it under the floor then I may do it, my blazer is tall and getting anything off the top is going to be that much harder. I don't know that I will do that but it was just a Idea.

Here are a couple pics of the Class 7 taco I built, and there is a photo of full drop and almost full compression, at full compression the tire touched the hood, for reference the tire is a 35 bfg Project.

 

[rxm6]

I'm also thinking about building a slide out ladder into the roof rack, if I can fit it under the floor then I may do it, my blazer is tall and getting anything off the top is going to be that much harder. I don't know that I will do that but it was just a Idea.

I have seen this done several ways. I saw one guy use something similar to this: http://www.amazon.com/Xtend-Climb-785P-Telescoping-Professional/dp/B000JIL4Z8. Something like that doesn't take up a lot of a space.

I saw another guy that had a ladder strapped to the roof rack. And my dad used to use a little wooden two step ladder.

Although, the slide out would be unique and it would be interesting to see complete.

I prefer to climb like a monkey and use my bumpers, windows, and doors to get up to my rack.

 

[racemedic]

Nice taco build. I thought about going long travel on this one but decided to keep it simple. I go up to riverside about every 4 to 6 weeks so let me know how the programming works out. The slide out ladder would be nice, I know it was a pain getting to the rack on my burb.

 

[etech]

my latches came in so I started working on the storage boxes again.. here is a pic of the latches that I ordered.

 

[chasespeed]

NICE!!!!!!!!!!!! Aluminum?

Chase