Diving in Head First!

[Czechsix]

Nice work, looks very clean. I see intermittent polishing in your future, but as long as you don't get wire wheels for it, I guess that's ok. :sombrero:

When you say there's an improvement, what's changed? What kind of total travel do you have now? Have you ramped it? How's the washboard behavior?

 

[yabanja]

I have only driven it briefly. (Winter weather is still upon us-salted roads!) The ride was much more controlled and supple. Particularly the larger bumps. The truck now drives through them rather than bouncing over them. The articulation is 30" at this point. The current rear shock setup allows zero droop though so there is significant room for improvement back there. The new front shocks still have 5" of droop available at full articulation. I will likely buy timbren bump stops, and have longer main front leaves made at some point in the front to improve the ability of the front suspension to droop. If I lower tire pressures I think it will be quite comfortable over wash boards at this point, and am confident that the shocks will not fade.

Will conduct further testing when the weather improves(a month or two.)

Next goals-new tires, mount camper, insulate cabin, on board air.

Hopefully all in time for the overland expo west!

Allan

 

[Alastair D(Aus)]

yabanja,
Have you considered putting in air bags rather than normal end stops?
I recently put Firestone bags into the front of my Isuzu NPS300 with cabin control. I have not yet done any real driving with load but as is it gives me a more progressive ride without the hard stop. From low pressure to max there is about 1" difference in ride height and big difference in ride feel.Just another option.

 

[yabanja]

I have considered them, but Really like the progressive spring rate curve as well as the simplicity of the Timbrens.

Allan

 

[Alastair D(Aus)]

Allan,
Fair enough. I tossed the option around before doing it. I may well end up with atw springs but will wait until the vehicle is finished to decide. As an interim step they work quite well and may be final. Our vehicle is not going to be a rock crawler just able to get out when I went were i shouldn't have in 2wd.

 

[yabanja]

Keep in mind that I have already built custom higher rate springs for mine and raised the ride height by 3". It is unlikely I will touch the bumpstops except in a major event(unseen major dip at speed etc...) For this application the Timbrens are ideal.

Allan

 

[yabanja]

I have commenced with the modification of the HI-Lo trailer which will be the basis of the camper. It is a 1979 17 foot model. The total length of the box excluding the fiberglass end caps is 53" which is perfect for my short wheelbase truck. I am removing the end-caps and will be installing flat fiberglass/foam laminate panels on the front and rear. Was very pleased with the quality of the steel frame construction of the trailer upon initial disassembly.

 

[Czechsix]

Looks like a good basis. Also looks quite a bit bigger, for some reason, than Caid's. You going for a crawl through on it too?

 

[yabanja]

Looks like a good basis. Also looks quite a bit bigger, for some reason, than Caid's. You going for a crawl through on it too?

Nope, No crawl through.

Allan

 

[Curtis in Texas]

My parents had a crank up hard side trailer like that some years ago and that thing was huge when it was up.

A crawl though would be a neat trick, but almost impossible without going through both front walls. And that would mean losing all your strength in the front walls.

 

[Czechsix]

How are you going to mount it?

I'm playing around with the same idea, but I'm thinking that since I already have the flatbed...mount to the flatbed, and then if/when I upgrade to something like ATW/EC/etc, sell off the flatbed and trailer together to another FG guy and wind up with a bare frame to install a chassis mount camper.

 

[yabanja]

I am building a 3 point mount like the one on the bigfoot on the other thread. I would consider saving the flatbed, but mine is too heavy- nearly 3500 lbs with the lift gate.

 

[dlh62c]

I am building a 3 point mount like the one on the bigfoot on the other thread.

May I ask; what's the current supporting framework under the camper body on the HI-Lo trailer as it sits now?

 

[yabanja]

May I ask; what's the current supporting framework under the camper body on the HI-Lo trailer as it sits now?

It is a steel framed single axle trailer.

 

[dlh62c]

It is a steel framed single axle trailer.

I'm trying to grasp why you want to go with a 3 point mounting system.

Is the camper body supported by cross members that could then be supported by two long rails?