Ford Prefect
Expedition Leader
Nice to see you finally committed to doing something in there Mike! Looking forward to seeing this one through!
Brian
Brian
EarthRoamer XV-JP "Northwest Edition"
- Thread starter WhereTheHellIsJames?
- Start date
mhiscox
Expedition Leader
THE VASTLY ABRIDGED HISTORY: There's not really full documentation of the different work done prior to Paul's interior work, though the last half of it is at the beginning of the thread. Basically, the rig was acquired used in Philadelphia in the fall of 2008. Chris Schontz of this forum drove it to Colorado for me and I got it back to Portland from there and used it as ER built it for about nine months.
There've been two main efforts made since it became clear that the initial ER design and equipment would not meet my needs. Two-plus years ago, I had Upscale Automotive's fab team do the initial work removing the tent, roof winch, support hoops and so on. They also demoed the streetside installations, removing the fridge, Thetford and other components.
Other Upscale work included modifying the center console, installing the modified retractable rear step and a number of interior bits, mounting the roof rack and rear case, redoing the electrical with the Prosine inverter and Blue Sea breaker panel, mounting the Foxwing awning and, above all, designing, fabbing and installing the pneumatic roof raising system.
About the same time came the replacement of the unsatisfactory mud-terrains with the DuraTracs on the new wheels and the installation of the steps to the roof and the special spare tire setup.
Then, in the spring of 2010, James Lombardo did a great deal of significant additional work, chief among them the installation of the Long Ranger auxiliary fuel tank and the nth Degree suspension. James also installed the Yaesu 2-meter and several other components, including his own trick interior winch controller. Most important, though, were the design and installation of both the roof tent and the truck's cool graphics, as described at the start of this thread.
So the truck has been mechanically and conceptually finished for a year-and-a-half, and has proven to be excellent, but there's been a long delay in deciding how best to do the interior. That's over now and, with Paul at the controls, final completion of the vehicle is, relatively speaking, just around the corner.
Every Miles A Memory
Expedition Leader
Mike, although I'm not gay nor do I ever see myself hitting for the other team....If I was ever looking for a sugar daddy, I'd be knocking on your door this afternoon.....LOL:elkgrin: It's a joke people, lets not turn it into anything other than a chuckle!
You by far have the coolest toys on this forum!! Every one of them is so cool, well thought out and personalized!!
You by far have the coolest toys on this forum!! Every one of them is so cool, well thought out and personalized!!
mhiscox
Expedition Leader
Thanks for the compliment, Pat. It's only half a joke to say that when I'd see the truck just sitting waiting for a plan, I kept thinking "Better get this done so that Pat and Brian and Frank and Smitty and Dave and the rest of the guys don't think you're a total loser." :sombrero:
Every Miles A Memory
Expedition Leader
That thing honestly would be the perfect solo or couples vehicle to take my dream trip from the North Pole to Terra Del Fuego
Small enough to get you where ever you want to go. Yet capable enough to do it without worrying about ANYTHING!
Small enough to get you where ever you want to go. Yet capable enough to do it without worrying about ANYTHING!
adventureduo
Dave Druck [KI6LBB]
Mike, glad to see it starting to get attacked again. Can't wait to see the outcome.
PaulJensen
Custom Builder
Jeep Changes–Part 3
(above) If not now, when…???…
(above) This thing is awkward to have around…Solution, keep on the front porch…
(above) Back inside, my other “fun stuff” has progress too…
(above) Nothing more to add to that…
(above) Yesterday I lifted the roof…
(above) Inside I’m keeping the climate control on “as close to equatorial” as I can…
(above) Continuing on the clockwise tour, the lifted roof stands close to 13’ from ground to peak…
(above) Front and back…What a combo to have…!!!…
(above) With the lifted roof you can get a better look at the roof rack, spare and shovel…
(above) Meteorologists say we might get wet in the near future, thus the tarp from gutter to rack…
(above) Ready for whatever…
(above) Back inside, the dual batteries have their final positioning set…I’ll brace and strap ‘em solid before it’s all done…
(above) I brought into the warmth of the interior, the stove and the catalytic heater to see where they make sense to position…
(above) Hoping to find space for the heater down low, I pulled the access panel and viewed this Vision of Hell…Me want no part of that…Panel back on…
(above) Under the sink was as bad…How in the world did all that stuff get fitted in there…???…
(above) Back to the sink / countertop…I measured with a ruled tape, the dimensions of the existing components and the blank canvas yet to be perfected…
(above) From my numbered drawings, I lofted a full scale one dimensional drawing…
(above) As it is, now…
(above) As Mike envisioned it…Note the note…
(above) Maybe like this…???…
(above) Or this…???…I defer to Mike’s preference on these matters…
(above) One other thing I wanted to accomplish today was to make a full scale mock-up of the bed frame…
(above) Using Accuride 400# rated drawer guides as the foundation, I built a couple of matching panels that hinge together (piano hinges later) that pull out the full extension of 36” then flip over to present a finished bed platform that is 30” wide by 6’4” long…
(above) Pulled and flipped…
(above) Rating tested…
Happy with “it all”, I cracked a home brew and smiled at the progress so far…L
More later…
(above) If not now, when…???…
(above) This thing is awkward to have around…Solution, keep on the front porch…
(above) Back inside, my other “fun stuff” has progress too…
(above) Nothing more to add to that…
(above) Yesterday I lifted the roof…
(above) Inside I’m keeping the climate control on “as close to equatorial” as I can…
(above) Continuing on the clockwise tour, the lifted roof stands close to 13’ from ground to peak…
(above) Front and back…What a combo to have…!!!…
(above) With the lifted roof you can get a better look at the roof rack, spare and shovel…
(above) Meteorologists say we might get wet in the near future, thus the tarp from gutter to rack…
(above) Ready for whatever…
(above) Back inside, the dual batteries have their final positioning set…I’ll brace and strap ‘em solid before it’s all done…
(above) I brought into the warmth of the interior, the stove and the catalytic heater to see where they make sense to position…
(above) Hoping to find space for the heater down low, I pulled the access panel and viewed this Vision of Hell…Me want no part of that…Panel back on…
(above) Under the sink was as bad…How in the world did all that stuff get fitted in there…???…
(above) Back to the sink / countertop…I measured with a ruled tape, the dimensions of the existing components and the blank canvas yet to be perfected…
(above) From my numbered drawings, I lofted a full scale one dimensional drawing…
(above) As it is, now…
(above) As Mike envisioned it…Note the note…
(above) Maybe like this…???…
(above) Or this…???…I defer to Mike’s preference on these matters…
(above) One other thing I wanted to accomplish today was to make a full scale mock-up of the bed frame…
(above) Using Accuride 400# rated drawer guides as the foundation, I built a couple of matching panels that hinge together (piano hinges later) that pull out the full extension of 36” then flip over to present a finished bed platform that is 30” wide by 6’4” long…
(above) Pulled and flipped…
(above) Rating tested…
Happy with “it all”, I cracked a home brew and smiled at the progress so far…L
More later…
Northern Explorer
Explorer
So the bed folded up fits in the nose cone?
mhiscox
Expedition Leader
Yes, on streetside, with the extra nose cone space to curbside being used to store the bedding.
Amazing work guys. And it's great to see Paul now involved in this. It seems everywhere I go on the internet, I come across his impressive work - be it years of seeing his surfboards on swaylocks, to seeing his own build out of his sprinter van, to this project here on expeditionportala. (from the quality of his photographs, I fully expect to come across him on a photography website, too).
Thanks for sharing all the pictures and descriptions with us Paul.
Thanks for sharing all the pictures and descriptions with us Paul.
PaulJensen
Custom Builder
Four...
(above) Hi ho, hi ho, it’s off to…
(above) Where I left off last night…
(above) I had an idea late last night which I implemented…
(above) Add another set of heavy duty drawer guides under the first pull out…
(above) So when the foot section is flipped over, there is support without additional bracing or support needed…I climbed on, laid down, rolled around and confirmed the design to be a success…There was about an inch of deflection with my weight on it, but not bad considering the mock up is from less than rigid materials and the foot side guides are less heavy duty than the primaries…
Next, to put the bed in place within the Earth Roamer nose cone and see how it works in there…
(above) But first a look into the nose cone…
The expected: Lights and an air tank…
The unexpected: WATER…???…ELECTRICAL CONNECTION SUBMERGED…???…******…???…
(above) Close to a gallon…!!!…
The source: Leaks from the screws that hold the solar panels to the exterior nose cone roof…
Note to Earth Roamer: You should know better than to not use some kind of sealant…!!!…and test it…!!!…
(above) I wrestled the bed pull out into place and temporarily braced it, then came the test…Pulled out, flipped over, and extended…
(above) Fully extended…
(above) The view from below…It’s gonna work…
(above) Closed and pushed back in…
(above) There should be at least this much clearance between the bed and the ER roof…
(above) I made some notes to self…
(above) There is room under the bed for some drawers or a place to relocate the controls for the blue and grey water systems…
(above) Boxing in this side will be a fine way to finish out the nose cone…A place for stuff sacks, totes, duffel bags, small children…
I called Mike to go over the findings of the day and we concluded the best way to support the foot side of the bed was from a support that attaches to the roll bars on the sides…
The weight of the bed if it is made from plywood could be in the 50 to 75# range, so I suggested to Mike a way to lighten it up and he agreed…I’ll make it from 3/4” rigid foam and carbon fiber…
After I felt 99% of the answers to the bed / nose cone were resolved, I turned to the battery compartment and found the space (per Mike’s suggestion) to fit the inverter and the other power controls, knobs and gauges in there…It is going be tight, but what isn’t in here…But more important, it totally opens up the driver side cabinet for storage, pull out tables and a dedicated place for the stove…It’s all coming together better than planned…
More later…
(above) Hi ho, hi ho, it’s off to…
(above) Where I left off last night…
(above) I had an idea late last night which I implemented…
(above) Add another set of heavy duty drawer guides under the first pull out…
(above) So when the foot section is flipped over, there is support without additional bracing or support needed…I climbed on, laid down, rolled around and confirmed the design to be a success…There was about an inch of deflection with my weight on it, but not bad considering the mock up is from less than rigid materials and the foot side guides are less heavy duty than the primaries…
Next, to put the bed in place within the Earth Roamer nose cone and see how it works in there…
(above) But first a look into the nose cone…
The expected: Lights and an air tank…
The unexpected: WATER…???…ELECTRICAL CONNECTION SUBMERGED…???…******…???…
(above) Close to a gallon…!!!…
The source: Leaks from the screws that hold the solar panels to the exterior nose cone roof…
Note to Earth Roamer: You should know better than to not use some kind of sealant…!!!…and test it…!!!…
(above) I wrestled the bed pull out into place and temporarily braced it, then came the test…Pulled out, flipped over, and extended…
(above) Fully extended…
(above) The view from below…It’s gonna work…
(above) Closed and pushed back in…
(above) There should be at least this much clearance between the bed and the ER roof…
(above) I made some notes to self…
(above) There is room under the bed for some drawers or a place to relocate the controls for the blue and grey water systems…
(above) Boxing in this side will be a fine way to finish out the nose cone…A place for stuff sacks, totes, duffel bags, small children…
I called Mike to go over the findings of the day and we concluded the best way to support the foot side of the bed was from a support that attaches to the roll bars on the sides…
The weight of the bed if it is made from plywood could be in the 50 to 75# range, so I suggested to Mike a way to lighten it up and he agreed…I’ll make it from 3/4” rigid foam and carbon fiber…
After I felt 99% of the answers to the bed / nose cone were resolved, I turned to the battery compartment and found the space (per Mike’s suggestion) to fit the inverter and the other power controls, knobs and gauges in there…It is going be tight, but what isn’t in here…But more important, it totally opens up the driver side cabinet for storage, pull out tables and a dedicated place for the stove…It’s all coming together better than planned…
More later…
mhiscox
Expedition Leader
Well, Ken, you get special privileges for having helped provide the funding.
Pretty easy, since Paul is doing all of the work. (And doing great at it, don't ya think?)
JRhetts
Adventurer
My Friend
I cannot tell where the balance of brilliance is between you and Paul, but I think this pig is going wear a lot more than lipstick!!!
The collapsing bed is a space opener [game-changer], esp if you can relocate the Xantrex to the starboard battery box. This will give you the entire port side to work with for living gear.
I will drive over to see this puppy if necessary, when you are done.
John
I cannot tell where the balance of brilliance is between you and Paul, but I think this pig is going wear a lot more than lipstick!!!
The collapsing bed is a space opener [game-changer], esp if you can relocate the Xantrex to the starboard battery box. This will give you the entire port side to work with for living gear.
I will drive over to see this puppy if necessary, when you are done.
John
Overland Hadley
on a journey
Oh yeah! This is exciting!
Mike,
You know my thoughts on this vehicle, I am so interested in seeing your plans for the interior.
Paul,
You do amazing work. Glad to see you finishing out another overland vehicle. Wish I could send over my FWC for you to do the interior work on, but I want/need to do the work myself.
I will be following along ever day. Keep the updates coming.
Mike,
You know my thoughts on this vehicle, I am so interested in seeing your plans for the interior.
Paul,
You do amazing work. Glad to see you finishing out another overland vehicle. Wish I could send over my FWC for you to do the interior work on, but I want/need to do the work myself.
I will be following along ever day. Keep the updates coming.