Guess who's back!?! Atl-atl's K5 Blazer + Four Wheel Camper "The Crawlin Cabin" documentation thread!
- Thread starter Atl-atl
- Start date
BajaSurfRig
Well-known member
Atl-atl
Adventurer
Thats exactly what I want to hear! Hoping it shows up quickly so I can get out and try it. How much amperage draw have you noticed from it?
Atl-atl
Adventurer
Apologies for not updating this thread! Heres a dump.
Well Ive been gone for quite a while. Work has been busy, Tacoma projects and house projects have taken most of my time but things are about to get interesting. All of my suspension and steering parts have come in except for my custom ORD springs which Im waiting to hear an ETA for, ordered them 9 weeks ago. Dropped off some parts at the powdercoater today. Going to pick up a stock fiberglass top tomorrow to seal up the FWC, which will be coming off in the next week or two so I can install the custom cut-up factory top seal-a-ma-jigger, a new front wall, new bed floor and hopefully new lift panels and canvas.
Truck got some decent press at Overland Expo. They even interviewed me but the video isnt out yet. Trying to have the next phase done for the Four Wheel Campers owners rally in Socal in December.
Not a huge sticker guy but I had to put my favorite sticker of all time on the camper.
Almost everything is here. Everything powdercoat-able was dropped off today; subframe, motor mounts, shackles, drag link, steering arms. Still debating whether Ill try to add hi-steer since I only ordered 3" of lift.
Decided on 7100s with the heavy 3600/800 valving in the 16.1" collapsed and 27.68" extended length.
Well Ive been gone for quite a while. Work has been busy, Tacoma projects and house projects have taken most of my time but things are about to get interesting. All of my suspension and steering parts have come in except for my custom ORD springs which Im waiting to hear an ETA for, ordered them 9 weeks ago. Dropped off some parts at the powdercoater today. Going to pick up a stock fiberglass top tomorrow to seal up the FWC, which will be coming off in the next week or two so I can install the custom cut-up factory top seal-a-ma-jigger, a new front wall, new bed floor and hopefully new lift panels and canvas.
Truck got some decent press at Overland Expo. They even interviewed me but the video isnt out yet. Trying to have the next phase done for the Four Wheel Campers owners rally in Socal in December.
Not a huge sticker guy but I had to put my favorite sticker of all time on the camper.
Almost everything is here. Everything powdercoat-able was dropped off today; subframe, motor mounts, shackles, drag link, steering arms. Still debating whether Ill try to add hi-steer since I only ordered 3" of lift.
Decided on 7100s with the heavy 3600/800 valving in the 16.1" collapsed and 27.68" extended length.
Last edited:
Atl-atl
Adventurer
Playing some more catch-up.
Played hooky from work today since I already hit quota for the month. Completed step 1 of getting the camper sealed up to the truck. Cutting the fiberglass! Before I cut it up I decided to clean up the area Ill use to make it easier to glue down the weatherstripping and paint it. After peeling off the old weatherstrip I took a wire wheel to the goop and palm sander to the fiberglass, only the part Im keeping obviously. It cleaned up really nicely and should look great once its painted and installed.
Some before and afters, pretty obvious. Wire wheel made quick work of all the goop.
I used a sawzall to make the bottom cut on both sides since I didnt have long enough blades for my jig saw.
No turning back now!
Needs a little sanding on the cut edges to make it perfect but it will sit really nice in the end.
Played hooky from work today since I already hit quota for the month. Completed step 1 of getting the camper sealed up to the truck. Cutting the fiberglass! Before I cut it up I decided to clean up the area Ill use to make it easier to glue down the weatherstripping and paint it. After peeling off the old weatherstrip I took a wire wheel to the goop and palm sander to the fiberglass, only the part Im keeping obviously. It cleaned up really nicely and should look great once its painted and installed.
Some before and afters, pretty obvious. Wire wheel made quick work of all the goop.
I used a sawzall to make the bottom cut on both sides since I didnt have long enough blades for my jig saw.
No turning back now!
Needs a little sanding on the cut edges to make it perfect but it will sit really nice in the end.
Atl-atl
Adventurer
Got my cart built for the camper. Seals and other misc. showed up from LMC so the only thing holding me up is waiting on my ORD springs. The sides of the camper will bolt to the upper sides of the cart to provide the last bit of rigidity. The front wall of the camper should just clear the crossing 2x4 at the front of the cart so I have room to replace the wall while the camper is bolted to the cart. The back wall of the camper fits into the "notch" in the cart, the part in the foreground. Also after measuring things out my garage is wide enough for the separated Blazer and camper to sit next to each other and also long enough for the camper to sit in front of the truck with the cabover area "over" the hood of the truck, if I choose to go that route but I most likely wont. Planning to do side by side so I can wheel the camper onto the driveway while I work on the suspension. I need a 4 car garage and a workshop, or a big ole barn with a lift in it, or maybe just a garage thats high enough to drive the truck in with the camper attached.
Atl-atl
Adventurer
Another week has gone by and another week with no update from Offroad Design on my springs. Now at week 11 of an "8 week lead time" so thats annoying. One more package from LMC showing up tomorrow and Ill be ready to go. Spent the weekend prepping the camper to separate from the truck. Also installed some misc. things like new (much needed) headlights that are LEDs with a glass fluted cover so they appear relatively correct on the truck. From straight on they are very obviously not a regular sealed round H4 but from the side its pretty hard to tell they arent period correct. This weekend I plan to get everything into the garage and torn apart. Hopefully not jumping the gun on my springs and parts at the powder coater.
Always fun to find easter eggs like this in an old vehicle ?
Old sidemarkers
New sidemarkers
Always fun to find easter eggs like this in an old vehicle ?
Old sidemarkers
New sidemarkers
vintageracer
To Infinity and Beyond!
How much does your FWC camper weigh by itself?
Atl-atl
Adventurer
Im not exactly sure, a modern day FWC Raven which has the same dimensions is 1040 pounds dry. The Blazer has no floor or lower side walls and essentially no front wall/window so there is some weight savings. My guess would be about 800.
ExpoMike
Well-known member
What brand of headlights are those and how is the pattern and brightness at night?
Atl-atl
Adventurer
The brand is SMD. Never heard of it. Got them on Amazon, $90 for the pair. They are beefy and appear to be decent build quality. If they crap out I will buy higher quality ones. What was there was so terrible I needed something fast. I haven't driven at night but just turning them on they seem to have a decent pattern and brightness. Ill try to pull the truck in front of my garage door tonight to get a look at pattern and cutoff.