Isuzu NPR Camper

[haven]

Nice design! Looking at the diagram, the portion of the camper that sits behind the cab of the truck is about 17 feet long. The NPR is commonly used with an 18 foot box, so the camper should be OK on the chassis.

The cab-over section will not allow the cab of the truck to be tilted up for service, so

You should send your drawing to Alaskan Camper to get a ballpark quote for construction. They do custom work, and might be excited about building such a large camper! I suggest Alaskan because they will only work on designs that have the door at the rear, due to the design of their popup roof.

Chip Haven

 

[VicHanson]

Cab over bed on a tilt cab truck

Thanks, Chip. I'm sure there will be more changes to the design when I try to convert it from paper to wood and metal! Actually the exterior length of the camper is 16'. The 132.5" WB NPR is supposed to have no more than a 14' box, according to the Isuzu specs. I'm hoping if I keep the back end as light as possible, it will be OK. The 150" WB model can have up to an 18' box.

Here is my idea for allowing an over the cab bed on a tilt up cab.

For the over cab bed, I am thinking of a piano type hinge on top and having the whole over cab bed part swing up out of the way when the cab needs to be raised. There would need to be a good seal all the way around the opening something like a compression boot. Another idea I had is to use a tube frame on the bed opening edge and a rubber lined, half round channel on the camper opening. The compression fit when closed should provide a water tight seal, as well as a solid and secure closing.

On the bottom of the camper opening would be a full width metal 'lip' that would catch the lower edge of the bed portion as it swings down, to guide it into place as well as provide a sturdy support so that it doesn't sag down with weight on it.

When it is closed, it would be secured with 3 or 4 turnbuckles or quick release cam type latches (like those that hold down the lid of an expedition storage box or cooler).

As far as having Alaskan Camper design and build it, I could never afford to have them do it. This will be a labor of love, with the help of a couple of brothers-in-law.

Been having fun drawing up plans and profile views, only wish I still had Canvas, which I used to use at work. It was very powerful and could do so much more than the basic drawing program that comes with Sun's Open Office. Attached is a very rough drawing of the left side profile of the outside.

Some of the measurements came from the Isuzu spec sheet and others, like the cab, came from estimating from pictures on the web. So there are some minor discrepancies in trying to fit them all together.

If anyone could provide the following, I would really appreciate it.

1 - Height of the cab from the ground.
2 - Height of the top of the frame from the ground.
3 - Length of the cab proper, and also including the bumper.

If anyone is looking for a truck, a good site I have found is truckpaper.com

Thanks, Vic

 

[VicHanson]

Been having way too much fun planning and designing, hard to get to sleep at night! After looking at photos of the truck on the web, I had to make a few more changes to accommodate things like the batteries and air filter, etc. Here are the latest exterior views.

I am using Open Office, but saving as Word files, sometimes the conversion process isn't perfect, it moves a line or shape now and then. So is something looks a bit funny, that might be why. Also the files got to big to upload as .doc files so I converted them to pdf files.

 

[ColinTheCop]

Vic,

Stephen Stewarts site about his Unimog build from scratch is very good and might give you some ideas,

http://www.unimog.org.uk/mymog/

Including a bit about access from the truck into the camper body.

 

[mhiscox]

Vic,

Stephen Stewarts site about his Unimog build from scratch is very good and might give you some ideas,

http://www.unimog.org.uk/mymog/

Including a bit about access from the truck into the camper body.

Times 2 on Stephen's site, plus I always recommend that every cabin builder be alert to the information contained in John Speed's book, Travel Vans. It's a British book, but through the magic of the internet and PayPal, available easily and semi-quickly from http://www.travelvans.co.uk/.

 

[VicHanson]

Thanks

Thanks guys for the great information, I will be ordering John Speed's book shortly, looks like it will be very helpful. Also will be looking at Stephen Stewart's site when I have more time. The Internet is really slow right now. I have tried to download the Izusu Bodybuilder's Guide about 4 times and it always times out after a few minutes. Will have to wait until I get to the big city and high speed Internet for that. Ahh, the joys of living in very rural Peru. At least I have Internet (most of the time!).

 

[Mickldo]

Thanks guys for the great information, I will be ordering John Speed's book shortly, looks like it will be very helpful. Also will be looking at Stephen Stewart's site when I have more time. The Internet is really slow right now. I have tried to download the Izusu Bodybuilder's Guide about 4 times and it always times out after a few minutes. Will have to wait until I get to the big city and high speed Internet for that. Ahh, the joys of living in very rural Peru. At least I have Internet (most of the time!).

If you use Mozilla Firefox as a browser there are some plugins available to help with these big downloads. You can start, stop, restart downloads without losing anything. The one I use is "Download-them-all".

 

[kerry]

Are Isuzu 4wd's available in Peru?

 

[VicHanson]

Are Isuzu 4wd's available in Peru?

I'm not sure, maybe in Lima. Until recently, many of the vehicles for sale here were used, from Japan, and then in Tacna (the port area) they would be converted to left hand drive. All types were available there, which is where I got my Mitsubishi 4x4 van. New laws are supposed to prohibit the conversions from what I have heard. I haven't seen an Isuzu dealer in Arequipa (2nd largest city) but there is a Mitsubishi dealer. I don't know what trucks they sell there. Parts are available for almost anything, or they will make or modify something!

 

[VicHanson]

Ahhh, reality bites sometimes. After spending many weeks planning, drawing, researching, and getting advice, I've finally decided that it will be too expensive for me to build a motorhome from scratch on a truck chassis. It's way over budget already, and I'm sure once I started would find that there would be a lot of additional costs I'm not aware of now. So I am looking in another direction now, and at least partially following Doug Hackney's advice - "don't build what you can buy", and am looking at mounting a camping trailer on the back of the Isuzu NPR.

That idea soon ran into problems too as the regular NPR has a GVWR of 12,000 lbs with cargo capacity of about 6200 lbs. The trailers I have been looking at weigh 3500 to 4000 lbs and by the time I add all the stuff I want/need, I would be about 1000 lbs over the weight limit! I also want a little longer trailer than my planned camper build to make up for not having an over the cab bed, so am looking at an 18' or 19' foot trailer, which is too long for the 132.5" wheelbase that I was looking at.

So, here is the latest plan, get a NPR HD, which has a GVWR of 14,500 lbs and a cargo capacity of 8,500 lbs, as well as move up to the 150" wheelbase length. Looking at used trucks, there over twice as many regular NPRs as HDs, so my choices will be limited some, but there are still quite a few for sale. The problem is finding a 5 spd manual transmission, there are very few of those in either model in the U.S., although I have found a few on line. I'm hoping there will be more when actually looking in person once I get back there.

I still plan on trying for self-sufficiency as much as possible, for boondocking, so am thinking about 600 to 660 W of solar panels (3 panels) and 3 deep cycle AGM batteries for a total of 735 AH. Man those batteries are expensive and heavy, $500 and 158 lbs each!

Do any of you have any recommendations/advice as far as mounting a trailer on a truck chassis? I have seen a few examples in the Fuso section but would like to hear from anyone who has done it. I am hoping it is fairly easy to take the trailer chassis off and mount it on a simpler (compared to building a motorhome) frame on the truck frame.

One final question for now, does anyone know how the HD is different from the regular NPR? Is it just heaver springs and shocks or are there other differences? It looks like the frame and axle are the same.

Thanks, Vic

 

[kerry]

Ahhh, reality bites sometimes. After spending many weeks planning, drawing, researching, and getting advice, I've finally decided that it will be too expensive for me to build a motorhome from scratch on a truck chassis. It's way over budget already, and I'm sure once I started would find that there would be a lot of additional costs I'm not aware of now. So I am looking in another direction now, and at least partially following Doug Hackney's advice - "don't build what you can buy", and am looking at mounting a camping trailer on the back of the Isuzu NPR.

That idea soon ran into problems too as the regular NPR has a GVWR of 12,000 lbs with cargo capacity of about 6200 lbs. The trailers I have been looking at weigh 3500 to 4000 lbs and by the time I add all the stuff I want/need, I would be about 1000 lbs over the weight limit! I also want a little longer trailer than my planned camper build to make up for not having an over the cab bed, so am looking at an 18' or 19' foot trailer, which is too long for the 132.5" wheelbase that I was looking at.

So, here is the latest plan, get a NPR HD, which has a GVWR of 14,500 lbs and a cargo capacity of 8,500 lbs, as well as move up to the 150" wheelbase length. Looking at used trucks, there over twice as many regular NPRs as HDs, so my choices will be limited some, but there are still quite a few for sale. The problem is finding a 5 spd manual transmission, there are very few of those in either model in the U.S., although I have found a few on line. I'm hoping there will be more when actually looking in person once I get back there.

I still plan on trying for self-sufficiency as much as possible, for boondocking, so am thinking about 600 to 660 W of solar panels (3 panels) and 3 deep cycle AGM batteries for a total of 735 AH. Man those batteries are expensive and heavy, $500 and 158 lbs each!

Do any of you have any recommendations/advice as far as mounting a trailer on a truck chassis? I have seen a few examples in the Fuso section but would like to hear from anyone who has done it. I am hoping it is fairly easy to take the trailer chassis off and mount it on a simpler (compared to building a motorhome) frame on the truck frame.

One final question for now, does anyone know how the HD is different from the regular NPR? Is it just heaver springs and shocks or are there other differences? It looks like the frame and axle are the same.

Thanks, Vic

Look at the pictures of my rig for one built using your principles. I chose a truck camper instead of a trailer because they are designed and built to fit on a truck already so no modifications are necessary. I chose a service body because of its cavernous storage capacity. A flat bed could also be used. Given the fact that 2wd Isuzu's with service bodies are considerably cheaper than FG's and used truck campers are readily available. I think a very respectable unit could be put together for about $10-12k.

 

[VicHanson]

The motorhome will be my only home, I will be living in it full time. I think a truck camper would be too small for that, which is why I want to use an 18' or 19' trailer. $10,000 to $12,000 sounds about right, which should be doable either way, not including the solar/battery upgrade.

 

[Lynn]

I don't know if Glen-L is still a question in your mind, but I thought I'd throw in my two cents worth...

My father build several slide-ins and motor homes using Glen-L plans back in the ‘70s. And at least one is still on the road today. They are really good for what they are.

And the plans are cheap enough. It wouldn’t hurt the first-time builder to buy a set (or two or three) to get ideas on layout, and even to get overall dimensions.

However, more modern construction techniques will yield a much lighter design. Especially using NidaCore like was used in the Turtle V or the SuperCamper.

Personally, I’m leaning toward framing up the camper in either wood or aluminum, and laminating filon sheets on the outside, construction foam insulation inside the walls, and thin plywood or paneling on the inside. Once you properly sandwich the filon/insulation/paneling together, it is really strong and light. Not as light as NidaCore, of course, but a whole lot cheaper.

In addition to foam/fiberglass RV and boat construction, you might take a look at SIP (structural insulating panel) construction techniques used in home and commercial construction.

There is also some info on the ‘net about making foam/fiberglass panels using a shop vacuum and bubble wrap to vacuum-bag the panel and get really good epoxy infusion. One site I’ve seen discuss this is Kelsal Catamarans KSS method. I haven’t seen any discussion on using this for a camper box, but it intrigues me.

 

[Rudy712]

My experience with an 1999 w4500 (Isuzu NPR)

My first advice is to get a very thorough inspection performed by an experience, reputable mechanic who is very familiar with NPR; pay the $150-200. if you have a sound and properly maintained NPR,NQR you have a vehicle that is bullet proof up to 300K-350K miles with no major repairs. I have heard some going as high as 500K miles. If you bought a lemon, it will cost you in repairs, more like break your bank!!! My first Advice in ownership of an NPR is to read the owner manual, lots of information that will save you money in long term unnecessary costly repairs. Most diesel motor are unforgiving when it comes to maintenance, so changing and maintaining the fluid level, filters and belts are key. For filters and belts stick with Isuzu.

Starting in the cold is like any other diesel, needs good glow plugs and a strong batteries; come stock with a pair of 750 CA, I recommend to go with a pair of 950 CA or better. In really cold weather like 0 degree F, I like to used my 1000 watt generator portable to warm up the oil pan, because it starts at an instance. In those temperature expect lots of white smoke. The diesel fuel does not completely burn when the motor is cold. Warming an NPR, NQR motor will take a while, so read the manual for cold weather starting. I usually like to warm the motor for a minimum of 8-10 minutes and then drive under 20mph until the temp is within the operating temp. Durning this time you will freeze your butt off in the cabin till the motor reaches operating temperature; Using an 12V electric vest helps a lot. Driving in the snow is no problem, meaning reasonable no problem. With my W4500 I went through 10" of dry snow, but that because I had decent tires for the task. Tire selection is important as it would for any vehicle. In Deep snow, carrying quality chains is also advisable, as with any other truck.

Isuzu are low cost maintenance and gets Excellent fuel milage. They are medium duty rated and tough. Make sure the Suspension and all the points are greased up, otherwise replacing those Kingpins are labour intensive, thus costly as I found out.

Driving an NPR/NQR is a joy with one default, your sitting on top of the front wheel; you will feel the bumps. I have taken my truck on logging roads and the road comfort was not a problem for me, as long I didn't drive aggressive over the potholes. There are some other weakness and the only one I can think of is the alternator which usually gives out at around 150k miles. The dog house will not work because of the cab tilt up clearance for maintenance and motor work.

I have converted my 1999 GMC W4500 into a toy hauler and a custom work vehicle, specific for my business. I wanted a robust, reliable and tough toy hauler/work truck with no down time. Inside the box is simple and comfortable in design. All the electrical, plumbing is mostly marine grade, the stove is a 375 lb commercial grade 30" gas stove; I like to really cook and the RV stoves and most of the RV equipment just don't cut it for me. My 16ft box has a 1600lb lift gate, one side doors with custom aluminium steps, insulated with 1/2 inch plywood that is completely sealed against moister (used a high quality oil paint). A 30,000 btu heater and roughneck air conditioner. For extra noise and cold weather insulation, I place insulation blankets over the doors and ceiling vents. Yes it is an overkill, but I am hard, not abusive, on my equipment and spend 3/4 of my work time in my truck.

I am in a process of building a 2004 GMC W5500 with roughly same configuration, since I have written offf my 1999 GMC w4500 late last year in a MVA.

 

[Rudy712]

Oops

Didn't realize the date, 3 1/2 years too late.