Lee's '04 Chevy Silverado 2500HD and Radica MoonLander camping shell

[Lee]

In a nut shell
When I start to read a build thread I always wonder if this is one that will hold my attention or not.
I'm not saying some are bad, just some are not for me. (If it gets you out of the house and away from work it's all good)
But it's just a little frustrating when I read 5 pages before I figure out that this build is not for me.
So I'll start with a little bit about what I am doing and a little bit about who I am.
And if you continue to read my ramblings that's on you.

My build is an older truck because I just can't find what I want just now with the insanity that is the post covid auto market.
To this I am adding a Radica MoonLander shell to provide a place to sleep and a little room to get out of the weather when needed.
My vision is to camp and live out doors as much as possible, but I'm old and want a bed at the ready.
I picked the MoonLander because my wife refuses to camp under canvas - so all of the pop top and wedge campers where out.



The interior build will be simple and focus on using the camping gear I already own.
I'll cook on my old Colman propane stove because I have it and after 37 years it still works.
But I will add some new stuff where it makes sense (to me at least, I don't expect everyone to agree).
For example I see a battery system and a chest refrigerator replacing the old ice chest eventually.
And there will be a few cases where I will be pragmatic and accept a compromise that some other would not.
I want a larger fuel tank, there is a company in California that has one that is tucked up above the frame rail but they will only install it at there facility.
Titan will ship a tank to my door step that hangs down below the frame rail, so it looks like I will accept a tank that hangs down.
(stay tuned to see if I rip the bottom out of my fuel tank)

And that's the thumbnail about the build.
If it interest you at all stay tuned

A little bit about me.
I keep thinking there are two ways to spin this, and this seams the most relevant:



That's the first time I got stuck.
I think it's 1978, I was 15.
My Dad's series 2 Land Rover bogged up to the axles in the Ross River about 90 miles east of Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia.
We rigged every chain, strap and rope we could find to get to the nearest tree.
Used the come-along to tension the nylon tow strap then Dad stuck it in reverse and popped the clutch.
It came right out.
Lesson learned.

The other thing I could say to give you an idea of who I am is that I have worked as an R&D engineer for one of the large transplant auto companies.
I know that I know only a fraction of what is out there and because of that I have strong opinions on how things should not be done.
I'm still undecided on how things should be done...

 

[Lee]

Why am I building an older truck
So this will be wordy and delve in to my experience with where the auto market has been in recent years and the future trends I think are coming.
Feel free to skip this post if your looking for pretty pictures.

Starting back around 2019 I was trying to convince my wife that we needed a 4 wheel camper.
They where around back when I was a kid and I remember one of the guys in my Dad's Jeep club had one (on a Dodge crew cab truck so not just Jeeps).
But My wife was adamant that she did not relish the idea of listening to the canvas flap in a wind storm.
So she suggested I pursue my idea of getting a Van.

However Covid hit in the spring of 2020 and unlike most of the guys I work with I was not laid off.
My life was super busy for the first half of the year and employment looked a little shaky for making big ticket purchases.
By the time I got back to looking for a van the market had gone bonkers.
After watching the price of a new van shoot through the roof I decided I would pay the price if I could get exactly what I wanted.
But with all the van lifers and the delivery companies wanting vans I was not finding anything close.

I wanted a new van for a reason.
My truck was getting old and I believe the supply of new diesels will get tighter in the not too distant future.
So in my mind it seamed like I should purchase a new Diesel within the next ~5 years to last me till I die.
Slowly Stellantis (Jeep and Ram) have been eliminating diesel engine options.
With the EPA fine on Cummins recently I have to wonder what impact that will have.
The transition to electric has been coming for a while.
I think EVs are a flawed solution, it will work well for a few but they will not fix the world like some are want to preach.
And with the current administration there is an effort to speed up this transition.
(This is not the place to make political judgements so I will try to refrain)

So fixing up my old truck is a stalling tactic until the market normalizes and I can get what I want (probably not a van this week but who knows).
I'm thinking this build is a "5 year tourer".

Why I spec'd my truck like I did and how it will fill the roll of a "5 year tourer"
In the early 2000's I moved my family to Japan with my Job.
While there we were able to put some money in the bank for a new truck to haul the family.
Dealing with work and the culture shock was a little overwhelming some days, so as a coping mechanism I would go on the Chevy website and configure my planned for new truck.
I wanted as many of the desirable traits as I could get:
- Diesel engine (the Duramax was relatively new back then)
- The Avalanche body style
- Rear wheel steering (this should have been great for towing stability)
- 3/4 ton spec

In the end I only got two of the four.

Duramax diesel engine
The Duramax seamed desirable to me as it was designed by Isuzu and, as I worked for a Japanese's company, the design logic should be similar to what I understood.
Apart from the injectors being under the valve covers on the LB7 this has proven to be a good choice.
And the engine should be a good fit for my style of overlanding.
Often my trips will start with 800 to 1500 highway miles to get close to where I want to go.
So the better fuel economy and good highway road manners are a good fit.

The extra weight up front will reduce some of the off road capability especially on soft ground.
But this is something I will live with.

When I got the truck we where towing a 26 foot tag toy hauler with 4 ATVs for the family.
Duramax worked great in that roll.
And the attached Allison transmission is a real treat as well.
This is one of the early automatic transmissions with a tow/haul mode.
The control descending hills towing a 10k pound trailer is seamless.
(I know, tow/haul mode is pretty standard today, even the Honda Ridgeline has it)

Picture from long ago when the kids where small, my son in the fore ground, wife and daughter on the left and the truck and trailer in the background:



Four Wheel Drive
I specked out 4WD and the G80 locking rear differential.
It's not the best locking diff out there but it was easy to do and for the original use case towing a trailer it was ideal.
The 4WD would allow moving the trailer around at remote camping areas.

Obviously the 4WD plays right in to the overlanding / touring concept.
I have a SxS for heavy off road use so there is no plan to go rock crawling with this truck.

Front IRS
For towing and long highway miles the IRS gives good road manners.
I have no plan to do a solid axle swap - there are plenty of threads with Chevy IRS being replaced but not this one.
I have total respect for the guys that have pulled it off, and I think you are crazy.

Crew cab
The form factor of a van is better for use as a tourer or overlander.
It's hard to beat turning the front seats around to make the sitting area in your living space.
When I specked out the truck we where traveling with 2 grade school aged kids.
And we made several cross country trips towing a trailer (or not).

Traveling with out the kids we have taken to folding the rear seats and dropping the ice chest back there.
I would like to do a rear seat delete and maximize the cab storage, however as my Mom has aged we end up taking her with us on some trips.
So probably a 2/3 seat delete is in order.

6.5 foot bed
For a long time the 6.5 foot bed was a sticking point for use as a tourer.
The short bed and therefore short(ish) wheelbase and (slightly) better turning radius was ideal for the original intent of towing.
When I started planning the tourer my concept was to get a shell and create a permanent sleeping space.
Something like a ARE DCU contractors cap with extra height.
The problem is a sleeping platform for two people will fill most of the truck bed.
This limits the options for getting out of the weather during the day.

I'm an avid watcher of 4X Overland on YouTube.
Currently Andrew is building a Troopy in Africa were the plan is to sleep in the vehicle when traveling alone and to use a tent when his wife is traveling with him.
This seamed to be the solution I was headed for until the TFL Truck guys showed the Radica MoonLander on there YouTube channel.
I mocked up the shape of the MoonLander by throwing an old fiberglass cap on my truck set up on jack stands to simulate the interior height of the MoonLander and a sheet of plywood where the sleeping platform goes.
The MoonLander overhangs the sides of the truck bed and allows East/West sleeping.
And there was enough space left at the end of the truck bed to set up a folding chair and sit comfortably inside.

Within a week of first seeing the MoonLander on YouTube I ordered one.

 

[Lee]

I keep debating if I should do this chronologically and jump back 20 years to my trucks first oil change or If I should start with picking up the MoonLander this week and just back fill in some of the larger mods on the truck.

Road trip to pick up the MoonLander
Bottom line is I'm pretty stoked getting the MoonLander, so I will start there.
I ordered the shell about 6 months ago when the weather was nice and it was built a few weeks ago mid January.
I live in Ohio and Radica is located in Denver Colorado so a winter road trip was in order to pick up the MoonLander.
For those who live west of the continental divide, winter in Kansas is no joke.
A combination of snow and wind had I-70, the main interstate between here and there, closed for several days before our trip.
There are gates on the interstate that are closed in bad weather and the hapless traveler is left to find a hotel to hole up in.
But the weather cooperated and we had no issues on the interstate.

We stopped off at the "Monuments" in western Kansas.
They are just miniature mesas on the prairie.
Made of chalk (they are soft and crumbly) and leftover from when an inland sea covered the area 60 million years ago.
But why do these mesas remain when most of the layer of chalk has eroded away?
In my next life I might decide to be a geologist.





The road in was 7 miles of dirt one way.
There was one mud hole that would have given me pause if I was in my daily driver, a Honda Pilot Trailsport.
Truck had no issue.

When we got to Denver we stayed in a hotel in the city center and only 3 miles from Radica.
Monday morning at 8:30 am we showed up for our MoonLander install.



I found Radica to be a well organized shop.
The place was spotless and still has space to grow a little more.
Apparently thy have relocated to bigger places several times in the last few years.



My first impression is the shell is really well made.
With the shape, extending over the edge of the truck bed and the tapered corners there is a lot of work that goes in to the frame welding and the skin.
The seams and edges are all tight fitting and the calking is really cleanly applied.
The rear door gaps are small and very consistent top to bottom.

They charge a premium price which I fully expected given the complexity of the shape but the fit and finish really is at a higher level than I expected.
I could not be happier with this purchase.
And I find myself looking back at the truck as I'm walking away and thinking damn that truck looks good.

Next time I will post some pictures of the MoonLander.

 

[Lee]

So on the trip home from Colorado we where following a snow storm through Indiana and Ohio.
In true mid-west form the roads where covered in salt so I needed to wash the truck and shell as soon as the weather improved.
It gave me a chance to take a few more pictures.

Inside shows the exposed aluminum framing, porthole window and a small Arctic Tern window and the MAXXAIR fan all on the right side.



Outside view shows the porthole window, sliding window and the skylight along the left side.
This also shows the Kammock awning.



The total height is 8' 2" so the awning is up there.
It's easy enough to deploy with the ladder that I use to assess the bed but an awning that had a hand crank pole might be better.
The Kammock is probably just right for a mid size truck.
But, bottom line I wanted to get anything I could from Radica as if it was left up to me I wouldn't have an awning for a long time.

Off side 3/4 view

 

[Lee]

I'm transitioning away from camping in an enclosed trailer hauling a SxS.
In the trailer I have a platform with slats and a 4" thick cotton stuffed futon to sleep on.
In doing some research about futons I found recommendations for using:
- 4" for occasional use on a solid base
- 6" for use on a slatted platform or several nights on a solid platform
- 8" for long term use solid or slatted platform

I ordered a 6" futon made by Comfort Pure with wool and cotton stuffing, the cotton is in the core.
The wool should allow improved ventilation, but with the heavy canvas shell I'm not totally convinced.
However I know I hate foam.
This futon feels authentic and I could not be happier with it.
I ordered it from an on line company that was not so great to deal with for the delivery.
It's like the concept that I might have a day job did not occur to them.
Maybe I am outside there target demographic.



At the ends of the sleeping platform you can see the frame of the shell and the outer skin along the edge.
I need to add something a little structural to the inside so we don't dent the skin from the inside.
I'm still trying to organize the order in which things need done (I have been doing shiny object on the internet method so far).

And I ordered a coconut husk pad for ventilation.
It's a rough fiber that is coated with latex to bind it together (and keep the scratchy fibers contained).
They call it a Coconut Coir, never heard that name before, good thing they had a picture of it.



I know there are all sorts of spring / plastic thingies that over landers put under there mattresses, I'm going to try this.

 

[chet6.7]

Nice rig.
What are your plans for getting in the bed? Carrying that ladder? If Moonlander made barn doors I would drive to CO.
FWIW on this product.

 

[ThundahBeagle]

^^^ just checked out their site. Moonlander does make a swing-out/barn door setup.

Nice to see how light these are, since they are not a traditional slide-in. I guess someone willing to pay 3 to 4 thousand bucks on a well appointed Leer topper might consider shelling out a few extra rubles for this. If I could, I would. Nice design and use of space. Low weight. Wow

 

[chet6.7]

^^^ just checked out their site. Moonlander does make a swing-out/barn door setup.

Nice to see how light these are, since they are not a traditional slide-in. I guess someone willing to pay 3 to 4 thousand bucks on a well appointed Leer topper might consider shelling out a few extra rubles for this. If I could, I would. Nice design and use of space. Low weight. Wow

Unfortunately, still have to deal with a tailgate with this configuration.

 

[Lee]

Nice rig.
What are your plans for getting in the bed? Carrying that ladder? If Moonlander made barn doors I would drive to CO.

So, the little green ladder already travels with me.
When I was younger I could stand on the tire, reach over and work on the engine.
Now that I'm old I'm using the ladder to access the engine as well as get in the bed.
I like hauling one ladder that I can move around as needed.
(Maybe I should have gone with the story about how the ladder is for my wife...)

As for the barn doors, if Radica did full length barn doors I'da been on it.
But for a small manufacturer to make barn door to fit everything would be difficult.
There are too many variations in bed size and tail gate configurations.

My dream would be to have the Chevy Multi-flex tailgate.
I can imagine me and the wife sitting on the tailgate, feet on the step looking out over some fantastic vista.
$100k price tag for a Silverado hd Bison with a Duramax brings me back to reality.

 

[chet6.7]

If I could fit a modern tailgate to my ancient truck I would be on it as well. Have fun with your cool rig.

 

[ThundahBeagle]

So on the trip home from Colorado we where following a snow storm through Indiana and Ohio.
In true mid-west form the roads where covered in salt so I needed to wash the truck and shell as soon as the weather improved.
It gave me a chance to take a few more pictures.

Inside shows the exposed aluminum framing, porthole window and a small Arctic Tern window and the MAXXAIR fan all on the right side.

View attachment 822700

Outside view shows the porthole window, sliding window and the skylight along the left side.
This also shows the Kammock awning.

View attachment 822699

The total height is 8' 2" so the awning is up there.
It's easy enough to deploy with the ladder that I use to assess the bed but an awning that had a hand crank pole might be better.
The Kammock is probably just right for a mid size truck.
But, bottom line I wanted to get anything I could from Radica as if it was left up to me I wouldn't have an awning for a long time.

Off side 3/4 view

View attachment 822701

My OEM alloy rims were that color.

Turns out I just needed a brake job.

But seriously, I do like those rims AND that color. Gives a nice accent to almost any color

 

[ThundahBeagle]

So, the little green ladder already travels with me.
When I was younger I could stand on the tire, reach over and work on the engine.
Now that I'm old I'm using the ladder to access the engine as well as get in the bed.
I like hauling one ladder that I can move around as needed.
(Maybe I should have gone with the story about how the ladder is for my wife...)

As for the barn doors, if Radica did full length barn doors I'da been on it.
But for a small manufacturer to make barn door to fit everything would be difficult.
There are too many variations in bed size and tail gate configurations.

My dream would be to have the Chevy Multi-flex tailgate.
I can imagine me and the wife sitting on the tailgate, feet on the step looking out over some fantastic vista.
$100k price tag for a Silverado hd Bison with a Duramax brings me back to reality.

I have been mulling over the whole ladder thing myself. The "tire step" is getting more and more of a pain.

Speaking of $100K trucks, I was reading an article about the new GMC Yukon Denali Ultimate. At $97 K it's very well appointed and everything is so well calibrated it makes a city dwelling Prius driver feel conflicted, it seems.

I remember when the Yukon was just the same as the truck, but with a full length cover.

In another article, they wanted us to know how we could "trick" Chevy and get a regular cab with the new, updated interior. Yeah, the trick" was to order the HD.

They want us to spend. We...must...resist

 

[Jacobm]

@Lee How are you liking the ARB bumper? I'm looking at bumpers for my 2003 Silverado and always liked the look of the ARB, but wondering if it's worth the $$$

 

[Lee]

@Lee How are you liking the ARB bumper? I'm looking at bumpers for my 2003 Silverado and always liked the look of the ARB, but wondering if it's worth the $$$

@Jacobm I never ment to get a full on ARB bull bar.
I wanted a bumper with a hoop in front of the radiator.
I've hit a deer before in my commute to work Civic, they materialize out of nowhere.
So I figured I wanted just enough to have a radiator in case it happened again but I didn't want to go overboard.
But the options for an older truck (that is not a Toyota) are limited.

The ARB dose not hang down, preserving the approach angle (it's the break over angle that needs help but oh well).
It has a winch mount that was part of what I was looking for.
It's a little bit over the top (the kids at work call it bro-dozer) but dang it looks good.
And having lived in Oz as a kid I figure I can pull it off.

The bumper and winch (Warn 16.5ti) went on over the Christmas break (2023/2024).
In the fall of 2023 there where a lot of places that offerd to drop ship an ARB bull bar but they had no information on when.
Summit said they would ship in the "fall".
I figured Summit was a real company so I sent them my money and waited.
About 2 months later I got a call to arrange delivery.
The thing was shipped on a double pallet in a huge refrigerator sized box, I backed the pickup up to the delivery truck and we slid the pallet over.
I have no idea what the supply is like now but I assume ARB makes a container load of bumpers and ships as them over.
Hope they keep making them for the older trucks.

I'm out of town this weekend, I'll try to snap a few pictures next week.

 

[ThundahBeagle]

Unfortunately, still have to deal with a tailgate with this configuration.

Oh...right.