Pick-Up Cabinet Concept Akin to Westfalia Cabinetry

[NothingClever]

Hey Folks,

First post for me. Already used the search function, too. Closest things I could find were almost but not quite what I'm after so I thought I'd start a new thread.

I have a plan to build a set of slide out cabinets (left side and right side) for my '02 Tacoma. I'm debating between wood and riveted aluminum for the slide out cabinets. I'll use wood for the front cabinets (aux battery, propane, etc).

I already have an RTT on top and want to use the space afforded by the truck bed for a stove, sink, fridge, storage, etc without all the hassle of pulling boxes of camping stuff out of the back of the truck. I've positioned my RTT so that it opens aft over the tailgate which, when combined with the attachable shower enclosure/awning, creates an extended living/cooking space.

The option to the slide-out cabinets is an Eagle by 4 Wheel. However, with all the options we want, I'm getting a little skpetical about overall weight.

Also, I'm not a fan of dragging a trailer down to Chile which is where Mommy wants me to drive her on Sunday......well, on a Sunday sometime in May of 2014 when I retire.

Since a picture is worth a thousand words, I'll shut up and post the concept sketches.

Here's the help I need.......ideas, comments, sharpshooting, proposals, ridicule, etc, etc.

My wife and I are driving down to Chile in a few years after I retire.

Thanks for the feedback.

 

[Nuclear Redneck]

You potentially have a lot of weight high and to the rear of your axle, in the form of your pantry and storage. That will do bad things to your handling especially off road.

I'd recommend doing some center of gravity calculations.

Cheers,

 

[NothingClever]

You potentially have a lot of weight high and to the rear of your axle, in the form of your pantry and storage. That will do bad things to your handling especially off road.

I'd recommend doing some center of gravity calculations.

Cheers,

Hey Shipmate ,

I did my COG calculations and here's my analysis.....nowhere the same weight as putting a camper on back .

My offroad excursions will be pretty tame. I'm mostly interested in dirt roads versus scraping paint off of some sliders.

 

[18seeds]

Looks like the COG is pretty far forward.

water right over the axle

batteries and other permanent heavy stuff in front

nice design

 

[NothingClever]

Thx, seeds.

I forgot to mention...the cargo box on the roof rack will simply be seasonal clothing which means the weight on top of the cargo rack will be marginal.

 

[NothingClever]

Well, shoot....I asked for critical analysis, received over 700 looks over the past coupla years and only got a coupla responses....I can only interpret that as:

1) "Boy, I tell ya, I tell ya....you're just plaaaaaaain dumb" (read with the Foghorn Leghorn voice)

2) "It won't fly" (whatever Orville Wright's neighbor sounded like)

3) "Your design is so uniquely conceptualized that you should run madly to the patent office to properly guard your divinely inspired intellectual contribution to the ExPo"

or perhaps

4) "Give it up & buy the Eagle from KC, Tom & Stan"

:smiley_drive:

 

[The Adam Blaster]

I like your ideas so far, but I'm curious about your slide-out cabinets.
Will they open to the sides, or to the back?
(I'm assuming they will have doors that swing out right?)
I think opening to the back, under your overhang would make things more convenient, especially when the rain is falling.
(I'm sort of assuming this was already your plan...)

And the only thing that I could crtique is the solar panel. You will have to make sure you always park with the front of the truck facing south, or you're going to get shadows from your tent, as well as your cargo boxes on the roof rack.
Or when you're in Chile, park facing north.

You could always build a slide for the solar panel to extend it even more forward over the roof of the truck.

 

[kjp1969]

I'd suggest putting fuel, batteries and maybe propane outside the vehicle to prevent fumes and perhaps a fire hazard. If you sourced a DOT propane tank for the frame rail, put the batteries under the hood and put the fuel cell where the stock spare is, you wouldn't have to worry about a spark from the electrics setting off the camper area. Better COG as well.

 

[wanderer-rrorc]

I just want to say I like the idea of the shower and other awning box being mounted UNDER the roof rack...great utilization of space....

I will probably use that idea in future builds!:elkgrin:

 

[Every Miles A Memory]

Here are my only thoughts

Why all this work when you could get a nicely built trailer that will have everything already thought out and probably offer much more room and comfort?

Only saying because I sat for a few years trying to design something similar only to find I could go out and buy it already built, and then just tweak a few things myself and have exactly what I want

Only saying this to try and save you some headache. Granted, I love the ideas and sketches, but I'm also of the mindset that there are some pretty sweet slide-in's, expedition worthy trailers or heck, a small camper for that matter..i.e. Scamp, Burro, or even a Oliver. These last few models are small, lightweight yet still will give you some decent luxuries for an extended trip.

Since you said you're not planning on any serious Off-road, any of these options would be a perfect fit and you still have plenty of time to outfit them to your liking

Good luck, and I'll be watching to see how this onfolds

 

[NothingClever]

Will they open to the sides, or to the back?
(I'm assuming they will have doors that swing out right?)

That's correct...the cabinets slide straight out and then the cabinet doors would open with a side hinge.

I think opening to the back, under your overhang would make things more convenient, especially when the rain is falling.
(I'm sort of assuming this was already your plan...)

Yes, that's the plan. I set up my RTT so that it opens aft and creates somewhat of an awning. With the RTT's 'OEM' shower enclosure attached, the tailgate space is protected on all 4 sides so one could get up in the morning, come down the ladder and access the stove for coffee all while it's raining outside.

And the only thing that I could crtique is the solar panel. You will have to make sure you always park with the front of the truck facing south, or you're going to get shadows from your tent, as well as your cargo boxes on the roof rack.
Or when you're in Chile, park facing north.

You could always build a slide for the solar panel to extend it even more forward over the roof of the truck.

There's another PPT sketch I didn't post which has flat, aluminum stock 'props' attached with hinges to the backside of the panel so that I can tilt the panel towards the sun....front, left and right. You're right, though, I know that I'll have to park according to the sun's path across the sky.

Thank you for the helpful insight.

 

[NothingClever]

I'd suggest putting fuel, batteries and maybe propane outside the vehicle to prevent fumes and perhaps a fire hazard. If you sourced a DOT propane tank for the frame rail, put the batteries under the hood and put the fuel cell where the stock spare is, you wouldn't have to worry about a spark from the electrics setting off the camper area. Better COG as well.

Yeah, I agree....the batteries, aux fuel and propane all together in a wooden cabinet looks like a disaster waiting to happen and believe me, I've spent some time thinking about the risks and how to mitigate them.

I identified some kit that I think is very high quality and will help me isolate the different HAZMAT items from each other. The battery I'm not so worried about since there are some slick marine battery boxes available. The propane tank I'm not so worried about either as long as I've got it well-secured.

However, the aux fuel cell IS something I've gone back and forth on. I don't like the standard fuel cans mounted on my bumper as they seem like such a ubiquitous fashion accessory.

I agree that having a Downey cell in back would improve the COG but that's one of those things...... if I do this, then I have to do that, and if I do that then I'll need to this, too and....you get the picture. So does my wallet .

Thx,
NC

 

[NothingClever]

Here are my only thoughts

Why all this work when you could get a nicely built trailer that will have everything already thought out and probably offer much more room and comfort?

I don't want to mess with a trailer driving down to Chile and prefer something that's on the vehicle. I looked into the AT and Campa vehicle conversions (remove the bed, attach a trailer box) but thought, 'If I'm going to spend that much money, I might as well get a slide in camper"....hence the option of the 4 Wheel Eagle I referenced above. The other option to the Eagle is to trade in the Tacoma, get a SuperDuty and buy a Hallmark...that's what my wife wants, of course :drool: but the thought of selling my '02 Tacoma I bought for a SONG with only 30k on the clock just kills me. I'm desperately trying to make the truck work :smiley_drive: .

Good luck, and I'll be watching to see how this onfolds

Thanks for the feedback!

 

[Every Miles A Memory]

Stay off of E-Bay Motors then because there are literally thousands of Superduty's for sale ....really cheap because of the economy and so many businesses closing down.

Right now is the time to buy used campers and slide-in's. My wife told me I was not even allowed to look through some of the RV Forums anymore because I was showing her slide-in's for next to nothing and she was even thinking about them.

On a different note and not to get too far off topic, Look through some of the Marine Catalogs and they have boxes built that can safely hold propane or explosive chemicals inside a hull, or camper with no worries about them leaking fumes or doing harm to the people inside.

For you Solar Panels, when we bought ours from amsolar.com, which I highly recommend, they offered a tilt kit that was simply just two aluminum arms with threaded nuts on the end. I simply went to the hardware store and bought some aluminum stock and drilled holes in each end. Works easier than their tilt arms because having just the open holes allows for more play when it comes to the tilt

We can now tilt our 3 panels which sometimes doubles their intake for under $10 in hardware.

 

[NothingClever]

Stay off of E-Bay Motors then because there are literally thousands of Superduty's for sale ....really cheap because of the economy and so many businesses closing down.

Yeah, you're not kidding....only problem is SWMBO and I are saving for a fat down-payment on a home here in the Colorado Springs area.

On a different note and not to get too far off topic, Look through some of the Marine Catalogs and they have boxes built that can safely hold propane or explosive chemicals inside a hull, or camper with no worries about them leaking fumes or doing harm to the people inside.

Yep, I've found some of those products like Moeller, etc. Good stuff.