Project "Autonomous" F-350

[pappawheely]

Getting plenty of dirt miles on the truck. Double duty weekend again. 1st stop Laughlin for the UTV World Championships, then to stateline to shoot the second day of SNORE, Battle at Primm.



I love it when people buck conventional wisdom. I guess this guy is just another snowbird who went south for the winter.



I got some good action in Primm before the sprinkles turned into a downpour. That's why I decided to go with a large, hardsided box. I want to be warm and well protected when the weather gets nasty. All night long it was sideways rain and high winds. I was in the hotel getting a story written and sent out. Once the box is done, I will be sheltering in the camper.

 

[chris_amrein]

Mike -

I really dig your build. I picked up a six pac camper to put on the back of my Dodge 2500 but I can relate to feeling like it's too much. I was also thinking about getting a basic cab-high camper shell for remote 4x4 camping, but I've found it's impossible to build the pefect rig for every situation.

Where are you doing all your building? I'd like to stop by and say hi.

Chris

 

[seanpistol]

Haha, just two days ago while out in the mountains my buddies were joking talking about putting radiators and wheels on the snow machines to hit the dunes this summer

 

[pappawheely]

One thing that takes a lot of time when building a camper from scratch is planning and research. I have spent a lot of time doing that in my previous careers as a design engineer and in automotive restoration. There are a lot of companies out there making products and it's hard to narrow them down to the best quality for the price. If I had an earthroamer budget, I could throw money at it but I don't. I have to get the best bang for my buck.

A few years ago I shot a truck feature for Offroad magazine on Jason Prichard's Toyota race truck. His builder, Kris Khading works for a company named Drake Engineering. The Toyota had all these trick, billet, quick release clamps that held the shovel, fire extinguishers, etc. I noticed how well they were made, it has to be to hold up to racing abuse.








The other day, I saw an advertisement for a very nice looking fuel door from Drake. I need two fuel doors to go on my U-Haul box for my dual gas tanks. I have bought the fuel doors from pep boys before, they are mostly for looks and don't have any inner structure. The Drake doors don't scream “ricer” and have the inner structure too. They are made for Jeeps and muscle cars but I think they will work perfect for the U-Haul box. I ordered two doors and a quick release mount. Now, I just have to wait for the guy in the brown truck.

 

[rayra]

Do you have any plans to use the new setup as a photographic 'blind', some opening windows or hatches that you can shoot from? Maybe an exterior fold-down balcony platform to give you an elevated shooting position?

I'm not getting the tiny door. I'd have gone with a large door in a false end wall, revealed when the cargo door is rolled up. Using the last couple feet of the box as a porch of sorts. You could set a mountain bike there for easy use around a shooting site, and secure it all just by rolling down the door and locking it. Sort of like the cargo containers turned into offices and barracks.

or even more wild a sliding glass door, so the interior is brightly lit naturally. Speakign of which, what plans for windows or skylights, getting some light in there that doesn't require battery power?

 

[pappawheely]

Do you have any plans to use the new setup as a photographic 'blind', some opening windows or hatches that you can shoot from? Maybe an exterior fold-down balcony platform to give you an elevated shooting position?

I'm not getting the tiny door. I'd have gone with a large door in a false end wall, revealed when the cargo door is rolled up. Using the last couple feet of the box as a porch of sorts. You could set a mountain bike there for easy use around a shooting site, and secure it all just by rolling down the door and locking it. Sort of like the cargo containers turned into offices and barracks.

or even more wild a sliding glass door, so the interior is brightly lit naturally. Speakign of which, what plans for windows or skylights, getting some light in there that doesn't require battery power?

I would like roof access but I don't normally shoot from a vehicle.

The small door is from a pop-up; I got it for free. It is mounted so high because I am storing things along the floor underneath the entrance. I figured I would have to step up over the bottom; there was no reason to step up and duck down at the same time, awkward!


The roll up door in the rear is going away, I am replacing it with a three section door. The top third opens like a hatch with gas struts. It can remain open to let in light & fresh air. The bottom 2/3rds Will be swing out doors. I would love to have the door swing out and drop like a tailgate but I have to allow the use of the uhaul ramp to load the Yamaha in and out. I have several windows that are going in, a skylight would be great but most I have seen are $$$$.

 

[TheViking]

I like that style of entry.

 

[pappawheely]

Got the kitchen design finalized today. The stove will fold down from the wall and the sink slides out like a drawer. I need a stainless backsplash so first I have to build a sheet metal brake.

 

[rayra]

That's a great design diagram / floorplan! /lol

Gonna have to change the name to Projekt Rubic's Cube. Or Tetris.

 

[mtnkid85]

Just made it through your entire build. Looking great! Some interesting ideas in here, keep up the good work.

 

[rayra]

Here's an idea for roof access, but not really practicable as you'd need a ladder to reach and deploy it. And if you have the ladder then why bother adding stairs?

But that leads to another idea that fits in with Project Origami (TM), put in a set of pull-down attic access stairs and a nice fitted weather-sealed hatch in the roof. Make the hatch protrude and the folded / stored stairs fit up into it instead of stealing headroom inside the room. A bit of sheetmetal fabrication and simple welding and you could have the whole thing for $600. And chill out on the roof, as well as work.

http://www.zoro.com/i/G5199731/?utm_source=Bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=PLA

 

[pappawheely]

Wow, Definitely don't have room for stairs on that scale. I was working on the rear door today. Had problems with the welder, thank god most of the welds will be covered. The door is going to have chamfered sides to hopefully reduce drag like they do on semi's.



Starting on the frame which will be covered in fiberglass. Going to stretch fabric over the frame and then glass it like the stereo guys do on their enclosures. Using 1" square tube, .060 wall


I am using existing structure to square things up. Building the door in one piece. Slip in washers between the tubes then cut the door into three sections once everything is welded. The top will flip open with gas struts. the lower portion will be barn doors with a 60-40 split.

 

[rayra]

That will be nice AND lightweight. Certainly save some weight over the original roll up door. But why not skin it with aluminum? Is the savings on fiberglassing it worth the mess / effort? Aluminum sheet would be abotu $250?? but that doesn't include shipping or hassles in getting it.

You might want some diagonal bracing within that framework to support / stiffen the fiberglass panels.

Any kind of a floor or porch platform planned, or using the moving truck ramp? You're gonna want some epoxy paint with grit or something on that, it'll be damned slippery on a cold winter desert morning.

 

[pappawheely]

Rayra, Sometimes I wonder if you are in my brain. I have thought about the ramp like you, it's probably like ice with morning dew on it. I did not want aluminum on the rear door because of the heat transfer. The rear door will get more bracing before I glass it. I am thinking of putting a window in the upper door but I have to figure out how much weight the gas struts I have will lift. I will add more photos as the door progresses. So far, I am happy with the weight of the structure.

 

[pappawheely]

I don't have pics right now because I tucked the door away. It is rigid enough for my use and did not turn out too heavy. I put a frame in the hatch portion to mount a window. I still need to attach the door to the rear of the box and glass it. So far, I am happy with the results. This week and next I am swamped with work but now that the kitchen is fully planned I hope to make some headway when I get back to it. Thanks to everyone who is contributing ideas to my project. 2 heads are always better than one. I learned as a design engineer that a simple idea might be a fragment that becomes something incredible.