Project "Autonomous" F-350

[pappawheely]

Began work on the fold down stove. :chef:



No short people need apply. The fridge goes underneath. It's high enough to clear the fridge lid when opened.



Folded up when not in use.



There will be space behind for hanging utensils & storage.

 

[guidolyons]

Oh wow, those flames were too close for comfort. It's weird seeing air tankers dropping water over/near populated areas.

I can't wait to see the U-haul box mounted on the crew cab. Love the desert race pics.

 

[mtm_motors]

Cool to see the tankers at work and glad you are safe!

Liking the progress on the camper. Will the stove be fixed to the fold down platform?

 

[pappawheely]

Oh wow, those flames were too close for comfort. It's weird seeing air tankers dropping water over/near populated areas.

I can't wait to see the U-haul box mounted on the crew cab. Love the desert race pics.

Thanks, I'm anxious too.

Cool to see the tankers at work and glad you are safe!

Liking the progress on the camper. Will the stove be fixed to the fold down platform?

Yes, The stove will be mounted permanently to the fold down panel. The on-demand hot water heater and stove are in the same place. The propane tank mounts to the frame rail directly underneath the two, below the box. Saving weight is a priority. Keeping plumbing and wiring runs short and using space wisely will payoff when I hit the road.

 

[pappawheely]

I had a rare day off from writing today so I installed the HID headlight bulbs I had. Sorry no step by step but it's a very easy procedure. Especially when you have an OBS bronco with the conversion to cheat from. I also stole the bulb keepers? from the uhaul. You know, those plastic sleeves that retain the bulbs. The ones made from powdered plastic. :smiley_drive:



It's nice have a bunch of 2x2 aluminum angle laying around from the camper build to use for brackets. I mounted the ballasts to the core support.

 

[pappawheely]

I thought this was going to be a gimmick but, I was wrong. The roof of the Uhaul box is a single layer of aluminum. On sunny days you could not even touch the underside of it without burning your finger. Today I put two coats on the roof of this dicor cool coat and it works! The underside of the roof is cool to the touch. Going to see if it makes a difference in temperature inside the box tomorrow. :Wow1:

 

[chet6.7]

^^ I have been waiting for your thoughts on that product.

 

[rayra]

yes, tell us about the goop, what is it like, how'd the application go, any different from rolling on regular paint or roof slop? What's the consistency and texture like, is it like sanded paint or are the insulating glass bubbles micro-fine?
I'm also really curious how hardy it is after it has cured. Can it be walked on without destroying it?


btw, I'm shopping around for materials and hardware bits for creating a catamaran-style trampoline deck sunshade to lace to the perimeter of my Suburban's Z71 roof rack. Something like 1000D nylon is about $12/yd (60" wide roll), sewing in some 3/4" webbing around the perimeter for reinforcement and using hand-plier-installed 1/4" eyelets and using paracord as the lacing. Call it $75 in material costs to do the Suburban. Guesstimating your rig might be ~3x as much for materials. If this paint doesn't do the trick.

 

[pappawheely]

yes, tell us about the goop, what is it like, how'd the application go, any different from rolling on regular paint or roof slop? What's the consistency and texture like, is it like sanded paint or are the insulating glass bubbles micro-fine?
I'm also really curious how hardy it is after it has cured. Can it be walked on without destroying it?

Went on just like paint. Dried just like paint. It has a texture that comes from the roller, not granular at all. You can walk on it. I put it on as thick as I could, two coats, I used the whole gallon. I did not check the temperature of the underside of the roof before painting but it was too hot to touch. I measured it just now after it has been sitting in the direct sun all morning. The outside surface measured 89 degrees F. Inside it was 74-77 deg. F. It reflects the sun and insulates, just as it claims to do.

 

[chet6.7]

Thanks for the report.
rayra,I am interested in your sunshade as well.

 

[pappawheely]

Thanks for the report.
rayra,I am interested in your sunshade as well.

Me too but I have to stay focused on bigger things right now.:sombrero:

 

[rayra]

77F on the inner face has to be huge improvement and boon to keeping the interior cool. Any ideation to do the sides as well? Does it lay down smoothly enough to serve as an underpayment for some other graphic scheme or vehicle wrap?


As to the rack shade, It will be a couple months at least, my work on this stuff is kinda sporadic / happens in bursts. I work on too many different things at once. I just yesterday ordered the rest of the ripstop nylon fabric for my awning project, I'll be lucky to have that sewing project sewn up and photographed in all its configs by Labor Day.
http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...eas-for-a-lightweight-compact-flexible-design

Doubtless the rack shade thing will get finished by the time of year it's least needed. I just tinted the front windows of the Suburban this morning, and trying to tint the sunroof tomorrow a.m.
I'll have so many different 'shade' ideas going on it won't be possible to tell which helps the most.

 

[pappawheely]

Vegas to Reno time trials today.

 

[rayra]

You wear any hearing protection when you do this stuff? I'd think even with a long lens it's still got to be a lot of noise.

I only last year got my first set of electronic muffs for the shooting range and now wish I'd done it many years ago for the convenience alone.
http://www.amazon.com/Howard-Leight...439443985&sr=8-1&keywords=electronic+earmuffs

They also have an aux jack, you can plug in your smartphone or music player, volume is driven by the aux device, independent from the volume setting you choose on the headphones for external noise.

 

[pappawheely]

WHAT? Yes, the ears take a beating but no worse than Nascar or NHRA. I was out shooting yesterday when a little bird decided to use me for shade. I heard birds are a good judge of character.