Overland Hadley
on a journey
Oh, Hyalite. I miss that place.
Suzuki Samurai Custom Camper Build
- Thread starter trackhead
- Start date
Oh, Hyalite. I miss that place.
No change from stock.
2,430lbs with 1/2 tank of gas, tools, spare, and my 4 month old up front. That includes the silly 4x4x1/4" heavy bumpers I welded on, which weigh quite a bit and are total over kill. Additional weight will be 118lb wife, clothes, 80 pounds of water, food.
Stock Samurai hard top is 2130lbs. So this camper weighs about 300lbs over stock. Hell, some of the folks I see wheelin' these things weigh 300lbs.
Went 62-65mph pretty easily for long stretches down the freeway today. Rolling terrain, no wind.
Should right around 3,000lb GVW suggested by Suzuki when I'm ready to go.
Stock Samurai hard top is 2130lbs. So this camper weighs about 300lbs over stock. Hell, some of the folks I see wheelin' these things weigh 300lbs.
Went 62-65mph pretty easily for long stretches down the freeway today. Rolling terrain, no wind.
Should right around 3,000lb GVW suggested by Suzuki when I'm ready to go.
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Backroad Explorer
Adventurer
Excellent work trackhead! Makes me wanna get a soft top. Spring time Interior Pics? Let us know how winter goes.
Hopefully in December. Need to take a break on spending money for a month or two. The only thing left is finish the pop top, sew up the fabric pop top walls, wire the solar.
With the bit of sag I had before this thing is loaded down, I decided to add some air bags. A little welding and some drilling and they popped right in. Pretty cool gizmos. The specs for the air bags are 10-100psi, they are at 40psi to level the rig now, so they should work pretty well when it has about 400 more pounds on it. It will be nice to be able to change the air pressure as we run out of water, or whatever the case may be.
How is it handeling in an emergency S turn?
Will it tilt?
Called a Moose manuver here in Norway, widely done on the road
Handles fine. Better than before.
Ford Prefect
Expedition Leader
I sure hope you are planning to bring this down to the Overland Expo next year! I really want to see the finished product in person! (If I may be so bold)
It is looking really good, and I like the airbag idea as well. You said the bags are set for 10-100psi, but that you only have 4 psi in them now. Not having any experience with those at all, how much presure are you going to need with that added approximately 400lbs worth of gear and family? The reason I ask is if the bags only need to go up to, say, 50psi at your most, would there have been a way to build so as to increase the PSI requirements the way it sits now, thereby making better use of the bag system? (Again total novice on the bags, so trying to learn, please forgive me if this is a totally stupid question.)
Cheers,
It is looking really good, and I like the airbag idea as well. You said the bags are set for 10-100psi, but that you only have 4 psi in them now. Not having any experience with those at all, how much presure are you going to need with that added approximately 400lbs worth of gear and family? The reason I ask is if the bags only need to go up to, say, 50psi at your most, would there have been a way to build so as to increase the PSI requirements the way it sits now, thereby making better use of the bag system? (Again total novice on the bags, so trying to learn, please forgive me if this is a totally stupid question.)
Cheers,
