The Dirt Sherpa Build

[GCecchetto]

I must have missed it but where did you get those cool, tiny running lights?

They are made by Grote. You can get them at West Marine, but can be had on the web for MUCH less money. I don't remember the part numbers but they make them in a clear lens with amber and red LED, what I've used, and with amber and red colored lenses.

 

[GCecchetto]

are those stainless steel rear latches, and if so, where did you get them? looks like the bracket and catch are aluminum.

Nope, I wish they were but they are just aluminum and cad plated steel. I bought them from FWC. I was able to find some that were white, but they were a cheaper latch. You can get get the white ones, and possibly these from Eastern Marine.

 

[Jr_Explorer]

They are made by Grote. You can get them at West Marine, but can be had on the web for MUCH less money. I don't remember the part numbers but they make them in a clear lens with amber and red LED, what I've used, and with amber and red colored lenses.

Thanks!

 

[GCecchetto]

Here's a few photos of the Sherpa cued up for the trip to FWC tomorrow. Unfortunately they are super busy at the present so I'm looking at 3 to 4 weeks to get the softwall, so now luck on getting my son out in it for some fishing before he goes back to school.

 

[Frosty_1]

Looks awesome!

Do you have a write-up on your Tundra? Who makes those flares you have on it?

 

[GCecchetto]

Looks awesome!


Do you have a write-up on your Tundra? Who makes those flares you have on it?

Thanks. No write up on the Tundra. The flares are by Bushwacker.

 

[GCecchetto]

Had a good 220 mile shakedown run out to FWC and back today. Had her up to 80 mph with no issues at all, handles like a champ. FWC is backed up 3 to 4 weeks so I offered the gal who sews the soft walls $100 if she could have it for me next Friday. We'll see what happens. Took a quick tour of the shop and had a look at a cool custom they are getting ready to deliver built on a Fuso chassis. The folks at FWC are a nice bunch of people for sure.

Made a bummer of a discovery when I got home. Some time last night a branch fell out of the tree above where I have been storing my exterior trim and slammed one of the pieces of trim the goes around the roof at the top of the soft wall. Really pisses me off. It has been sitting there for 6 month or more, and here I am a couple of weeks away from finally using it and now I need to buy more when I go out to FWC to pick up the soft wall. It's not the cost that pisses me off. It's the headache of transporting an 18' piece of trim 110 miles on a truck with a 5'-8" bed. Oh well, at least I'm far enough along to have to worry about it.

Also picked up the roll over brackets for the dinette seating so I can start to get that all figured out.

Here's a shot of the Sherpa in the FWC shop after being measured.

 

[GCecchetto]

Working on the misc trim pieces this weekend. I was somewhat amazed that I was able to wrap the trim around the corners at the cabover. Note really happy with the way I ran the trim where the back of the cabover meets the front wall though. Looking at it now, I realize I could have done something that would have taken four times as long and looked twice as good. Oh well, I'm not tearing it apart.

 

[Overland Hadley]

Looking at it now, I realize I could have done something that would have taken four times as long and looked twice as good. Oh well, I'm not tearing it apart.

Yeah, I know that feeling.

 

[RickNV]

nice work - this looks awesome....

 

[GCecchetto]

Picked up the soft wall and arctic pack today, so the install will start tomorrow. Also received the MaxxAir Deluxe roof fan today and got most of the install down this evening. Just have to cut and install the trim on the ceiling side. Should have plenty of photos coming soon.

 

[GCecchetto]

Here's a couple of shots from late yesterday. Just need to install the counter flashing over the upper trim and reinstall the clips for the latches and the roof will be done. Due to me spacing out on fasteners we had to make a trip down the hill to buy some stainless screws, and of course it took three different locations find enough. I also needed to buy two more rolls of butyl tape, but completely spaced on stopping by the local RV shop to buy them. I think I have found a location where I can where I can get some later this morning. I do have a troubling detail I need to get figured out. I had assumed a new soft wall would include the elastics cord that pull in the soft wall when lower the top, but unfortunately it didn't and the real issue is that the D rings have not even been installed the inner window privacy flap. If there is someone out there with a current model FWC that can tell me how the D-rings are fastened to the window flap, or better yet post a photo I would really appreciated it. I'm thinking they might rivet them like the straps for the elastic bands on the lift panels but I don't want the back of the rivet to scratch the window. I'm trying desperately to get my son out camping before he goes back to school so I need all of this installed by Tuesday.

 

[GCecchetto]

Got the soft wall done today aside from the shock cord that pulls the soft wall in when you lower the roof. What a fiasco though; I had put the roof back up on the jig, but had cut the jig down so that the roof just barely sat on it hoping that the soft wall wouldn't loosen up when the jig was removed. Long story short, it did, and I had to pull screws out of the lower side wall trim and re-tension soft wall. I had the soft wall looking so clean no funky wrinkles, but after re-tensioning it I'm not as happy with it. The front and back corners on the drivers side just don't look as good.

The duct tape tabs worked out really well.



The almost finished product.



And a couple shots of the still stark interior.

 

[bphang10]

looking good! what wrinkles?
until you get your bungee try this: close all the windows and door, set the fan to suck air out, set it on high, lower roof slowly. not sure if it will work with fwc system but works perfect with a heco lift...pulls walls in as it closes.

 

[GCecchetto]

Here's some photos of today's effort after work. Planning to leave for the Eastern Sierra's 4:00 AM Wed morning.

The flange for the flu and combustion air for the furnace was a complete piece of crap so I had a new fabricated out of stainless. You see that the original would have never been water tight.



This baby won't leak!



The finished product for now. I'll have an eyebrow fabed at later date.



One of the tabs for the shock cords.



Also trimmed the rear corners of the camper this evening and will tackle the counter flashing and latches at the roof in the morning.