187 replies to this topic

[Hodakaguy]

Nice, won't have to wonder "is that who I think it is?" while running off the road trying to get a good look

 

Nope :-) lol

 

Hodakaguy

[Hodakaguy]

Thanks for all the great ideas so far Hodakaguy!!!

 

I've upgraded:

1.   Radio knobs installed

2.  Ordered the TPAM with the BS 1039 from Jeff

3.  And have a custom made ACR switch plate inbound

 

Now only to find a good gear shop to install the Nitro 4.88!  Needs to be local to half day drive away.  Shipping the unit is cost prohibitive.

 

Bill

 

 

Glad I could help :-)  You'll love the mods, especially the gears!  I should have the OV tune in hand soon....I'll let you know what kind of difference it makes.

 

Hodakaguy

[Hodakaguy]

Sticker Version #2.  While I liked the sticker on the camper door it wasn't quite what I wanted.  It was missing the Snorkel (The graphic is from a photo before the snorkel was installed) and I didn't care for the swirly lines behind the truck/camper......sooooo off the sticker comes.  Did a bit of work in the editing program and added in the Snorkel then cleaned up the lines behind the truck & Camper.....Diggin this version :-)

I'll be making up a batch of patches and stickers soon as well :-)  Fun stuff.

First Version:




Removing the sticker is a pain...heat gun and patience

 

.




And Version 2 installed:




Hodakaguy

Edited by Hodakaguy, 17 May 2018 - 03:41 AM.

[Hodakaguy]

Cab mount chop time.....

As the suspension has settled in and we've added more weight to the front of the trucks we've been getting occasional rubbing at full turn on the cab mounts.   Time to trim back the cab mounts for more clearance.

Starting on my dads truck first, drivers side.




Tire removed.  You can see the marks where the tire has been rubbing on the cab mount (Blue Arrows).






We covered the suspension in a heavy plastic bag to keep metal dust off during the cutting process, we also loosened the bottom of the inner fender liner and tied it up out of the way.






Marked out our cut lines.  Will be trimming as much as we can for max clearance.




Getting down to business with a Skinny Wheel.






Cutting finished.








My father cutting out a paper pattern so we can make up a new metal plate.






Cutting out the new plate.





Continued Below....

[Hodakaguy]

Continued from above...

 

Getting ready to weld the plate onto the cab mount.  My father wrapped a piece of leather around the cab mount bushing to help protect it from the heat, he then routed it down through the lower access hole.  After the plate is welded in place you just pull on the leather and it will come right out.




Welding the new plate in place.








Primed and Painted.




While I was here I decided to fold over the factory pinch weld a bit for extra clearance, hasn't been rubbing here but it's extra insurance and easy to do.






Next is to re-install the inner fender liner.  The liner had been touching the tire slightly in one spot, there is a bulge that sticks out but has nothing under it.  I used a heat gun and re-shaped it by pushing the bulge in and holding it till cool.  Instant clearance.






And the tire back on the truck.  Plenty of clearance now on the cab mount.  I got a little sloppy with the paint on this one....I'll mask it off better on the passenger side.

Out of time for today....More to come..

Hodakaguy

Edited by Hodakaguy, 18 May 2018 - 11:17 PM.

[Hodakaguy]

Made a quick trip down to the Evergreen Air and Space Museum and water park this weekend in McMinnville OR.  The Museum is defiantly a must see...although this time we were after the water park for the kiddo :-)

Arriving at the Museum...you can see the Spruce Goose though the glass.




At the water park before opening, all the tube rides originate from up inside the 747 on the roof!  Very cool.




Out back of the Museum is a Rutan Starship!  This plane is way to cool and rare to be sitting out in the rain.




Setting up "camp" for the day at the water park.  The camper is nice for a home base.




Inside the water park.  The air and water are both very warm....nice!






We didn't have time to go into the Air and Space museum this time around but I've been there several times in the past.  If you haven't been here before it's a must see.  Here's a couple shots of the Spruce Goose from a previous trip.






On the way home we stopped for a few quick photos along the way :-)

The first picture is straight out of camera with an in camera filter applied, Olympus EM1 and Oly 75mm F1.8 Lens (had a couple questions about the camera setup).  Mt Hood in the background.










Fun stuff.

Hodakaguy

[trikebubble]

We've driven past that 15 or so times over the past 15 years on our way to/back from the Oregon Coast, and never stopped. It looks awesome. I remember seeing the Spruce Goose when I stayed on the Queen Mary in California as a kid and it was housed beside the ship. We really need to stop next time. 

 

Made a quick trip down to the Evergreen Air and Space Museum and water park this weekend in McMinnville OR.  The Museum is defiantly a must see...although this time we were after the water park for the kiddo :-)

Hodakaguy

[Hodakaguy]

Summer rain and dry land wheat.

 

 

Hodakaguy

[Hodakaguy]

Returned last week from a 1900 mile road trip through Yellowstone, camper and truck performed perfectly.  Here's a few pics of the truck in different places along the route, I still need to go through the rest of the pictures of the trip when I get the time.

Outside of Jackson Hole WY....the lighting was very cool.




Lower Geyser Basin in Yellowstone.




Camping at Mammoth Hot Springs




Camp at Lewis and Clark Caverns Park




Heading down LOLO Pass.




I'll try and get some more pictures of the trip loaded up when I get a chance.

This past weekend my father and I went to Plain WA for the NW OverLand Rally....Sooooo many cool rigs there!  Had a great time and got to meet a lot of great people.  Plans were set in motion for an epic adventure while at the rally....More to come on that later :-)  Will defiantly be going back next year.


Here's an overview of the rally from the Drone.






Where's Waldo....we are camping in this section, see the truck?




Home sweet home for a few nights.






The view out of the camper.




DasMule had their big rig at the show




There was a little of everything :-)




Hodakaguy

[Hodakaguy]

Been slammed lately...but time for a update.

At the NorthWest Overland Rally one of our goals was to check out campers for my fathers truck, we had been looking at the new GoFast camper and thinking about placing a order so it would be nice to see them in person. We were able to see all the major brands in one location which was great as it gave us the opportunity to study them and see how each one would fit our needs.

We liked the GoFast unit, light and simple. Construction looked really good and finish work was top notch. Canvas material is similar to what we have on the FWC and it’s been super waterproof. We live in the desert and the camper will be outside 365..the sun here tears things up fast. We both wondered how the composite roof will hold up over time to intense sun, things here die of sun!. Also not sure I like the light coming in through the composite translucent top, I could see times where I want it dark in the tent. Guess one could always make a internal light cover for the top. The tubular frame of the GoFast takes up room and makes the sides harder to insulate. Another thing I didn't care for was the short cab over, this makes for a short sleeping area and you will have to remove a cushion every time you want to drop back down to the truck bed when sleeping. No side window options on the GoFast.

We both really liked the Vagabond unit a lot as well, the construction is top notch and we both prefer the solid aluminum construction, insulated aluminum roof and less seals on the sides (I see this as being a lot more water/dust proof over time). They also have similar canvas material to the FWC which again we have found bullet proof in rain. We liked the longer extension over the cab and the ability to have a standing space with the bed deployed. The Drifter is also built out of thicker aluminum than the AT and was really rock solid! We also liked the side windows in the Drifter and they will be offering the Dometic windows. Without the tube frame of the GoFast the interior seems more roomy and offers more options for build outs. We really liked the one piece aluminum roof and it would be great for mounting solar or carrying my Kayaks.

The AT was great as well but higher $$ and the canvas material looked more like treated tent material than a true waterproof material like the others. I hung around twice to talk to the AT rep but never got the chance. The fit and finish of the AT was really good. They had the habitat on display as well but we both prefer the wedge design over the Habitat.

They all have their advantages and disadvantages, but the Drifter fits our needs the best.

And a couple of the campers.

AT



Vagabond



Gofast




We recently pulled the trigger and ordered a Vagabond Drifter camper for my fathers truck. This unit will remain on his truck year round unless we want to swap over the FWC for a longer trip. Can't wait to build it out, we will be adding insulation, lighting and heat. We will keep this camper very basic and light.


Next up...Awning swap. At the same rally we had the opportunity to look at the Alu-Cab 270 Deg Shadow Awning, we really liked the construction and that it can handle higher winds than our Batwing awning without the legs being deployed. Since we live in the desert and winds are very common this is an important feature for us. Our existing Batwing will hold up to wind as well but they recommend always using the legs and staking them down, I really prefer the free span option of the Alu-Cab. After returning home from the rally we sold the Batwing and purchased a Shadow unit.

The coverage is also slightly better with the Alu-Cab and it uses a more square shape, you can get a idea from these two drawings.

Batwing




Shadow




Batwing removed from the truck. Here you can see the factory FWC 1/4" stainless mounts for the Batwing, we will re-use these mounts for the Shadow and fabricate a 4th bracket as well for additional hinge support. The mounts go through the frame and have backing plates on the inside wall.




Here is a shot of the Batwing next to the Shadow awning. The shadow is a little larger and not as compact when collapsed.






Differences in mounting requirements. The Batwing uses an extruded rail along the back of the awning allowing for a lot of adjustment and easy installation. The Shadow has mounting holes on the internal framework and the bag completely encloses the mount, you need to pick your mounting holes then punch a hold through the bag for the bolts to pass through.




This is what allows the Shadow awning to remain free-spanning in higher winds (up to 20+ mph). The support arms on the Shadow are completely boxed for added strength and fully welded at the hinge assembly where the Batwing uses lighter open C-channel tubing and a extruded/riveted hinge assy. Again the Batwing works just fine and is slightly lighter and more compact but does need to be staked down with legs in higher winds.

Batwing




Shadow




With the help of 3 people we held the Shadow awning up in place and determined how far back the rear hinge needed to be. Once that was determined we started marking out the hole locations on the awning mounting brackets to match up to the FWC brackets. Since our awning brackets are already mounted on the camper we will modify the holes on the awning to match the brackets.




The existing brackets on the camper have a wider bolt pattern than the awning so a few new holes were in order.




The 3rd mounting bracket on the camper (rear most bracket) is located right where the hinge assembly starts in the awning, preventing me from drilling holes in this location. Since the bracket is already on the camper we will modify the bracket by adding a stainless extension and move the mounting location slightly forward for clearance.

Fabricating the extension out of 1/4" stainless to match the OEM mounts.




It will be welded onto the bracket at this location.




We will have to fabricate a custom 4th bracket that will directly support the hinge assembly on the awning, this will tie into the corner of the camper. More on this soon as progress happens.

Hodakaguy