Camper Conversion & Drawer System (1 Viewer)

[greentruck]

The available mechanical and metal skills of other members has been very helpful to me. Relatively speaking, I've gained far more from the info here than I've been able to contribute. My skills lie more in the realm of woodworking, but when was the last time you saw a wooden Land Cruiser?

FWIW, here are some pics and description of how I built a drawer system that serves as part of a camper conversion I just finished building for our 80. There are several incentives for the project.

One was to have a sleeping area up off the ground. I'm just over 6 feet tall, so needed the entire length of the back end to stretch out. My wife is shorter. There is 6'3" available on the PS and 6' even on the DS in back with the system in place.

Accommodation for new 43-quart Edgestar fridge was another factor. To do that and have enough sleeping room required that the fridge be on a slider to get it back onto the tailgate. The opening is then filled with a board, creating plenty of room for two to sleep.

These three pics show the drawer system under construction, then with the fridge in travel position, then with the fridge slip back and the board installed in the space. The opening can be used to stash overclothes or as a sunken pit to sit around on an inclement day. I used 500-lb Accuride slides, with locking both ways, both sides. The handles allow easy manipulation of the drawers.

You can also see the location for a 5-gal/20l water container and where a second (500 watt) inverter was added. Ahead of the drawers is a locker which I'll discuss more in the next pics.

 

[greentruck]

The first pic here shows that my drawers are shorter than most, which stretch all the way to the back of the second seat (about 42" long at the height of the top of most cabinets, which are generally in the 9"-10" above the cargo space floor. This allows a separate locker ahead of the drawers. I have it filled with recovery equipment I'm unlikely to need, but it's also long enough to fit many long guns if you have a need for that, too.

You can see the bolts inside the long locker that hold the add-on front section that takes the place of the second row seats. With it removed, the drawer system in the cargo space stays in place. The second row seats can then be installed.

You also get a good view of the folding panels that give the occupants the extra space needed to stretch out all the way. On the trail, you can lock them in up position. This keeps anything on top of the system from sliding forward and onto anything that's in the floorboard. The folding panel helps access the storage space below it in the second row floorboard

The next pic shows where a small locker is located, which also gives access to the inverter's wiring, which is cooled by some vent holes in the wooden floor above the inverter. You can also see the two side-facing lids of the add-on section that give access to the 4.5 cu ft of space below it.

Then it's time to step aboard! It's a big step for my wife and even tall for me. So I built a small stepbox like they would use to help rail passengers get into the Pullman sleeping car, for example. This also shows the view as you enter, which is facilitated by a fold-back panel to aid your entry as you grasp the grab bars.

 

[greentruck]

Entering the back end now involves climbing up into the bed. You can stash your boots in the area underneath the folding entry panel next to the passenger rear door entry, then fold it down to keep the camping grime from invading.

You also can see the lids on each side of the middle section. These lift giving access to the 4.5 cu ft of room underneath. With all the panels folded horizontal, there is lots of room to sleep two.

The third pic is with one of those lids open. You can see that the front part of the system is bolted into the same points that the second row seats normally bolt to, aided by a few washers and longer than OEM bolts.

I used simple, cut to length piano hinges for most such applications. The upside down j-hook thing on each side entry panel that connects to the front folding panel is a security latch for sliding doors. I managed to mangle one of the folding supports for the front folding panel in the install, but I think I'm going to leave one applied only to help with the wider PS end of the front folding board.

 

[greentruck]

Finally, the first shot here shows how locking the three folding panels together upright will keep your junk from sliding forward into a big mess right behind the front seats. You can also see how much additional room is available below the level of the bed. You can easily reach it when you're inside or from the outside just as easily. The view also shows how the storage system is designed to fit on top of the raised floor section.

With the fridge out of the way and the panel installed to cover it's space, there is a bunch of room available on top of the storage system to spread out and make the best of weather that might force you to not go outside into the rain.

In the third photo, you're looking back with the tailgate closed and things in travel position.

You might be asking, "With the tailgate open, won't those d^%&# mosquitoes find their way in easily? I hope not. I made some screens for the rear passenger doors that attach with magnets.

I didn't find much in the way of choice with tailgate tents. We may buy one for those night where you want to have the most minimal camp because you're on the road. A bit more involved is our new 8x10 canopy. This size is now being made to accommodate tailgaters, who often must squeeze into a parking space-sized slot. However, using one of those canopies allows you to add screening and even window panels, while being easy to get assembled in 15 to 20 minutes. That provides enough room for a small table and pair of chairs, as well as enclosing the tailgate, where a decent bed awaits with the aid of air mattresses after a hard day on the trail.

 

[retrofive]

Very Very NICE work

 

[80ways]

Wow... you weren't kidding when you said you had woodworking skills! Very nice setup you came up with.

 

[OGBeno]

Indeed.....very good work on this and a very interesting design.

What happens when you put the frdige out on the tailgate? Does the tail gate not come up and you will just bring the rear upper hatch down? What if there is precipitation during the night when you are sleeping? What happens to the fridge?

 

[greentruck]

80ways,
I credit my dad, the shop teacher/top secret AF mock-up fabber for my skills. A lot of the ideas I included were things I came across doing research here and on Expo.

Onur,
The fridge just sits there on the tailgate in its drawer/slide. The back end of drawer has a wooden "shelf" that one end of the fill panel sits on. The other two sides and the front sit on a wooden ledge, so it's good and strong. Once it's in place, there's a 60"x6'3" area that can be filled easily with our self-inflating mattresses.

The fridge drawer is designed to provide air circulation space around the fridge to manufacturer's spec, mostly near the rear, even when it's closed with the tailgate up. No problem with that when it's extended and rests over the tailgate. And the step also works great around at the tailgate for easy entry.

I've looked at both of these tailgate tents, but not really favoring either:
DAC Inc., Camper Top Tents for camping with trucks, sport utility vehicles, SUVs!
SafariSoftshell.com tailgate tent car truck & SUV camping
Both would accommodate the tailgate down, fridge out mode that will work with my camper conversion. For a quick camp on the road, I'd like to have something like one of them.

I also have this canopy arrangement I can quickly deploy. My only concerns about the former or the latter as a whole are in bear country...

For a camp that gives you some cover and kitchen space off the tailgate itself, there's this rig that I mentioned before, made with an 8x10 canopy and assorted padded panels per need. I used an extra netting panel to drape the tailgate area and keep the bugs from coming under to invade the canopy.

The terrain in my drive is not exactly level, but you get the idea. I'd pick a better spot if I was actually making camp. But I can get the canopy up in 20 minutes taking things easy. We'll be packing most gear in out M101 CDN trailer. For a stay of more than one night, we'll have a bigger tent, kitchen, hot water, etc supported out of the trailer.

Our goal is a reasonable cost expedition rig. Until we get the change to spring for a lid and RTT for the trailer, this will work...if the bears don't get us;p

 

[hawaiicruz]

Nice work, it looks like put allot of thought into it, and then did a great job of building exactly what you needed!

 

[Ozdunc]

Great stuff What thickness ply did you use?

 

[Dave 2000]

I like that and so wish my carpentry skills were that good

When I do my next trip it will be into Africa and apparently I need three seats, one each for me and my partner and the other for an armed guard who has to accompany us through certain areas

I will go for the RTT and a drawer system I think and make plenty of room for our guard....perhaps a nice cushion for him and a flask with something nice inside.....you know....to keep him nice and happy

regards

Dave

 

[harrydunn]

Excellent job Mike! Very impressive design and attention to detail.

 

[mot]

Why stop with just the interior of the 80, you should keep going and do the outside panels next.

Awesome work, Mike!

Mot

 

[greentruck]

Duncan,
The top is 3/4" birch high quality plywood.

I also used some oak to attach the hinges to. The frame is mostly poplar, with some oak, along with a few metal corner reinforcements.

Mot, et all,
Thanks for the props. Not sure how the wooden ARB will turn out. If I use hardwood, it will be almost as heavy as the steel one

 

[Jrob80]

'Measurements"

Do you think you could post up measurements of everything you did? I have been very s..l...o.w...l.......y working on a storage system and measurements would help out a ton, TIA

I love what you have done

 

[BreakinBirfs]

amazing work, thanks for the info

mike

 

[Bluetribal]

JEEZ how much did you spend in hardware? You have hinges, hooks, clamps, tie downs all over the place!!!!! I though my design was going to be crazy, but yours will take the cake. Can't wait to get mine started, hopefully this month.

 

[greentruck]

Dave,
I had another thought. My design could be adapted to use a third seat in the second row. I thought about doing my second row box in two sections, but it added too much wood. But see Mark's design for another solution. If you have scenarios where you need to evacuate injured or use a lot of gear in the back end while on the road, it's handy to have some accommodation for a third person, even if most of the cargo area is devoted to other things.

Mark,
I thought about doing something similar to your solution, might do it later. We're either around town -- where it would be good to have the second row seats in -- or we're on a long trip, where we only need two seats. So a single box in the second row for us. Might be nice to have a jump seat back there on one side, but with seat belt laws that is getting rather untenable in many cases.

The total length of hinges was close to 16'. But they only cost ~$11 each at the big box home store and you cut/file to length as needed. They are standard piano hinges whose leaves are just less than 3/4" wide, making them easy to apply in my design. Just cut and file carefully, the install is straightforward.

I'm glad to answer specific questions on why I did what and how far various panels swing, etc, as well as specific measurements as apply to an 80 series interior.

J,
Here's a scan of my plan. I tend to take critical measurements and then build out from there. I used cardboard templates to get accurate cuts for the top panels. Glad to answer Qs, as I'm sure there may be some.

A critical measurement is that the top of the platform is only 9" above the cargo area floor. This required me to rip 10" nominal frame boards (9 3/8"") to 8 1/4", plus the 3/4" depth of the plywood floor panels.

I could have made the platform an inch higher, but this would not have made a comfortable area for me and that was very important (wife is much more "height-challenged", so wasn't a factor for her). Here's where people who don't need all that extra height can get more storage by making the platform higher. Just remember that you want a set-up like this to be comfortable and don't raise it too high.

One thing that does challenge everyone, but shorter people especially is the height of the platform ABOVE the rear side door threshold -- almost 16" with the platform set at 9" above the cargo area floor (with factory carpet,etc installation.) That is why the small fold-away panel is there at each side, to facilitate getting up onto the platform when entering through the side doors. If you raise the platform height, you make raise this height, too, and that really limits how easy it is to enter and use the sleeping platform via the side doors. There is nothing worse than a conversion that raises the platform level too high, unless your family is short enough to sleep crossways (60") in the 80, as this plan could accommodate.

Also, by locating the water container next to and behind the fridge, this required them fridges slide to be more toward the center than it otherwise needs to be. This does best consolidate and minimize the intrusion of both into the sleeping area, whether the fridge is slid back or not. Eliminating either the fridge slide or water jug means you can use that space for a regular drawer.

Note I did NOT use Hinges 8 and 9. These would've supported the flip-up enter panels, but the design was strong enough as built to do away with them. Hinges 10 and 11 were installed, but may not be needed, since folding front panel seems to be pretty self supporting as built.

The box that fills the second row seat area is just enough narrower than the rear/drawer part of the conversion to perch on top of the floor riser that is underneath the second row seat area. This allows the side panel frame extensions to nest and be bolted just inside of the lateral locker sides, where they can be seen bolted in one of the pics above.

 

[greentruck]

One loose end that needed tying up on this project was what to do with the fill panel that goes into the space opened up when the fridge is slid to the rear. Something better than bungee-cording it upright to the fridge, anyway

I didn't plan this, but when you have good design practices as you go along, serendipitous things happen. It turns out that the panel will just fit flat on the floor over the equipment drawer.

I drilled four holes through the fill panel and far enough into the floor panel above the equipment drawer to spot the location to emplace some T-nuts. Four square-headed bolts pass through the fill panel and safely fasten it in transit.

The two below pics show this mod.

 

[sethzilla]

just a thought, couldn't you add another hinge to that last part and have it fold over and down when the fridge is out?

Great looking system by the way! Gives me many ideas on making mine one of these days.