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- #121
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Builds 2013 Toyota Tacoma Access Cab Chinook build (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Jaybashant
- Start date
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- off road camper pop top
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- Thread starter
- #122
Installed the back door, side hatch, shore power hatch... it's fun bolting on the shiney stuff... and the TRD graphics!
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- #123
Bedded in the windows and installed the fuel fill hatch. Going to try to get the roof back on tomorrow so I am weather tight. The exterior is getting close to finished. I have the utility boxes, wheel wells and LP mounts to do... then on to interior finishing!
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- #124
Got the top mounted... it is all weather right now...
Have some fabricating to do on the door latch... I asked my neighbor Stan the machinist if he had a square tiny rat tail file so I could open up the square latch mechanism... he said hold my beer.
Have some fabricating to do on the door latch... I asked my neighbor Stan the machinist if he had a square tiny rat tail file so I could open up the square latch mechanism... he said hold my beer.
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- #126
Took care of a bunch of little stuff today. Installed the magnetic catches on the step bumper... fabricated and installed the plates for the jamb and door for the latch... installed the stainless steel cables for the side hatch for my outside grill area and redid the ss cables on my step bumper. The last ones were a tad long so the step was not level when open... The cables are swedged on and then covered with shrink tube...
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- #127
Also my extra fuel tank system works great. I was low on fuel so I filled the auxiliary gas tank and then transferred the fuel to the main tank... turn a gate valve 90 degrees, pump the priming bulb a couple times and perfect syphon into my “Y” fuel fill splitter. I wanted to test it all before I built it in...
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- #128
Got the utilility boxes clear coated with Everbright. .. had some left over from coating the tuna tower on my boat (just sold)... great stuff. Apply with a foam brush, self leveling. with the coating I dont have to constantly wax the annodized aluminum! Boxes are ready for final installation so I can template out the diamond plate wheel wells.
- Thread starter
- #129
Got the utilility boxes clear coated with Everbright. .. had some left over from coating the tuna tower on my boat (just sold)... great stuff. Apply with a foam brush, self leveling. with the coating I dont have to constantly wax the annodized aluminum! Boxes are ready for final installation so I can template out the diamond plate wheel wells.
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- #130
I got wrinkle coat finish on my side brush guards and back bumper today. Now the utility boxes can go in! I need to install the brush seal also between the camper body and back bumper...
Also prepared a conversion affidavit for the DMV so I can get it titled as an RV. They are telling me no inspections needed! I find it hard to imagine but will let you know how it goes. Possibly it is so uncommon that no bureaucrat has taken the time to complicate the proceedure? Sure hope so.... RV insurance is smoking cheap in FL... maybe $300 a year for full coverage.
Also prepared a conversion affidavit for the DMV so I can get it titled as an RV. They are telling me no inspections needed! I find it hard to imagine but will let you know how it goes. Possibly it is so uncommon that no bureaucrat has taken the time to complicate the proceedure? Sure hope so.... RV insurance is smoking cheap in FL... maybe $300 a year for full coverage.
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- #131
Today was one of those days. Got a start on the brush seal that is the finish between the camper and back bumper. I have to add an aluminum angle to attach to. I can not get in to drill at my attachment points. Simple job turns not so simple...
Started attaching the utility boxes. The passenger side rear box was encroaching on my generator...a tight little installation to be sure. I opted to modify the box by cutting a back corner off...I cut a piece of diamond plate to finish it and my neighbor will weld it for me...
Should have done this along time ago. I needed a half inch and gave myself 2"... been fighting this problem for monthes! The mod is in the back and can not be seen. I have been worried about the small clearance to my generator and am glad to have resolved that.
Also got the rig retitled as a motor coach! Showed up with the paperwork they said I needed yesterday. New deal today. I needed to fill out another afidavit as well as take it to a weigh station and provide receipts on my materials used to prove sales tax was paid... all done, all good.... 5100lbs. The build complete will remain below the gross weight of the stock truck... gross weight is curb weight plus max load. I am happy.
Started attaching the utility boxes. The passenger side rear box was encroaching on my generator...a tight little installation to be sure. I opted to modify the box by cutting a back corner off...I cut a piece of diamond plate to finish it and my neighbor will weld it for me...
Should have done this along time ago. I needed a half inch and gave myself 2"... been fighting this problem for monthes! The mod is in the back and can not be seen. I have been worried about the small clearance to my generator and am glad to have resolved that.
Also got the rig retitled as a motor coach! Showed up with the paperwork they said I needed yesterday. New deal today. I needed to fill out another afidavit as well as take it to a weigh station and provide receipts on my materials used to prove sales tax was paid... all done, all good.... 5100lbs. The build complete will remain below the gross weight of the stock truck... gross weight is curb weight plus max load. I am happy.
Great work
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- #133
Thanks mts2snd!
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- #134
Had a lazy day. Got another utility box installed. I finally have a wheel well plan worked out in my head...
Attached a pic of my cropped corner box. This is the modification to not encroach on my generator....
Tomorrow my neighbor is detailing the cab for me. It needs some love after living with the barbarian hordes these past months.
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- #135
My neighbor Matt is doing a stellar job on the cab. The truck got covered with rust and paint particulate that got ground off an old forklift then the crap layed on the truck in the dew and rain and acted like overspray. Imagine my joy in seeing this when I got back from my travels. Matt removed the rust, buffed out the whole truck and then is spiffing me out with a ceramic coat finish on the house! It looks fantastic!
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- #136
Got the utility boxes mounted on the other side after picking her up from the detail shop... a huge thank you to Matt from the Detail Doctor in Jensen Beach FL .772.405.7010... anyone in the area should talk to him about detailing and ceramic coating. So rare to find someone who under promises and over delivers. I am so happy! This ceramic coating is badass! 6 year product that repeals water like rain x on glass....
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- #137
Got a good start on the fender fabrication... patterned out the wheel wells with wood door skin. There will be a piece of diamond plate connecting the backs of the utility boxes but stepped back 1" to allow a bit more tire clearance. Then the 1/8" curved piece of aluminum will join that piece to the fiberglass camper.... then diamond plate pie sections will attach to the boxes front and back to finish the fender skirt... should look great... no fancy bending equipment available on a Sunday... used a barrel, some clamps and a section of 4" pipe....came out nice!
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- #138
I am waiting for a piece of my wheel well project to be welded so I changed thought process today...
Finishing out the walk through is the hardest part of the interior so I got started. It is a really important area because I am mating the factory interior finishes to the new... and 3 different materials are coming together... and to boot, the factory headliner needs to be able to release in the event of side airbags deploying (hoping I never need them!)...
I patterned and cut a door skin frame to mate with the back of the factory (cut out) headliner. I then glued and screwed in a wood spacer that brings it up to the cab roof metal. There will then be another wood frame on top that will attach to the cab roof on top with sheet metal screws... I will pad this with foam and upholster it with the same vinyl as the pop up roof headliner. The hull liner wall covering will butt to this and look awesome and finished. The wood frame gives me structure that I can glue, screw, or staple to!
The factory headliner will staple to the door skin into the 1/8" thin plywood... easy release in the event of an airbag incident. The edge of the headliner and door skin edge will finish with grey foam pipe insulation that you see in the picture. I was going to wrap it with vinyl but it is the exact same color as the factory headliner already! All that clean living is finally paying off.
Finishing out the walk through is the hardest part of the interior so I got started. It is a really important area because I am mating the factory interior finishes to the new... and 3 different materials are coming together... and to boot, the factory headliner needs to be able to release in the event of side airbags deploying (hoping I never need them!)...
I patterned and cut a door skin frame to mate with the back of the factory (cut out) headliner. I then glued and screwed in a wood spacer that brings it up to the cab roof metal. There will then be another wood frame on top that will attach to the cab roof on top with sheet metal screws... I will pad this with foam and upholster it with the same vinyl as the pop up roof headliner. The hull liner wall covering will butt to this and look awesome and finished. The wood frame gives me structure that I can glue, screw, or staple to!
The factory headliner will staple to the door skin into the 1/8" thin plywood... easy release in the event of an airbag incident. The edge of the headliner and door skin edge will finish with grey foam pipe insulation that you see in the picture. I was going to wrap it with vinyl but it is the exact same color as the factory headliner already! All that clean living is finally paying off.
Hi Jay!Things are looking great! I have a question. Looks like I am going to have to do some reparis to my roof. It has the typical sag in the middle. From what I can see in your pictures, It looks like you installed plywood to your top. So did you just use a solid sheet of plywood or did you use some metal or something on your top? I have researched and found that others are using a Square tube frame. Being that I am not very experinced in fiberglass, I was wondering if you did just use one solid sheet of plywood, how did you fiberglass it in the middle and get it to stay? mabey put screws through the roof into the plwood and fiberglass over them? I see your fiberglassing talent and I would really like to see what you did.
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- #140
Mine was ground down to a bare fiberglass top... no wood left. And then rebuilt out of 1 1/2” foam laminated with epoxy. I then skinned the bottom with thin door skin plywood. I wanted it to be as light as possible and super well insulated. I would have skipped the door skin if I had had known how I was going to finish it. Ended up with the vinyl headliner but I was considering some type of laminate at the time....
I was VERY careful with maintaining the position of all of the mounting points for the scissor mechanism so I did not have to trial and error to get it to center on closing!
Best of luck! I would avoid putting any extra holes in the top... less chance of leaking. If you are going to laminate plywood directly make sure you ground the inside surface well. You can use polyester , vinyl ester or epoxy resins
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