Full Camper Conversion (1 Viewer)

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JDSherr

JDSherr

Joined
Mar 27, 2005
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Looking to convert a FJ60 to a sleeper-

Currently doing a master's thesis on portable Architecture- want to do a full chop + convert on a fj60.

this guy did his bj-http://www.gefi-travel.ch/home.cfm he's frickin awesome.

wonder if all you custom guys and gals out there would send a few bits of advice my way- things to be wary of, ideas for materials, etc.
pessimisms, optimisms, cynicisms, etc.:D
 
I have zero experience with this but thought I'd throw out ideas for the hell of it. What about chopping the body like Tapage is doing. Welding up the rear doors and using that as a platform to build out the camper portion. Seems like it would save time on the build (but I guess it might defeat the purpose if you're supposed to build out the entire unit.) Maybe do a search on chopped 60's to come up with some ideas on chopping if you're going more towards a total chop. There are a couple crazy aussies that have sliced up perfect 60's into traybacks.

Here's tapage's thread:
https://forum.ih8mud.com/showthread.php?t=135846&highlight=rolled
 
Camper plans can be had fairly easily - old neighbor of mine built a pickup-bed model that was huge. Might even be able to get a manufactured pop-top to keep your CG (& CD) lower for driving & give better inside height when parked.

Marine fixtures & hadware are generally more durable than RV stuff. Try westmarine.com for starters.

You could use 80 axles to increase stability through extra width & lengthen the frame & bob the back for better departure angle off-road & stability on-road. And I'd ditch the 2F for a SBC unless you're looking towards the 3rd world, & then I'd go diesel.

I'd guess a thesis would take a lot less time than the actual build-up. Unless you're on the 5-yr plan, I'd stick with the paper. I'm getting to hate "custom".
 
thanks for the insights, leads, etc everybody-

powerzz, the program is @uc-berkeley march opt.2
and yeah animal- fiberglass,wood, & rigid polystyrene for insulation-

biggest CURRENT issue-:confused: how to mount the "box" on the back: won't a diagonal approach to a hill or something twist the whole body-thereby breaking apart said fiberglass box, or is that what body mounts are for?-

as for motor- have to stick to the stock for now.... i've got to have something to show in seven short weeks! but yeah, plans to go diesel, maybe next year.

just ordered the 60, an operable 84 from MI with a bit of rust and 266.000mi- total w/ shipping $1750-super sweet-:) any bay area heads know a junkyard that has 60's around here?
 
Has anyone seen a poptop that would fit a 60 series? Have you considered that? I have toyed with using a VW camper van top, but I think that they are wider than a 60 series.
 
camper

you might try to look at outfittermfg.com. I own one of their pop ups. They are a very well appointed camper made with a fiberglass/aluminum frame and blue board insulation sandwiched wall. They are glued and put under vacuum to bond the walls together. This might be a good way to build a little camper for the wagon. Or, look at Big Foot or northern light campers...they are molded fiberglass campers. Might give you a good idea? Standard method of camper construction is plywood where structure is needed and 2x2s where a nailer is needed, covered with aluminum siding, insulated with bat fiberglass and paneling on interior walls.
 
Check out TAP Recycling in Rancho Cordova, CA. http://www.taprecycling.com/.

They generally have a number of 60's there. Look at their web site and if something interests you call in advance...stuff goes thru there pretty quick.

If I remember correctly they give a TLCA discount.

Architecture??? Berkeley??? better convert the 60 to propane...Harrison's a pretty "Green" guy!
 
Turtle60 said:
Has anyone seen a poptop that would fit a 60 series? Have you considered that? I have toyed with using a VW camper van top, but I think that they are wider than a 60 series.
Click to expand...


Turtle,

My old roomate and I were thinking of that same idea last week. What if we could modify a cruiser top to open like a VW or even lift straight up like a maggnolia (sp?) tent?

Basically the idea would have the top slid up or pop up a few feet, with a sleeping platform built on top of an internal roll cage. The top would have to be cut off and allowed to fit back on. Just an idea, maybe I will photochop it.
 
calphi27 said:
Turtle,

My old roomate and I were thinking of that same idea last week. What if we could modify a cruiser top to open like a VW or even lift straight up like a maggnolia (sp?) tent?

Basically the idea would have the top slid up or pop up a few feet, with a sleeping platform built on top of an internal roll cage. The top would have to be cut off and allowed to fit back on. Just an idea, maybe I will photochop it.
Click to expand...

A buddy of mine told me that there are Land Rover kits that convert the existing roof of the vehicle to a popup. I am not sure how that would work, but it would be worth looking into.
 
"Turtle,

My old roomate and I were thinking of that same idea last week. What if we could modify a cruiser top to open like a VW or even lift straight up like a maggnolia (sp?) tent?

Basically the idea would have the top slid up or pop up a few feet, with a sleeping platform built on top of an internal roll cage. The top would have to be cut off and allowed to fit back on. Just an idea, maybe I will photochop it."


I just gotfinished measuring the fibreglass poptop on our 84 VW Camper westfalia and the roof of the VW and my '84 BJ60. Unbelievably, they are the exact same width! 55" ! The Poptop would have to be shortened to fit the 60 roof. It looks like taking one foot off the poptop and then fabbing up a front lip to deflect the air out of fibreglass so the top is sealed and doesn't go flying off the LC is all thats required. The hinges and everything should be able to be bolted up rather easily. I am sure you could swap in the double bunk bed along with the poptop. What an awesome camper!

It actually looks like an easy swap. You could cut a hole in the LC roof the same size as the VW Westfalia and use the same tent etc. although the tent would have to be shortened appropriately with the poptop.

My question is how much would the roof structure have to be beefed up to make up for the hole?

I may experiment with a poptop I have lying around and my parts truck BJ60 and see if it works out alright and if its possible I may try it on the '84 BJ60.........
 
Sweet! I look forward to updates!

I went to Alaska one year and we converted a non-poptop vw to a poptop by cutting off the roof from one in a junkyard and grafting it onto the other with about a hundred sheet metal screws!
 
vw vanagon seat/bed

My wife and I lived out of our vw vanagon for a month last year, and it got me thinking about seeing if the vw seat that converts into a bed would fit in the 60 so that you could have the same set up as the bus, but drive a vehicle that could get you places. Any one know if the vw seat would work?
 
I have a 78 vw van that had the american version pop up on it. It was a sportsmobile camper pop top and not a westfalia style. I wish I still had the top from when I ripped it off and put a rag top on it. It just popped straight up with a sleeping quarters style bed that flipped open so you could sleep. You may be able to find one or post up on a vw site and see if anyone has the shell with hinges laying around.

www.thesamba.com good vw site


for the back seat to fold down and into a bed like the back of a VW you need to look for what they call the Z-bed hinges and then a wood platform just bolts to it. Pretty simple idea and works. It just either bolts to floor or you can put a a wood floor down and bolt it to that. 70 model vw vans are what you might be looking for that may work best.

Try looking at sportsmobile web site. They still do full van conversions and may be able to help you out.

You may also get a cut out passenger seat vw van base that swivels around so the passenger seat can swing around and face backwards. A lil fabbing and it should work no biggie!!!!!

If you post up on www.thesamba.com and let them know what you are doing, alot of those guys are cool and may help you out more than you know. Its a hippie kinda feel over there sometimes!!!!!

Hope this helps, good luck
 
word- em up- still workin' on the drawings. took forever to get the springs done- but have a new 2" heavy duty set from specter- man what a bastard to do though! phew. post some pics real soon. thanks for the ideas on pre-made tops, but i'm thinking full custom- self fabbed pop top, self fabbed interior, self fabbed insanity..... and so on.
:D
 
I think that is a great idea. I would love to have a pop-top on my cruiser, something like http://www.sportsmobile.com/ultimate.html .

It would take some ingenuity, and you would have to frame around the hole in the roof correctly (not too flimsy, not too heavy).

It sounds like a cool project.

Andrew
 
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