RJ Howell wrote:
#1 Basic's to the truck is a must, just like ensuring the trailer is in good shape. I'm on 33's and know what I can and can not go over. You being on 35's must do with what you know you will drive over. I did change to Moog coils up front and a 'add-a-leaf' to the rear with Bilstien shocks. That gives me a 1" lift. Also LS out back, no reason yet to change that. Like you want to, I am Overlanding, not rock crawling..
Suspension is mostly stock, but I have the Rancho Quicklift 2.5", which replaced the stock coil pack and a 2.5" leveling puck. The quicklift did NOT give me a full 2.5", but rather 1.5" of lift, and now I rub. Fender trimming has been minor, but exists. I know where I need to cut, and reinforce to make it work, and that required my BIL and his body shop, and probably my nephew... I am on 35s that I honestly hate. They are Hercules Trail Digger MT, and are far too soft / wear too quickly. If BFGoodrich made an All Terrain TA in 33x12.50/17 in load range D or E I would grab them and swap out. I think that is euivalent to 305/65 or 70R17... Shocks front and back are Rancho RS9000s. Ball joints / control arms have been upgraded to Moog problem solvers, all bushings are upgraded to poly. Rear spring pack is what came on the truck when I bought it used in 2006 I don't see a need for an add a leaf. Now if I had a 2006 - 2008 with the shorter rear leaf pack, then yeah...
The Moog HD springs, I have, I just haaven't installed them yet, I was wiating to swap the engine first so I don't have to fight the height of the truck to get it out. Anyway they are what Rancho recommended to get the full 2.5" height since I have a winch and winch bumper.
The winch is an Engo E9000 on a Go Rhino brush guard / winch bumper mount. 9K is the largest winch any winch mount for these trucks I could find would support. I would have rather gone with a 12K winch but this is what I have...
#2 I do think most of us loose weight will traveling. Probably due to lifestyle changes mostly forced on us. Anywho, I do as well..
I guess all those walking tours and strolls down the beach to find a better fishing spot are healthy!
#2,3 Most the designs I looked at had the overhead bed as a sliding/extendable platform. Doable with supports, yet think about both of you getting in and out of it.. Main reason I sleep in the loft and she sleeps on the main level. Besides she would have a time getting down from it at night to pee (several times that is). I'm still running thoughts of a folding hard side. I'm seeing it done and no reason it could not with foam. https://www.hiatuscampers.com/?fbclid=IwAR18a3sirlL4mHWen39Bb7-FmN1wr5-H7M6Z6DnQNzOP1fmujtROfSZWyL0 did a nice design for the roof/sides. I'll try to find the other as well.
I'm not wedded to a design yet. And it is going to take a LOT of work to get my wife to agree to going the flatbed route. She doesn't have the same vision for the truck that I do... Which is why the interim phase will inevitably have to be a wide body sleeper cap, like the one you did, but wider. And with the previously mentioned over the tailgate slide out. We could squeeze into a queen bed, but it would be uncomfortable for us, and the 6.5' truck bed means an AC would be problematic to install without the slide as we are not going to do a huge RV roof unit, but rather a small 5K BTU window unit in the back wall...
#4 Do you go that deep that you need that much extra fuel? It takes me all day to travel 60 miles Overlanding.. Barely consuming fuel. I can go days before re-fueling, yet here in the Nor'East there's typically a spot to re-fuel easily.. My mind is thinking "All that extra weight needed?"
Mostly for the generator. Solar is an idea, but expensive. Doing this in Texas / New Mexico, Mexico etc... where it is HOT. Running an AC off of what solar I can put on top of a truck cap, even a wide one, is going to be very difficult..
#5,6 Shame you need the AC unit, but you're in Texas so I get it. I'm not there so I don't have one. The AC brings that need for the generator (weight thing again) and probably the extra gas.. maybe a second tank? I'm not into gas fuel style appliances, used them in my backpacking days. I lean towards propane, just my choice. I'm trying a single burner butane (nice and compact) to supplement the grill/cooktop combo cookstove I'm now using. This gives us two burners and a grill/griddle surfaces when all is running (rare). The single is great for morning coffee inside.
I am very much not a fan of the 1lb disposable propane cylinders, and a 20LB tank takes up a LOT of room, and introduces a lot of fuel availability issues south of the border. And I already have several old school Coleman Suitcase stoves, duel fuel lanterns and for the VERY rare occasion, heaters..... I am trying to minimize the need for different fuels. It would be best if I could simply stop at one pump, and fill upwith what I need to operate the truck, cook, generate electricitiy for my AC etc...
We do cook full meals when camping, and a single burner butane backpacking stove just won't cut it. Not fine enough flame control. Admittedly a Coleman Propane stove is easily 1/2 the thickness of a gasoline stove, but the inside of the gas stove is empty, and I use the space for small item storage. The stove, and one fil of fuel weighs less than the propane stove with no fuel so we are at a net benefit there. I use 1 tank of white gas to every 3.5 to 4 bottles of propane used on the other stove.... so there are benefits that are more indirect, to using a liquid fuel appliance. I know it isn't the most popular choice, but I looked at the benefits and the annoyances... and settled for liquid fuel.
#7 Again, a lot of weight! I have 7.5 gallon capacity (3/ 2.5 carboys) and now travel with only two filled. Only when I hookup the DC shower do we run through water. I have had no issues finding water along the way to wash with. I figure to keep one of the carboys just for that, so there no cross contamination with any potable water. My 'gray' is between the cassette toilet (4 gallons) and the oil drain pan (3 gallons). We 'Wag-Bag' solids, so no 'black' water near my rig! Also no issues with digging a hole for either of us!
I saw a video done by a guy named Campervan Kevin yesterday showcasing something called the Hour Shower. I want to be clean and comfortable, and if I can do that with a half gallon instead of a gallon and a half why not? And remember, this is water for 2, not 1... And hot environments. 2 gallons of water per person per day minimum. Yes it is a lot of weight. We are talking about after the weight of the aquatainers, probably 240lbs of just fresh water. Hence why I need to keep the camper light.
My thoughts are always weight vs. need of item(s). My shell is about the same weight as the bed was, so no additional added (and more floor space). No brainer for me to remove the bed. By leaving it on, anything you do is 'payload' weight and where it is placed fore/aft of your rear axle is critical to control stress on that axle/suspension/tires/etc. Popping the top was also a must for me. I don't want a top heavy/sky scraper camper that wobbles in the wind or trail. Not to mention low hanging anythings... I like the steel cage framing for strength/weight ratio (Aluminum even better) over wood. So far I've camped in 54°F weather with the canvas wrap and only needed a blanket. Start coffee and I'm opening the blinds to let heat out. If it was hard sided foam, I do believe pressing freezing overnight would be the same thing.
Yeah, the same thoughts I had. The half ton truck really is limiting, but it's what I have. Like I mentioned above, I believe I will have to keep the OE truck bed on here for a while, but maybe given my lovely bride a nice SUV might distract her enough. However given that isn't super likely yet, we are back to the wide camper shell idea. Keep the weight low, the overcab small and only for storage of light stuff, sleeping bags, clothes etc.. Any framing I need to do on this will have to be steel or aluminum, I CAN make it from wood, but I would want to insure no real rot possibilities. Plus unlike your arrangement, I would likely do a pop top on the camper shell, just so I have standing room to change clothes in the morning, while keeping a lower profile. And yeah, I don't want her climbing up / down all night long to get to the port o potty..
Hey! Good to see ya back and possibly moving forward! Keep us posted on progress!
Thanks. I appreciate it!
I know a lot of my gear choices aren't what someone else would pick, but its stuff that works for me, and I already have so it fits the budget nicely. I do want to carry some, not much, but some cast iron cookware as well so weight is always a consideration. Again a 3/4 or 1 ton truck wouldn't be such a bother, but here I am with a half ton...