Mini pick-up from Belgium - Europe

[racing green]

Hi there,

I'm a 32-year old driving a mini pick-up. Not just a small pick-up truck but really a mini (as in austin mini) pick-up, of wich 58.000 were sold from 1961 upto 1983.



Now I was looking to do something spectacular with it, and I thought building a camper out of it would be pretty special. Making it the smallest mobilehome in the world ? On this forum I haven't found any other mobilhomes yet, I mean not a trailer converted to a teardrop caravan, but really the concept built on top of the car. If there's any on this forum I would love to read all about it, I see there's loads and loads to read so I'ld bether start doing that.

By the way I'm not intending to travel around the world with it, just having fun a few weekends a year, maybe going to a neighbour country, not any further.

Cheers!

[apratt]

Welcome aboard. Cool little pick-up. What does it has for a motor?

[racing green]

It's a 1.1 litre (less then 40 bhp). I have to say though I took a picture of the internet, this one's not actually mine but it gives an idea for those not familiar with British classic cars.

[angib]

Welcome. Minis were used to make Wildgoose motorhomes once:



These had the original 850cc and they did not easily reach 60mph (100km/hr)! Here are some links to Wildgoose sites:
Original brochure p1, p2, p3, p4
Mini-Planete
BMW now have a very good example in their museum in Germany.

How about building the smallest slide-in truck camper in the world? This would be easy to do and you would not have to modify the orignal Mini pick-up - these are so rare, and expensive, now that it is a bad idea to modify it.

I have some ideas about how to do this and I would be happy to design something for you. Here is a design for an American pickup truck - something similar would work for your Mini:



Andrew

[angib]

I've made a start - by drawing a Mini pickup:



Andrew

[jay]

next thing, the "mini" group and the "ultra-light" group will form an alliance, and the takeover will have begun!

[angib]

And as I have it already drawn, it might amuse some people to see what that Mini pickup looks like alongside a Dodge Ram:





Andrew

[JunkMan]

Wow! That thing's tiny!

[Mary K]

Guess trucks have to be that small when gas is $7.00 a Gal... sheesh!!!

Mk

[racing green]

Minis were used to make Wildgoose motorhomes once.
BMW now have a very good example in their museum in Germany.
How about building the smallest slide-in truck camper in the world? This would be easy to do and you would not have to modify the orignal Mini pick-up - these are so rare, and expensive, now that it is a bad idea to modify it.

Wildgooses go for like 25.000 euro in bad condition, well that was 10 years ago, don't know what they're doing now but I haven't ever seen any for sale to be honnest. I saw the "German" one on the exhibition in Essen, didn't realise it still is in the BMW museum.

I've got actually 2 mini pick-ups, one being in very good and original condition, the second one in used condition. I'm looking for a conversion wich would only need holes or additions to the load bay woodwork, and that can be put onto the pick-up or taken of in 2hours maximum. So I'm not modyfying the mini itsself as this would be a shame as you say.

Thanks for the drawing ! There's 3 possibilities I've got in mind where 2 people can lay down:

1) from the end upto above the roof
2) on top of the load bay, not lengthwise but the other direction (more or less like the slide in version)
3) on the load bay itsself, needing a slide-out piece of about 1metre, that comes out of the rear, with the tailgate hanging down.

The pick-up is only like 3.28metres long.

I guess this topic was only meant to introduce myself, and I've got to start a new one to get more into it ?

[angib]

As it would be on the road:


And set up for sleeping, with the roof up and the side folded down:


The bed is 75x48 inches (191x122 cm) so it's small, but usable. I think I've worked out all the details of how the lifting roof works and seals - it's got a solid top and vinyl sides - but there is a bit more work needed on the sealing in the fold-out side.

The length of the camper could be increased and this would give a wider bed if wanted. Can you easily remove the tailgate?

The rear view of the Mini is a guess and you can see that I haven't bothered working out what the plan view looks like.

Andrew

[racing green]

I had been thinking of a roof that goes up all the way rather then hinging on one side, like your idea though and I guess it's easier to do.

Here's a bit of paint-work I did in the beginning staium. Only I guess this would take way too much wind.



The tailgate should be removed quiet easily, not something you'ld do every day but just doing it before firrint the whole construction would be do-able. I sure want to be able to stand in it so I've read elsewhere on this forum it allready isn't called a teardrop anymore as you can't stand in one.

As the inner sizes of the loadbed are just 109x103 cm this will make it hard to sit down with 2 and have dinner on a table, dinner wich was also prepared inside the construction. Oh and it needs a bed for 2.

[Miriam C.]

Welcome Racing Green,
That is a beautiful mini you got there. Sure would like to see the pictures of whatever you come up with. I am sure it will be special.

[angib]

I do not think the 'hard roof' plan will work. Here is your photo which I have drawn over:



You can see the problems:
- At the height you have shown, there is only 152 cm (60") headroom.
- The bed is 189 cm (75") long at the mattress, but gets shorter as you go up.
- Climbing into the bed will be almost impossible and it will be claustrophobic when you are there - 50 cm (19") headroom.

And I think even a body that is only as high as this one will slow down the Mini a lot - I would guess the top speed will be below 100 km/hr (62 mph) - and the extra weight high up will mean you have to be careful when cornering. I think it would be very frightening to drive in cross winds!

Of course if you only want to make short journeys with the camper in place, then it would be OK. And it would be a lot easier to make the hard roof camper rather than the lifting roof type.

Andrew

[Gerdo]

I also wouldn't modify the truck. I would also go for a "slide in". How long is the bed? I would think you could go with a Ultra-Light Teardrop and still have a hatch in back and a door on the side. It would hang out the back a little but you could keep it short. A Benroy would probably be the best shape. Even if it is taller than the cab the round leading edge shouldn't slow you down.