Hodakaguy's Overland Tacoma Builds - on to new adventures.

Nothing yet. My father drove his Jeep for years that way without an issue. I had a sports car once and got stopped the first day I had it for no plate lol. Time will tell

Hodakaguy

 

Subbed for an awesome build! Very nice work OP!

 

Been slammed lately...but time for a update.

At the NorthWest Overland Rally one of our goals was to check out campers for my fathers truck, we had been looking at the new GoFast camper and thinking about placing a order so it would be nice to see them in person. We were able to see all the major brands in one location which was great as it gave us the opportunity to study them and see how each one would fit our needs.

We liked the GoFast unit, light and simple. Construction looked really good and finish work was top notch. Canvas material is similar to what we have on the FWC and it’s been super waterproof. We live in the desert and the camper will be outside 365..the sun here tears things up fast. We both wondered how the composite roof will hold up over time to intense sun, things here die of sun!. Also not sure I like the light coming in through the composite translucent top, I could see times where I want it dark in the tent. Guess one could always make a internal light cover for the top. The tubular frame of the GoFast takes up room and makes the sides harder to insulate. Another thing I didn't care for was the short cab over, this makes for a short sleeping area and you will have to remove a cushion every time you want to drop back down to the truck bed when sleeping. No side window options on the GoFast.

We both really liked the Vagabond unit a lot as well, the construction is top notch and we both prefer the solid aluminum construction, insulated aluminum roof and less seals on the sides (I see this as being a lot more water/dust proof over time). They also have similar canvas material to the FWC which again we have found bullet proof in rain. We liked the longer extension over the cab and the ability to have a standing space with the bed deployed. The Drifter is also built out of thicker aluminum than the AT and was really rock solid! We also liked the side windows in the Drifter and they will be offering the Dometic windows. Without the tube frame of the GoFast the interior seems more roomy and offers more options for build outs. We really liked the one piece aluminum roof and it would be great for mounting solar or carrying my Kayaks.

The AT was great as well but higher $$ and the canvas material looked more like treated tent material than a true waterproof material like the others. I hung around twice to talk to the AT rep but never got the chance. The fit and finish of the AT was really good. They had the habitat on display as well but we both prefer the wedge design over the Habitat.

They all have their advantages and disadvantages, but the Drifter fits our needs the best.

And a couple of the campers.

AT



Vagabond



Gofast




We recently pulled the trigger and ordered a Vagabond Drifter camper for my fathers truck. This unit will remain on his truck year round unless we want to swap over the FWC for a longer trip. Can't wait to build it out, we will be adding insulation, lighting and heat. We will keep this camper very basic and light.


Next up...Awning swap. At the same rally we had the opportunity to look at the Alu-Cab 270 Deg Shadow Awning, we really liked the construction and that it can handle higher winds than our Batwing awning without the legs being deployed. Since we live in the desert and winds are very common this is an important feature for us. Our existing Batwing will hold up to wind as well but they recommend always using the legs and staking them down, I really prefer the free span option of the Alu-Cab. After returning home from the rally we sold the Batwing and purchased a Shadow unit.

The coverage is also slightly better with the Alu-Cab and it uses a more square shape, you can get a idea from these two drawings.

Batwing




Shadow




Batwing removed from the truck. Here you can see the factory FWC 1/4" stainless mounts for the Batwing, we will re-use these mounts for the Shadow and fabricate a 4th bracket as well for additional hinge support. The mounts go through the frame and have backing plates on the inside wall.




Here is a shot of the Batwing next to the Shadow awning. The shadow is a little larger and not as compact when collapsed.






Differences in mounting requirements. The Batwing uses an extruded rail along the back of the awning allowing for a lot of adjustment and easy installation. The Shadow has mounting holes on the internal framework and the bag completely encloses the mount, you need to pick your mounting holes then punch a hold through the bag for the bolts to pass through.




This is what allows the Shadow awning to remain free-spanning in higher winds (up to 20+ mph). The support arms on the Shadow are completely boxed for added strength and fully welded at the hinge assembly where the Batwing uses lighter open C-channel tubing and a extruded/riveted hinge assy. Again the Batwing works just fine and is slightly lighter and more compact but does need to be staked down with legs in higher winds.

Batwing




Shadow




With the help of 3 people we held the Shadow awning up in place and determined how far back the rear hinge needed to be. Once that was determined we started marking out the hole locations on the awning mounting brackets to match up to the FWC brackets. Since our awning brackets are already mounted on the camper we will modify the holes on the awning to match the brackets.




The existing brackets on the camper have a wider bolt pattern than the awning so a few new holes were in order.




The 3rd mounting bracket on the camper (rear most bracket) is located right where the hinge assembly starts in the awning, preventing me from drilling holes in this location. Since the bracket is already on the camper we will modify the bracket by adding a stainless extension and move the mounting location slightly forward for clearance.

Fabricating the extension out of 1/4" stainless to match the OEM mounts.




It will be welded onto the bracket at this location.




We will have to fabricate a custom 4th bracket that will directly support the hinge assembly on the awning, this will tie into the corner of the camper. More on this soon as progress happens.

Hodakaguy

 

A few more pics of the install.

Yesterday we welded the extension tab on the rear OEM awning mount.








Next up was to fabricate a stainless backing plate for the mount directly behind the hinge, this mount takes the majority of the load when the awning is extended so it needs to be very secure.






Supporting the weight of the awning while we fabricate the hinge support.




We were busy and I didn't go a great job at taking pictures, so now the awning is magically on the truck lol.






Here you can see the stainless steel hinge support. After looking at several different options we decided to support the rear of the awning off the Jack mount. This mount ended up being very low profile and offers a ton of support, the awning is rock solid when deployed.










I re-purposed the Batwing catch that was already on the camper, it is now the latch point for the Shadow tension strap.




I like this flip up leg on the center arm, it slopes the top so rain will run off and not pool up.




Not the best shots as the light was getting low but you can see the coverage of the shadow awning. Living in the desert the shade will be appreciated . It's amazing how solid this awning feels, just like their commercial I can pull myself up on the center arm and it barely moves!








I'll get some better pics soon.

Hodakaguy

 

Couple shots from up above, you can really see the massive coverage in these shots.





Hodakaguy

 

I love how clean and specific everything is in this build. Inspiration for sure. Keep up the good work!

 

Silly question. Did you or your dad ever ride Hodaka's? I haven't seen one since the mid-seventies. Any pics?

 

When does the Drifter show up?

 

Sub'd...Awesome build...Great to see a father and son enjoying the same hobbies too!!!!

 

Couple more months still. Excited to start work on it.

Hodakaguy

 

I used to collect and restore Hodaka's, still have a Dirt Squirt in the stable...I'll have to get a pic

Hodakaguy

 

Time to get my fathers electrical finished up. I'll be installing the same setup in my fathers truck as I'm running in mine, Two NorthStar batteries and a ML-ACR for combining duties. The larger Group 31M battery on the drivers side will be the Aux battery and the smaller Group 35 battery on the passenger side will be the trucks starting battery.

First up install the SwitchPro assembly. Parts laid out and ready to assemble.




Going Together...




PowerTray and SwitchPro unit in the truck.....fit's like a glove!




Wiring up the SwitchPro.








Wiring up the 30" S8 light bar in the SSO Hybrid Bumper.




Labeling makes troubleshooting down the road sooooo much easier!




SwitchPro head unit installed in the SDHQ mount, clean and factory looking.




With the SwitchPro installed it's time to install the ML-ACR and wire up the two batteries. I'll be using 1/0 welding cable.




We welded studs onto the top of the battery tray to mount the ML-ACR. The ACR is held down via the front two studs, the rear studs are cut short for clearance and offer support from side to side movement.




Changing out the OEM battery end for one compatible with the new terminal.








Extending the SwitchPro positive cable.






Extending the OEM Positive cable.




Used 1/0 Welding Cable to tie the two batteries together. Low profile 300A fuses used on each end of the positive cable for direct short protection.




And all wired up! I need to pick up some more white heat shrink tubing so I can finish labeling the rest of the wiring.








Hodakaguy

 

Tom, your level of detail is top notch friend. Looks great.

 

My father has an upcoming trip planned with his brother so it's time to get his truck set up for the Camper.

First item up is to install the wiring to connect the camper to the trucks Aux battery.

Four Wheel Camper uses an Attwood 3 prong trolling motor connector for the truck to camper power interface. Here I'm getting set up to splice the plug onto the Ancor marine wire.






On all my projects I like to use Ancor Pre-Tinned marine wire, each strand is tinned before it's made into the actual wire. Tinning helps keep the wire corrosion resistant in marine and non-marine environments and keeps the wire reliable for years to come.




Connected




Hole drilled in the corner of the bed for the power plug.




This is a de-burring tool and is sooooo handy. You use it to eliminate the sharp edges around the hole to prevent stress cracks from developing down the road. Because of the shape of the tip you can de-burr the inner and outer edges easily.






Plug installed






Terminating the wire on the fuse box next to the SwitchPro.










Getting ready to swap over the camper to my fathers rig. Before Shot.




Attaching the jacks.






We fabricated some stand off brackets from some plate steel so the front jacks will clear the fenders of the truck when we drop the camper and pull forward.




The passenger side rear jack mount needed a quick mod to allow the jack to function, when we added the stainless mount to the OEM bracket to support the Shadow awning it caused a slight interference issue when mounting the jack. We fabbed up a quick stand off plate to allow the jack to bolt on with the awning brace in place (Short a couple bolts in these pics).






This adapter allows you to use a drill to run the jacks up and down instead of having to use the hand cranks. Very handy!




Jacks going down, turn buckles removed and camper coming off the truck.








These are the bed bars and camper attach points for the 5' Tacoma trucks, the bars attach to the bed using the factory bed hold down bolts. Tip: To make install easy use a snap tie to attach the front turn buckets to the mounting bar before you install the camper, once the camper is on the truck you can lift up the turn buckle and attach it to the camper without having to fish for the lower tie point. Turn buckles are quick and easy with this method.








Camper installed on my fathers truck, tire pressures set and air bags inflated...here we are watching some aviation videos and my father and uncle are swapping flying stories




And back outside. We swapped my fathers canopy over to my truck.

Bammmm....they look totally different now lol.








Hodakaguy

 

It would be a lot easier, if you just swap the keys of your trucks ;-)
Nice build, as I said before...

 

Hodakaguy - This is one of the BEST BUILT I HAVE EVER SEEN!!! You guys should work for NASA, seriously!!!

 

LOL...we talked about that but it's nice to be driving your own rig when on trips and swapping over the camper is really easy since we set up both trucks the same.

Hodakaguy

 

Thanks, I really enjoy this kind of stuff

Hodakaguy

 

What battery tray did you use for the auxiliary battery?

 

I'm running the Stainless Steel PelfreyBilt tray on the drivers side (Aux Battery) and the Off Grid Engineering aluminum mount on the drivers side (Truck Batt).

Hodakaguy