1 Bored Clerk's Garage Built Camper

Picked up the wheels today! I think they're going to look excellent on the truck.


Cardinal Powder: GR09.

I also got my tires on order. Will probably take two to three weeks to get them in and get my appointment to have them installed. Then brakes.

I went with Toyo Open Country AT3 in 255/80R17. It's a load range E tire like most tall skinnies. I don't need that rating and would like the ride quality of a lower load rated tire but whatever. My current tires are load range E as well and it's fine. Those stiff sidewalls let me really rail the turns!

 

Also considering just blowing the whole budget just to push to get the last big thing on this camper: the awning. As I move into winter, I think I'll really enjoy having a place to get out of the rain. We get so much rain.
That's how I feel about the rain.

I'm looking at the AluCab Shadow. I like the 270 degree aspect and I REALLY like the self supporting nature of it. No poles or stakes unless it's quite windy from all accounts. That sounds perfect. $1500 sounds terrible...but free shipping! I would probably pick up a set of max tracks too.

Being a princess about camping is expensive!

 

I approve of this decision if you need a second.

 

Oh thanks. It's not your money so F it!

 

Well, I did it. I ordered my awning...and some max tracks. Gotta get all the overland bling, after all.

What pushed me over the edge was the fact that I remembered I had about a zillion credit card points. I'm not flying anywhere anytime soon so might as well handle that awning problem that I'm not sure I even have.

 

How does the truck handle now with the camper on the flat bed? Been meaning to ask you this.

 

It's pretty decent actually. I'm not even running a front swaybar and it's still totally acceptable to me. The extra weight of a roof rack and the awning way up high isn't going to help though. I mostly notice the overall weight and wind resistance as it relates to acceleration. After some camping this fall/winter, I may look at revamping the whole setup. There really isn't any need to have the flatbed. I could potentially lower the camper by a few inches and drop 100-200 lbs in the process. I would also remove the front window and maybe a few other changes. We'll see. I'd like to drop weight where I can.

 

New fan installed today. Still need to wire it in but that's quick and easy.




I went with a MaxxAir. My fantastic fan was working great I just didn't like that I always had the dome up top whether the vent was open or not. It worked really well but it put me right at 9' tall and that's quite high. Now the vent only sticks up as much as it's open and it still offers the same all weather use/protection. We'll see how it holds up!

I'm going to rant a moment: Screw these two fan companies. The fan bodies aren't the same depth, the interior trim ring hole patterns don't match, the exterior mounting hole patterns don't match. Total dicks. I guess we should just all be thankful that they both fit in a 14" hole.

 

That’s the fan I want to switch out for in my camper heard great things about them

 

I have a Fantastic Fan in both my teardrop and Max. The one in the Max stopped working. I traced the problem to the switch, so I bought a new one. What a crappy design - no wonder it failed. For $20, I expected something better than what a 3rd grader might design.

Oh well - chalk it up to high volume, low margins. Sometimes I hate economics...

 

I don't like how complicated the whole mechanical system is but that's only likely to be a problem if it gets snowed on or freezing rain and I want to move it. I hope it's a little more quiet. In a space the size of my camper, the fan is LOUD! Anyway, I'm excited to have a lower profile 99% of the time.

 

That's the RV world in a nutshell. Everything is so borderline. I don't think I could ever actually buy a standard RV. Powered or trailer. If they're all built like most of the accessories I see, no thanks!

 

The Maxx air has a nice feature in that the mechanism to raise and lower the vent has a push/pull lock on it. So it should stay where you put it. Sometimes the fantastic fan would rattle itself closed.

 

I agree about buying a standard RV.

The teardrop we had built as a skeleton, and I finished out most of it. The idea was that would be quicker than a ground-up build. It has worked out.

The Max was bought for a different purpose - mostly, it is built right (except for some of the components they used. That being said, I've spent a lot of time "upgrading and improving" things.

Overall, building it yourself results in a much better product. And, it is built to your exact design - that is probably the best part!

 

Thats the main reason I went Maxx. While driving if there is any airflow from a open window or hatch the FF will beat itself to death breaking the cover or the lift/raise mechanism.

 

Finally got a flip up plate mount. Accessing the spare tire was a mess before but now it's easy!



It's a cascadia 4x4 mount. Spendy but I didn't have to invent anything or shop or fab. Bolt on and go.

I should get a new backup camera mount printed since you can juuuust open the plate far enough to get to the tire hoist. I'm careful and know so it'll be fine. The tire shop? Not so sure.

 

You have files for the camera mount?

I'm running an aftermarket at the moment because it was easier to surface mount, but prefer the image quality of the OEM especially with mine being in the rearview mirror.

 

What mods do you have on your truck? My mount is to bolt to a vertical plate of steel with clearance above and to the back.

 

Hmm, might not work then - I mounted mine through my camper shell (aluminum contractor type), just below the third brake light. Planning to move to a different shell eventually, but will be the more or less the same situation.

 

A totally shit picture...as usual!



The tires have that full depth tread squirm that I haven't felt in years. They sure are quiet compared to the KM2's. Of course, those had worn to the banshee scream level.

I'll clean and paint the centers when I pull the wheels for front brakes. It'll look clean.