My 2013 Tacoma Access Cab Chinook build in progress

This is so awesome @Jaybashant!!!! You have some amazing fab skills. Cheers

 

Thanks Climber! It's has been a learning experience. I had some good help when it counted!

 

Installed the back door, side hatch, shore power hatch... it's fun bolting on the shiney stuff... and the TRD graphics!

 

Damn, that paint job sure turned out nice! Looking awesome. Cheers

 

So wicked!

 

Thanks Stacy!

 

Thank you for your support Chad!

 

Bedded in the windows and installed the fuel fill hatch. Going to try to get the roof back on tomorrow so I am weather tight. The exterior is getting close to finished. I have the utility boxes, wheel wells and LP mounts to do... then on to interior finishing!

 

Got the top mounted... it is all weather tight now...
Have some fabricating to do on the door latch... I asked my neighbor Stan the machinist if he had a square tiny rat tail file so I could open up the square latch mechanism... he said hold my beer.

 

I have been following this since the beginning..I forget if you braced the frame or not?

Someone posted this video somewhere and it was very eye opening for me:

https://youtu.be/bCHLqN06-Ok?t=73

It shows how much these frames can really flex under certain conditions.

I know with my camper it is something I have heavily taken into consideration.



In any case yours is coming along AMAZING. I know sometimes things in my head don't always translate but I bet this is as good/better than you expected! Can't wait to see the finished product.

 

Thanks Exorcist! I am very happy with my results so far...
Amazing video! Thanks for sharing it. I think I thought through the flex issues pretty well.. all my mounting points can move a bit...

 

Took care of a bunch of little stuff today. Installed the magnetic catches on the step bumper... fabricated and installed the plates for the jamb and door for the latch... installed the stainless steel cables for the side hatch for my outside grill area and redid the ss cables on my step bumper. The last ones were a tad long so the step was not level when open... The cables are swedged on and then covered with shrink tube...

 

Also my extra fuel tank system works great. I was low on fuel so I filled the auxiliary gas tank and then transferred the fuel to the main tank... turn a gate valve 90 degrees, pump the priming bulb a couple times and perfect syphon into my “Y” fuel fill splitter. I wanted to test it all before I built it in...

 

Those "conditions" are called harmonic resonance. No one drives in these conditions since they would back off the throttle wayyyy before that. Taking these test as standard and trying to build a truck camper to overcome these is wayyyy past the line of "overengineered".

Don't sweat it too much.

 

I realize that is under perfect circumstances, but I can speak from personal experience when out on the trails, our frames have large amount of flex in them even under somewhat normal scenarios. Next time your on a flexy trail, look in your rear view mirror and watch your bedsides, you will see what I mean. I also remember using a hi-lift in the hitch as a last resort one time, and it was eye opening to see how much the frame flexed before the truck started lifting. This was with no load in the bed.

 

I have anticipated that everything will move some. My steel subframe mounted on soft points will limit some movement side to side but can also twist a bit as needed....
I have experienced a less extreme version of what is seen in that video.... we lived about 16 miles off pavement in Belize and the clay road would become extreme washboard at times... driving very slow would kill your suspension but at a certain speed the truck would sort of average the bumps into a tolerable drive, kind of like a boat running into a chop....But then when you tired to step up the speed even just a bit it became dangerous quickly. I drove a 98 4x4 Tacoma extracab, 2.7L automatic. I loved that truck.

 

Got the utilility boxes clear coated with Everbright. .. had some left over from coating the tuna tower on my boat (just sold)... great stuff. Apply with a foam brush, self leveling. with the coating I dont have to constantly wax the annodized aluminum! Boxes are ready for final installation so I can template out the diamond plate wheel wells.

 

I got wrinkle coat finish on my side brush guards and back bumper today. Now the utility boxes can go in!
Also prepared a conversion affidavit for the DMV so I can get it titled as an RV. They are telling me no inspections needed! I find it hard to imagine but will let you know how it goes. Possibly it is so uncommon that no bureaucrat has taken the time to complicate the proceedure? Sure hope so.... RV insurance is smoking cheap in FL... maybe $300 a year for full coverage.

 

Your camper is looking awesome. It's one of the few threads I look forward to seeing the updates everyday.

 

Thanks Dan!
... I am on the home stretch on the outside! I have a brush seal finishing between the back bumper and camper shell going in tomorrow as well as the utility boxes. The LP mounts are under way , 1/4" aluminum plate...
still need to fabricate the diamond plate between the utility boxes that will include the wheel wells. It will look badass, at least it does in my mind!
Then I made the patterns and ordered from my Seadek guy the rubber trim that will separate the fiberglass from the aluminum basement...continuous 2" trim, including the wheel radius. It will look great and also be first line of defense against parking lot door dings. I also have a Seadek tred for the step bumper and to trim out the tail lights....