OutbackHack's Build, solving problems with metal

Besides a bad ass truck....the country there is stunning.... So glad I bought a Tacoma to explore!

 

Love the build so far!! What manufacturer makes that camper?

 

Thanks! Your truck just reminded me about the cheap snorkel thread, I need to get around to ordering one of those. Maybe drill some holes in my front fender the same day I have to cut up the rear bed sides to mount this high clearance bumper. That way I only have to get drunk enough to take cutting tools to the body panels once.

The company that built the camper was Tradesman. As far as I know they only ever built 4 prototypes (see Iggy's thread for all the details), but never really got all the kinks worked out and stopped building them.

 

Subbed. Love the camper

 

Overly complicated latching system... check.



Almost getting warm enough to paint outside, gotta hurry up and finish this thing.

 

Nice job on sewing up the tent sidewalls.

PM sent

 

200lb bumper 1 : 450lb harbor freight jack 0

sheared a pin or something, so now I need another way to lift and mount this beast. Guess I found another use for my 2 ton gantry crane.

 

Almost there...

 

good to actually get outside for once. Quiet camping down off 410 this time of year with both Crystal and Chinook pass closed. No highway noise even though we were relatively close to the road (just 2,000 feet above it)

 

Stabilizer legs for camping. Needs some tweaking, but worked out all right for a first pass.

 

Been working on a few things...

 

Quickie project, hitch step for the camper and figuring out how to attach the bike rack.

 

sweet bumper

 

Was going to leave the hitch step as just a straight tube, but for some reason I decided to waste 1.5 hours bending the tubing. Found out bending tubing without a bender sucks...

 

busy summer:

Lockable covers on the fuel cans


Seen too many burned tacos, so I added a 4th fire extinguisher to the rig


Welded steel window cages to keep the dog safe and cool when we have to leave her in the truck, like in Yellowstone.


And some camping...

 

A year and a half later and the bumper is getting close to done... Finally finished the 2nd swing arm w/ the single bike rack. Still need to make an extension to support a second bike tray (just longer versions of the single bike arms) and a cover/hold down for the second fuel/water can. Might get this thing done before 2019.

Bike trays bolt onto dual 2” receivers that sit flush with the gas can mounts when the rack is removed.

 

Camping season is coming up, had to weld up a new lift to get the camper back on the truck since I sold my big gantry crane last year. The crane was easy to use, but a huge pain in the ass to move around, being almost 1000lbs and I don’t have room in my tiny suburban garage for it. This new 4-post lift is maybe 150lbs total and much easy to move around and carry out to the shed when I don’t need it.


The old crane.

 

Finally getting around to building out the interior a bit. Added a lower sleeping platform for the dog / or just for 2 people to spread out if we don’t both want to be in the top bunk (like on hot summer nights). Included a slot for 2 water jugs up front and tied it all in to 2 of the bed chassis bolts.

 

Quarantine camper overhaul time