Iggy's $1 Taco

It would be beyond the capabilities of the company we are working with. I like the idea though! It would be an improvement aesthetically for sure, but I don't think there would be a huge savings in weight.

 

Iggy, my phone is dead and I'm waiting on a replacement but I've got a memory foam mattress I'm looking to get rid of, it's for a Eastern King.

Free.99 if you want it, you could probably cut it down to size to fit this if you'd like. I'll even deliver it to you if you want.

If you're interested shoot me a PM.

 

Some shenanigans from yesterday. Ignore the cooked hem line. I was still getting used to working the with the fabric. The other two rows of stitching hold the awning track in place. Those are straight as an arrow!

80% of the sewing is done. I need to test fit to make sure it all fits ok, mark a few points, then do the final sewing.

 

So @NVLOCAL helped me put the fabric on the rails to test fit the whole thing. A few things...

1. I sewed the top track a bit to low. Maybe .75". As a result, the sides are nice and tight, but now the back is a bit loose. You can compare the pics from before when only the back was on the rails.

What's great is that everything looks like it works. The greometry is spot on, but my OCD want me to undo and restitch 330" of track. And reposition .75" higher.

What do you guys think?

2. It's relatively easy to install and remove with 2 people.

3. The fabric is warm and I'll need to add some windows. I'll run it like this for a bit to see where I would want some, but I'm glad I have the lower doors and top fan!

I might go back and take out the top tracks tonight. Really tempted. Hmm...

Note: the front lower portion is not in the track so the spots next to the front hinge are loose.

 

Looks really good! I say since its your first one i go back and make it perfect. I know when i do somthing if its not exactly how i want it drives me nuts.

You might consider sewing in maybe webbing or somthing to pull the cornors out might help take up that slack out. Sounds like this material is pretty heavy duty so might not need this. Was thinking on the roof On the cornor going down to the shell.

@iRideMTB here is the build thread iggy just posted up new pics. This is what i keep leaning towards!

 

Damn that is looking good! Nice job @Iggy!

 

looks really good!!! Any windows?

 

Damn @Iggy looks awesome!

 

That what I'm thinking. It's already driving me nuts. The only thing holding me back is the fact that once I pull the stitches out and move the track up, I'll have two strips of holes in the fabric. Since it's all rubber coated the holes don't really "heal" back.

I might just do it and find a way to seal it later.

 

Thanks guys! I can't wait to finish it up!

No windows yet. Looking at options, and since it's so easy to remove I'll camp and see where I need them.

 

Yeah thats is annoying you could always put a border around it with seam sealer or somthing to that effect. Its only more work right! Lol

 

Yeah! I think I'll do it. Once the baby's asleep, I'll go and start pulling stitches out.

 

Looking really good iggy~!

 

Re: webbing. It seems that if you need a lot of tension in the fabric to prevent flapping and sagging, especially as the fabric stretches over time, that adding webbing "reinforcement" in key areas would help with long-term strength, to relieve stress on the stitching in the actual tent fabric.

Re: heavy fabric. I've owned a FlipPac and currently have a Tepui RTT. Used to have a VW Westfalia which had heavy canvas (uncharted). The West was much warmer and I don't recall any flapping. The other two are breezy and noisy. This build is awesome and I'll be very interested when it's on the market. Thanks @Iggy and @Overlanerd for being the pioneers here!

 

One more question ... an earlier post implied that the sleeping platform would be shorter in a short-bed version. Won't it be the same length, as you'll have a single lid/fabric/platform, and only the lower shell will be shorter? Same as a FlipPac or Habitat ... I assume that the structure is strong enough to support a longer overhang over the cab. This should still leave enough room to climb up into bed, between the end of the platform and the rear window/tailgate. Thanks.

 

Ideally I want the fabric to no be under any pressure, just loose enough that it's kept straight but not really under any stress from the struts. The fabric is the same material as the RTT covers, so it should be pretty durable and not too noisy in the wind.

The bed area over all should be the same. The part that hangs into the bed area will be shorter because of the longer cab and shorter bed. The strength is still there. Phil's overhang is actually longer than my setup and it looks just fine.

 

What @Iggy said- my overhang is 60". My extension will only be 24", but I could have gotten away with 18". Since the box turns up at at angle in the back, it's actually 70". So I'll still have 46" of bench to sit on when the bed is deployed.

 

Stitches pulled out. Holes left behind. :/

 

Humm not to bad, wonder if you could chase those wholes with thread or add webbing or some trim to cover them.

Or

Would an iorn seal them maybe? Just a thought

 

We bought a decent memory foam topper that we throw on top of the Habitat's built-in mattress, then just roll it up when we're done. It's made a big difference in comfort, although I wish I had a better system for leaving it all in there when compressing down the tent. (Might work better on your design—which is kickass, by the way.)