My 2013 Tacoma Access Cab Chinook build in progress

Subbed for a really cool project! I will be following along.

Your dog doesn't look too enthused though...

 

That dog is licking his lips. Salivating at the taco-goodness.

 

I should prolly give that pup more credit!

 

My friends cool dog Sparky... half dog and half goat. She is a climber... she hops up and walkers all over the open chassis like nothing. Climbs ladders even!

 

wow... this might be the craziest thing i've ever seen done to a tacoma. god speed.

 

Following this for sure

 

Fairing and getting the camper shell ready to mount and pain was the priority today... also some last details on the subfloor. Mounting points for the under body aluminum utility boxes and mounts for a subfloor fiberglass storage box... next the steel needs to be osphoed, primed and painted... it will be mounted tomorrow (hopefully) after the aluminum water tank is welded and then mounted......
Then the camper can be mounted!

 

More fairing on the camper shell and it is getting pretty close to ready to prime... still some fussing to do to mount the tacoma factory tail lights. Trying to mate these compound curves is a bitch. I am going to look for a rubber extrusion that could be used to mount the tail lights.... something like an H shaped glazing bead.... would make life easier and create a water seal at the tail light.
The aluminum water tank is dry fit together and at a neighbors shop being welded. Here is a pic to show how it will hug the truck muffler to give us some hot water. I will insulate the outside of the water tank except for the radiused surface that will be about 3/4" away from the muffler. After the water tank is installed the steel subfloor can be permanently mounted.

 

clearly, one of the most ambitious projects I've seen here. What ever the total work hours and $ ends up to be, I don't need to know. It's truly an avocation.

Today, I saw a completely trashed Chinook that someone wanted $5k for on craigslist today. think of how many of these have been discarded.

tk

 

Thanks TK... I have been thinking about this for the better part of a decade and it has been a bit of an obsessive undertaking for the past few months... I have temporary use of a friends shop and have another friend full time to get the heavy construction part done. My buddy Pat is an old school millwright who can build something out of nothing. On a project like this what is better than a guy like that showing up in a 1 ton utility truck with every tool known to man...
I will build this out for about $25k all in... about half of that was the salvage Tacoma and chinook after purchase, repair and delivery.

 

I trully admire some people work ethic. I couldn't even get off my lazy ass and finish putting on the bathroom trims after three years.

 

stopped by a fabricators shop yesterday. the guy does amazing work and just happened to have this project going on in the shop. he moved the shock and springs mounts rearward to modify the frame so that the rear wheels sit in the wheel well. He built a subframe under the Chinook so that the camper can be bolted on and lifted off. there will be no pass through. most of the decision to not pass through was budget. The client stated that when he had it on the original truck with the pass through, the noise coming out of the back was significant. So, maybe some substantial sound deadening work may be beneficial. He said lifting the camper off of the original truck and not having it disintegrate was a significant challenge.

 

Thanks for posting these pics TK.... It looks like they have done a great job of the frame modifications...I had considered moving the axel back on mine as we had to replace the rear end and suspension anyway on the salvage truck... the drawback for me was lengthening the wheelbase would have probably increased the turning radius and changed the overall way the truck handled. I also wanted to keep the overall dimensions as short as possible, hence the 10" modification to the forward cab mounting surface. Would love to see the finished T100 chinook if you have a chance to get a few pics of it...

 

I suspect I'll be dropping in that shop over the next couple of months. i snap pics when there.

 

just curious... but with connecting the chinook to the cab... any flex worries?

 

It is being mounted to be able to flex a bit but it will be pretty stiff. Camper is mounting on the 6 factory mounting bolt points with a thick hard rubber spacer.the cab to camper seal will be able to flex a bit too. I will post pics when it gets mounted this week. I have been waiting for the water tank to be welding by my neighbor but am supposed to have it on monday.

 

Made some head way today.... got the water tank back from my neighbor all welded and ready to mount below the subfloor tomorrow. Mounted 2 of the 4 aluminum diamond plate utility boxes and put the camper shell back on for the final dryfit. The camper shell permanent mounting is so close!

 

So cool. And I'm so impressed how fast you're making progress on this.

 

Home stretch for the permanent mounting of the camper shell. All the steel is done and the camper was put on for the final dry fit (finally).... it is looking great and it is amazingly sturdy with it just C clamped together. It will be a rock on Friday when it is all bolted and laminated together...
So here is the plan. Pull the shell off tomorrow. Pull the subfloor off. Ospho, prime and paint where needed for rust controll. Install water tank and stub in the fill, vent and supply hoses.
I have already cut to fit 1" divinicel structural foam for every section to be filled in the steel subfloor. Tomorrow I will laminate the bottom of each foam section with fiberglass mat then install them in the steel floor. The entire bottom will then get sprayed with undercoating.
Then the camper shell goes on and the camper gets fiberglassed to the floor. It will be very strong... the divinicel is closed cell ridgid foam That is an insulator as well as very good acoustic sound deadening material. I will use a thicker foam over the generater... note the floor is raised about 3 inches over the generator. That small platform is where the tiny e way fridge will mount with a tiny dometic microwave on top of it...
That is what I am hoping to finish by Friday afternoon....
Oh...also I received the 2 17lb composit LP tanks and they are the bomb! Each weighs only 5lbs empty... they will mount externally on the back to supply the generator, heater, stove and fridge when needed...

 

I think this is the coolest thread...can't wait to see what this will look like in the end. GREAT JOB!!!