My 2013 Tacoma Access Cab Chinook build in progress

I am back on it! really happy to be home in the warm weather. Have been in NC freezing. Had the pleasure of shoveling snow for the 1st time in over 45 years... good times!
Decided to weld in 2" spacers to my rear camper mounts. It just needed to be a bit higher and had been bothering me. Looked a tad saggy. I will also add 2" blocks under the leaf springs. Then after the interior is in with full fuel, water etc etc...
I will evaluate the suspension.
Thinking air bags will be a bonus but it may be fine as is. It is pretty light and I am keeping it that way. Being very careful to keep my overall finished heighth under 7'5" so it will fit in a standard 20' shipping container!
Also have everything to plumb the water tank and extra fuel tank. Adding 15 gallons of gas with a transfer pump. Splitting the factory fill hose so I can pump fuel directly into the main tank from the auxiliary tank. I will install a ball valve so the factory system is closed so no sensors can be a problem... With the extra fuel I should have a range of over 600 miles depending on conditions...
I have a pair of locking powder coated steel fuel doors that will mount on the driver's side in the front of the camper. All of the fuel including the fills will be bulkheaded from the interior with exterior venting and overflow.

 

Great build ! Followed your link from expedition portal. Will definitely be following along … Here's my Tacoma and a friends old diesel Chinook … instagram.com/taco_chinook instagram.com/lifeinmytruck

 

I lack the motivation and skills to do this sort of work, but there's a Chinook about a block from my house, in Ohio, for $800 OBO if anyone is looking for a donor.

 

One word...BALLS!!!

 

Got some stuff worked out today... this improv design is not without challanges! Got the center spacers installed on the factory mounting points. By adding the additional 2 inches in the back it sits much nicer but it meant raising the center and having to extend the mounting bolts.... Patrick has been helping a few hours here and there which is great! Welding extensions on the bolts and fabrication an aluminum bracket for the back up camera were a huge help today, thanks!
Worked out some details on the outside chuck wagon kitchen... this is important because I am space planning the interior and the kitched stows below the bed. I will be framing that out soon...
Also my factory tacoma taillight installation into the chinook has turned about to be a bitch. (Should have taken Tokyo Joe's advise)..... But I got it figured out... I should have cut the fiberglass a bit smaller than the lights and left them recessed. Instead the shell was cut for flush mounting making the finishing really tough and time consuming. I made patterns of the shape and having a guy CNC me some 3/4" wide black Seadek trim pieces to frame out the lights... it solves so many problems for me... Seadek is a closed cell marine foam used for high end decks a trim on boats... UV stable and peel and stick with a badass 3M adhesive.. I will also us a thicker version to trim out where the fiberglass shell meets the diamond plate boxes and wheel wells. Clean trim out, and bonus protection af protecting from door dings in parking lots... I uploaded a pic of the Seadek installation on my boat. The decks in Seadek faux teak and gunnel covering boards and knee coaming jn a bone color..
... and my boat building friend Erik donated the paint...Algrip allcraft... in my new favorite color Off White Revisited! A great day!

 

I'm glad to see your back to work on it. I kept checking in for updates every few days.

 

Thanks Dan, way more fun than what I have been doing for the past few weeks!

 

Getting cold playing in the snow can be fun.

 

Well I drove her around today fit the first time legally. Temp masking taped the tail lights and installed the back up camera. It drives nice! Feels no different than driving it before the camper went on it....Estimating she is 500-600 lbs heavier than the factory pickup.... no top heavy feeling at all. I am happy!
Had a bundle of thick wall 3/4x3/4" thick wall aluminum square tube stock delivered...Using it to frame out the bed frame and interior componants. I will weld instead of tech screw the aluminum framing to minimize the chance of rattling and squeeking.
I worked out a trifold sofa to bed conversion that should be simple to build as well as easy open close... bought a matress that was designed for a pull out couch. 2" firm foam laminated to 1" memory foam. Seems like it will be pretty comfortable. ..

 

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I'm really enjoying watching this come together!

 

Nice to see you back at it. Any reason you chose to run blocks in the rear and aren't going to upgrade that suspension? Or did I miss it?

 

I am opting to stand by on the suspension decisions until it is done Rogue.... full tanks and gear on board... Maybe some air bags will be in order. So far all is stock accept we installed some 1500lb Superspring helper springs when the rear end was getting swapped out. I have the blocks but will probably not use them as I am close on my overhead heights to be able to load the truck into a 20' shipping container...

 

What a great build, I am looking at putting one on a t100 extra cab, What did you do to fill the gap between the vertical forward slanted back of the cab of the toyota and the fiberglass, it creates like pie shape that needs to be filled.
Thanks

 

Thanks Brad...I really did not have anything to fill except the very back of the roof where it does a 90° down the back of the cab. It is a tiny pie shape of about 3"x3".... After I cut out the roof and back of the cab, the cab and Fiberglass sort of found a happy medium I guess. Then I sandwiched the fiberglass between the Tacoma cab and my fabricated 1"x3" frame structure with a thick rubber seal and

$30 3M 5200 (06504) Permanent Bonding and Sealing for Boats and RVs Above and Below the Waterline Waterproof Repair, Black, 10 fl oz Cartridge

3M 5200 caulk, carriage bolted. It I'd really stiff but can twist a bit if the situation calls for it. The steel frame gives some structure back to the cab but the cab remained remarkable ridgid after the roof and back were cut. I do not know if your results wojld be the same with the T100...

 

Any chance you snapped a photo of that think rubber seal you used. or link to where you got it?

 

I got it at either West Marine or maybe Lewis Marine... it is about 3/8” x about 7/8”. Butyl rubber, not foam. I laid down 2 parallel seals with a couple inches between them. Than a FAT bead of

$30 3M 5200 (06504) Permanent Bonding and Sealing for Boats and RVs Above and Below the Waterline Waterproof Repair, Black, 10 fl oz Cartridge

3M 5200... the 5200 is really the seal, and more importantly the bond... super strong adhesive...

 

Extra gas tank mount is ready for install after paint... the frame will get welded to my subfloor steel frame.

 

WestMarine and McMastercarr are an inventors best friend!