TacomaWillow's camper build, camper done! (for now) dog bonus

Time to install my Chinese diesel heater for an upcoming trip to Canada. Im placing it under my bed. Locating the engine intake and exhaust about 42" up from the tailgate keeps it well clear of anything that shouldbe ve cut through. It will be above the main engine exhaust pipe, but I can route everything far enough away to avoid damage from the heat.

Cutting my fancy Bedrug was more painful than cutting through the bed.

I bought a mounting plate that includes a 1.5" collar that reaches past the corrugations of the bed to that the heater combustion intake and exhaust will be isolated from the bed. I've got some red RTV gasket maker to seal the gap around that collar from above and below.

I also have some 1/4" fireproof glass mat to cover the floor. I will be building a wood box surround and lid, and that wood will be lined with 1" fireproof glass mat. It will be open on the air intake side to allow circulation, but if the heater itself melts down it will be well contained.

I should have more progress to post tomorrow.

 

Before I set the mounting plate I laid down 1/4" fire matt. The box I will be building around this thing will be lined with 1" fire matt, while allowing plenty of ventilation in the back for air intake.

My bed has this nifty tool storage area which is perfect for the fuel filter and pump. Perfect because it means I can run the fuel pump controller wires inside. It would be ideal for the fuel pump to be lower than the heater (with a direct upward sloping fuel line to allow bubbles to freely travel upward) but that doesn't make sense in this install. Plenty of people have success with fuel pump above heater. If I end up having fuel flow issues I can reconfigure it.

I happened to have this 10 liter tank on hand which fits really well under the bed, I just had to order a vented cap. I left adequate fuel line that I can slide it out on the tailgate to fill it.

I had a huge frustration inserting the nylon fuel line into the black couplers. The lines are supposed to butt against each other with no gaps inside the couplers, to avoid air bubbles from accumulating. Despite the entire internet assuring me that it will just "slide right in" if I heat the black tubes in boiling water / apply dish soap / apply sex lube, I did *not* find it easy (I tried it all). I ended up getting enough tubing into the black coupler that would allow a hose clamp to have rubber on each side, trimmed the black hose to at least minimize the gap, and called it a day. Time will tell if I end up with a diesel mess. I will be stuffing that storage cubby with insulation, so leaks in there should stay contained at least. And I can easily keep an eye on the connection at the tank (which is subject to suction anyway, not positive pressure).

Tomorrow I will attach the exhaust and air intake hoses and the fuel intake to the heater. Then I will wire it all up and fire it up. Hopefully it runs, and I can start building the enclosure!

 

Nice work!

 

Well first, Ive been neglecting to post dog photos. Apologies. Here is Ella helping me work today.

First I finished all my connections under the bed. As you can see I used a good bit of RTV silicone and I think I covered any gaps. The exhaust is routing forward of the back wheel and the engine air intake is tucked up in the center under the bed.

Then I made all the electrical connections inside. The heater has very high quality connectors and harness. Anyway, hooked everything up, the user panel lit up, I executed manual pump mode, the fuel pump primed the system. It isnt loud at all, I had to move my head within a couple of feet yo hear it. Once I stuff insulation into that enclosure it will not be noticeable.

Anyway, it finished priming, and then it kicked on and heated flawlessly.

So! All that's left is building the enclosure tomorrow!

Then on to installing the Maxxair fan. Final job will be "cabinetry", which I suck at and which will be very utilitarian. Included in that will be a way to mount my electrical components in the upper corner rather than in a box on the countertop. There's no getting around covering up some window areas.

I'm really excited about all the comfort features I'm building into this camper.

 

Friday was utilitarian carpentry day (the only kind I do).

First pic you can see the simple shelf I've been using since I got the shell. It just rested on the ledges and was held in by one of the canopy bolts plus an aluminum leg that fell off all the time (not pictured; fell off).

Well I happened to have a very well build pull-out drawer I removed from my last build. I cut the bottom of it out to use the wood, and what was left is perfect as my new table/cabinet, second pic. I'm waiting for some bolts, then I can show you how I'm using the bed rail system to mount it while leaving a space behind it for storage.

Third pic, I finished a box around the heater. I've wrapped the vented areas with stainless mesh to keep me from shoving things into that space. I will now be insulating the box and the rug behind it with fiberglass heat matt. These heaters are very safe. When they fail they generally just fail to work. However I have seen photos online of one that melted down, so I'm trying to strike a balance between proper ventilation and not burning down the house.

Today while waiting for bolts I installed the Maxxair roof fan. This was NOT easy, no matter what the internet says. Cutting the fiberglass roof was much harder than cutting equivalent thicknesses of wood. And then I overtightened the flange over the curve of the roof and had to really mess with everything to get the fan to sit level. Ultimately it all came together, and I'm really going to appreciate it when the weather warms up.

 

Back to carpentry. I'm trying to preserve room to move around in the alley as well as a functional work surface, storage, and a food prep / sink area. The width of the camp toilet guides the width of the alley in the back.

I used the bed track system to securely mount boards that I can use to anchor my cabinetry. I've got aluminum angle stock and 80/20 lying around that I'm about to use to (1) provide extra structure and (2) allow for flexible mounting and attachment points later.

Ella freaking loves her Tacoma.

 

Finished anchoring all the cabinetry. I'm covering surfaces with some contact paper. It will be pretty if it holds up, much better than the dismal grey-on-grey color scheme of bedrug and headliner.

Next step is putting the wiring into a better looking panel than the plywood box I had before. I made a template for a panel shape that will make best use of the corner and leave me more workspace and elbow room. And here it is, and look, I have 110 power!

Now before I wire the fan I need to figure out how to anchor, hide and protect wires that must run over the headliner (for the fan, and for puck lights).

Anyone have a good solution for that?

 

Here's the switch panel, nestled in a good location in the corner. And look at me with 110 volt power!

 

I found the perfect form factor 12 volt fridge. It's 18 liters and fits comfortably behind the driver seat on Ella's platform, taking up only about 12" from the door. As you can see, she is annoyed that I've vandalized her space, but has plenty of room.

I designed my electric system with a 12 volt outlet inside the cab, so this plugs in under the platform where it can't get jostled.

Here's the link to the fridge:

$230 Alpicool P18 Portable Fridge 12 Volt Car Refrigerator 19 Quart Freezer for Fishing, Camping, RV, Truck, Boat-12/24V DC

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B09VGF18F6?ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

 

Did some kitchen construction. Vertically mounted 80/20 gives me lots of ways to anchor bungee straps, and potentially hold Ram mounts.

Killer the Cat came to see if there was anything to knock over.

I built one shelf, and below it over the wheel hump I put a shoe organizer, which is great for holding sundries. The far right corner is for a trash can.

Under the sink I fit two 10 liter jericans for fresh water and a gallon wastewater jug.

 

Pretty much done! Decided to add a footboard, because the mattress tended to slide. I had this piece of an antique oak table laying around that will really make a homey touch. I'll hang a curtain under it to hide the aluminum structure and storage.

I have ordered two fireball extinguishers, one for the furnace box and one for the electrical bay in the cab. Plus two hand operated ones.

I still need to make window coverings and a thermal curtain to keep Ella warm in the cab (she will get heat from the open windows between us). I need to inflate a bike tire around the windows between cab and cap for insulation. I have some mods to make to the rear hatch door of the topper to fix design flaws that allow rain in. But if I wanted to go camping tomorrow I would be perfectly comfortable.

Oh, for cooking I have a George Foreman grill, an electric water kettle and a very small rice cooker. Thats the beauty of having a capacious house electric system.

 

You have done an amazing job. I would want to go camping too!

 

Thanks!

 

Looks amazing!

 

Very impressive! Looking forward to more posts.

 

Time to try to address the gaps around the hatch. These gaps are caused by two manufacturing defects / choices. First, the interior metal channel is mitered upward instead of straight across, which leaves a large gap between the shell and the tailgate. Then, the drip edge on the hatch itself is cut at a 90 angle instead of flaring outward to follow the shape of the shell, leaving another gap and compounding the issue with the first. As a result, when the tailgate and hatch are closed, there's a wide open gap to the outside of about half an inch wide and an inch and a half high. Over the winter I did my best to shove blankets into the holes but that's far from satisfactory, and doesn't address the water running inside.

 

Used a mountain bike inner tube to seal the area between the cab and camper so I can comfortably leave the pass through windows open when parked in the cold. I'm not sure how much rain will be a problem - this is by no means a perfect seal. But it may be good enough.

EDIT After a week, the inner tube deflated completely. Stay tuned for a later post on an upgrade.

 

I had thought about a pool noodle for the window gaps, but the inner tube should fit much tighter with decent pressure.

 

I'm optimistic Will report back after the trip to Canada. Even in May I will probably need it.