summerinmaine

Stroker.

No real story. When I bought the truck, the PO had yellow forest service magnetic decals on it, from his work. I wanted to get highly reflective decals with an image of the Baja peninsula, but came up empty. From my MC riding, I knew of a guy in the UK who made these in small sizes (3-5"), and he agreed to do a one-off 12" set for me. We now return you to your regularly scheduled thread. :yes:

No real story. When I bought the truck, the PO had yellow forest service magnetic decals on it, from his work. I wanted to get highly reflective decals with an image of the Baja peninsula, but came up empty. From my MC riding, I knew of a guy in the UK who made these in small sizes (3-5"), and he agreed to do a one-off 12" set for me. We now return you to your regularly scheduled thread. :yes:

No offense at all. Different strokes, and different priorities. I haven't the slightest concern about how my rig looks, just how it functions for its intended purpose. The CG is certainly higher, but not as high as you might expect. And in desert travel, tight trails are almost never an issue for me. Have fun with the project.

No offense at all. Different strokes, and different priorities. I haven't the slightest concern about how my rig looks, just how it functions for its intended purpose. The CG is certainly higher, but not as high as you might expect. And in desert travel, tight trails are almost never an issue for me. Have fun with the project.

BTW I just saw an ad for a SWB camper just like mine in the local CL. Asking price was $2K IIRC which perhaps seems reasonable until you consider that I paid @$3K for my entire rig. I've seen them offered for a lot less.

BTW I just saw an ad for a SWB camper just like mine in the local CL. Asking price was $2K IIRC which perhaps seems reasonable until you consider that I paid @$3K for my entire rig. I've seen them offered for a lot less.

Don't have any pics of the hooks directly (and the rig is currently stored remotely), but here's one I took to show the "beverage assistant" that I installed, and it shows the hook in side view. I should think that they are a pretty standard design for the swing-out hook type. Mine is a T section that swings out of the attachment receptacle.

Don't have any pics of the hooks directly (and the rig is currently stored remotely), but here's one I took to show the "beverage assistant" that I installed, and it shows the hook in side view. I should think that they are a pretty standard design for the swing-out hook type. Mine is a T section that swings out of the attachment receptacle.

Sounds like you know that there would be cheaper and easier ways to end up with a camper, but I agree that building one of your own is a unique and worthwhile endeavor. Go for it. But keep in mind that the designs of pop-ups (like mine and the tent trailers) have been around for >50 years, and undergone continual revisions to overcome originally unforeseen problems. So when you set out to reinvent some of the wheels, careful study of the "pop-up solution" and careful thought (and auto-cad) might help you avoid adopting a design solution that was tried years ago and found wanting via the crucible of real world experience (especially with multi thousands of examples in use). In addition, you might think about buying a used pop-up just to gut it for parts and appliances. Frex the 2-way or 3-way refer, if it's working well, could cost as much used ($4-500) as an entire trailer. And, BTW, Dometic refers have a much better reputation for reliability and performance than the "Nevercold" (though mine has been fine). Plus you will probably want a furnace (mine is 17K BTU) and all the associated exhaust ducting, as I understand that warmth is an issue for you (it isn't for me, so I've never even tried mine out). And this is an area where conventional design wisdom would probably be sound, but a new solution could involve unforeseen (and potentially disastrous) problems. An electric heater is not necessarily a great alternative, due to power consumption and attendant battery drain issues. Have fun!

Sounds like you know that there would be cheaper and easier ways to end up with a camper, but I agree that building one of your own is a unique and worthwhile endeavor. Go for it. But keep in mind that the designs of pop-ups (like mine and the tent trailers) have been around for >50 years, and undergone continual revisions to overcome originally unforeseen problems. So when you set out to reinvent some of the wheels, careful study of the "pop-up solution" and careful thought (and auto-cad) might help you avoid adopting a design solution that was tried years ago and found wanting via the crucible of real world experience (especially with multi thousands of examples in use). In addition, you might think about buying a used pop-up just to gut it for parts and appliances. Frex the 2-way or 3-way refer, if it's working well, could cost as much used ($4-500) as an entire trailer. And, BTW, Dometic refers have a much better reputation for reliability and performance than the "Nevercold" (though mine has been fine). Plus you will probably want a furnace (mine is 17K BTU) and all the associated exhaust ducting, as I understand that warmth is an issue for you (it isn't for me, so I've never even tried mine out). And this is an area where conventional design wisdom would probably be sound, but a new solution could involve unforeseen (and potentially disastrous) problems. An electric heater is not necessarily a great alternative, due to power consumption and attendant battery drain issues. Have fun!

It hardly needs to be said, but be very careful about using a grill INSIDE.

It hardly needs to be said, but be very careful about using a grill INSIDE.

Mine fits on my SWB truck. I'm sure most have already seen it, but here's a recent shot: And here's the low-profile look: The weight is a factor, but increased wind resistance is negligible. And yes, it uses a hand crank, but I think that's because it has a canvas extension section. I understand that Alaskan hard side campers and the like use power or at least hydraulic lifts. I've just about finished re-doing all the systems in my Skamper, so if anyone has any questions about these little guys, feel free to ask.

Mine fits on my SWB truck. I'm sure most have already seen it, but here's a recent shot: And here's the low-profile look: The weight is a factor, but increased wind resistance is negligible. And yes, it uses a hand crank, but I think that's because it has a canvas extension section. I understand that Alaskan hard side campers and the like use power or at least hydraulic lifts. I've just about finished re-doing all the systems in my Skamper, so if anyone has any questions about these little guys, feel free to ask.

Really. Mine didn't come with them. Unless they are protecting some sensitive electronics, I don't see that they are all that important.

Turnbuckles linked to the inner bedsides. The camper doesn't weigh too much (<1K) and isn't tall enough to require external links.

Temporary!?! I'll tell you about temporary! We fixed the hole in this truck's rad: Image Not Found by using coarse ground pepper! Only needed to go another 40km to reach the pit with the brazing equipment, but still! :yes:

HMMM...looks like Japaese Maple or red Marijuana... :hmm: :yes: Panama Red.

Thanks. A few days later, I was back at the same location, but in the penthouse this time: for a little R&R: In between, we camped here: and did this: It was fun.

Here's the most recent pic of my MJ:

That's probably the first thing I would check. In the UK, they're called "dampers" because they're supposed to damp down the rebound. They don't really "absorb shock."

MJs have carbs? Who knew? :dunno:

But this is two different thermostats now. The old one (which may have been a factory original, as it was an archaic design) was clearly closed when it was removed, so it wasn't stuck open. And now the new one, with no reason to suspect that it's faulty, and no apparent effect on the operating temp. Not sure how that makes sense.

My MJ has always run a bit cold; the temp gauge rarely rises above 150 and the temp has been confirmed with an IR thermo. The only times the temp has approached 200 were on long uphill grades during warm weather. The thermostat was just replaced, with no effect. Any ideas why it should run so cold? Obviously, I don't live in a cold climate. Also, the fuel economy was routinely low (i.e. 13-15mpg) but adequate (since I use it less than 2K miles/year). I've recently replaced the exhaust/cat from the manifold back (Catco Cat and AutoZone plumbing), with no seeming effect (but I'm getting ready to face the dreaded bi-annual Smog Check here in Kalifornistan). On my last trip to Baja, the fuel economy seemed normal on the trip down, but appeared to fall substantially on the trip back up (i.e. <10mpg). I've always assumed that the motor (Renix FI) has never run hot enough to get out of open loop configuration, accounting for the previous mpg figures), but can't see how this might relate to the apparent change in fuel economy. I'm also now concerned that my HC emissions might be whack, but am not yet ready for a Smog pre-test. Any thoughts?