MJ Happy Camper

[fiatslug87]

Too late for that! I think it happened the day I picked up the Comansion.

[fiatslug87]

I finished the drawer a week ago but just now had time to open up the WilderNest for pictures. The carcass is approximately 81” long, 25” wide and 16” high, the drawer is 75” long, 15 1/2” wide and 13” high; I made it large enough to hold three of our camping storage boxes with space to spare. The drawer slides on 3/16” thick UHMWPE strips to maximize space. The top, left side, drawer front and rear are 1 1/8” plywood the rest is 3/4” ply assembled with pocket screws (about 200 of them!!) and glue. Everything was given three coats of exterior paint (color matched to the paint I used for the shell interior) to minimize mold/mildew, the top and left side were then covered with tan vinyl diamond plate and edged with stainless steel corner guard since it also serves as the step to the sleeping platform. It’s bolted to the bed using stainless bolts from underneath into t-nuts in the base. The space on the right with the wheel well is perfect for storing the long support poles and stabilizing legs while the space on the left still accommodates the large boxes which were initially intended for the FJ Cruiser’s roof rack, they will even stack with the Nest closed. It was a fun little project.

 

 

 

 

[Red Mistress]

Looking good, can't wait to see it camping out in CA 

[fiatslug87]

Filling the water tank was a pain in the a$$, since it has no vent the fill tube would fill with water and air couldn’t escape. My simple fix was to place a fill hose within the outer hose allowing air to escape through the space between the two, it also allowed attaching a garden hose for filling.

 

 

 

I also added an air filter on the small vent tube of the fuel filler neck to allow air in as the faucet is used since the cap will be in place.

[fiatslug87]

Added a tailgate strut to soften its opening.

 opening.

 

[fiatslug87]

My marvelous wife just finished sewing a rear panel to keep out the bugs. The whole thing can be unzipped and rolled up or just the center portion leaving the screen.

 

[Pete M]

that. is. epic. 

 

do the reverse lights work at all? 

[fiatslug87]

They do not, it’s just a regular 4 pin trailer connector.

[Pete M]

seems like an opportunity for an AUX switch for some LED camp lights.   

[fiatslug87]

Its maiden voyage, in CA at least.

 

 

 

[MiNi Beast]

It works.  looks like a great get away. 

[fiatslug87]

First night’s dinner was hot dogs on the gas grill, not very fancy .

 

and the morning’s breakfast on our 30 year old Coleman white gas stove converted to propane.

 

 

the dogs were dead tired by the last day.

 

 

and a final night shot.

[Pete M]

life goals  

[fiatslug87]

A little paint and a new lift gate handle for which I have a key.

Before:

After:

[fiatslug87]

My wife just can’t stop sewing! Now she made a set of curtains for the sleeping platform; heavy mesh screen on the upper portion for ventilation and customized fabric on the lower for privacy.

 

[Gjeep]

Coming along great! Where did you guys camp? Don't recognize it

[fiatslug87]

Thanks, it’s been fun. That was Anthony Chabot Campgrounds in the Oakland hills, technically Castro Valley, only 48 miles away. Wanted something near civilization for the first outing.  This Thursday we’re headed to Wench Creek in Kyburz.

[Pete M]

and next month they're crossing the Sahara.  

[fiatslug87]

A place for everything and everything in its place. Made from leftover drawer scraps, didn’t feel like staining or painting so I took a torch to it and gave it a little mineral oil wipe.

 

 

[fiatslug87]

Outing #2 at Wench Creek campground in the Eldorado National Forest. Had a bear come through the first night and attack a cooler of someone in our group that was right behind the WilderNest. We got out to look and saw a good size black bear, it glanced back at us and strolled off. Some don’t take bear safety seriously even when bear boxes are provided.

Yes, I need new struts for the lift gate.

 

[fiatslug87]

Rescreened the shell windows and added screen to the front slider. Used heavy weight pet screen, now it should be 99.9% insect proof!

Before:

After:

 

[fiatslug87]

Epic fail! Trying to fix the lift gate hinge, I guess one too many taps to dislodge a rivet remnant. I’ll be heading to Tap Plastics on Monday for a piece of smoked polycarbonate. On the bright side, it made fixing the hinge a lot easier. @Pete M, you got any large CC window decals? PM me, thanks.

[eaglescout526]

Ouch. Shame it’s not the bigger glass version as I have a spare big glass from my old camper. 

[fiatslug87]

It was really cool looking, for a while I was thinking of pouring epoxy over it but epoxy yellows over time in sunlight.

[fiatslug87]

Back in business! Used 1/4” polycarbonate that I had to thin down the perimeter a hair with my router for it to fit the channel. Now good as new, just need the CC bling to finish it off. May have to add a little window tint to darken it a bit more, their “solar gray” was lighter than I expected.