Monday, May 17, 2021

New Truck for my SOON TO BE Camp Rig

 MY "NEW" TRUCK THAT WILL SOON BECOME MY ULTIMATE FLATBED CAMP RIG


As retirement looms less than a year away, I figured that it was time to start putting the plans for my ultimate camp rig into play.  I bought this 2004, Dodge Ram 2500, 5.9 ltr. diesel truck and it is in EXCELLENT condition.  

Over the course of the next year, I plan to start purchasing all of the materials I'll need to start building it out, so that I'll have everything ready by the time I retire.

I'm going to attempt to build the entire camper myself and it'll be a big undertaking, but hey, I'll have plenty of time to devote to it...right?

I plan to build a flatbed, hard-sided cabover camper with an all aluminum frame and aluminum skin.  Imagine a popped up FWC Flatbed that's hard-sided...   

Here's what I'm planning so far:

- Aluminess aluminum winch bumper with brush guard (on order);

- 12,000 lb. winch w/synthetic rope (probably Smittybilt)

- Hillsboro aluminum flatbed (on order);

- 1 1/2 inch square tubing aluminum frame with aluminum skin (attached with rivets and VHB tape and insulated with foam panels;

- Artic Tern-style European windows and door;

- Marine grade roof/escape hatch (will also allow roof access to clean and maintain solar panels);

- 450 watts of Renogy solar panels charging two Battle Born lithium batteries with inverter, charger, controller, etc;

- 60-70 liter two compartment DC compressor fridge/freezer combo (probably Iceco);

- Maxxair powered fan;

- Flush mounted sink and two burner propane stove;

- Queen-sized bed on the cabover with under the bed storage;

- Chinese diesel heater;

- Simple Porta-Potty stored in a lower cabinet;

- Dimmable LED pot lights throughout the interior;

- Gravity fed water from several Jerry Cans stored in a rack inside (I don't want to deal with plumbing, pumps, flushing and freezing issues);

- Rear dinette (can turn into a second bed) with under the seat storage;

- Lightweight, bin-style storage throughout;

- Two outer storage/tool boxes mounted under the flatbed;

- Stirrup-type stairs mounted to the flatbed rail;

- Two knockoff MaxTrax recovery tracks mounted on the rear;

- Receiver hitch & bike rack for two ebikes (with solar charging pigtail);

- Two Jerry Cans mounted on the rear of the camper;

- A low-mounted awning on the driver's side of the camper; 

- Some sort of wrap or large decal applied to the camper's exterior; 

- Etc...


Hopefully, there won't be more fuel, lumber, aluminum, materials and shipping shortages that have become all too common this last year.

I plan to start a build thread on this blog when I start putting it all together and I welcome any suggestions from the more experienced of you out there on the dirt roads...

GROVER HOT SPRINGS, May, 2021

GROVER HOT SPRINGS

May, 2021 

Our first camp trip of the year was a quick little jaunt to Grover Hot Springs State Park, near Markleeville, CA.  It was a quick, three day, two night trip, but it was much needed.


Because of "The Vid," you had to make reservations for your soak, but it was actually nice, because our whole group was able to soak at once.  We soaked Friday and Saturday.





Absolutely beautiful meadows around the springs.





Susan and Dex heading out to the waterfalls.





Made it to the falls just as it started to drizzle rain.















A lab is required by law to find water and JUMP IN!





Susan made some incredible little Keto BLTs for lunch.





Some "Yoga-ish" stuff happening at camp.

















Best friends make every experience better.





Some live music at camp is always great.





Enjoying a campfire before fire season bans them all.





My girl in her happy place.









































Last campfire of the trip.





Susan is quite the camp chef.  Tonight was carnita tacos with all of the trimmings.


Even though it was drizzly at times, the weather was just about prefect.  It was so nice to get outside after the 2020 mayhem that hit us all and to see things starting to get back to normal.  This was the weekend that the CDC lifted the mandatory mask mandate that kept us all subdued, sedated, divided, etc.

Many future trips were planned during this weekend and after not adding to this blog in a year or so, I hope to fill it up this year.