woodslanding
Member
Wow, that is an uncommon stove. Only found two places online that sell it, and one has it on 'clearance'... Hope I can still get one when the time comes... It would fit really well in my design as it currently stands.
Pro-Rig V2.0 - Home Built Compact Composite Pop-up
- Thread starter CoyoteThistle
- Start date
Yep, I am in the same boat. Totally grosses me out.
The wife wanted to use the bathroom in our old camper. I was always of the mindset that it was strictly a storage closet.
I told her she could use it if she wanted, but she had to deal with it at the dump stations. She looked like she was responding to a Hazmat situation, but she did dump the tanks herself almost everytime!
We realized the standard RV style potty situation is not for us. The new rig has no washroom.
CoyoteThistle
Adventurer
Haha, we kind of had the same deal with the porta potty.
And in terms of an update, we did empty out the solids bin for the first time a little while back. It was drama free for the most part. It was windy and the peat/coir wanted to blow around in my face as I dumped it into a plastic bag. I happened to have a mask handy so that was an easy fix. There are a few skidmarks in the solids bin, but no stink. That was after a 3 week trip and several weekenders over about 4 months. I'm a fan.
CoyoteThistle
Adventurer
Did a little project over the weekend. Haven't seen this done so thought I'd post up.
To date, I've attached the camper to the truck with bolts through the floor into the trucks c-channels and turnbuckles to the rear bumper. The camper has never shifted around, but I can see it kind of bouncing up and down a bit over bigger bumps. I could never figure out why it was moving since all the anchors are snug. I think part of the issue is that the thru-floor anchors are at about the mid way point between the front and back of the camper floor. This means that there is really no "front" anchor. Well, the movement was finally bugging me enough that I decided to find a way to anchor the front of the camper.
Tork Lift makes a frame mounted anchor for the Frontier but it hangs low and sticks way out - seems like a problem off road. Toyed with the idea of building a flat bed with better mounting but decided against it. In the end, here's what I came up with:
I got some Hefty Fabworks rock sliders and used them as the "frame mount". Pretty straightforward, but one trick was getting the camper attachment point far enough forward to avoid the gas fill. To do that I used some aluminum track left over from the bike rack to extend the attachment point forward.
Of the two bolts holding the track on, the forward one is the spot furthest forward where I could bolt through, so use of the track allowed for movement of the attachment point about 5in forward, just enough. The aluminum plate (and a similar one on the inside) were originally added to support the front lift actuators. They are super solid.
For now, the lower mount looks like this:
I drilled through the back of the slider and used a 6" X 1/2" grade 8 bolt and a threaded eye. I know this isn't the strongest, but I wanted to see if this whole approach would work before finding someone to fab a proper mount.
Because of the step built into the slider, the mount is pretty well protected from trail damage.
So far so good. The camper is much more stable, no more bouncing. I also love having the steps that the sliders provide. Easy access to the roof rack with the doors closed.
To date, I've attached the camper to the truck with bolts through the floor into the trucks c-channels and turnbuckles to the rear bumper. The camper has never shifted around, but I can see it kind of bouncing up and down a bit over bigger bumps. I could never figure out why it was moving since all the anchors are snug. I think part of the issue is that the thru-floor anchors are at about the mid way point between the front and back of the camper floor. This means that there is really no "front" anchor. Well, the movement was finally bugging me enough that I decided to find a way to anchor the front of the camper.
Tork Lift makes a frame mounted anchor for the Frontier but it hangs low and sticks way out - seems like a problem off road. Toyed with the idea of building a flat bed with better mounting but decided against it. In the end, here's what I came up with:
I got some Hefty Fabworks rock sliders and used them as the "frame mount". Pretty straightforward, but one trick was getting the camper attachment point far enough forward to avoid the gas fill. To do that I used some aluminum track left over from the bike rack to extend the attachment point forward.
Of the two bolts holding the track on, the forward one is the spot furthest forward where I could bolt through, so use of the track allowed for movement of the attachment point about 5in forward, just enough. The aluminum plate (and a similar one on the inside) were originally added to support the front lift actuators. They are super solid.
For now, the lower mount looks like this:
I drilled through the back of the slider and used a 6" X 1/2" grade 8 bolt and a threaded eye. I know this isn't the strongest, but I wanted to see if this whole approach would work before finding someone to fab a proper mount.
Because of the step built into the slider, the mount is pretty well protected from trail damage.
So far so good. The camper is much more stable, no more bouncing. I also love having the steps that the sliders provide. Easy access to the roof rack with the doors closed.
RAM5500 CAMPERTHING
OG Portal Member #183
Good work!
Keep an eye on the tracks though.
I had some rated to 1000lbs fail holding my 600lbs BMW1200GSA in the back of my toy hauler.
It bent open and the locking loop thing popped right our
A good secondary method for sure, but keep an eye on it
Keep an eye on the tracks though.
I had some rated to 1000lbs fail holding my 600lbs BMW1200GSA in the back of my toy hauler.
It bent open and the locking loop thing popped right our
A good secondary method for sure, but keep an eye on it
Last edited:
ITTOG
Well-known member
I looked through the entire thread for info on how you are sealing the pop top. I did find where you mentioned your gutter for it but didn't see anything on sealing. I would love to know what seal you used and a link. Also pictures would be great.
Great build. Looks awesome.
Great build. Looks awesome.
CoyoteThistle
Adventurer
Thanks! Good to know on the tracks. The fittings I used say they are rated to 5,000 lbs - not sure I believe it, but that's what they say. I'll be keeping an eye on the whole setup, I'm paranoid that way!
RAM5500 CAMPERTHING
OG Portal Member #183
Paranoid is good with this stuff
I habitually do a rig walk around and check everything every time I move camp
Ive found several loose or missing bolts over the years where my paranoid check probably saved a disaster
CoyoteThistle
Adventurer
Thanks.
When the pop top is down, it's just a bulb seal. Hard to get a good shot, but it's attached to aluminum c-channel around the edges of the roof.
The "gutter" is what the fabric attaches to at the bottom. Here's a link to the seal I used:
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NDR2BB8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Speaking of fabric, the adhesive-backed velcro I used isn't holding up. Nothing has failed totally yet, but it's not going to work in the long run. Will need to decide if I want to try to clean up the goo and sew new velcro in, or start fresh.
CoyoteThistle
Adventurer
When I finished the initial build, I estimated the dry weight of the camper to be 850lbs. Since then I've added a 200w solar panel, roof vent, doubled the battery, etc. That all adds up so I'm over 900lbs now for sure. Add 200 lbs for a full water tank. Those sliders are like 140lbs. Two people, two bikes, etc., etc., etc. I'm guessing I'm at like 1,700lbs max.
Now, before the GVWR police jump in, yes, I know the Frontier is only rated for a little over 1,000lbs payload. That said, the Navarra, the international version of the Frontier, is rated for just over 1,000kg (~2,200lbs) of payload. The trucks are pretty much identical except for sheet metal from what I tell. Same axle, same frame, etc. Why the difference? Who knows. I do know that when loaded the braking and acceleration are fine, I can keep up with LA traffic and the truck is easy to drive. Upgrading the suspension is a must though. I've been trying different things and will eventually post on it as I've learned a lot by trial and error. Trying to get a decent ride when the camper is off and a stable ride with the camper on is tricky of course. The short answer is heavier duty leaf springs and air bags. I'd like to get the air bags out of the system and am scheming on ways to do that. Stay tuned!
ITTOG
Well-known member
Thank you so much for the info.Thanks.
When the pop top is down, it's just a bulb seal. Hard to get a good shot, but it's attached to aluminum c-channel around the edges of the roof.
The "gutter" is what the fabric attaches to at the bottom. Here's a link to the seal I used:
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NDR2BB8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Speaking of fabric, the adhesive-backed velcro I used isn't holding up. Nothing has failed totally yet, but it's not going to work in the long run. Will need to decide if I want to try to clean up the goo and sew new velcro in, or start fresh.
Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk
You are right about the GVWR, and the similarities between the Navarra and the Frontier. Something I have actually noticed with a lot of vehicles here in NA vs their counterparts around the world.
I am glad to hear that the rig is handling it well, and you got ideas in play to help out the suspension .
Best of luck
I am glad to hear that the rig is handling it well, and you got ideas in play to help out the suspension .
Best of luck