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New Member Considering Buying a Sunrader, Need Advice...


Redwing

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Hey Guys!

So I'll just get right into it. Been looking for a sunrader for a while and found a '79 shorty (17' I believe?) for cheap. My initial thoughts are to swap the camper portion (which has already been gutted) and fit it onto a 4x4 truck. My question is which truck would be a good platform for this build? I'd like to modernize it a bit and potentially have an automatic but is there any truck that you can essentially bolt the camper onto or am I looking at frame mods no matter what? I'm a skilled carpenter so once I have it mounted I have zero worries of completing the project and have a bunch of friends with motorcycle / auto / metal fabrication shops that would be willing to help, I just need to know what truck would be the best to swap the camper portion of the sunrader onto. Thanks in advance!

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Thanks for the replies!

Haha the volare one is crazy! And I've considered the 4 runner or tacoma since those should be fairly similar. Is there anything out there that would require minimal frame work? For the shorty sunraders, from what information I've been able to find, it seems like the frame just needs to be strengthened on the behind end of the camper? Anybody have any idea what it would take for the 'easier' of the conversions? Trying to get an idea of what I'm getting myself into before I buy this thing and again, the build out of the camper wont be a problem for me, its just finding the right truck to swap it onto. I really like those older toyotas but I'd prefer to have an automatic so that other people I travel with can drive and me not be stressing that they'll tear it up :)

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Okay cool, yeah as you mentioned, most have the door right behind the truck cab, this photo you just posted is the only other one I've seen. Thanks for the info though, greatly appreciated. Open to any and all suggestions if anybody else would care to chime in :)

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I think some horsepower under the hood, maybe even a Diesel, king or crew cab, a solid front axle, 5 speed manual, manual transfer case, manual locking hubs, full floating rear axle (bad deal when you break an axle in the boonies), 1 or 2 inch lift, 31 or 32 inch tires and gear ratio to accommodate the bigger tires, bigger fuel tank, dual batteries. Don't be stuck on Toyota!

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Well if it's a 4X4 just drive it home in 4WD! Military HUMVees have all kind of variants with body work!

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  • 4 weeks later...
  • 1 month later...

Yes I most likely am going to be getting it...like 95% sure lol. I did have a question though...when I pull the camper off will the cab of the truck have the roof intact? I've seen some where the back end and roof are missing when the camper is pulled and other times where just the back end will be open. Anybody know for sure?

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A hilux donor cab would be hard to source so I'm trying to figure out a cost effective work around. Also, since it would be used as a work truck, I'm not really looking for perfection just want it to be decent. Am I being unrealistic here? I've seen people reuse the Hilux Chinooks but those have the roof which is really my only concern. The back panel isnt really a big deal to me...

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A sheet of aluminum will work. They make Glue to bond panels for repair instead of welding..https://www.ebay.com/itm/3M-8116-PANEL-BONDING-ADHESIVE-W-8571-APPLICATOR/253438089540?epid=1037315137&hash=item3b02165944:g:nOQAAOSwiBJaExHM:rk:7:pf:0.

Some well placed rivets and the glue will do nicely. Start with the top, glue and then bend it around the corner. After the back side is attached, cut the window hole. Glue some thin plywood to make the window frame. Then use one of the old rv windows.

Seal all the edges with Dico.

 

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34 minutes ago, WME said:

A sheet of aluminum will work. They make Glue to bond panels for repair instead of welding..https://www.ebay.com/itm/3M-8116-PANEL-BONDING-ADHESIVE-W-8571-APPLICATOR/253438089540?epid=1037315137&hash=item3b02165944:g:nOQAAOSwiBJaExHM:rk:7:pf:0.

Some well placed rivets and the glue will do nicely. Start with the top, glue and then bend it around the corner. After the back side is attached, cut the window hole. Glue some thin plywood to make the window frame. Then use one of the old rv windows.

Seal all the edges with Dico.

 

This seems like a pretty good solution! Thanks for the tip!

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16 gauge, use 1xxx or 3xxx series aluminum. Other flavors of aluminum are not as "bendable".

Plan B go to a big box store and look at FRP panels.  Depending on your desired truck lifespan FRP and sheet metal screws would give you an easy, to do quick, fix. Caulk it, screw it use a hairdryer to help bend it. Use house paint or fiberglass  to protect it

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I think the aluminum would be a better option but initially when bouncing around ideas, FRP actually crossed my mind so I'll keep that on the back burner in case the aluminum doesn't pan out for whatever reason. Greatly appreciate the tips WME! I'll keep everyone updated as things progress :)

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Just thought I'd give you guys an update...

I purchased the Sunrader and am having it shipped down to Florida this weekend! This was one of those deals that was too good to pass up.

This will be a two-staged project. The first being removing the Sunrader shell and turning the Hilux into a 'work truck' with a flat bed.

and Secondly, finding a 4x4 truck to mount the Sunrader shell to and build out once I get a bit more money to go about this accordingly.  

I guess you can call this a 'BOGO' build haha. I'm sure I will have a ton of questions to annoy everybody with :)

I'll keep you guys updated as things progress!

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On 2/21/2019 at 6:43 PM, linda s said:

Best bet would to find bajadulce's thread and see if he included pics of removing his.

Linda S

Didn't see anything that was too informative unfortunately. Does it show the mounting points in the owners manual?

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No. The owners manual is very generic and only shows basic information on how to use camper. If you think about it what manufacturer shows you step by step how they built stuff. None that I can think of. There are screws around the cut out or the cab. There are 4 big bolts from frame to coach. You have to get it apart. Then you'll know how it was put together. 

Linda S

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Yeah I just skimmed the manual and it seemed to mostly just go over the appliances. I guess I'll just figure it out when I get it. 

Any good recommendations for removal? My original plan is just to build a simple support structure out of 2x4's but the actual lifting off the shell portion might be a bit tricky. Any and all tips welcome :)

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