Galvanized Knight

Like this ? lol My friend Corey photoshop this The proportions are a little off.

I believe they are. My original Chinook mpg/road tripper its about 5' 10 across ways and my bed is running that way. It works but its a little tight. The Newport/Omega is about a 1' wider I think. If someone out there owns a Newport/Omega please reply with some width measurements. Derek what do you think about that water usage question? posted earlier GK

Thanks again! krj a forum member was kind enough to offer the sale his Newport to me. Cant wait till august to begin this beast! GK

That is the one i am looking for ! Thanks. but it is a tad too far for me to get to hopefully it ends up at a good home. That is a great price! GK

Battery Capacity is measured in AMP hours( Ah ) An average deep cycle battery may have 100 Ah ( This Ah should be stamped on the battery ) rough numbers 19" colour TV 100watts thats 10h of run time with 100 Ah batteries WATTS = AMPS x VOLTS your inverter at idle (no load ) is also going to chew through battery life. Any transformer, converter or inverter will use power at idle and is not 100% efficient when transforming power so you'll have loss here as well. Get a clamp-on amp meter that measures amps dc and your will be able to figure out your load at any given time Like Derrek said your are not running your AC with the batteries unless you have a huge bank and a very large inverter. I have seen it done on boat though but those heat pumps are naively DC.

I guess I could buy a new Tacoma quad cab, it sure would be way less work. I really like the 1st gen style and if I could import a LN46 cab from Australia I would for sure and I did look in to it. I am really struck by the style of the 1st gen 4x4 hilux. I am pretty comfortable working metal, I have some experience. It is going to be a huge task. once I get both those truck in the shop i'll get a better idea on just how huge of a jobs its going to be. It may scarce me into changing my mind. One my favorite parts of this project is that my other camper will already be done so there will be no rush. Thanks GK

A 4 Runner maybe a great idea. just extent the frame which will have to be done in either case. I totally agree, backpacking you would not need water for the toilet, shower, or sink. Likely backpacking you would acquire water as you need it during the trip. I would imagine a backpacker would use maybe .75 of a gallon per day = 5 gallons total, likely even less. The 84 gallon estimated also included black waste. how much water do you think one would need per day in a rv? GK

Ebay does have quite a few from time to time.

A factory service manual for the 1989 pickup should have all the details. I installed a few stereos and you are right to worry, that old plastic snaps easily. GK

Into a motorhome? There will a number of different seats the bolt in, It depends which year/generation cab you own. Most Toyota RV cabs are single cabs and most single cabs have bench seats so they should bolt right in a RV. Legal is a whole other issue. That is going to depend on where you live and who insures you.

definitively an issue. This begs a of couple questions: How much water does an adult need for 7 days for drinking, cooking, toilet and cleaning? 2 gallons per day?? so 56 gallons total How much black waste does an adult produce in 7 days ? 1 gallon per day?? so 28 gallons total? How much grey waste is produced per adult in a week?? does that really need to be stored if your out in the middle of nowhere "sans shore dump" (use some biodegradable soap) so with those figures that is approximately 84gallons of space and 840lbs of weight?? anyone got any ideas for liquid storage and adult rate of usage? I camp in winter too so these tanks have to be freeze protected.

This is what those quad cab s look like

Starting to do research and planing. Looking for ideas. I already have 2 1st generation 4x4 Toyota hilux's for the quad cab. I want this able to server 4 people for 7 days away from shore hook ups. Thanks all! Galvanized Knight

Jabberwocky I did not consider using 1/4" oak panel. I really want white board to keep the 54 sq ft looking bright and large and wanted to stay away from the arts and craft cabin style. I agree that it would look great but i am after a simple, clean & bright look. How is your reno progressing? Thanks GK

Kevin I could not spell if my life depended on it. I used Varathane diamond finish about 13 years ago on a table I built and it did work great. I believe your right and I start to do a little research into Varathane. This product may be the ticket, I know its for floors but it sounds tough "varathane nano link" . Hopefully by July or August i can start my next project and I hopefully it'll be a Newport/Omega if I can find a reasonable donor. I made a sketch which posted here NEWPORT SKETCH . I am still a little slow from the flu but getting better. Thanks GK

A build in fireplace in like this link " fireplace " likely you'll build one about a 1/15 as big or less. it basically uses air spaces and insulation to keep combustibles under 90 c. There will be some brick in the firebox but mostly made of steel. you'll want to size in small so your fire actually has time to get hot in the firebox so you get complete combustion without heating you out of the camper. a airspace around the firebox itself will help it cool through convection and heat your space safely. I also feel the endeavor would be pointless without a large viewing area of glass. Keg is a great idea but may but too large for this space. a fireplace would also sit flush in the wall to maintain your internal area. no the frame is not factory I tried that on the first version of this truck. If you actually plan on really using it in the bush on rugged terrain a factory frame will not work out for you. My first version literally snapped in half 60km out of cell service area. I ended having to come-along and strap the rear section to the cab and use the front tires to drag the Chinook out to where i could get a flat deck tow truck. Based on this horrid experience version 2 had a totally reinforced frame. I took a factory frame and box the entire frame with 1/4" plate ( top bottom and sides ) I also added 2 new mounts for the camper as close to the cab as i could get it. I originally used hockey pucks to mount the camper then I replaced them with machined nylon ( the 76 factory version just had hardwood mounts ) My rear axle is factory from the 4x4 1980 and has not had any issues ( i have about 10,000km on this current set up ) I am finding issues with the rear leaf spring through i am currently looking to have a custom set of 1.5 ton leafs with a 5" lift made. The Chinook has no mechanical connections to the cab it is simply compressed both forwards and down upon the cab. This allow some movement without breaking the weather seal between the two. I had hoped one day on making a entire shell myself but I have few projects to do before that. I can t wait to see your progress on your project . My best advise is overthink everything first and just roll with it once you start. GK

I have had the flu for 10days now. Just getting over it so my progress has not been too great but I have some more pictures for you. I am still working on the cabinets. I have the faceplates done and the first drawer which still needs a front face. The OSB on the seat is just temporarily there till the bench tops get finished. The raw plywood edges will be finished with birch veneer tape. Hopefully after work this week i can make a little more head way. I want these cabinets done so I can start all the mechanical systems. Does anyone have any good suggestions for a finish on the cabinets? I was hoping to keep the light/ bright colour of the birch plywood.

A solid fuel burning unit would be awesome. If your making the whole shell you might as well make the stove too. Myself I would try to make more of a mini "build in fireplace". I have a friend who had a wood heater in his baywindow westy. Its was made out of a pipe tee and its was right behind his seat so he could stuff a few sticks in while he was driving.(not recommended) Nice Chassis too, I have a few of those 1st gen 4x4's and they are legendary. Those R series engines are bullet proof to boot. Cant wait to see some concept art! GK

The Roxul is not adhered to the fiberglass. There is a layer of A2A foil bubble between the outer wall and the Roxul. The Roxul was cut a little over-sized then taped into place with tuck tape to hold it before the wall panels were installed,sandwiching the insulation in place. I tried to take care that the insulation was not compressed so its R value remain in-tacked. Posts #7 & 8 have a few before panel pictures and some more information on the process,I estimate some finished R values there as well. The cavity around the windows are completely fill with spray foam. For my next Chinook project I'll likely stick to spray foam because it will make the entire shell more rigid and completely seal the camper. Spray foam does have off-gassing concerns which i have to look into further. I hope that answers your questions. Thanks GK

A few small things done. Cupboard door with Blum hinges. The stove is now cut in I will be cladding the backsplash in stainless steel.

cascadecrud After going through the pictures at van specialties I cant help but wonder how much money was spend? My guess would be 12-15K . Those new vinyl seat look great and the stainless steel floor pan is awesome. Thanks for posting the link linda s. GK

Very fine looking machine. I love the colour you picked. I agree with everyone else ...More pictures! exterior and interior. Thanks for posting GK

Today I was able to install the cabinet carcasses and the infloor tubing stayed intact. I want to start getting the drawers in tomorrow.

So we jumped right on this. We booked site R2 for June 22,23,24 . The lady I spoke with suggested booking ASAP because you can always change locations with a weeks notice and those spots are going to fill up fast. Our friends here who also own a Chinook will be joining us. They booked R1 for the same dates as us. We will be convoying from the Kootenay's (Creston) on the 20th and/or 21st if anyone wants to roll with us. We are stoked

Kin beach is very nice too. it is in Courtenay/Comox. http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/kin_bch/ I camped there a couple years ago. Its right by the Air force base. Worth a look. GK