PHOTOS OF OUR TRUCK AND CAMPER
Below you will see many photos showing more details about our custom-made camper and how we outfitted our truck.
ALL ABOUT OUR TRUCK
This is an 8-foot custom-made camper with an Edie boat loader, twin CB antennas, a rear antenna for the camper's Panasonic AM/FM cassette radio, a Winegard satellite antenna, a solar panel, and a spare tire that swivels out. Mud flaps, a 30-gallon grey water holding tank on the right side behind the panel, and barbeque is mounted on the shelf under the right door.
We have a 5-gallon water tank, scare lights around the camper, a spotlight at the rear of the camper, and an 8-foot folding ladder. We have tinted windows, a 15-gallon water tank mounted under the left side of the frame, a TV antenna, and 12x16.5 - 12-ply tires all the way around.
This is the original paint and chrome bumpers. The rear of the truck and camper has the spare tire that swivels out and behind that is a large compartment for a 25 hp long shaft outboard motor. The smaller compartment is 8 feet long for fishing poles, awning poles, etc.
The 8-foot folding ladder mounts on the back and a rack for the folding chairs goes in the rungs of the ladder. The compartment on the left is metal lined for a 6-gallon boat gas tank, and motor oil etc., below is the compartment for the 5-gallon propane tank with some level blocks.
The folding step lowers to get into the camper and there is a compartment for six level blocks. The class V hitch is wired along with wiring for our boat trailer, also mounted on the bumper is a rack for a 5-gallon G.I. gas tank. A rear porch light and a floodlight are on the back and there is a water spigot to transfer water from the camper's tank to a trailer. At the rear is where we mount our portable outside shower with a solar bag for hot water.
On the rear bumper, we have a G.I. gas can for spare gas for our outboard motor or our Honda Trail 70 motorbike. On the ladder, we have removable brackets for two folding chairs with a vinyl bag to protect them from dust and rain.
Under the front bumper are fog lights and a receiver to mount a boat hitch or a large trailer hitch to move either one from the front of the truck.
Also, we have two receivers for a motorcycle rack that is not included in the price but can be purchased for $300.00, this is a heavy-duty rack with a ramp for a large motorcycle. The rear step folds up and down and does not interfere with the hitch head mounted on the rear bumper.
Under the right side of the front door is a shelf that holds a propane BBQ and in front of that is an extra 5-gallon water tank.
Under the left side of the front door is an 8-gallon grey water holding tank for the camper.
Mounted under the truck is an extra 15-gallon fresh water tank with a Shurflo 12-volt pump to pump the water into the camper tank. We added this extra tank for fresh water when we camped at out-of-the-way places where water was scarce. In the small compartment door that holds the 20 amp power cord is a 12-volt toggle switch to power the pump for the water tank. You can see by the photo on the right is a white hose that you unstrap and put into the water filler spout and turn on the pump to get water into the camper tank. There is a green hose that is for filling the tank when you need to add water.
Also, in this compartment are two wires for the bilge pump that is stored in the motor compartment. We have taken 1/2 inch PVC tubing and mounted it under the 8-gallon grey water tank under the frame of the truck over to the large 30-gallon grey water holding tank. When the grey water tank is full, you can hook up the bilge pump to the spigot take the two wires, and hook them into the matching wires in the compartment to transfer the grey water over into the larger holding tank. We have found that many places where we camp will not allow you to drain your sink water on the ground, so we devised this system and it works great, once the 30-gallon tank is full, we drive to the dump station to dump the contents. We also have a macerator pump that hooks up to the two wires in this compartment so that we can take our porta potty holding tank and use the macerator pump to pump the porta potty over to the 30-gallon holding tank
We have a 460 cu. in. motor with an automatic C-6 transmission, both have been rebuilt as we said in our description of the truck.
Dual batteries, a transmission cooler, an engine oil cooler, and two power steering coolers. All the hoses have been replaced as well and the power steering pump, we also have a K & N filter.
The new battery on the right side is for the truck, and the new battery on the left side is a deep cycle for the camper and a larger size.
The master cylinder has been replaced, and the silver horn is for the alarm system. The battery for the camper also supplies 12-volt power to the Heart Interface 1000-watt inverter in the camper, and the battery also powers the Edie boat loader motor with a circuit breaker.
Here are a few views of the interior of the cab area. We have floor mats, a book, and a map holder on the side of the center console that lifts for more storage.
A Cobra 40 channel C.B., the steering wheel is wrapped in leather along with interior sunshades for the front window as well as the sides of each window and pull-down sunshades for each side window. We also have a full canvas window cover for the front window that goes on the outside and wraps around the side windows.
Behind the bench seat is a large storage box that we built out of plywood. It stores a shovel, saw, battery cables, a large toolbox, a front windshield cover, spare parts, and more.
The large center storage box provides more storage, and the plastic tray is for coffee or our dog's dish full of water.
Behind that is the Radio Shack FM booster for a stronger signal. Shown above is the Kelsy Hayes brake controller and a coolant temperature gauge.
The red and green toggle switches are for the two electric fuel pumps, and the other is for transferring water from a tank mounted under the frame to the camper water tank.
Above is the compass and altimeter gauge, and to the left is the tachometer and vacuum gauge.
On the solid roof is the Winegard Satellite Antenna, two Fantastic roof vents with one having the automatic temperature sensor that turns off and on because of the temperature inside of the camper.
The roof vent in the cabover bed area is opaque so that the light will not come in while you are sleeping, and the one in the dinette area is grey and light will shine through.
The large Kyocera DC 80-watt solar panel is mounted towards the rear of the camper between the Edie boat loader rollers.
Above is the side panel that holds a 30-gallon waste tank. Originally, the spare tire for the front tires was mounted here but since we replaced the front tires to match the rear tires so that we would only carry one spare tire, we used this area for the waste tank.
When we had our 34-foot Silver Streak trailer, we would use our macerator pump to pump the waste into this tank and drive to a dump station. That way we would never have to hook up the trailer and tow it to a dump station. We then filled up the camper fresh water tank and could transfer fresh water to the trailer, we even had a 25-gallon water bag that we laid on the camper floor and filled it up with fresh water and then transferred it into the trailer with a separate 12-volt water pump. We found this to be perfect since we did a lot of dry camping all over the country.
You will see a green hose to the side of the tank, this is used with the macerator to pump the waste, and alongside that is the 12-volt Sears Wireless Remote Control Winch with 11,000 pounds rolling load capacity, and 3,500 pounds single line pull with a mounting bracket, the wiring is in the compartment under the dinette seat. The value of this winch is over $400.00 and is included in the price. We have never had to use this and have carried it with us all of these years, always planning what might happen. The black paddle assembly shown above accommodates a standard 3-inch drain hose.
Now to the storage compartments that our custom-made camper has. When we set up our "Perfect Rig," we knew that we needed a space for our Johnson 25 hp long shaft motor, and 6-gallon gas tank along with storage for our boat battery and all of our gear that we used for the boat. The large compartment above is for the long shaft motor and inside of the camper dinette area is a raised floor to accommodate the long shaft of the motor. The smaller compartment to the right is 8 feet long, and it can hold fishing poles, awning poles, snow skis, and many other items. The spare tire rotates out so that you can get access to this compartment to load and unload the outboard motor and boat gear.
We have a strong "Eye Bolt," mounted in the rear of the roof so that we can use a deer hoist and put it around the motor head to lift it up and into the compartment. We have found that the two of us can lift the motor in this compartment without using the hoist, but we have it in case we need to use it.
Above the compartment is an 8-foot folding ladder to get up on the camper roof, and mounted on the ladder we have brackets for our two folding chairs with a vinyl bag to protect them from rain or dust.
As you can see by this photo the large storage compartment for the Johnson 25 hp long shaft motor with carpeting on the floor and the top shelf. The top shelf is removable so that we can slide the motor in place and fasten it down with the seat belts on the floor to keep the motor from sliding back and forth. The top shelf is where we put our battery for the boat as well as all of our boat gear. Now, you will see a large bag that is the solar shower, solar water bag, handheld shower, and awning.
When we fished Blue Mesa Reservoir in Colorado, we had already sold our trailer and took the truck/camper and boat. We used this compartment to store our Honda generator and other gear for the three-month trip.
This is the 8-foot-long compartment above the spare tire area. As you can see we have stored our awning poles and stakes. Notice the burglar alarm sensor that we used on all of the compartment doors to protect them. To the right is our 5-gallon propane tank which has been upgraded with the new valve. In this compartment, we also have some more level blocks, rope, and other gear.
The metal-lined compartment is for our 6-gallon boat gas tank and extra gas, motor oil, and other gear. We had this lined in metal because it was a storage compartment for gas and we did not want any fumes in the camper living quarters. Behind the step and chrome bumper is where we have stored six 2 x 6 level blocks.
This is the refrigerator compartment door for the Dometic 4 cubic foot refrigerator that we replaced several years ago; it is a 110-volt and propane gas refrigerator. We have two fans in this compartment that we use to direct the airflow out to the top vent in warm weather. It helps the refrigerator cool better; you can select to operate one fan or both. Also, in this compartment are the wires for the solar panel to the controller mounted inside the camper.
Below this compartment is a smaller one that has the 20 amp power cord and a spare 25-foot power cord. Also, are the wires for the Heart Interface 1000-watt inverter, a spare set of radiator hoses, and heater hoses. There is a toggle switch that operates a Shurflo 12-volt water pump that pumps the water from the extra 15-gallon fresh water tank to the camper tank. In this compartment are 12-volt power wires for the bilge pump to pump the grey water tank over to the 30-gallon holding tank on the opposite side of the truck.
ALL ABOUT OUR CAMPER
Between the front cab of the truck and the camper, we have a large crawl-through space. It can be closed off from the cab area or the camper area. Dolly loves to sit on her perch looking out the front window to see where we are going and when we are parked she sits there or lies down to view the outdoors and see all of the people walking by.
From inside the camper, Dolly is lying down on the crawl through space and here she is lying down on the water tank cover that has thick rust-colored carpeting. The floor of the camper is covered with vinyl flooring, and we have added a carpet pad under the carpeting. We have the collapsible step that she uses to jump up and down.
Looking down the aisle you will see the large queen-sized bed with a Fantastic roof vent. At the foot of the bed, we have a rotating 12-volt fan and the Winegard crank-up satellite antenna along with a holder for four fishing poles. The view to the right is the 20-gallon fresh water tank and porta potty, the refrigerator is to the left with a compartment at the top and bottom.
The large wardrobe closet is above the toilet with a drawer underneath. The crawl-through space is large enough that we can crawl between the front cab to the camper.
The wall area shows a light, a carbon monoxide detector, and a shelf. The black knob is for an instant alarm to make the horn go off if you hear someone outside and want to scare them away, and the indoor/outdoor temperature gauge is to monitor the refrigerator temperature. The other temperature gauge is for the inside and outside temperature. The door above the refrigerator has excellent storage for extra sheets and towels.
A view from the dinette area and the queen-sized bed shows the barometer, speakers for the radio, and the furnace control. At the foot of the bed are another shelf, a smoke detector, a Braun electric toothbrush, and 110 and 12-volt outlets.
The dinette area has three cabinets above, and the radio is in the corner. The photo to the right is the raised floor for the Johnson 25-hp long shaft motor. The table can drop down and create another area for sleeping, and there is another cabinet for miscellaneous items.
We have a three-burner stove top, a Magnavox 9-inch color TV, a single stainless steel sink, an Everpure water purifier, and storage above the sink. Below the sink are two doors that open up to the pot and pan shelf, the water filter, and the accumulator tank that stops the water pump from cycling on and off. We have left several pots and pans as well as many other items for cooking and cleaning in this compartment.
As you can see with the cabinet doors opened there is a lot of storage. The long short cabinet to the left is for truck parts such as belts, hoses, spark plugs, gaskets, and much more. The compartment to the right with the two buckets goes forward about 2 feet, and we have two shoe boxes full of more spare parts for the truck and camper.
The photo to the right is the cabinet above the stove that has the Sony Satellite receiver with a remote control. We also have a remote control antenna mounted on top of the TV so that you can change channels while in bed. This is a standard-definition receiver and works great with the Winegard Satellite antenna. Above the receiver is another cabinet that I used for spices, flour, sugar, and coffee.
We have a three-burner stove top in stainless steel, and underneath that is the furnace, a fire extinguisher, and a propane gas detector. The two drawers under the stove are for silverware and other cooking items. Below is another long compartment for more storage. The photo to the right shows the cooktop stove.
With the carpeted cover removed, you can see the 20-gallon fresh water tank along with 25 feet of hose and other hoses to fill the camper tank. The photo to the right shows the porta-potty, a large wardrobe closet, and a drawer.
