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Yes. Another Camper build

pkl2fly

fixer
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Coronado, CA
ONE MAN'S OVERLAND CAMPER VAN BUILD
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First I was somewhat entranced by the look and proximity of the M-1079 which appeared on the GP auction site. Wheels started turning inside my head. THEN I saw GXV's Brazos version at well over $200K and thought to myself ..."I can do that for a lot less.
So my mission was to put together a vehicle capable of days (not weeks) of independent trekking through the South West desert wilderness, maybe up the CA coast... and if it weren't for the cartel activity maybe Baja...
So to start with I went a tad haywire with the online auction ..... maybe. As I reflect back, I paid the median price for a running M-1079 with 6800 miles on it and no major gripes. Plus it only cost me gas money and a buddy's breakfast and lunch to fetch it from 150 miles away. (All of the other ones were over 1500 miles away so that is a big factor to consider).
Batteries - added a gallon of water (6 mo later ordered two new ones from O'reilly)
Axle leaks - tightened the hub cap nut
Door handle - cannibalized one from a non-runner 1078 in on my farm in SC.
Tires - bought a set of 4 MRAP Tire/wheel assy off GL.
(Discovered the incompatibility of the rims and paid a commercial tire shop to swap them out.)
(Also discovered you cannot get them new from mfg in US - nor would you want to, given the retail price of over $1800.00 each!) Bought another set mounted on FMTV rims for <$1000.
THE CAMPER
The former owners - Army EOD soldiers had a nice (by their standards) CP van from the looks of it. A counter across left side and front of the box. A 4k Cobra inverter, 13K btu Mil A/C unit, radio ancillaries and a small microwave oven.

I removed all except the inverter. Then started the thought process of outfitting the box.
The goal was to have a very capable kitchen and hygiene set up. My benchmark was a 1987 Southwind motorhome I had lived in for about 7 months. The 6 cu ft "three way" fridge and the 3 burner range/oven became essential parts through my daily use. The toilet and shower were the other major necessity. I discovered the simplicity and efficiency of gas. The phrase " cooking with gas" is a truism. Cooling with gas is just as true. I'm on week 3 with a 20# bottle of blue rhino juice.
Now to fit it all in.

I found the fridge on craigslist from a fellow parting out a 2007 camper trailer. He also had the range and a fresh water pump. I loaded them into the box and strapped them to the wall in the front and went camping. Used cots for beds and campground facilities for toilet.
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Note that the m1079 is an aluminum framed structure skinned inside and out with foam insulation inside all 6 sides. Most of the attachments are bolted to riv-nuts attached to the box, many through the internal frame. Also inside the box on the walls and floor are steel plates screwed into the riv-nuts with 1/2 inch machine screws. I removed all 12 steel "tapping" plates - probably close to 1000 pounds. The remaining nuts have been real handy for mounting eye bolts which I then use to strap anything I may need to carry.

The box is also wired with 12, 24 and 115 volt circuits. I am trying to keep the electrical system simple - 12 volt only for lighting and minor ancillaries like fridge ignition circuit and fresh water pump. I then saw an advantage to adding a solar panel and MPPT charge controller to keep the 12 volt side topped off.

I took out the ventilation fan on the port side "pod" or "dog-house" eventually for additional storage batteries. I'm thinking box battery bank. Yes high CG is a thought, but I'm not rock crawling so much as wash running...well maybe - it handles so well.image3.jpgimage2.jpg

The center and starboard pods house the 50 gals of fresh water, water pump and majority of plumbing for the sink and shower. Also a 12v vent fan for the shower.
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Box has had dual mode 24v lighting which is tied to the door and window shades for black out lights (blue filters). It also had115v fluorescents, which I removed completely and replace with 12v LED strip lights run inside the old wire runs then covered them with polycarb panels.

There is a door open micro-switch which is currently inop and needs to be reinstalled. I have driven off with the door open and ladder down ONCE. Don't want to do that again. Something to be said for procedure. WALK around your vehicle before you get in to move it any time you stop for any reason - it's a hard habit to ingrain, but essential. Also almost wiped out a buddy's motorcycle which was parked by my pass side door out of mirror view.

Back-up camera. Got from amaz-on for $26. That's with a TFT monitor. Best single mod made to date. It also has IR so great at night too.

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TOO MUCH? There is so much more.





Many, many, Kudos to duckworthe for inspiration and generosity with his time and expertise.
 

CGarbee

Well-known member
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Raleigh, NC
Considering that I have a trailer that will be converting the front half into a RV (leaving the rear for gear), the more threads like this, the better IMHO...
 

Duckworthe

Member
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San Diego, Ca
Pkl2fly,
Hey, We need to catch up one day. I have been working on the AC some. I would like to finish it up in the next few months before it gets hot. I just need a few parts, then we can tackle yours. I have been in mine full time and love it. Thanks for the Kudos and I am happy to help whenever I can. I will be going out to KY soon to get my new and used parts from Steve. I just built him a roof rack and ladder system, front push bar, and dual fuel tanks (gas/diesel).
 

pkl2fly

fixer
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Location
Coronado, CA
Thanks for the post, Is the insulation in the walls good enough in the desert heat?
I haven't really spent much time in the real desert heat. But if you shade the box with a tarp and open the windows it keeps the temp manageable up into the 90deg range. The insulation works very well for heating, though. I have a Mr. Heater Buddy propane indoor-outdoor heater and it only needs to run about 10 mins to heat the interior 20degs.

This rig had a 13000 btu 230v 3ph air conditioner mounted in the center pod (for which it was designed). I'm sure it was like an ice box...I do not yet have a generator which would be necessary to run any air conditioner worthy of the desert in the warm season. - I pulled that out for my essential utilities. I'm sure a 5000 btu unit would be adequate when I finally get to that point...
 
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DanM7890

Active member
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Location
Houston, TX
I haven't really spent much time in the real desert heat. But if you shade the box with a tarp and open the windows it keeps the temp manageable up into the 90deg range. The insulation works very well for heating, though. I have a Mr. Heater Buddy propane indoor-outdoor heater and it only needs to run about 10 mins to heat the interior 20degs.
Which model heater are you using?
 

pkl2fly

fixer
Steel Soldiers Supporter
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Location
Coronado, CA
SECOND INSTALLMENT OF THE M-1079 "RESTO-MOD" CAMPER

PLUMBING


Purchased 2 ea 15 gal and 2ea 10 gal polypropylene fresh water tanks. Mainly because they would fit off the shelf and I hadn't completely figured out how I would install them, so that gave me some options.DSC05766.jpgDSC05767.jpg



PROs - Flexibility in limited space, limited slosh moment, cost vs. custom tanks.
CONs - Very complex plumbing, slower fill.
BOTTOM LINE - so far they work and didn't move while off-roading.


SHOWER


Bought a generic fiberglass shower pan from sierra engineering for a couple of hundred dollars.

Plan from beginning was to set toilet inside shower space like slide in truck campers or sailboat heads. Key is how a space is going to be used and try to make the space as efficient as possible. I also bought a new Dometic porcelain rv toilet $130 from PPL RV parts.

Everything else came from hardware stores. I used 1/2 in PEX with copper crimps. The crimp tools are not cheap and the fittings aren't either, but they do not leak. Actually the rv industry type repair fittings are more expensive and I think more difficult to work with. If you have to change a crimp they can be cut with a hacksaw (or a hacksaw blade in tight spaces) and the fittings can be re-used. So far I have had good success with PEX.

DSC05770.jpg
WATER HEATER


I bought an eccotemp on-demand water heater from Wayfair for about $100, kind of on a whim. I couldn't quite break the code on how to set temp and mix. My installation is a mis-application of the unit I have in that it is essentially a stand-alone outdoor unit which I have adapted into the system for a sink and shower. So after playing with settings and unable to get reliable hot water, I researched RV low water pressure issues and gambled with purchasing a new 2 gal thermal expansion tank (~$40) which functions as an accumulator and evens out the water pressure to the point that I not only get good pressure at the farthest extent of the system, but the water heater provides more consistent hot water.


WASTE TANKS


These were salvage off of a 1986 Pace Arrow. Another craigslist find. $75 and an hour of crawling around with spiders and ants...I strapped them to the frame and stared for hours. Then eventually just got some steel strapping and bent and welded nuts and bolted to the brackets. Got eye-bolts and wood shims and made them work. About 100 miles of rough desert roads and no issues.
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More coming...
 

TB58

Member
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Location
Fayetteville, Nc
Very nice start. I am gathering info on a build I will be doing next month so always looking for ideas. I am thinking of this(http://www.arcticbreeze-truckac.com/content/busac.html) as an A/C option. 12k BTU and max draw is 850w. I will be using an S-280 shelter as my living space and am pretty sure this will be adequate. I will be moving to the Barstow area later this year so being ready for desert sun is going to be a must.
 

m16ty

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Dickson,TN
You're camper is much nicer than my S-280 camper. My toilet is a 5 gal bucket with the bottom cut out, I did add some foam pipe insulation around the rim for comfort.
 

m16ty

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We used to cut the bottom out of a milk crate and screw a toilet seat to the top.
I saw a guy use just a regular is where I got the idea for mine but I thought "why do you want to have to dump it out"? That's when I thought to cut the bottom out of mine. Take it with you behind a tree, take care of business, pick it up, and leave the poop on the ground.

Funny thing is, when we go camping, my 4 year old son wants to stand up and pee into it.
 

pkl2fly

fixer
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Location
Coronado, CA
Yes. Another Camper build - part 3

***PART THREE***
INTERIOR
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There really isn't much to do other than close in the shower. I started out with plywood salvaged from a shipping crate, but didn't like the creaking and was concerned about the penchant wood has for absorbing water. After many hours of staring at it, I decided to fab my own laminated wall panels with compressed foam and 1/2" foil foam insulation.

The framing is 1/2" Alum channel screwed into the box. Then the panels slide into the channel.
Fiberglass sheeting is then installed inside and siliconed for water-tight seal.

The other vexing interior sub-project was fridge ventilation. The LP mode on the fridge essentially uses convection to vent out the top of an installation. In conventional RVs the fridge is typically mounted in a box that vents directly outside thus isolating it from the living space. Since the box is set up to be air tight I chose to remove the 115v exhaust fan on the port-side pod and allow an outlet for the noxious gasses. Then I got the idea after staring at it for a few more weeks that fabricating a plenum to further isolate the fumes and wiring would not only be practical, but also a bit more aesthetic. Then I thought that I can mount a suction vent adjacent to the stove to suck cooking fumes out also. So I mounted a similar 12v roof vent as is mounted in the shower vertically in the hole from which the 115v exhaust fan was removed...it also works pretty well to get fumes out of the cooking area.

There is no kitchen counter, so I took the opening where the small bar sink is mounted and covered it with a door which swings upward. I fabricated a cabinet of sorts out of perforated aluminum which swings down from the ceiling and catches the end of the sink door. The cabinet is about 4 inches deep which accommodates cooking pots, pans and utensils in a handy location next to the cooking area. It stows completely out of the way when not in use. That has turned out to be very functional and efficient.
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Polycarbonate sheet.

So while at the local plastic supply store looking at foam sheet for the shower enclosure I saw this ribbed plastic sheet and decided that would make a great shower door. I found a rem which cost $30 (vs. the $180 or so for a full sheet) then after I cut it to fit the opening had a piece about 3' long and laid it down behind the sink. It really looked sharp, so I decided to go with that look for the plenum also. Went back to plastic supply and found a rem of 1/4" polycarb sheet and hit the metal supply for the 1/4" channel for framing. Then there is the question of access to the systems which are concealed behind the panels. The local industrial surplus store has 8' sections of aluminum piano hinge at a fairly reasonable price. So that will be my key. Pull the wires out and then pull the panels out. Takes only about 20 seconds and doesn't vibrate loose.
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Then I decided to use LED strip lighting (which is conveniently 12v) placed in the panduit which completely surrounds the box and saw the poly sheet as a perfect diffuser which fits in place of the aluminum covers which open inward at the top of the walls inside the box.
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I am likely going to paint the walls to purge the institutional green theme from the box. That is kind of a low priority for a utility camper.

Flooring has been another low priority, but my interim is the cheapest low pile carpet from HD ($60). I merely used the existing rivnuts and re-used the countersunk 3/8 screws from the tapping plates to keep it in place. I also used eye-bolts to strap down anything loose with ratchet straps.


Don't worry, there's always more...
 
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