A little fish camp

[customsawyer]

Looks like the Southeast is coming through in everything, even football. :D

[Walnut Beast]

Sounds like good news! Looking good!

[Bruno of NH]

Looking good. I love that cabinet.

This is a cool project, Tule! I missed a bit in the middle so I'm coming to this a little foggy as far as what has been investigated already for heat, but I'll just share some experience- the Ponsse machines I run have Webasto preheaters. They are DC powered (there may be A/C versions) and diesel fired. They are basically a little torpedo heater with attached heat exchanger to heat the engine coolant. When the heater turns on, the fan in the cab blows as well and heats the cab. Anyways, in our machines, you have a clock you set on the computer, and the heater will fire at that that time and run for the time you specify. Even on a -30° F Minnesota morning, the preheater will have the cab nice and warm after 30 minutes.

They aren't cheap and I don't know how long they would run on your batteries though.

I just got something that is a little different from. A company in China shipped it to me for heating my side by side. Not sure I would trust it but many are using these in tiny houses
for heat. Has a thermostat and remote for temp control with 8kw output. Trying to figure out how to mount it and duct the heat in my side by side now. This is what it looks like and there are better American made versions that cost 10x. Comes with a small diesel tank that can last for days on low along with exhaust and ducting. We will see if it works soon. limited mounting positions though.


 

 

 

 

 

  

I have the exact same unit I'm going to install in my sawmill booth I built

[tule peak timber]

While I am waiting for the generator to arrive, so I can build around it, I am fairly limited with what I can do. I mounted the water pump with stress relief, put in a teak sole in the shower and I'm starting to think about the galley. I made a decision to swap out the suspension in the truck, which will give me a couple more thousands of pounds of payload, so some of those parts are starting to arrive. One of the things about working with foam laminates is you want to avoid delamination at all costs. One of the pics shows the wood backing plug holes that receive epoxy / wood mounting points that will accept screws for things like dish holders, paper towel rack, etc. The wood plug provides a lot of surface area to grab the foam and carbon laminate, lessening the chance of fracture or delamination. The black soot is carbon dust. 

 

 

 

 

[customsawyer]

Lots of folks with the slide in campers use the adjustable air bags for added suspension. Lets them reduce it when it isn't loaded. Your setup looks like it will work nice.

[SwampDonkey]

Our buddy Wrangler star upgrading his Ford. ;)

The First 10 Mods You Must Do To Your Truck in 2021 - YouTube

[Walnut Beast]

Looking very nice!! Bet you are excited for that generator after the fiasco of trying to get the one you wanted! Looks like that Lenox hole saw works pretty good

[Magicman]

Lots of folks with the slide in campers use the adjustable air bags for added suspension.

Absolutely.  I have had airbags on three vehicles and we just installed them on Marty's work truck.  There is nothing comparable to touching the button under the dash and watching the onboard compressor level the truck up.

[21incher]

Weight stations go by the sticker in the door jam for axle loading.  Springs or airbags don't change that. 

[Magicman]

Correct, air bags do not increase the load carrying capacity, but they allow the truck to carry it's load much more level and safely.  No more tail wagging and looking over the hood.

[Walnut Beast]

Magic knows! I've had air bags  on my old Ram when I had a Lance slide out camper. There is without a doubt a noticeable difference. If you have a big heavy camper like that it's pretty mandatory. If your out on a interstate in Wyoming with a nasty crosswind and don't have air bags you would probably be wishing you were wearing diapers  

[Magicman]

When I load the truck camper, I measure the rear bumper height and after loading the camper, air the bags to raise the rear bumper to the original height.  That levels the truck and keeps your headlights properly leveled.

Same procedure with the 5th wheel which also reduces the "bridge chucks".

[tule peak timber]

  It never came to mind, static vs dynamic loading in the truck, let alone leveling. This whole suspension thing is coming as a very late after thought as to where I am trying to go. Because of the lightweight shell and empty tanks, I will calc out legally should I go through a scale. Yes, it looks like a slide in camper to avoid scales and it certainly is not a slide in camper. The video from SwampDonkey was a real eye opener for me and I appreciate everyone else's input as I am not a teenage, raised truck off road person. I looked at the video and the deer stopper bumper is going to be a must as I want to roll a boat onto the top of my camper and this bumper will support the rollers I need.

As far as the generator, I found a couple of old pics that don't need a date/time stamp. I've spent a lot of my life comforted by the hum and smell from burning diesel. My approach to this camper is that the gen set will be the first thing to flip on and the last thing to stop rotating as I leave Kodiak. Burning and turning... The suspension I am putting in would appear to be the bone jarring method, but maybe that is best for a bonehead like me.

I also added a pic of the imbedded screw anchor points that are super strong and repairable in foam composite construction.

 

 

[Ianab]

Correct, air bags do not increase the load carrying capacity, but they allow the truck to carry it's load much more level and safely.  No more tail wagging and looking over the hood.

This. 
If you modify a vehicle to be a permanent RV or maybe fit a tail lift or some other heavy weight, it would be sensible to beef up the rear springs to suit the higher (but still permitted) load. The stock springs have to be a compromise between when you are running empty, and still being able to carry a full load. They can't be perfect at both. so the airbags give you a bit of adjustment. Same as you might adjust the tyre pressure to suit the load / ride quality. You are still hauling the same weight, but the truck isn't dragging it's butt and messing up the ride and handling. 
Heck the cheap Nissan van I get to do some fill-in mail and courier work has a 2650 lb load rating. Luckily we don't get that much mail, cos it would be dragging for sure.  :D 

[Walnut Beast]

Save some weight and hassle. Composting toilets and incinerator toilets are getting very popular as a replacement.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=MFhq1URR7Us

These are the Cadillac of incinerator toilets 
https://www.cinderellaeco.com/us-en/articles/296/contact-us-for-questions-regarding-canada-and-the-us

[Bruno of NH]

In my work vans and plow trucks I always installed air bags with an on board compressor and controls in the cab.
The van was frieghted with tools and materials. 
The plow trucks had sanders in the back and got load more than they should have to save on trips back to the shop for another load of sand. 
Heavy duty springs will work if you add the Timbren rubber springs .

[Sedgehammer]

Weight stations go by the sticker in the door jam for axle loading.  Springs or airbags don't change that.

What state has pickups w/ campers pull into the weigh station? I've never, ever stopped @ one

[Southside]

Maryland and South Dakota for starters.

[Walnut Beast]

That's news to me. I thought they were exempt from them

[Walnut Beast]

Thanks for pointing that out. I guess that must have been years ago 😂. Unbelievable all the regulations anymore! 

https://www.getawaycouple.com/do-rvs-have-to-stop-at-weigh-stations/

[Southside]

In those two it's ANY vehicle over 8,000 lbs.  

[SwampDonkey]

They barely check trucks let alone campers here. :D I have not seen a 'green hornet' in spring time during 80% restrictions for at least 15 years. The portable scale pull over place out by Deersdale has been long abandoned. The road is all broke up to, I don't recommend the drive. Same goes for the Plaster Rock - Renous highway. Nothing out that road for 60 miles. :D I only see the Harvey exit one and one near Fredericton actively used. They don't check campers. We pretty much have near 0 highway patrol here on the 4-lane.

[sumday]

In those two it's ANY vehicle over 8,000 lbs.  

That would mean I couldn't pass a weigh station in my empty Ford Excursion...

[Southside]

Yup - my dually with the the bed tank full tips just over that weight. SD just waves you through, MD on the other hand HATES trucks.  

[21incher]

I got flagged into the portable scales not far from my house once with my F350. They were choosing vehicles with commercial plates but not all of them. I was empty but they questioned why I didn't have a dot number with my 11000 pound gvw registration.  Luckily it was for personal use only. I think in NY they flag you in to look for other problems they may find.