The Half-arsed Camper build

[Reddave]

October 8th

Spent a bit of time with the family over the school holidays, wanted to go away but the camper was upside down with no paint on it!!!!

Still managed to get away, just cost a lot more

Picked up my etch primer and paint today, using a hammertone dark charcoal, almost black in colour. Hopefully at least lay some primer on over the weekend.

October 13th


Layer down some primer today, did my first time painting, think it came up pretty well!!

[Reddave]

October 14th

Layer my color on the bottom this morning




Then flipped her over and primed the top, then ran one coat of top coat. The bad news is that if I didn't paint the second coat within 2 hours then I have to wait 48 hours to paint a second coat




The good news is its almost done!!!

Once the painting is all done, then I'll take it to work to do the wiring and plumbing for the water tank. Then it's time to take it over a weigh bridge and book it into vicroads for rego!!!

[Reddave]

Lets recap cost
Costs so far:

Springs, axle, electric brakes, stabiliser legs $633
Sides and tailgates $280
Camper tent $1299
Offroad Coupling and Handbrake $290
Jerry can holders and gas bottle holder $75
Water tank, filler and hand pump $184
Mudguards $115
Taillights $99
Misc Steel $100
Cutting discs, grinding discs $26
Varnish and brushes $30
VIN plate, tailgate catches and lock $30

Total so far: $3171 plus:

Paint and thinners: $220
Reflectors: $25
Wheel spacers: $50
Flap discs and sealer: $70
Other misc crap: $150

Total so far: $3686

Plus the cost of the camper $1200 brings it to just shy of $5,000


Budgets been blown out of the water, still have about $1000 worth of wiring to do
It's what ever it costs now, but that's how it goes!!!

You couldn't buy one like it for the price

[Reddave]

October 15th

Ordered an ARK powerpack today


Simple way to get a battery and a heap of outlets into the camper using only anderson plug wiring. If I need to run 240 volt in the future then I can always put an inverter on this setup.

October 16th

Went and had a look at the camper today (it's at Mels mum and dads)

Mels dad has put the final coat of paint on, looks a treat!!! I don't have pics at the moment, didn't bring my phone inside

Just have to get some bolts tomorrow to mount the toolbox and kitchen, mount the hitch and handbrake lever. Then I get to tow it for the first time!!!

To work so I can wire it and finish the handbrake, mount the water tank and plumb that

[Reddave]

October 18th

It's reveal time, wheeled it out of the shed today.

Need to finish wiring and plumbing, mount handbrake and the camper top once I get some rubber to seal the tailgate and top.




October 19th


It went in its maiden run today, from Beaconsfield to wantirna

Tows and tracks quite well and it's quiet on the road!!!

Fitted the reflectors, handbrake lever, stabiliser legs and wheel spacers and centre caps. Looks trick with Nissan centre caps


Have a list as long as my arm of little bits and pieces that I need to pick up over the weekend to start wiring, plumbing and mounting more stuff

[Reddave]

October 25th

Today finished all of my wiring, for the lights anyway!!!

Mounted my water tank, just need to plumb it up now


Fitted dust seals to the camper top and also the tailgate:


And fitted my ARK Power pack, just need to get a battery and wire that via an anderson plug to the Patrol


Then its ready for its weighbridge certificate and then rego!!!!

[Reddave]

October 26th

Started plumbing my water tank today, got the breather line fitted, but need to get some right angle joiners to do the fill and supply lines!!

I'm taking it home tonight so I can fit the top and get it weighed tomorrow, then finish the water tank and set the thing up in my backyard to weather the canvas over the weekend

October 27th

It's weighed, 540kg without the canvas on it and the water tank empty.

The axle is rated to 1400kg, so pretty happy with the weight

October 28th

Kitchen is all done:



My $60 kitchen has turned into a $360 kitchen after spending $300 on storage solutions from Bunnings

But that also included some massive 120 litre tubs for inside the trailer

[Reddave]

October 31st

And now it has rego!!!!

Going up to Kurth Kiln for a night on saturday for the first of its shakedown runs



Safety first!!!! (So I can cook)



Next to the fire extinguisher I have mounted an engel plug so we can leave it plugged in under the kitchen!!!

[Reddave]

November 4th

Got home this arvo from staying at Kurth Kiln, the joint was packed, had to get all the way in the back corner to have enough room!!!



Now have a list of things to do with the camper:
Needs LED lighting
The Matress sucks balls (not literally, I wouldn't change it if it could do things like that)
Need to fit a tap/one way valve on the water tank line, sick of the kids playing with it!!!

But it went up and down a treat, sits almost perfectly level on the car so don't even have to unhitch!!!

[Reddave]

November 18th

Well second time out in the camper, have a few "bugs" to iron out

1) still need to sort out another Matress, the one that we took off our bed fits, but we can't close up the camper
2) still have to wire it properly for Anderson plugs and 12v power
3) the corrugations coming up through Woods Point have shook the water tank out of its mounts

Better to find out about the corrugations/water tank now

I wasn't happy with the way I had mounted the tank anyway, this just speeds the process up!!!

4) have to go over all the bolts and retension them to make sure they are all Ok
5) will have to have a look at bigger tool boxes for the drawbar, it doesn't matter how much crap you have, you always take more
6) really need to get a stone guard on the front, it got hammered coming up to Skipworth
(Or I could put mudflaps on the GU)