Phoenix pop-up camper for Bigassgas8.1L

[Zoomad75]

I was over at Larry's place last Friday charging the a/c on my S10 and got to look over the Mobile Casa. Photos do not do this thing justice. It's flat out cool. You can tell these guys have been around because in the space of a short box they've crammed a lot of stuff inside. No space is wasted. Every nook and cranny has a purpose. Plus with the lid up the inside is tall enough that my dome isn't hitting the roof and I'm a tick over 6 foot. It's well thought out that is for sure. I can't wait to see it in action. I'll have to bank some time off to ride along for a desert run. I'll do the cooking!

[MrBeast]

Man Larry you are a bad influence, because I just realized I could make one of these for my flat bed. That is bad, very bad!

[DirtyLarry]

Originally Posted by MrBeast

Man Larry you are a bad influence, because I just realized I could make one of these for my flat bed. That is bad, very bad!

MrBeast…

Yeah, the possibilities are endless! Heck, they made one for an early 70's Ford Ranchero a while back

Ah, man…if you like the Overland Journal you would love the Overland Expo going on this weekend south of Tucson in Amado (you’re on Expo right?)…… It is kinda like the SEMA of the old school vehicle dependent living off-roading adventures now reviving the old “Overlanding” nomenclature. I wasn’t able to go this year but my buddy Bill took off from Pueblo at 3 AM this morning in his badass Ram Charger for some desert wheeling outside of Phoenix then on down to Tucson for more wheeling then onto Amado for a few days of Expo events. He and a few others are looking at doing the El Camino del Diablo along the Mexican border while in the area meanwhile I am stuck on a business trip to Atlanta this week. I got hosed! I feel more UNSAFE here in a hotel in Atlanta than he probably will in the desert along the Mexican border.

Zoo, yeah….great idea although you will probably have to fight Trail Boss Bill for cooking duties. Odd that we guys never want to cook at home but are the first in line to cook up a campsite meal. I am good with you clowns cooking, I’ll just sit around and drink more beer!

Bill Wolf McQuade’s Ram Charger (anybody remember Lone Wolf McQuade ) D44, D60, ARB front and rear, with tons of other goodies.

[MrBeast]

Larry, sounds like an awesome time, I think next year I will actually try and make it, if my truck was finished id do it this year, I am about due for a vacation.

Right now though my camper plans are a bit larger, I am going to be getting a 34' airstream, going with a big trailer for the simple fact that I am going to spend about a year living in it while I go explore and figure out where I want to settle down next.

[DirtyLarry]

Originally Posted by Zoomad75

I'll do the cooking!

Last time you said you were going to do the cook'in you held up that tree all afternoon and kept that beer bottle warm!



Then turned the shishies once while Bill did up his famous tators.



.....meanwhile, I took pictures and drank beer with other hungry peeps

[Zoomad75]

I'm ok sharing camp cookie duty with McQuade. I've been mastering my technique with the cast iron. But yes, something about cooking outside brings out the caveman in all of us. Plus it tastes better. I've never had a better pot roast than one cooked in a dutch oven in and under the coals of a campfire. The boys and I were fighting over who got to scrape the bits off of the dutch oven. We've run the same exact recipe at home using another dutch oven but not over the campfire, good but not as good as the camp version.

[1976K5CHALET]

Very nice larry. The only thing i don't like about my original 4whl pop top on the K5 is it makes a great sail...and the 350 tbi mouse struggles to keep it at 75mph...but with your 8.1L i am sure thats a non issue.

[Savage]

that looks really good! you say you're going to put a spare tire carrier on the back like the ram charger? ever since i was little i thought a spare tire carrier on a pickup truck was so coolest looking thing. here is one by me that i really like

[DirtyLarry]

Originally Posted by Savage

that looks really good! you say you're going to put a spare tire carrier on the back like the ram charger? ever since i was little i thought a spare tire carrier on a pickup truck was so coolest looking thing. here is one by me that i really like

Looks nice Savage. I would love to have a M1009 or M1008. Lately, I have been really Jonesing for a M1009 Blazer to take up the slack for short runs up to the mountains nearby now that the K10 gained a hou$e on the back. Nice truck you have!

To tell you the truth, I never gave much thought to hanging a spare tire on the bumper until I was faced with no place else to put it. The rear winch bumper takes up too much real estate to mount it under the frame plus I need place to carry extra fuel for long runs anyway…..so the rear bumper is getting reworked yet again.

Here is another view of my buddies Ram Charger. He is the master fabricator of the circle of friends. My double swing gates will look pretty much identical to this in a few weeks except my bumper has a winch that we have to work around, which will make fabricating the lock latches interesting.


Here is where the bald-ass spare used to live when I had the topper on it with the custom made sleeping platform with basement storage. Since the spare will now be visible, I am getting a matching wheel and a matching tire. I run Q78x16 Super Swampers on 7” wide wheels for the CO mountains and 315/75R16 AT’s on black steelies for desert runs. The spare will be a 315 on a black steel wheel as it take up less space on the rear bumper being it is 1” shorter in diameter. The black steel wheel is cheaper too

[DirtyLarry]

Originally Posted by 1976K5CHALET

Very nice larry. The only thing i don't like about my original 4whl pop top on the K5 is it makes a great sail...and the 350 tbi mouse struggles to keep it at 75mph...but with your 8.1L i am sure thats a non issue.

Thanks Doug. Yeah, campers do indeed make for a great sail. I drove mine in the wind today and you definitely know it is back there as the truck gets pushed around on the highway much easier now. Nothing like driving a rig with the aerodynamics of a drive in movie theater screen! Power wise, the weight and wind drag are hardly noticeable behind the 8.1L. In fact, the NV4500 shifts better with a load and maintaining 80 MPH on I-25 is still a non issue even in the wind in 5th gear at 5,500 ft elevation. Gas gauge moves fast though with these little short bed fuel tanks!

[Burt4x4]

AWESOME DL!!!!!!!!!!

I got me a popup Outfitter for my towrig and I'll never use a tent again

[DirtyLarry]

I’ve been so busy lately that I still haven’t taken the camper out for its maiden camping voyage yet but I got a few things done to it. First we got the camper leveled out. As it turns out these truck bed floors have a ¾’ angle built in where the floor tilts lower to the front which made the camper look goofy as the bed rail and camper bottom didn’t have an even gap from the front to the rear. The angle was also causing the camper overhead to run really close to the cab roof. It is beyond me that if it is commonly known the in the camper industry that bed floors are slanted why the camper wasn’t built to compensate for the angle. Ah, well… we got it fixed up now and it looks a lot better.

Also added 2 additional 12 volt outlets for accessories. It only had one 12 volt outlet inside which is a goofy European Hella receptacle for the National Luna fridge/freezer. While I was wiring those in I reworked the wiring to the battery to add a GM truck junction block for powers and another junction block for common grounds. It really cleaned up the wiring in the battery box.



Lastly, I finally got the decals installed that I had made up. I think they turned out pretty cool!








Next weekend the rear bumper is going through surgery to add the double swing gates with a tire and fuel can carrier.

[jrdv]

If I didn't know better, I would think you were originally from New Mexico just based on the decals!

I need to see this awesome camper someday. Can the fridge hold a case of beer and enough steak to last a week? No problem, I can stoop to crown and water, but I need my steak. The camper looks great and I bet you will have a ball with it.

John

[NEVERENOUGH]

This truck is so cool. I have drawings of a short bed crew cab with a similar camper setup. Now you have me thinking again and that is always bad. I have always liked your truck and follow your adventures thanks for sharing.

[LeftCoast32]

Originally Posted by DirtyLarry

Lastly, I finally got the decals installed that I had made up. I think they turned out pretty cool!

Looks Great!!!

[DirtyLarry]

Originally Posted by jrdv

If I didn't know better, I would think you were originally from New Mexico just based on the decals!

I need to see this awesome camper someday. Can the fridge hold a case of beer and enough steak to last a week? No problem, I can stoop to crown and water, but I need my steak. The camper looks great and I bet you will have a ball with it.

John

Yeah, Pueblo is like the most Northeastern part of the true American Southwest so I love deserty stuff. Here all things Southwest design are very popular. Up the road to the North 40 minutes, not so much.

Yeah! And my buddy just bought one of these South African fridge/freezers for his Ram Charger too. So between both of us we are in real good shape in food and beverage storage department.

I am getting anxious to take this thing out on a trip. Desert Trip III happens after this coming 4th of July.

[jrdv]

[QUOTE=DirtyLarry;4641878]Yeah, Pueblo is like the most Northeastern part of the true American Southwest so I love deserty stuff. Here all things Southwest design are very popular. Up the road to the North 40 minutes, not so much.

Larry,
You do realize that Pueblo would look like Atlanta, Georgia if they would get rid of all the praire dogs on the west side of town. Those little critters eat everything!

[MyDad'sTruck]

Perfection!

[DirtyLarry]

Originally Posted by jrdv

Larry,
You do realize that Pueblo would look like Atlanta, Georgia if they would get rid of all the praire dogs on the west side of town. Those little critters eat everything!

You’re right about that John! Below is the view from my home office window. All of those holes out there are Prairie dog holes. Yep, I keep the .22 right here next to the desk to keep them from invading me yard. Kinda of fun to shot right out of the window when I hang up from a bad call for read a crappy email.



Thanks My Dad’s Truck!

[DirtyLarry]

My neighbor and I took our campers up to a nearby lake for quick overnighter. This was the maiden voyage for mine.

Everything worked great except I couldn’t get the stink’in water heater to light. Probably user error and I am sure the wind didn’t help either but got me thinking that I could have done without that option in the first place. It is no biggie to warm water on the stove.

Fishing was terrible as it was so windy but it was a good shake down and I found a few things that need tweaking before the next big trip. Ah, the rear bumper rework has already begun as well. My buddy and I pulled it off last weekend and open the end caps to weld the spindles in. I also added a wireless winch remote while the winch was exposed. We still need to build the actual tire and fuel can pieces but the hard part is over.

All of the better high mountain better are still frozen over so this place had to do. We usually hit lakes up in the mountains in the back ground.








A room with a view


Can’t wait for a real trip somewhere.

[propanemudtruck]

Lookin Sweet!

[DirtyLarry]

Been busy tying up a bunch of loose ends in preparation for our annual Desert Trip. Leaving this Saturday for a week in the Utah back country!

My buddy finished up my rear bumper tire and fuel can basket. It turned out great!







You can tell the same guy built both bumpers. A little bit of family resemblance between the two.

[jbclassix]

Is that lake you posted 11 Mile?

[jltait]

Larry,
The bumper looks great, Very awesome rig you have there.
Jason

[DirtyLarry]

Originally Posted by jbclassix

Is that lake you posted 11 Mile?

Nah, that lake was Deweese near Westcliffe. The lakes look similar in pictures though....both just as windy too