Moody Bricker
1/2 ton status
- Joined
- Feb 1, 2016
- Posts
- 174
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- 105
So it pulls in the front canvas as you close the top,,in my chalet there 3straps that you use to hold down the top,I have to stand on the bed-seat to do that
CK5
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'91 K5 Four Wheel Camper
This is the build for my 1991 V1500 Blazer, AKA the K5.3. It started out life being sold to the U.S. Government with a 350 TBI/700r4/241 combo. 4 years with a 5.3/700r4 Combo and now moving to an 8.1L Vortec and NV4500 5-speed.
All the conduit does is lift and lower the top. The original lift panels had a section of elastic riveted to the center of the top panel to pull the canvas in as the top comes down. I had to add a short bungee cord to lower bar in the center to attach to that section of elastic still on the canvas. Without it, as the top goes down the canvas just pooches out where it's really hard to reach at the center of the front.
Tried my hand at window tinting this weekend. The camper windows really needed it to block UV and heat. After all the work, I think I should have gone darker.
You can see the lower pane is with the tint, upper hasn't been touched yet.
It looks ok, but it's not perfect. It looks darker from the outside too.
Got out of the house for a little while too. Just cruising the wildlife area past the local reservoir.
You can see the lower pane is with the tint, upper hasn't been touched yet.
It looks ok, but it's not perfect. It looks darker from the outside too.
Got out of the house for a little while too. Just cruising the wildlife area past the local reservoir.
Looks good to me.
Thanks. Don't look at it close then...
Finally got around to installing the step plate to the bumper. My buddy Bill burned it in. I still need to paint it, but it's nice and strong and fills the void between the bumper and the body.
It closed off the area just as I wanted it to. No chance of getting my foot stuck in between the bumper.
I need to get some paint and get it covered tomorrow. Going up for an overnighter next weekend to recheck systems and make sure it's ready for the big trip.
It closed off the area just as I wanted it to. No chance of getting my foot stuck in between the bumper.
I need to get some paint and get it covered tomorrow. Going up for an overnighter next weekend to recheck systems and make sure it's ready for the big trip.
Looks good.
I like it!
One could only hope. The 5.3 needs all the help it can get.
Is the plan to do one more camping season with the 5.3, and then swap it out this winter?
That's the plan so far. Subject to change of course, but I'm going to get more time camping this summer for sure. This next weekend will be a good test for all the equipment.
Paint is complete on the bumper. I went ahead and cleaned up the entire face of the bumper where it had been chipped up from use. I also took the time to shoot the back of the body under the camper that could still be seen. Just to clean it up and make it blend in better.
Tape pulled.
I also finally patched the two holes I punched in the side on Blanca Peak last fall.
This hole actually went all the way through to the inside. Stupid Juniper trees..
I'll pack the truck up at the end of the week for the overnighter.
Tape pulled.
I also finally patched the two holes I punched in the side on Blanca Peak last fall.
This hole actually went all the way through to the inside. Stupid Juniper trees..
I'll pack the truck up at the end of the week for the overnighter.
Do you run a hitch step or would it just get tore off right away? You need tree armor on the camper, like how the Jeep guys plate the sides of their tubs. Maybe some quick attach aluminum zombie armor panels that could be stowed on the roof or something when not in use lol.
Looks clean man! Love it! I’m thinking about building my own slide in pop up for the blazer starting in the winter.
It's an idea but phase 2 will be to replace the existing siding with better material. I'm just trying to make it last for now. Ideally I'd go with the stuff I made the patches out of. Crazy rigid and light. It's a composite plastic sandwiched between an aluminum skin. It would withstand the tree branches better for sure. The funny thing is most pine branches I get into just flex and allow the truck to slide by. The junipers we got into just didn't budge. We really had no business being in them, but we got bored.
With your attention to detail I have no doubt it will come out sweet.
90% packed for a run tomorrow after work. Fridge is plugged into 120v right now and was sitting at 30 degrees before I loaded it. Plugged it in last night and it showed 89 degrees and by the time I left for work at 6:30 it was at 31 degrees. I love having that damn thing for camping. Wifey is cooking up a mess of green chili burritos right now for breakfast Sunday morning. I just boil up a big pot of water on the stove and steam them like tamales to warm them up. Easy way to cook breakfast for a bunch of people.
My doggo Storm is riding along and gets to hang with me in the Parts Dept at work for the morning. We'll boogie from there for Rainbow lake. It's a very familiar trail I've lost count how many times I've ran it, but it's close for a good shakedown run. It's rough enough to keep the Subaru and crossover crowd out, but relatively tame for any stock high clearance 4wd truck. My Jeep buddies are heading up early to stake the claim on the one main campsite near the lake. It should be a good run.
My doggo Storm is riding along and gets to hang with me in the Parts Dept at work for the morning. We'll boogie from there for Rainbow lake. It's a very familiar trail I've lost count how many times I've ran it, but it's close for a good shakedown run. It's rough enough to keep the Subaru and crossover crowd out, but relatively tame for any stock high clearance 4wd truck. My Jeep buddies are heading up early to stake the claim on the one main campsite near the lake. It should be a good run.
I had a good test run. Blitzed out of the shop right on time. Made good time on the ride up. Thankfully Storm didn't barf on the console on the ride up like she did last time on the way up to the same trail last year. Part of the run was to test out the radios as John and Shane each upgraded to GMRS units too. They knew when I was expected to get up there. So I had the radio on while I was still on the highway. I was probably 2 miles from the turn off the highway to the trail when I got the first contact from Shane. I took note of the mileage and figured it took me 12 miles from the first point of contact to the campsite where they were. While 12 miles on a GMRS unit isn't bad, when you factor in the terrain and elevation difference it's pretty amazing. We all were pretty impressed. It wasn't perfect and depending on where I was at on the trail below them I had some contact and not. Not any surprise there since GMRS line of sight and we were not on a repeater channel. But as I climbed in elevation the quality of the signal was much better than CB ever could be. I'm a believer.
Getting off the radio kick, I aired down at the trailhead and rallied up the trail solo making decent time. Being memorial day weekend I did hit some trail traffic, but it wasn't bad since most that were up there were already set up in campsites. I've actually never seen so many up there before. But I knew as the trail gains in elevation it gets steeper and rougher than the lower sections. I was right there weren't many up above. I didn't take any video since my wife relocated my GoPro's in a cleaning frenzy. Cell coverage was decent on the lower part of the trail so I turned on IG and went live for a while until the cell coverage was lost. I did see Wade and a couple of other CK5 guys check in which was cool.
Climbing up through one of the sections of the trail that goes through a previously burned area from a fire a few years back.
Five minutes within arriving at the campsite the truck barfed the gear out and the top popped up.
Hanging out.
It was also the maiden trail ride for John's son Gino's new ride a 2019 ZR2 Colorado. It's a gasser which will prove to be less problematic over the 4 banger dirtymax version. It did great on the trail, but he needs to get the AEV skids for underbelly protection. These are great little trucks that we've sold a few of. Very capable out of the box.
I have to say I love being able to camp and sleep off the ground. Having the furnace proved to be awesome because the temps dipped deep in the 30's overnight.
Storm was happy to be cruising around camp checking things out.
Dinner was simple, John and his wife brought the burgers dogs and brats and I put the campstove into action to grill them up for the group.
The back of the camper and the bumper proved to be a good serving station too.
The run itself was pretty uneventful. I had actually made it 80% up the trail in 2wd and grabbed 4hi only when the steepness and loose rock required more traction. The drive down was good. Only issue with the truck is the turn signal switch won't stay locked in on right-hand turns. I'll grab a switch at work and swap it in before we go. The camper itself is pretty set and storage dialed in. I'm still amazed at the radios with the range and clarity they have over CB. One of the group had to get out of dodge quick as we aired up since rain was coming and they were in a Jeep with only a bikini top. They were 20 minutes ahead of us on the road and we still could communicate with them like they were within eyesight of us. The upgrade in radios should prove to be great on the desert trip with the group.
Getting off the radio kick, I aired down at the trailhead and rallied up the trail solo making decent time. Being memorial day weekend I did hit some trail traffic, but it wasn't bad since most that were up there were already set up in campsites. I've actually never seen so many up there before. But I knew as the trail gains in elevation it gets steeper and rougher than the lower sections. I was right there weren't many up above. I didn't take any video since my wife relocated my GoPro's in a cleaning frenzy. Cell coverage was decent on the lower part of the trail so I turned on IG and went live for a while until the cell coverage was lost. I did see Wade and a couple of other CK5 guys check in which was cool.
Climbing up through one of the sections of the trail that goes through a previously burned area from a fire a few years back.
Five minutes within arriving at the campsite the truck barfed the gear out and the top popped up.
Hanging out.
It was also the maiden trail ride for John's son Gino's new ride a 2019 ZR2 Colorado. It's a gasser which will prove to be less problematic over the 4 banger dirtymax version. It did great on the trail, but he needs to get the AEV skids for underbelly protection. These are great little trucks that we've sold a few of. Very capable out of the box.
I have to say I love being able to camp and sleep off the ground. Having the furnace proved to be awesome because the temps dipped deep in the 30's overnight.
Storm was happy to be cruising around camp checking things out.
Dinner was simple, John and his wife brought the burgers dogs and brats and I put the campstove into action to grill them up for the group.
The back of the camper and the bumper proved to be a good serving station too.
The run itself was pretty uneventful. I had actually made it 80% up the trail in 2wd and grabbed 4hi only when the steepness and loose rock required more traction. The drive down was good. Only issue with the truck is the turn signal switch won't stay locked in on right-hand turns. I'll grab a switch at work and swap it in before we go. The camper itself is pretty set and storage dialed in. I'm still amazed at the radios with the range and clarity they have over CB. One of the group had to get out of dodge quick as we aired up since rain was coming and they were in a Jeep with only a bikini top. They were 20 minutes ahead of us on the road and we still could communicate with them like they were within eyesight of us. The upgrade in radios should prove to be great on the desert trip with the group.
If we weren't so far apart you'd be more than welcome to come along. I'd like to make at least one run to somewhere on your end of the state this year. Maybe we can gather a couple more to go out for a weekend.
