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Atl-atl's K5 Blazer Four Wheel Camper "The Crawlin Cabin" documentation thread!

Capt Ron said:
A couple of pics on how I did mine. You can see how I modified my back rails to keep the bumper high and tucked in. Remember to leave enough room to access your fuel tank strap nuts.
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Ron I really like this setup. Im guessing the all-thread was to keep the mounting plates lined up as you welded them onto the bumper and then you removed them, correct? I also really really like how you notched the frame and (Im guessing) sat the bumper into the notch and then bolted it in place, or maybe welded it into place. I also really really really like the tapers and how it looks like its 3x6 that you laid flat. Man, this is making me rethink some things...
 
Im happy to report the truck fills with gas with no issue. Fixed the small leak today, the soft line between the filler neck and the tank got jacked up when I reinstalled it yesterday so I replaced it and all is well. Having a functional fuel gauge is WAY more important than you realize! Also, I went for a 30 minute cruise up the mountains today and basically had no issues. It was only about 95 but I was on it pretty hard and had no problem cruising at 70+ up a few extended grades. There might have been a slight hint of hesitation at certain throttle percentages but nothing like before. It had no issue applying power when I put down the pedal. In a couple days the weather is calling for 105+ which is 15 degrees above average for this time of year. Should be a good test for basically what the hottest temps "normally" are around the valley. When it gets to 110+ I simply wont drive the damn thing.


 
Atl-atl said:
Ron I really like this setup. Im guessing the all-thread was to keep the mounting plates lined up as you welded them onto the bumper and then you removed them, correct? I also really really like how you notched the frame and (Im guessing) sat the bumper into the notch and then bolted it in place, or maybe welded it into place. I also really really really like the tapers and how it looks like its 3x6 that you laid flat. Man, this is making me rethink some things...
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Yes the all thread just kept the brackets square while welding. I am a believer in trying to keep things serviceable so the bumper bolts on and is not welded but if you attach recovery hooks to it make sure it is welded good and have at least 3 grade 8 bolts at least 7/16 or 1/2 per side. There are a few more pics in my build thread of the bumper, I felt a little bad clogging your thread with my pics.
 
Capt Ron said:
Yes the all thread just kept the brackets square while welding. I am a believer in trying to keep things serviceable so the bumper bolts on and is not welded but if you attach recovery hooks to it make sure it is welded good and have at least 3 grade 8 bolts at least 7/16 or 1/2 per side. There are a few more pics in my build thread of the bumper, I felt a little bad clogging your thread with my pics.
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Nah man, dont worry about that, post all the pics you want! I plan to bolt the bumper on, not weld. There should be room for at least 4 bolts per frame rail. I might need to do my suspension first though since I dont know exactly where the shackle flip brackets will land.
 
Atl-atl said:
Yep I was there last year in the Zeal Optics booth. This year Ill be there in the Blazer, hopefully camped out all weekend in the Four Wheel Campers area.
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Nice. I've been out there a few times for work. Didn't make it last year, but was there the previous two.
 
Atl-atl said:
Nah man, dont worry about that, post all the pics you want! I plan to bolt the bumper on, not weld. There should be room for at least 4 bolts per frame rail. I might need to do my suspension first though since I dont know exactly where the shackle flip brackets will land.
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This will give you a ruff idea of the amount of real estate you are looking at.

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Alrighty, Ive been super busy, work picked back up and I decided to sell my house so you can imagine where my priorities are. I did manage to get some sewing done last night though! Only thing left to do is the curtains for the partition between the cab and camper.

This is much easier said than done for anyone thats ever attempted to sew
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Finished up the sewing last night. Interior is really coming together, well...the camper interior. The truck is another story hahaha. I just need to tear into the water system but otherwise its basically done. I think Im going to keep the couch at least for a little while. The amount of storage underneath is great, I can fit almost everything I need, including my portable campfire, folding chairs, tools etc. I need to redo the mattress and couch cushions because the foam is literally disintegrating every time you touch it or sit on it but its useable and I need to finish some projects at the house because Its going up for sale in the next couple weeks. I cant go into any upholstery shops to pick out fabric right now anyway.

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So Ive been having a discussion about the water and propane systems over in the Four Wheel Campers forum on expo portal. The one thing I hadnt gone through yet was the water system. I decided to tear into it, only to realize my tank was failing and its really hard to find this exact tank for a replacement. So the gears started turning...I gutted nearly everything under the counter, Im going to install an outdoor shower, electric water pump with new faucet, new larger water tank and all new flexible lines for the propane system. I think I have all the dimensions I need but Im going to have to get a blank tank and install the fittings myself to make sure they fit the locations of the existing holes in this camper. I definitely dont want to add new holes and seal up existing holes when a little measuring and math can make it work. Since Im going to wire in an electric pump I might as well take this opportunity to rewire the whole camper, which has been part of the plan all along. It just worked its way to the top of the is ha! Also I deleted the shore power wiring and outlets because I dont do camp sites.

Before
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After
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I've got my old tank I took out of mine. Pretty sure it was ok, but probably needs a solid cleaning. It's yours if you want it. Just pay the ride.
 
ZooMad75 said:
I've got my old tank I took out of mine. Pretty sure it was ok, but probably needs a solid cleaning. It's yours if you want it. Just pay the ride.
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Thanks for the offer. Im going to try sourcing something new, Ill let you know what happens.
 
Just did the calculation for volume of the stock tank, its only 5.8 gallons. Im definitely going to get a new larger tank.
 
So with the outdoor shower are you going to run a water heater?
 
ZooMad75 said:
So with the outdoor shower are you going to run a water heater?
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I contemplated it, there is room, I think Im going to pass though. Really the outdoor shower is for cooling off after a bike ride, washing things down etc. Not so much for truly taking showers.
 
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