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CK5
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Some guys may have seen this rig on instagram or one of the other forums.
I had a 61, 72, and 70 in the late 90s, but all were 2wd and I always wanted a 4x4. When I started looking I had 3 requirements:
1. 4x4
2. Had to be a 72
3. 4 speed granny trans
I bought this truck on eBay in 2012 and have been working on it and driving it ever since. It was pretty much untouched when I got it, no speaker holes in the doors, factory radio still in the (uncut) dash, etc... 350 looks to be original to the truck and there is no evidence of it having ever been rebuilt (wiring, accessories, etc... looked pretty much stock and un-touched)
Most of the work I have done on the truck has been general repairs, maintenance, etc... The only modifications I have made have been a 4-inch Tuff Country lift and a camper shell. The camper shell was added in 2017, it was a Craigslist find near New Orleans.
I have taken it on multiple trips, camping and C10 shows, to Mississippi, Texas, Tennessee, Alabama, & Florida.
I had a 61, 72, and 70 in the late 90s, but all were 2wd and I always wanted a 4x4. When I started looking I had 3 requirements:
1. 4x4
2. Had to be a 72
3. 4 speed granny trans
I bought this truck on eBay in 2012 and have been working on it and driving it ever since. It was pretty much untouched when I got it, no speaker holes in the doors, factory radio still in the (uncut) dash, etc... 350 looks to be original to the truck and there is no evidence of it having ever been rebuilt (wiring, accessories, etc... looked pretty much stock and un-touched)
Most of the work I have done on the truck has been general repairs, maintenance, etc... The only modifications I have made have been a 4-inch Tuff Country lift and a camper shell. The camper shell was added in 2017, it was a Craigslist find near New Orleans.
I have taken it on multiple trips, camping and C10 shows, to Mississippi, Texas, Tennessee, Alabama, & Florida.
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This is a pic the seller sent me when the truck was waiting to be loaded on the transport in California, so pretty much what it looked like when I got it. (July 2012)
Around December of 2012 or January of 2013 I put on the 4 inch lift and my first set of 35s, Mastercraft M/T
After I put on the lift I discovered that the Y-pipe on the factory-style single exhaust with driver-side exit was in contact with the front driveshaft, I could hear it rubbing when I was in 4wd. My solution to this was to install an LMC dual exhaust kit with glass packs and side exit pipes.
Good looking truck, can’t wait to see more of it. 
Welcome! Glad to see another Southern truck!
Welcome! Glad to see another Southern truck!
Can't remember when exactly, but late 2015, early 2016, I started a serious search for a Four Wheel Camper and found this one in Dixon, New Mexico. I had a buddy in Santa Fe, so I drove over and picked it up in my 2006 Nissan Titan, spent the night at his place, then drove it back to New Orleans. 8 ft camper in a 5.5 ft bed, I'm pretty sure the CG was behind the rear axle....
Anyway, we knocked the cobwebs off and took it on a few trips, but when the camper shell came along I decided I liked this setup better. Then we had another kid and I couldn't see camping with 2 toddlers in that thing and couldn't see keeping it in the driveway for another 5+ years, so ended up selling it.
Anyway, we knocked the cobwebs off and took it on a few trips, but when the camper shell came along I decided I liked this setup better. Then we had another kid and I couldn't see camping with 2 toddlers in that thing and couldn't see keeping it in the driveway for another 5+ years, so ended up selling it.
History of the Camper
The camper shell was a craigslist find. The guy I got it from had inherited it on his uncle's truck, but him and his wife didn't like the look of the camper. He took it off and leaned it against his house, but it fell over upside down and started getting rained on in the inside. Shame, because it still had the old 1970s curtains with tassels inside. When I called him about the ad he said I could have it for free if I wanted it, due to the condition. It was pretty rough with mildew, waterlogged paneling, and pink panther fiberglass insulation everywhere.
I put it on the truck and drove it around for a few months, then I eventually stripped out all the old insulation and paneling and replaced it. I ripped down some 2x6s on my tablesaw to make trim around the edges and on the butt-joints in between panels.
After that I built a platform using (2) 2x12s that run parallel with the frame of the truck, set against the wheel wells, several 2x4s running left-to-right, decked out with 1/2” plywood. The platform is about the exact dimension of a queen sized mattress and right now I have a 4-inch-thick queen mattress and 2 (?) inches of foam, and a queen size fitted sheet.
I took it on it’s first camping trip with my oldest boy (who was about 2 ½ at the time) in October of 2017 and we did 3 nights camping at 3 different primitive campsites.
After that trip I built the drawers. The drawers are just 5-sided boxes made from 1/2 plywood and 2x12s ripped down from 11.25" to 10.25". No tracks, no slides, just plywood sliding on steel. Each drawer is 6 feet long with a divider at the midpoint, and about 21.25" wide inside. The length of the platform, length of the drawers, and dimension from the end of the platform to the edge of the tail gate when it is down worked out to allow me to pull the drawers a few inches shy of clearing the platform and the midpoint is still not beyond the edge of the tailgate, so everything remains horizontal and my stuff doesn’t dump out on the ground. In one of the photos I have the drawer pulled pretty much all the way out and it balances fine. The drawers are awesome, I have the left one full of tools and the right one fits most of my camping gear. I would like to take the platform out and rework a few things, and put something slippery under the drawers to make them slide a little better. Always room for improvement.
One thing to consider if you are building something similar is how much space you need between the platform/drawer assembly and the tailgate to fit an ice chest and/or spare tire. With my 8 ft bed I have just enough room for aforementioned items.
My mom had the idea to make some curtains and I mounted those using the cheapest, smallest, most simple curtain rods (brackets included) I could find at Wal-Mart. That was a major improvement for camping in an area with lights that stay on all night.
I still have a few things I want to do on it, like add some white LEDs inside that I can flip on when we are getting ready for bed, and a usb charging port that you would see on a boat, (found a few on Amazon) so I can charge a phone or camera at night.
All that being said, the “2017 rebuild” was very hasty and my first one, and I still have a few seeping slow leaks and I know there are some rotten pieces of wood underneath the beautiful weathered exterior. My long-term plan is to rebuild the camper altogether, or, basically build a new one and use as many parts as I can salvage off of this one, like the skin, windows, and door. There is a guy/company that sells camper plans, https://www.glen-l.com/campers/husky.html I bought a set to help me when I build my “new” camper one day. Enjoy!
The camper shell was a craigslist find. The guy I got it from had inherited it on his uncle's truck, but him and his wife didn't like the look of the camper. He took it off and leaned it against his house, but it fell over upside down and started getting rained on in the inside. Shame, because it still had the old 1970s curtains with tassels inside. When I called him about the ad he said I could have it for free if I wanted it, due to the condition. It was pretty rough with mildew, waterlogged paneling, and pink panther fiberglass insulation everywhere.
I put it on the truck and drove it around for a few months, then I eventually stripped out all the old insulation and paneling and replaced it. I ripped down some 2x6s on my tablesaw to make trim around the edges and on the butt-joints in between panels.
After that I built a platform using (2) 2x12s that run parallel with the frame of the truck, set against the wheel wells, several 2x4s running left-to-right, decked out with 1/2” plywood. The platform is about the exact dimension of a queen sized mattress and right now I have a 4-inch-thick queen mattress and 2 (?) inches of foam, and a queen size fitted sheet.
I took it on it’s first camping trip with my oldest boy (who was about 2 ½ at the time) in October of 2017 and we did 3 nights camping at 3 different primitive campsites.
After that trip I built the drawers. The drawers are just 5-sided boxes made from 1/2 plywood and 2x12s ripped down from 11.25" to 10.25". No tracks, no slides, just plywood sliding on steel. Each drawer is 6 feet long with a divider at the midpoint, and about 21.25" wide inside. The length of the platform, length of the drawers, and dimension from the end of the platform to the edge of the tail gate when it is down worked out to allow me to pull the drawers a few inches shy of clearing the platform and the midpoint is still not beyond the edge of the tailgate, so everything remains horizontal and my stuff doesn’t dump out on the ground. In one of the photos I have the drawer pulled pretty much all the way out and it balances fine. The drawers are awesome, I have the left one full of tools and the right one fits most of my camping gear. I would like to take the platform out and rework a few things, and put something slippery under the drawers to make them slide a little better. Always room for improvement.
One thing to consider if you are building something similar is how much space you need between the platform/drawer assembly and the tailgate to fit an ice chest and/or spare tire. With my 8 ft bed I have just enough room for aforementioned items.
My mom had the idea to make some curtains and I mounted those using the cheapest, smallest, most simple curtain rods (brackets included) I could find at Wal-Mart. That was a major improvement for camping in an area with lights that stay on all night.
I still have a few things I want to do on it, like add some white LEDs inside that I can flip on when we are getting ready for bed, and a usb charging port that you would see on a boat, (found a few on Amazon) so I can charge a phone or camera at night.
All that being said, the “2017 rebuild” was very hasty and my first one, and I still have a few seeping slow leaks and I know there are some rotten pieces of wood underneath the beautiful weathered exterior. My long-term plan is to rebuild the camper altogether, or, basically build a new one and use as many parts as I can salvage off of this one, like the skin, windows, and door. There is a guy/company that sells camper plans, https://www.glen-l.com/campers/husky.html I bought a set to help me when I build my “new” camper one day. Enjoy!
inside of the camper during the 2017 Rebuild
completed interior & platform, late 2017
October 2017 camping trip
completed drawers early 2018
Hell yeah! The FWC looked cool on there, but the shell is pretty cool too! More pics for sure.
I like it! 
I haven't been driving Daisy or working on her much, didn't put any gas in her for the entire month of September, but I did finally get around to installing my backup cameras. (7" monitors https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07V4RZ6SP/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 ) I put one on each corner of the camper, but it's a little disorienting seeing the same things from 2 different angles. I might turn the passenger side 50-60 degrees to the starboard side, or may relocate it altogether. I tried to clean up some wiring too, so I mounted 2 more relays under the hood. One gets a signal from the original fuse panel when the ignition is on, and the other is wired to a switch under the dash, right now dedicated to the backup cameras. The zip ties were flowing like wine. The first relay supplies a distribution terminal under the dash, so now a have a 12V key on for my new Amamazon marine-style USB port, CB, tach, etc, and not drawing the power off of the original fuse panel. While I was at it I mounted a 6 post ground bus under the dash so I don't have to drill a sheet metal screw into the firewall every time I want to install an accessory. Also mounted my old 12V power port under the hood. Just drilled a hole with my step-bit in that little triangle corner brace where the core support meets the driver side fender. It's about 18 inches away from my aux fuse panel under the hood, so I was able to drop a short wire to fused power there. Plug in my Home Depot air compressor and I can air up anything within 12 feet of the left headlight.
ya that looks like it would be hard to look at both backup cameras, might get used to it though with time.... might back into something using them lol
Kicking off a power steering conversion:
Sprayed PB Blaster all over the old box yesterday, going on a trip with my wife this weekend, probably tackle it next week sometime.
Wish me luck!
- Redhead steering gear
- PSC Pump
- 3 groove crank pulley from Speedway
- PS pulley Dorman PN 300-122
- PS pump bracket from Summit racing SUM-341210
- Borgeson 034940, 015252, & 450024 to make an intermediate shaft
- Hoses from Auto Zone
- Grade 8 7/16" - 14 bolts from Home Depot
Sprayed PB Blaster all over the old box yesterday, going on a trip with my wife this weekend, probably tackle it next week sometime.
Wish me luck!
I'm assuming 1st gen steering boxes are similar to 73+ where 3 of the 4 mounting bolts go all the way through the casting. I neat trick for keeping the box tight is to use slightly longer bolts and then install Stover / pinch type lock nuts on the 3 exposed bolts.
Well, I just couldn't wait to start breaking bolts, got all 3 bolts on the box loose with my harbor freight 3/8 drive ratchet. First rule of fight club is "ALWAYS use a 6-point socket"
