A question on the design impact on mpg of custom shell

[swlands]

Probably needs a bit of inner lining and venting, but that would be very easy to do. This forum is an amazing resource! So much information and experience!

 

[tx2sturgis]

For camping in, yes, that's exactly what I did. Foam insulation and a roof vent.

 

[rruff]

I wouldn't even think of driving a 2wd into the back country.  with a 2wd you can go everywhere that everybody goes,  add 4wd and you can get away from the tourists.

:huh:   I put >100k miles in the back country in a 2wd Toyota truck with homebuilt camper. I had no problem getting to beautiful places in the western US where I wouldn't see another human for weeks. I moved according to climate so it was always nice. I didn't have a lift, or fancy tires, or even any recovery gear save a rope and tire pump. I got stuck, but always got out on my own. Yes, I beat the crap out of it (the bottom of the truck was full of dents), but I was never once stranded. I think with a lift, regear, and better tires 2wd would be very viable. Heck nowadays they all have traction control and you could even get limited slip or a locker.

4wd is nice (I have that now) but not necessary unless you frequent challenging snow or mud.

 

[rruff]

My thinking is I can get all I need in a simple truck cap - ARE TW cap, CenturyT-Class or Leer 122 are all much the same. I will have tents and awnings when camping, but able to stealth camp easily. I won't stealth camp a lot as my goal is wilderness. I will be 3 season - not much into snow. I will create a comfortable place to sit in the back so I can cook in there if I need, but mostly I will cook outside. Reading this forum I am confident I can fit a bed, small frig, a camp stove, some portable solar and storage in there easily and be very comfortable.

When I went fulltime vagabonding I started with just a shell. I had no complaints, but after a couple years I had to get something else after my truck was stolen, and built a shell that had a small cabover and was just tall enough for me to sit up in (sitting on the bed at chair height). The difference in comfort and space was massive (way more storage also). I even had roommates for awhile... Being able to stand up is not too important to me, but being able to sit up is.

If you don't want to build your own, see if you can find a used Spacekap, Tufport, Maranda, Mory, etc fiberglass shell. New ones are near $10k, but used in decent condition are much cheaper.

 

[swlands]

I won't be buying anything for a year or more - I am caring for a 99 year old in good health. All I can do is plan.

This is what my thinking is so far. First I expect to drive on a lot of gravel roads, some not that well maintained. But I am not going to crawl over boulders. I want a tough vehicle. I have a hope I might get my brother and his wife to come visit me from NZ - they spend 5 months a year on the road in a caravan. I would rent a caravan here and we could travel a bit in comfort. This really appeals, and I could fly south in the winter to see some NZ summer.

So I need crew cab, and with an 8 ft bed that feels like it limits the rough terrain - better to stick with 6.5 ft. Also get 3/4 ton, also diesel.

I do not want a big high rig for me. The commercial cap would work, especially if I got the 36" high version. As you say - easy to sit in. I don't forsee too much standing around in whatever rig I have.

I am enamored with Four Wheel Campers and I see them selling used. I have a very good feeling about the product and the factory is within driving distance. They also look pretty comfy. At present a used FWC feels like a good fit for me.

I am still trying to understand lifts and wheel lockers - I have never done 4x4. I have taken little Toyota's just past their limits and then dug them free OK, but I don't want to dig a 3/4 ton with camper rig free. And if I have lifts and wheel lockers I could just get them stuck in even worse places.

I think a lift and some skid plates might give good protection. A 6" lifted truck doesn't look that safe to me, but a 2" could be OK. I need to go look at some actual rigs when I finally get there. Any advice on this is welcome, given my situation outlined here. This is retirement time for me. Get back in the wilderness, get some backpacking in, take a few pictures, hole up on wet days and read books. I doubt I will spend a lot of time in towns beyond restocking and getting the vehicle maintained.

 

[Lowdesertpatrol]

I drive EVERYWHERE at 50mph max. Theres passing lanes for a reason. Why go faster when you jave nowhere to be and all the time to get there?

 

[maki2]

you are talking about mpg, getting the best mileage. That has much to do with reducing drag. Drag is reduced by the shape of the camper you put onto the truck. You want it to be wider. If you have the extra width coming straight out along a flat place parallel to the back wall of the cab that would create extra drab and that will increase your mpg. But if you were to create angled interface on that extra width then the air can more easily flow over that surface instead of creating a lot of turbulance and drag.

So put your thinking cap on and be an engineer who designs for better air flow over the surfaces. There are lots of websites that discuss aerodynamic design. Hop to it, you will have some fun putting your brain into high gear and coming up with variations of designs so that you can have what you want without it being a big gas waster.

 

[swlands]

Since I started this thread...
I have moved on from sweating the mpg, my thinking is fleshing out what is important. I also think it may well be another two years before I begin. But this whole idea has transformed my life already. I am taking action now to be ready.

I have never had money, but I have had a good life, and I currently have a great life. When pops passes I will inherit a nice sum of money which I will have to manage to last me until I kick most likely in my 90's. I won't be rich, but it should be enough, and this lifestyle does not have to be expensive.

Regarding a rig I seem to be enamored of Four Wheel Campers. I may be wrong, but I think I will find out the hard way. If I were shopping today here are two picks available right now I could put together.
'01 F250 7.3L Diesel https://slo.craigslist.org/ctd/d/sacramento-2001-ford-f250-73l-power/7008212741.html
2007 FWC Hawk camper https://reno.craigslist.org/rvs/d/reno-2007-four-wheel-camper-hawk/7000655670.html

I still might build something under an aluminum cap, but as my thinking develops I have fewer doubts about what I am doing and that seems to not be the best way for me to go. I seriously see me living almost full time in whatever I get. 

My intention is to have a rig that could also tow a nice caravan. I would have a lot of fun in the rig by myself, but I could offer my NZ nieces and nephews to come join me for a vacay in the wilderness where they ride with me in the super cab, live in the comfy caravan with kids. A month rental of a really swish caravan would run $3,000. Yeah - add insurance and campsite fees it could run another $1000, maybe. But that would be a cheap month of holiday for a family of 3 or 4, and an absolute blast. One nephew is a really good fisherman - I would love to get him over here. His wife would want the comfy RV. Another nephew married a Canadian, has two kids, and they have a lot of travel history. It would be all good with them. My brother and his wife already spend 5 months a year living in a caravan - we could do 5 months here in the US if they could leave their properties. Towing capacity gives me an adjustable spare bedroom in the wilderness for visitors. I gotta have it.

Part of my plan is to get some hiking in. That means being fit and healthy. I went for a full physical explaining my intention (all good) and I have started hiking. I have myself some new backpacking gear, some of it given to me by friends. The fact is everyone who knows me loves the idea of me doing this. My big question is a weak ankle - I want to see what I can do physically before I decide what I will tackle. But I do love hiking. I could even see me doing some of the great hikes, except those might be a bit crowded for my tastes.

I have bookmarked an inflatable canoe (Sea Eagle, discovered here on this forum) as I like the idea of maybe paddling off the beaten path as an option.

I have interviewed a financial planner. I know nothing about investing, or how to make money last. I am good at living cheaply, my needs are simple, but I don't know what will come my way and if it happened today I don't want to feel rushed by everything. In the interview I explained what I wanted to do and he was very enthusiastic. When pops passes we will have a serious planning session before I start shopping.

I have also started going though the garage and figuring out where all my tools and stuff will go. I intend to get rid of most of it. If this adventure doesn't happen I won't miss it anyway. I have been lazy about shedding, and it is time.

So. I can't show nice pictures of my "build" but I am building in all the ways I can. And I am sure my plans will change. What I do not see changing is my goal. I only heard about this life in September, discovered Bob's videos, and am having a lot of fun working out what it all means, and how to put it all together.