CaptainBuilt’s Adventures!

[CaptainBuilt]

Nice, love to see people having fun, even if it is work.

Most of the van camping I do is traveling from one spot from another. Either for work or hauling butt to another destination for fun. Lots of truck stops and Walmart parking lots. It's amazing the amount of people that are doing the same thing. 

I'm sure everyone here does too, but I always run across cool rigs. 

I ran across this guy in Memphis, TN at a Pilot truck stop, Oregon plates.

Saw this dude at the Coors Brewery in Golden, CO. The dudes popped out and a cloud of smoke. Couldn't asked for better:

Earthroamer in the Albertson's parking lot in Jackson, WY.

 

[CaptainBuilt]

Where dreams are born and your wallet dies. Ujoint Offroad headquarters. I went to pick some stuff up. Such a fun place to visit. 

 

[Qxxx]

Cool, expedition vehicles, starting at maybe $500K, lol. I've seen a few around. A couple of guys essentially made their own EVs. HalfShadows started with a 4WD emergency vehicle, heavy duty steel. Matala put a regular truck camper onto a flatbed truck.

 

[MG1912]

Cool, expedition vehicles, starting at maybe $500K, lol. I've seen a few around. A couple of guys essentially made their own EVs. HalfShadows started with a 4WD emergency vehicle, heavy duty steel. Matala put a regular truck camper onto a flatbed truck.

I was having a conversation with a Ford truck fleet service guy the other day about "Earth Roamers." We came to the conclusion that I can do 95% of what they can, at a fraction of the price. The only real difference between their rigs and MaTaLa's, for example, is the single-rear-wheel conversion, which you can do at a good shop for not too much money (a few thousand, not tens or hundreds of thousands). The advantage of an Earth Roamer (or MaTaLa's rig) over mine is payload capacity. They have 5,000 extra pounds to play with, which means they can do 100 gallon fuel tanks, large propane tanks, extra water tanks, etc. Or just a butt-load more storage capacity. But at $250k or whatever they start at... they sure ain't worth that. A rich guy's toy is all an Earth Roamer is, to be honest.

 

[Qxxx]

Where dreams are born and your wallet dies. Ujoint Offroad headquarters. I went to pick some stuff up. Such a fun place to visit. 

Good resource for mean-looking machines.
http://www.ujointoffroad.com/

[font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif] I kind of like that flat bed truck. Nice platform for a moderate size DIY build.[/font]
http://www.ujointoffroad.com/images/860_IMG_3854.JPG

 

[CaptainBuilt]

Cool, expedition vehicles, starting at maybe $500K, lol. I've seen a few around.  A couple of guys essentially made their own EVs. HalfShadows started with a 4WD emergency vehicle, heavy duty steel. Matala put a regular truck camper onto a flatbed truck.

I was having a conversation with a Ford truck fleet service guy the other day about "Earth Roamers."  We came to the conclusion that I can do 95% of what they can, at a fraction of the price.  The only real difference between their rigs and MaTaLa's, for example, is the single-rear-wheel conversion, which you can do at a good shop for not too much money (a few thousand, not tens or hundreds of thousands).  The advantage of an Earth Roamer (or MaTaLa's rig) over mine is payload capacity.  They have 5,000 extra pounds to play with, which means they can do 100 gallon fuel tanks, large propane tanks, extra water tanks, etc.  Or just a butt-load more storage capacity.  But at $250k or whatever they start at... they sure ain't worth that.  A rich guy's toy is all an Earth Roamer is, to be honest.

Even with them starting with a new F-550, they're $55k new, then MAYBE another $75k in the RV. But I doubt that. I'm just counting labor. 

It's just a fiberglass box. I've saw a video on the box construction and it's fiberglass / plywood / foam / plywood / fiberglass. If you lookup "Foamies" in the teardrop camper world, it's basically the same thing. 

You could even go more lightweight by going the airplane cabinet construction route and using honeycomb panels with wood veneer on the outside of it. 

As far as the air suspension, and single rear wheel conversion. There are many companies that offer kits, like Buckstop. Add military tires and hummer wheels, and boom, earthroamer.... to their specs. 

I'd like to do that with a van / cab conversion off of an old ambulance. 

Anyway, I worked on my rear bumper some more. The steel I could have bought for $100. But what's better than that? Old barge and boat steel.

It will have a rear tire carrier and cargo boxes when it's all said and done.

 

[Qxxx]

I'd like to do that with a van / cab conversion off of an old ambulance. 

There are only a couple of pictures of HalfShadow's conversion. EV by any other name.

https://vanlivingforum.com/showthread.php?tid=32956&pid=408599#pid408599

 

[CaptainBuilt]

Thanks, I'll check it out.

 

[Oldwolf]

Wow, cool thread. I am joining!

 

[Qxxx]

Wow, cool thread. I am joining!

Yeah, we've been needing a riverboat captain on this forum, .

 

[Qxxx]

Thanks, I'll check it out.

HalfShadows has more pictures showing the inside that I missed.

https://vanlivingforum.com/showthread.php?tid=32956&pid=415276#pid415276

 

[CaptainBuilt]

I built a rear tire carrier and cargo box. I also took the van to Sierra Nevada. Back to work tomorrow and another 850 mile trip.

 

[CaptainBuilt]

I was headed back to work in the rain and suddenly at 10 pm, my wipers quit working. I was in Birmingham (about half way to work).

I pulled over, started checking fuses. Nothing. Then I manually tried to move the wipers and boom. Broken linkage.

The clip that holds the linkage to the wiper motor stretched out and the linkage fell off. I had to pull the entire linkage out and adjust the clip to hold it again, in the ran, at midnight.

Then I tried to turn the wipers on, no dice. A Ford dealership was a few miles away. I drove there and slept in the parking lot.

The next morning, I told them I was traveling, and I just need them to tell me what’s wrong, and I’ll fix it. A couple hours later they tell me the fuse pins had corrosion and they cleaned them and I was on my way.

Rolling into the back:

The part that gave me the original problem:

Now everything is working fine. I bought the clip, just need to install it when I get home.

 

[CaptainBuilt]

Since I was delayed a day for work because of the breakdown, I got to watch the LSU/Clemson game.

My buddy owns a bar in New Orleans (where I’m originally from), and I went to his bar to watch the game. I go there because he’s a good friend and my money isn’t good there. Which is bad for him because I’m a seasoned drinker. Lol. I’m a sailor. What do you expect?

Little did I know, his bar is the official Clemson hangout for games.

Me halfway through the game.

Clemson fans took the big L in stride and they were really nice fans.

But now, I’m back on the stinking boat.

 

[bullfrog]

Nice looking van. Seems every problem becomes a new problem as things get older but you eventually get ahead of them. Wait till the Mayfly hatch to start complaining about being on the boat! LOL!!!

 

[highest_vision]

[font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]Thanks for posting these barge pics. They bring back some fond memories I didn't know I had! I grew up near the Ohio River and as kids, we would go to the closest lock and wave at the tugs. They honked back. Good times.[/font]

[font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]Also nice van.[/font]

 

[CaptainBuilt]

Nice looking van.  Seems every problem becomes a new problem as things get older but you eventually get ahead of them.  Wait till the Mayfly hatch to start complaining about being on the boat! LOL!!!

Oh yea, the summer mayflies. We get them literally by the millions. And they stink so bad.... And it's a 20 year old van with almost 400k miles. I expect this type of stuff to happen. It just sucks when it does!

[font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]Thanks for posting these barge pics. They bring back some fond memories I didn't know I had! I grew up near the Ohio River and as kids, we would go to the closest lock and wave at the tugs. They honked back. Good times.[/font]

[font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]Also nice van.[/font]

Thanks! I work the Ohio River in the summer. It's dead up there in the winter. We go everywhere. Right now we work from Baton Rouge, La., to Lake Charles, La. on the Intercoastal. I go where the work is.

 

[Oldwolf]

That's a pretty cool looking van. What engine is in it and what MPG do you usually get with it?

 

[CaptainBuilt]

That's a pretty cool looking van. What engine is in it and what MPG do you usually get with it?

17 mpg if I stay under 73 mph. It’s has a 7.3L diesel.

 

[CaptainBuilt]

My van had 379,122 miles on it when I changed the oil. I sent a oil sample off for analysis, just to see if anything was going on.

I’m happy to report, no issues.

I bought this van 3 years ago for $2200. Since then I’ve put another $10k in it on 4wd stuff and everything else. So I’m $12k in the van and most 4wd vans go for at LEAST twice that.