Suntrekker XL

[Big Jim]

This is my new project .
I found the Northstar a bit wide and did not enjoy driving it . To make things complicated I need a E/W bed .
I have made a new pod out of Truckman tops , you an pick them up really cheap .
I have fitted a caravan window to the side which can be replaced with a box to give extended foot room in the bed . Still a bit experimental but seems to be working . I am trying to put some video together of the build .

[saDgit]

Wow, looks good Jim.

[zildjian]

Clever isn't it, and a good plan to buy-and-try before getting into a build of your own
look forward to seeing your idea later on myself

[derestrictor]

Super_trecker

can see the truckman top now you mention it, what a great idea and room for your feet as well!

[Big Jim]

A few pics .
I could have made it from one canopy , but the Truckman has a heavy roof section , I used one off a L200 for the roof , with Truckman bits for the sides and front . I paid £16 for the L200 top and £50 for the Truckman , but I was able to sell the rear glass door for £30.

[keeflester]

Ingenious and resourceful.

[mjb666]

I'm really impressed with that Jim. Was the main criteria for this major modification the E/W bed layout?

I would guess that there is now a lot more room in the luton area and with you having a Kingcab as the base vehicle, you were able to extend that bit further forward with no overhang.

Really looking forward to the build video and maybe some more pictures?

Mike.

[Big Jim]

Thanks for the comments.
We need an E/W as Jane suffers with her back and it is too much to wriggle out of N/S
The bed is 4' wide, limited by normal plywood size I could have extended into the main camper to make it 4'6" but I wanted to keep it a full 4 berth,
fortunately we are both pretty slim so should be ok. I made it from 2 sheets of 6mm ply with a 25mm batten border and spacers when the glue dried and fitted in place I drilled some holes on the inside and filled it with expanding foam and a layer of fibreglass. It is pretty strong. I chicken'd out of using 4mm ply as it looked too limp but I reckon it would have worked.




The most difficult thing to do is trying to cobble together the video clips . I do it so infrequently that I forget how to do it . It may have to be a series of little bits .

[Big Jim]

Today I have fitted some cupboard.
As I have a super cab the rear of the camper hangs out the back so I made some fibreglass cupboards to fill in the space. I made a mould from some melamine and used it for both sides, one for a refillable gas .
ran out of space to get the pipe from the regulator in the cupboard so may make a "power bulge " to fit over the external pipe. And some led rear lights.

[zildjian]

Like the look of what you've done there Jim very smart,
the video is 'very' time consuming isn't it, not enough to just offer film together with dog barking in background and someone talking to you at same time it then needs an upbeat soundtrack too