Extra Large with Porch

[Farmboy666]

Saw this guy on the beach near Sanibel FL and had to stop and take a picture. As you can see it's big and had a back porch. Lots of fabricating and nice clean job. Would like to know whats inside.

[thedavidzoo]

Just wondering. I guess anyone could slap something together within those length limits with twine, some plywood, and some superglue...and then it disintegrates at 75 mph? Not saying that rig would.
I have seen some very questionable choices on the road. :B

[Reality_Check]

thedavidzoo wrote:
....
How do you ensure something like this is even street legal?

Why wouldn't it be? Most states have limits of overhang, front and rear (i.e. Washington, 3' past the front bumper, 15' past the rear axle), but it's pretty basic stuff.

[thedavidzoo]

We have created many custom things in our little workshop by re-purposing mostly scrap/recycled things other folks would toss away. So, I get that and I really do commend the guy for his ingenuity, unique build, and construction know-how. More power to him.
What I don't get is the hodgepodge look of the thing. It ain't remotely purdy.
How do you ensure something like this is even street legal?

[Kayteg1]

I knew a guy who build Ocean sail boat.
Took him 20 years and living in Sacramento, he had to buy 2nd house on the Delta.
So even he sailed it to Hawaii, at the time he was in the age he could not enjoy it very much.
So when I always admire such drives, it always has to be considered a hobby that has no economical merit.

[burningman]

There’s photos of it being seen all over the place. It obviously works.
A diesel pusher won’t go where this will and where I’ve seen photos of it going.
A guy who can build this could have done a bus conversion if that’s what he wanted. Making diesel-pusher money @ $10/hr, I think you’re assuming this guy works very, very slowly!
I’ve built things just because I wanted to, or because exactly what I wanted doesn’t exist. Like my “Land Yacht” boat... that boat you see in my avatar. You can drive it on the desert.
They don’t sell that, you have to build your own.

I really don’t understand why so many of you don’t say “wow that’s really cool” and take interest in a custom thing, instead of bashing anything that isn’t standard, conformist, factory made stuff.

Come on you guys, check this stuff out. People do cool things.

[Kayteg1]

I agree with burningman that it is few individuals ingenuity that moved homo sapiens from caves into truck campers, but I see lot of structural/safety problem with such design.
The campter frame is solid bolted to truck frame on front and probably in the rear as well.
Truck frames twist quite a bit while driven and I think it was this MY of Ford, that one commercial show with tailgate sheet-metal creating bulge when driven on extreme track.
Than considering the time it takes to build such thing = getting paid $10/hr would earn money for Diesel Pusher.
I can only assume he's got material for free, or at big discount.

[burningman]

thedavidzoo wrote:
I don't know...
Doesn't anyone else think this is a hideous abomination? Honestly, even if it took some advance engineering and stellar fabrication skills, I'd be embarrassed to be seen with it. Maybe in the zombie apocalypse. :h

I don’t think you’re looking at it the right way.
What he has, you can’t buy.
It’s the guys like this that make the world interesting and I respect a guy who builds what he wants to have and then obviously uses it.

The only thing I wonder is if it can be easily removed because that style truck requires cab removal for a lot of the service operations.

I sure don’t think camper forum guys should be bashing this guy. He’s the king of truck camping.

[work2much]

Having been traveling west to east for while in some pretty strong side winds in a big camper I have to wonder how this would handle.

I also would like to see this thing close up and inside. Curios how all the added space is utilized.

[Wagonqueen_Truc]

Drove past this TC on the little islands that connect the mainland to Sanibel Island. I am heading down there this weekend. If I see him on the Causeway, I will stop and see if I can get some inside pics.

[gbopp]

thedavidzoo wrote:
Doesn't anyone else think this is a hideous abomination?

It is unique and appears to be very well constructed. But, it's definitely not the best looking home built rig on the road.

[thedavidzoo]

I don't know...
Doesn't anyone else think this is a hideous abomination? Honestly, even if it took some advance engineering and stellar fabrication skills, I'd be embarrassed to be seen with it. Maybe in the zombie apocalypse. :h

[mkirsch]

stumper92 wrote:
I would be very interested in how he tied in the extension of the cab over to the existing structure and how he is utilizing the added space. Very industrious build.

Pop rivets.

[Bedlam]

Those are some earlier pictures before the rear porch was built out. I still wonder what is stored in the rear - The door still has to swing open, so it cannot be completely enclosed. Yet, I don't think it would have those large side walls if it was strictly an extended roof. Has anyone approached the owner?

[mellow]

If you didn't see them before here are some close up pics of it:

https://imgur.com/a/shmKh