Forum Discussion

reasley's avatar
reasley
Explorer
Oct 21, 2018

Shake Down Fun

We had been planning on putting together a boondocking rig when a great deal on an 04 Eagle Cap came along. With it's aluminum frame it was just what we were looking for. We already had the 08 Silverado Duramax that we were no long using, so it seemed like the prime candidate for our conversion. I pulled the bed in March and started building the flatbed. We tried to buy a flatbed, but could not find one that suited our needs. Here's a shortened list of what we added. Air bags, Big Wig sway bars, Bilsteins, dually conversion, ac, 400 watts of solar, 4 six volt batteries, 30 gallon auxillary water tank, doors for the sides, and GlowSteps. There is a whole lot more but these are the major items.













Truck Campers
  • ticki2's avatar
    ticki2
    Explorer
    Oct 25, 2018
    reasley wrote:
    ticki2 wrote:
    Very nice , I have similar setup . Have gotten so spoiled with the side storage I don't think I could do without it. Is your side storage weatherproof ? How did you make the connection between the side doors and the camper ?


    No, not weatherproof. However, drove for a full day in the rain across Utah and Nevada and not much water got in. We don't keep anything in there that would be damaged if it got wet. I will eventually get around to sealing it a little better, but it's a low priority at the moment.

    I added a piece of 1" aluminum angle to the underside of the camper. The latches are "T" handle and rotate to latch behind the angle. The camper does not move, so the doors stay latched.
    I have pretty much come to the same conclusion , anything that needs to stay dry goes in a plastic bin . With the curves of the Avion it would take a bit of work to make it weatherproof . If it was a dedicated truck I might try but the truck is used for other purposes off season so not worth it . Picture is in my profile . Have fun
  • reasley's avatar
    reasley
    Explorer
    Oct 24, 2018
    ticki2 wrote:
    Very nice , I have similar setup . Have gotten so spoiled with the side storage I don't think I could do without it. Is your side storage weatherproof ? How did you make the connection between the side doors and the camper ?


    No, not weatherproof. However, drove for a full day in the rain across Utah and Nevada and not much water got in. We don't keep anything in there that would be damaged if it got wet. I will eventually get around to sealing it a little better, but it's a low priority at the moment.

    I added a piece of 1" aluminum angle to the underside of the camper. The latches are "T" handle and rotate to latch behind the angle. The camper does not move, so the doors stay latched.
  • ticki2's avatar
    ticki2
    Explorer
    Oct 24, 2018
    Very nice , I have similar setup . Have gotten so spoiled with the side storage I don't think I could do without it. Is your side storage weatherproof ? How did you make the connection between the side doors and the camper ?
  • notsobigjoe's avatar
    notsobigjoe
    Nomad III
    Oct 24, 2018
    reasley wrote:
    notsobigjoe wrote:
    Forgive me if I miss the obvious because I usually do. You removed the front jacks but left the rear. Is that so you could level better? Do you sag in the rear? Just curious, thanks and what a rig!!!


    The front jacks stuck out far enough to obstruct rear vision and hung low enough to get damage by a passing rock. The rear jacks sit a little inboard of the of the flatbed frame and are more protected. The rear jacks help with leveling and stability. The way it is set up we can handle a level 2 to 3 trail


    :C
  • reasley's avatar
    reasley
    Explorer
    Oct 24, 2018
    notsobigjoe wrote:
    Forgive me if I miss the obvious because I usually do. You removed the front jacks but left the rear. Is that so you could level better? Do you sag in the rear? Just curious, thanks and what a rig!!!


    The front jacks stuck out far enough to obstruct rear vision and hung low enough to get damage by a passing rock. The rear jacks sit a little inboard of the of the flatbed frame and are more protected. The rear jacks help with leveling and stability. The way it is set up we can handle a level 2 to 3 trail
  • notsobigjoe's avatar
    notsobigjoe
    Nomad III
    Oct 24, 2018
    Forgive me if I miss the obvious because I usually do. You removed the front jacks but left the rear. Is that so you could level better? Do you sag in the rear? Just curious, thanks and what a rig!!!
  • run100's avatar
    run100
    Explorer
    Oct 23, 2018
    You're going to have some fun with that set-up! Happy trails ahead!
  • reasley's avatar
    reasley
    Explorer
    Oct 23, 2018
    mellow wrote:
    Any issues with the tires rubbing?


    We just finished a 2500 mile shake down trip and found a little rubbing on one side. I'll put a little more air in the airbags. If that doesn't work, I'll cut out a section of the flat bed and deck it with some diamond plate.
  • Grit_dog's avatar
    Grit_dog
    Navigator
    Oct 23, 2018
    Looks sweet!
    Now peel off that faded door trim and she'll look like a million bucks!

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