Thread: Building the Ultimate touring 130 with slide on - my version...

A few more photo's. You can see I've left a gap (where the screwdriver is jamed in) so the plate will flex when bolted up clamping onto the chassis. I'll just weld up to the tack, the bottom bracket is the same, both from 6mm.


More gussets for winch


The winch cradel is braced right back to the 12mm bolts on both sides, probably overkill but strong.

I decided to cut up the original bumper to use for the wings because it was quick and easy, keep a bit of the original look and because I've positioned the bumper about 120mm higher than stock it will give great approach angle. I could've folded up some fancy tapered wings or used tube, but I didn't! If it just looks crap I can always change it later. You can see that I sliced a piece of 100X50 and welded it to the bumper section to box it in and gusset it for strength. I also welded up the two holes so water won't get in.


A mate gave me an old bull bar I was going to use for its nice bends, but when I cut it up I found it was only made from thin exhaust tube about 1.6mm. It may have done, but I've just got back from the big smoke (melb) for work, and called into some wereckers and finally found a donor ARB bull bar to cut up. I tried about half a dozern wreckers and panel beaters but all chucked any damaged bars into the scrap bin and had nothing. Finally found a big toyota wrecker who had one which is all twisted and bent and they wanted $150! Dreamin! I ended up getting it for $50, still reckon thats plenty for scrap value but I didn't have time to keep looking. It will hopefully be ok, one bend is a bit overbent and oval from the crash so hopefully I can straighten it out ok. It is much better tube, it's one thing ARB do well, it is specially developed tube for bull bars and is 2.6mm wall thickness and the bends are nice and tight and uniform. So this is where I'm up to.

Originally Posted by taylorslandy

Also better add to title "within a budget and time frame!"

In a nutshell I'm going to build and set up an Isuzu 130 dual cab for long distance touring with an easily detached slide on camper with plenty of room for our family of five. We will be leaving July 2015 for a few month trip so have just under a year to finish the build.

What I'm starting with;
I've already began the project by turning an 84 isuzu 120 (which already had a new 130 chassis) single cab into a dual cab by fitting the cab off a 2002 Td5130 (I did write this up on here somewhere). Kelvin (my wife thinks it looks like a boxy fridge on wheels, so short for Kelvinator) already has a good turbo and intercooler set up thanks to rovercare, lockers front and back (need to fix both!), some sound proofing, BFG KM2 255/85 on wolf rims X 6, overhead console with UHF, six seats, full air suspension with koni raid shocks.


Basic TO DO list;
make bull bar,
fit hi mount winch,
modify front diff housing to fix a few issues,
fix both lockers,
instal AC,
modify tray including trundle draw and tool boxs,
sill tanks (have new idea),
finish soundproofing,
finish interior, fix door locks seals etc,
mabey roll cage,
roof rack,
tint windows,
fit the cruise control I have in a box,
Driving lights,
snorkel,

The Slide ON;

Being a family of five we have the old problem of less room with the dual cab sized tray, with more people and gear to sleep and cary. I've decided to make my own as all the ones I've looked at don't suit our needs. For example the trayon is a well built camper, but their dual cab model eventhough they say it will sleep five, is simply way too small inside, and at $30K out of our budget anyway.

The camper must be easily removed as I don't like holding the vehicle hostage when set up. The pop top expedition vehicles sure look good and are quick to set up but realistically there isn't enough room for a family of five to sit around a table and move. So if you then set up awnings etc to create more room you then have to pack the whole show up if you need to go some where.

I believe what I'm planning will be unique and will address some of the common complaints people have about slide on's being;

*they are a hasstle to remove. Solution; use the air bag suspension combined with a different leg design.
*once removed they are wobbly. Solution; the new leg idea should solve this.
*the ladder to access the bed isn't ideal. Solution; will have a platform and wide step set up.

This thread will be a bit of a diary of my journy towards creating my version of the ultimate touring 130. I have a fair idea of what I'm going to do but are not a mechanic or engineer, I am a boilermaker and will have a crack at most things and welcome any suggestions or construstive critism along the way.

Wish me luck!

Good Luck, will be watching can't wait to see your Roll Cage

Originally Posted by workingonit

If you like things that have potential to serve more than one purpose you might consider some of the ideas here MUPUTRAX - Multi-purpose Recovery Tracks, Sand Ladders, Camping and 4x4 Gear

Nice find, love how they can be used as table and chairs! Will have to get myself a couple of these.

Speaking of light, when it's camper build time I'm going to try my best to keep it light. I am keen to use composite panels but are not sure it will be within my budget. I have some other ideas but havn't setteled on anything yet so are always keen to hear from anyone with some experience in lightweight camper building?

If weight and strength are important, you might want to consider honeycomb panels. They are extremely light, strong, insulate well, fire-proof and easy to work with. They make them in aluminium or plastic and they get used in campervans and trucks. Something like this:

http://polycorecomposites.com/Videos.php
or
Aluminium Honeycomb Composite Panel

Will follow this thread with interest!

Hacked up the ARB bull bar, I was careful to get the max length from the tubes so cut the straps off the posts first. The tube goes through the bumper section so I just roughly cut around it to get it out then cleaned it up later.



You can see the tube from the damaged side is a bit over bent, bit of a bugger but should be able to straighten it out.

You may be able to straighten it significantly by applying heat on the outside of the bend.

Originally Posted by workingonit

You may be able to straighten it significantly by applying heat on the outside of the bend.

Thanks, but you can't see from the photo that the bend has been squashed to an oval shape so I've straightened it out by welding a couple of bits of RHS to my welding bench to leaver against and positioned a solid block of steel under the bend. I extended the tube with a long lever which I got a mate to apply a good amount of force to but not too much that it started to bend the tube, while I gave the oval shaped bend a good few taps with a sledge hammer. Each tap let the bend return to its original shape, worked very well, no longer oval and back to shape.


The straightened bend sitting on the otherside bend.


Tacked the wings on and cut an oval hole in the top so the tube can pass through at an angle and be welded to the bottom of the wing on the inside. This is a much stronger way than just butting the tube to the top of the wing.


I welded up the holes it the tube that the scrub bars were bolted to. And wire brushed all the mongral powder coating off, not a big fan of powder coating! Tip, good idea if your using second hand or old steel to clean the bits up as you go before you weld them together.


I've just sat the tubes in place so far. Idealy I wanted the lower bend to be closer to the bumper, I could cut and weld a section in but its much better without joins and is more stuffing around. Will sleep on it before welding in. A bar off a defender or troopie would've had better bends, but it's still not too bad.

Looking good.

While you're at it - would it be worthwhile adding some brackets for a decent steering guard rather than the standard builder's trestle

Steve