Land Cruiser Chinook Rebuild - Ep. 1 "Total Destruction"

[@rickbohlen7681]

Matt, I built a rig from scratch. Had no idea what I was doing. But I have a small suggestion. After you build the aluminum box frame. Drill some holes and fill the tubes with Right Stuff spray foam to minimize thermal bridging. The aluminum frame will leave cold spots between the foam insulation. If that makes sense.

[@Laredo-c7g]

That was my concern as well. I'd add another inch or two of xps or something on top of that aluminum. I'd just make the roof pop up way higher if height is a concern... Or route the coolant through copper pipes in the floor and walls 😁🤙

[@fraserwright9482]

Why have box frames at all? He has a fibreglass wall structure already there. It would be better to make a composite floor with pads glassed in outside of the body. Look at what the boat building industry does in this situation?

[@Laredo-c7g]

@fraserwright9482 I don't understand the last question, but I agree that the aluminum frame is unnecessary. The fiberglass bodies are supposed to twist and "give" as the chassis twists and tweaks. If the truck frame is twisting too much, maybe stiffen up the rear by welding in boxes steel connecting both frame rails with one another. Tinkerer's Adventure talks about this in his video about front and rear sway bars. If the truck frame is stiffened up, then the focus can shift to just sealing up and insulating that camper. If he really insists on making a new, stiffer floor, maybe mold a ribbed fiberglass cross-pattern into it or something.. I still vote for thick XPS on the floor, and spray foam the rest. Also, there are methods of making ultralight, rigid camper storage out of foam board Insulation, PVC vinyl mesh, and often a paper maché outer layer. If they constructed the entire interior this way, and built the storage and any partitions directly into the walls with foam board Insulation, I imagine it would seriously reinforce the whole camper body while staying as lightweight as possible AND insulating quite a bit. Checkout the NØMAD channel here on KZbin. Dude built out his whole rig with foam and made it look legit AF kzbin.info/www/bejne/p4jOhaSBn91-hMksi=priwd1j3-lOYlrLy

[@fraserwright9482]

I was just pointing out that in a fibreglass boat you don't need an aluminium floor frame, you just glass over foam or a marine ply. He could also just make the pads that are on the chassis broader or more of them. The great Canadian hockey puck springs to mind 😂 as a way to act as a barrier between the camper and the frame. I agree the Nømad KZbinr illustrated it very well.

[@Laredo-c7g]

@@fraserwright9482 perhaps if there were more points of contact, the flexion or torsion of the chassis would crack the fiberglass apart 🤷

[@flavius6497]

My grandparents had that exact Chinook. My Granddad was a WW II vet that loved his adventures. He loved the Chinook and I remember lots of amazing memories that the family shared in that little RV. He was a Machinist by trade and a tinkerer at heart and he would have loved this build. Thanks so much for sharing this with us!!!

[@ToyotaWorldRunners]

Thank you so much for watching! We’re so stoked at how much nostalgia this rig gives people.

[@kanjyro]

For the flooring, i'd recommend doing a un-insulated aluminium structure with a sheet on top fuse the walls to that, and then have a layer of continuous rigid pink type foam with your flooring system on top. that will help with insulation, and make for a complete break and minimise thermal transfer. believe it or not, that pink foam is resilient enough to not compress or deform over time done this way. This is actually how modern, 4-season conversions are professionally done up here in Canada. If you want to go the extra mile and increase the insulative factor more than that, you can fill the cavities in the aluminium floor structure like you were already planning to do. Cheers

[@wandertrucks]

I build off road camper builds for a retirement gig. The flatbed camper I built used the same floor structure you are trying to build. I did the "skeleton" frame and did 10gauge aluminum sheeting as a bottom layer. I bonded it on with auto body bond and that was a mistake. It will inherently flex and move around so it will end up either stressing the floor frame or cracking and let water in. The last one I did I did urethane sealer to sandwich it on and then riveted it on. Worked much better and stayed water tight

[@ryanvanhorne5837]

I'm excited to see your truck project unfold. Be patient, don't cut corners and you'll be proud.

[@alanmay7929]

totallz here for that too, excited for the project.

[@ToyotaWorldRunners]

Great advice! Thank you!

[@212caboose]

The honeycomb carboard stuff isn't "insulation", it's for structure.

[@riverratt8626]

Yes the honeycomb is to lose weight and maintain structure. Common in aircraft & racing vehicles, Toyota went to a lot of effort to keep the weight down on that unit, you better be careful not to add too much extra weight when you rebuild. My friend had honeycomb carbon fibre flooring made for his race boat, it shed 175 lb from the regular plywood normally used.

[@ToyotaWorldRunners]

Stoked to have learned this!

[@Pioneer_Classic_Trucks]

Get a composite panel for the new floor, check out overland adventure truck in WA, Cascadia Composites, very strong and light, no wood to rot.

[@alexrossmann7672]

Definitely do a composite floor, and even more so since the rest of the body is fiberglass. There are a lot of companies spread out across the US and Canada that can supply these panels, and they can custom make them for not much more so that the floor is all a single continuous piece. Some of these panels are good for an outrageous amount of weight, and come in under 2lbs/sqft. If you are worried about point loads, there are many products (including Sika 251) that can be used to bond aluminum plates underneath to spread the load of the body mounts. I redid the roof of my camper and really wish I made a custom roof from panels instead of reinsulating mine.

[@gravytrainoutdoors]

Looking good! Talking about your grandfather and reasons/motivations definitely resonates with me. My grandfather was an engineer as well and there wasn’t much that he didn’t build or re engineer and build himself!

[@johnfroese4529]

Hey Matt, Not sure if you've already considered or thought of this, but if you insulate with the rigid foam, you're going to have massive amounts of squeaking against the metal and foam, maybe consider a Barrier between the two materials. Just a thought I drove semi for years, nothing more annoying than constant squeaking.

[@ToyotaWorldRunners]

We hadn't considered this, and we're stoked on this tip! The last thing we want is more sounds... haha

[@ericmyers120]

I've done two camper builds from scratch and my suggestion is to forget any type of vapor barriers. Moisture will always find a way in, and you want it to be able to escape. Same goes for walls, breathable is better. Composite is king and will always perform better then anything you can fabricate because of its unmatched thermal bridging properties. Aluminum will sweat under your floor, nothing you can do about it no matter how well insulated it is. Don't fight with physics, go with a composite floor if it's in your budget it will outperform everything and be easier to install.

[@ericmyers120]

Another thing I forgot to mention. The rigid foam will squeek like crazy against the aluminum subframe your thinking about making. Composite is quiet.

[@fraserwright9482]

I agree, I have done a glass, epoxy marine ply, glass sandwich with a cork floor. I don't think he gets why they used the materials in the Chinook in the first place or why 25mm box aluminium wasn't used in the 70's?

[@TheCajunGaijin]

@@fraserwright9482 It's almost like the engineers knew what they were doing and it lasted as long as it did for a reason. Why not recreate EXACTLY what they did.

[@davidebrinson]

That’s a huge amount of work. Hats off to you guys. I love it.

[@ShaunAndrews-w4q]

If you're keeping the stock axles, I'd recommend bracing the knuckles to the housing. A few kits are available but they're pretty easy to fab yourself. It's a cheaper, lighter way of strengthening the weakest part of the stock Toyota axles without fulling boxing them. Cheers folks, this is a great build!

[@Hexthrill]

+1 couldn't agree more that this is a MUST!

[@Wandering_whatsnext]

Super hyped on this rebuild. Looking forward to watching your progress.

[@ToyotaWorldRunners]

Thank you! We're very eager!

[@cooperloeppkymedia]

I just bought an 85’ 4Runner that’s in dire need of love. I’m excited to watch you rebuild your home as I get to build my new toy. Keep making cool trucks, and I’ll see you in our beautiful backcountry!

[@ToyotaWorldRunners]

You've got yourself a weapon. Enjoy it!

[@rickfazzini22]

Wow you two made a heck of a mess😊 This is such a cool premise for a KZbin channel, build go adventuring come back rebuild then go adventuring again!!!

[@ToyotaWorldRunners]

We’re stoked you think so! That’s the goal for this channel.

[@kolewade]

Love the shout out to Fab Rats!

[@davidcoxon1914]

I totally get you intent of 2.0 being a pro-quality build. On a much smaller scale, I did a version two build-up of the back for my 4wd, going for excellence (not perfection) in build quality and finish, and 4 years on I still get a buzz every time I use it. I look forward following your build and the subsequent world tour (?) 😊

[@ToyotaWorldRunners]

Man, you get it! When something can bring you joy while you're out in the woods or at the beach and you built it yourself, words can't describe that feeling.

[@frontieradventures9641]

Love watching the build. Definitely need some bulged fiberglass front fenders.

[@ToyotaWorldRunners]

Definitely!

[@TheOutFit]

Maybe it's too late but we would highly recommend a product called 'Thermo-lite' - board. Structurally similar to wood and very light. Our entire floor in our Unimog is 19mm Thermo-lite. Awesome work guys, can't wait to see what you do with the Chinook!

[@ToyotaWorldRunners]

Hey guys, thanks you! Haven't heard of it until now. So you were able to fasten cabinets and such to it with screws?

[@matthewfurst1577]

Look like a labor of love, great things come from that. Looking forward to seeing you guys get that going. Keep on keeping on

[@ToyotaWorldRunners]

Cheers! Thanks for following along

[@RyanHucker]

I'm so glad you're doing this build!!! Your my favourite adventure/overlanding channel and I'm in the process of planning a similar build. Things I'm planning on doing which may be beneficial, a Hydronic heating system that also ties into the engine coolant loop both for pre warming the engine in really cold weather and to use the excess heat in the engine to warm the living space and hot water while I drive to save a but of fuel and extend the range. Good solar setup with induction hobs for cooking, saves having to find gas in remote places and with addition of a dc to dc charge controller the batteries can be topped up from the engine when solar isn't sufficient. Small ac unit to keep it cool and help with humidity Just some things I'm including on the defender to make it next level. 😊 Keep up the good work guys!!!! Your channel and videos are awesome!!

[@jonjalbert1922]

I think the honey comb is not insulation it’s to make the structure solid but at the fraction of the weight.

[@BididuProductions]

Yes, it's not an insulation, you disassembled the honeycomp panel, now you dont have any structural strenght in your walls anymore.

[@CodyFinchum]

Invest in antiseize for the steel and aluminum contact to minimize aluminum corrosion by touch steel and if the two touching you can use duck tape with great results so if your gonna lay the aluminum to the frame and your floor frame tape it with gorilla tape this knowledge is coming from semi trailers

[@2conn]

Don't double vapor barrier the insulation you will trap moisture in that cavity. You need one side to remain cold and one side to remain heated. Therefore you will also want some strategic drain holes in your lowest guard layer to allow moisture to weep out with air pressure. Make sure to fill crevices of rigid with something. It will fit right but not perfect. Use foam rod

[@cdeprima1209]

you want it light as possible for off roading, you do want shear resistance in the floor since frames are flexible!

[@CelicaDragon]

I would put accessible "plugs" in the wood top and then attach the body mounts through the aluminum/steel frame (the one under the plywood). That way you have accessibility to the body mounts and don't have to take the whole plywood floor out to get to the top nut/washer.

[@fraserwright9482]

I would make the floor from fibreglass/foam or marine ply/fibreglass sandwich and bond pads into the fibreglass that have bolts sticking out. I would then have the frame mounts in multiple places instead of pressure points. This makes the floor sealed from water/dust and vibration. The aluminium will sweat in cold/humid conditions and because it's a different material.

[@peterrichardson4192]

You are lucky to have such a quiet place to work. Looks beautiful.

[@SlowRoamers]

This was super fun to watch and has me so stoked to see what Sunday will turn into. I honestly feel that mixed feeling of anticipation and dread when you're at the beginning of a massive project like this and you have to put it all back together. Miss and love you guys!

[@ToyotaWorldRunners]

So many mixed emotions. Every day is something new, either scary or super exciting!

[@bryanbonillaart2167]

This new series is going to be great. Love this type of videos where you focus on the build then go out and test it on the road haha

[@ToyotaWorldRunners]

Best kind of test is a world tour right?!?!

[@mathias-do-thing]

Super excited for this build series! Not sure if you did this on your last build but definitely don't forget about the fire extinguisher!

[@ToyotaWorldRunners]

Oh we had one for 1.0! Wouldn't leave home without it

[@nickk6527]

Love to share our sub-floor on our Chinook build. Coming up with ideas and fabricating them just from your thoughts is a fun process. We did a steel subframe with rubber mounts and yes it is heavier but we can also hang slides for storage underneath is the our plan. Cheers to Chinook builds.

[@ToyotaWorldRunners]

Love that idea. We go back and forth between steel and aluminum daily ha!

[@robertolucero9069]

Something to think about. The honeycomb material in the walls and floor may have been used to add structure and rigidity rather than insulation. I may be wrong about your camper but my dad worked in aerospace his whole career and he worked with honeycomb materials that were used in planes like the B2 bomber because its super strong and light.

[@fraserwright9482]

Yes I get the feeling people follow a path with material choice with a bullish head. Metal fabricators make everything out of steel, wood workers are all for making solid wood everything. But there are other materials and the honeycomb cardboard to hold the large open panel structurally.

[@ridgwalkerg]

My American Road camper was built by StarCraft; the first aerodynamic camper, using Ford's aero tunnels, it was a very advanced technically built unit. Able to hold 28 men on the roof. Full fiberglass, with marine plywood. No honeycomb but they used something new for the day in 1971-73, spray foam.. and wood stringers.. camper weighs 2800 lbs empty. I love it but, it's not for the light at heart.. love your channel, think light, but strong, biggest challenge

[@SimonElenor]

you might consider starboard for the floor. Although expensive it will never rot.

[@Ronsk1974]

10:03 I would strongly encourage you start a dialog with some professionals in the fiberglass/composites and boat manufacturing industries. Most of the items you are concerned with from a design perspective have engineered solutions that have been around for decades. The “cardboard” honeycomb you removed was a cost effective structural reinforcement. If cost were no object, the honeycomb would have been Nomex and all the panels would have been reinforced with Kevlar roving. But then people wouldn’t have been able to afford a Chinook. This is a good example of “value engineering”. Since the Chinook body was never designed for this duty cycle/application, your improvements are warranted. There are some perils associated with your proposed aluminum frame. Some epoxies create a galvanic corrosion couple with aluminum, and can result in panel delimitation. If you are planning on using arc welding to join the aluminum frame sections, the joint efficiency/strength of the material adjacent to the weld (HAZ or Heat Affected Zone) will typically be about 60-65% of the parent material. This is particularly true for age strengthened alloys like 6061-T6. Adhesive bonding (a la Lotus Elise) would be stronger and more reliable for this type of application. But you would have to ensure the your aluminum adhesive and your composite layup resin are compatible. Using a foam core structure like Divinycell could provide the strength you are looking for, coupled with strategically placed mounting pads made of solid steel or aluminum for your body mounts. These mounts would need to be encapsulated in the panel and have appropriate geometry and surface finish for bonding. There are a lot of ways to skin this cat. Just keep in mind that engineering a solution is about balancing compromises.

[@ridgwalkerg]

Stringers they're called, i used some pallets for the oak, to make some for corners around my bed. But mostly marine ply laminated for strength. Used yellow (water proof glue) .. condensation is the real challenge for insulation ideas, but your dealing with such a small space, as long as its sealled well, to keep drafts out, youll be great.

[@jasonlightfoot4145]

At this point you might as well build an entire new box exactly to your liking. Put a dove tail on it for departure angle etc. Might check out Ambition Strikes and their camper build. Awesome job no matter how you go about it. Oh yeah might look at Schliemann seats since you are upgrading, your back and buttocks will thank you 🙏

[@ToyotaWorldRunners]

Hahah yeah totally get it. We do however want to maintain as much of the factory chinook shell look as possible.

[@jasonlightfoot4145]

@ I also understand your desire. It's a lot easier on my end watching 🤣Keep up the amazing work your videos keep getting better and inspiring 🤙

[@gavinmeyer8920]

Just fiberglass over coosa board like they do in boats.....strong and all composite so no water troubles

[@matts2751]

You guys rock! Can’t wait to see the project progress.

[@ToyotaWorldRunners]

Cheers!

[@verncommet1798]

Hi, love your rebuilding your Chinook. I live in Yakima the home of the famous little “sports car”of RVs. I’ve owned a few and rebuilding a 71 18 plus on the g30 frame currently . Good news is the chinook never loses its value since they are the highest resale in used RVs and in the US there are West Coast and East coast clubs. Can’t wait to see what you guys do, the first build was awesome so this is gonna be amazing

[@bc30cal99]

Greetings from the soggy south Okanagan. As mentioned below, my information could be dated, but some of the Canadian RV manufacturers would have a welded aluminum frame, then insert foam insulation into the areas between the framing and use a big press and polyurethane glue to laminate up the panels. It keeps it light and is very strong for the weight. Good luck on the build.

[@sevensenseification]

Holy moly that will be fun to watch.

[@DESERTG8R]

Soooo awesome. I can’t wait for the build. I’m so glad I found your channel

[@ToyotaWorldRunners]

We're so happy you found us!

[@michaelvincent121]

Missed you guys!!! So glad you're back!!!

[@ToyotaWorldRunners]

Back and better than ever!! Thanks for watching!

[@matenloe2598]

Your videos are awesome and inspiring.... I do hope the new frame ideas have the strength to handle the kinds of adventures you both go on 🙂

[@ToyotaWorldRunners]

We imagine they will!

[@Bigcountry_littlelegs]

Keep up the good work guys

[@Kotinamatkailuauto]

A really interesting project. Best of luck with it, it’s sure to turn out great! 👌

[@seichodan]

Thursday Night Drop Right On Time! - Much Love From New England! ❤

[@ToyotaWorldRunners]

Cheers!!

[@CompassRunner]

Started watching your channel b/c of the cool travels, but now totally hooked on the rebuild. I have an '81 popup camper that we're considering retrobuilding, and it's going to be a very similar job to what you're doing. Very cool - keep it up!

[@ToyotaWorldRunners]

Stoked for you as well! Our passion is a 50/50 combination between travelling and building, so this rebuild is seriously bringing the joy.

[@garrettmiklautz175]

Just watching this gives me anxiety. That's a daunting amount of work!

[@pyroslev]

When Sunday is done, she'll be an amazing rig.

[@pierreendter5751]

This truck is my dream!

[@darrenmountenay7885]

Just an idea for your floor. Layout your plywood subflloor on the ground. Place your Alum frame on top with a few 3/8 pins to raise it off the plywood. Then spray foam and skip the rigid. Will give both your vapour and your insulation, plus give you a thermal break between the frame and the floor

[@jacquesvanvels4788]

Oh boy, I am going to enjoy watching this build!

[@Bigthoogs]

You guys are nuts, but i love it. Keep it up you two

[@ToyotaWorldRunners]

Crazy.... in a good way? lol

[@WannabeOverlander]

Cool episode, and epic rebuild process 👋🏻🤠

[@ToyotaWorldRunners]

Thank you!!

[@stusrambles]

Your truck reminds me so much of my old Tamiya radio controlled 4x4 Hilux. New subscriber and loving the channel

[@ToyotaWorldRunners]

Welcome! And thank you!

[@rahmanazad4810]

That is huge work to do. I hope the best time for you

[@jonashutchinson8777]

For your vapor barrier, i recommend Firestone V-force if you can get your hands on some. I used it when I built and insulated my aluminum truck topper, it has held up wonderfully.

[@ToyotaWorldRunners]

Will have to check this out!

[@pauortega9954]

Looks great, one thing I don't see people commenting is kinda trying to water proof the thermal isolation. Depending on the type of thermal isolation you use you should try avoiding it making contact with water altogether (granted, some more expensive isolations can get wet without problem). Other than that, everything looks rlly promising and I'm super excited to see how it turns out.

[@Kingsize24]

Wow! Just found you guys. 👏 👏 👏 Amazing! Subscribed!!!

[@ToyotaWorldRunners]

Welcome!!

[@dangingras3498]

Cool built, keep up the good work !

[@ToyotaWorldRunners]

Thank you!

[@JacobHaynes]

You don’t need a vapor barrier in your floor. Rigid insulation is a vapor barrier. You can fill in the gaps around the sides with spray foam

[@calcon6]

Dam it's so hard to find a good unit like that! I'll keep looking , can't wait to see the next stage of your build !

[@Fparrish]

You guys are crazy! But I love it! Dare to dream! 🤘🏻

[@ToyotaWorldRunners]

Crazy is slowly taking the place of both our middle names hahah

[@johnbraun6552]

Careful with putting steel tight against aluminum. two different types of metal touching will cause a galvanic reaction. pretty much like rusting.

[@ToyotaWorldRunners]

Yeah definitely. Good call

[@bolivianospk]

Lol you already know you have to take the 80 Hilux wheeling ;) Cant wait to see it. So stoked for build number 2 This thing is Going to be a legendary unit for decades to come!

[@ToyotaWorldRunners]

We think so too! Thanks for following along!

[@lukasmeyer1992]

Invest in high performance insulation, when you rebuild it. I love your project!

[@ToyotaWorldRunners]

Definitely a must!

[@doublen675]

This is an amazing project and I'm here for it. I was already subbed. Now I have notifications on for this. :)

[@ToyotaWorldRunners]

Cheers! We appreciate it!

[@jacobplater3843]

Hey just a comment on your floor sandwich. You don’t need vapour barrier above the rigid foam it is not vapour permeable. Caulk the edges of the foam and that’s it. Adding a layer of poly on the top or bottom or both will actually trap moisture.

[@ToyotaWorldRunners]

Thanks for the info, we appreciate it!

[@blkmoon5596]

If you follow Paul and learn from him especially when it comes to suspension work because he absolutely nails it.

[@tonycosta3302]

You should consider using dibond for surfaces. It’s stronger and lighter than aluminum. And you can probably find surplus sheets for cheap.

[@sookehooliganchino668]

Wicked! Stoked to tune into the new Build! 🙌

[@Jan-pw4po]

❤greetings from soggy Maple Ridge, that honeycomb looks the same as 70/80 s hollow interior house doors

[@ToyotaWorldRunners]

Ha, totally does!

[@ExploringWithTheBz]

I’ve done an abnormal amount of research on building a van, and have experience building aircraft interiors. I would caution against using rigid foam insulation and spray foam. Those products are designed for stationary structures like buildings. The biggest issue with these products in a mobile vehicle is that they are too rigid. They tend not to flex or move with the vehicle structure, resulting in a lot squeaking and popping. So with that said, if you want it to be right, if you want it to be solid, stay away from foam. I would recommend 3M Thinsulate or Havloc wool. Both offer excellent insulating qualities, fire resistance, moisture resistance, and best of all sound deadening qualities. Just my two cents. Good luck with your build..!

[@marcpikas2859]

But where do you buy that stuff? My Thinsulate jacket is almost as warm as my down one.

[@ExploringWithTheBz]

@ There are several online suppliers and it’s pretty reasonable in price. It comes in rolls by the yard. You also maybe be able to find at a local fabric or upholstery shop.

[@ToyotaWorldRunners]

Great info! I think we've decided to go with 3M Thinsulate!

[@ExploringWithTheBz]

@ Excellent choice! I think you’ll be very happy. Chad from @livingthevanlife has done two trips to the Arctic Circle with his Sprinter that he built with Thinsulate without any issues. If it can survive those temps, it can survive anything.

[@Morphic-Realms.]

epic mission on the rebuild, nothing beats getting it done the way you actually want it though - kudos to Stacey for getting amongst it and helping out, ya got a top notch chicky babe brother.... in'lakech both of you'

[@ToyotaWorldRunners]

We're pretty lucky to be able to work together on this!

[@scottcummings8074]

I used akfix spray foam and gun on my house and plan to build a camper with it. It's a big can that screws onto a gun and does a good job. I got it on Amazon. It would adhear to everything. It is solid as a brick and metal roofing. It would make.your.floor.and walls more rigid between the studs and reduce vibration. I think it was 470 for a big kit to cover around 500 sq ft at an inch. 400 without the gun and cleaner. I bet you would need 2 for the whole thing and you can get smaller amounts down to 1 can. I spent 7000 dollars doing my 1300 sq ft house. It also is a great vapor barrier ind would seal your rv. Just add vents and a fan. I'm off grid, but ended up putting in a minisplit to get rid of condensation, and the fireplace helps in the winter. I'm building a canper for my tundra and think I can have enough panels on my roof to power a minisplit tucked away in it.plus I have a bigger alternator on the truck for backup and welding. I run everything for ac only and use a 10000 watt low frequency inverter from power on ebay. They are 5 to7 hundred. I've had 1 out of 6 have problems in 15 years and run my house on a 16000 watt 24 volt 220 ac into normal breaker box. I lived years on a 10000 watt 12 volt 110-220 ac version and still have it for backup in my truck. Now I can jumpstart my house,lol. It's not to hard or expensive to have full house power for your rig compared to what prebuilt solar like ecoflow cost. I set my dad's camper up like this for 3000, and when the sun was out, it would run the ac without draining the batteries. It's more efficient to go to 24 volt, though.smaller cables and less amps also. Plus the batteries charge faster and can provide a higher demand to the inverter. Sorry for the long text though, I just wanted to share a couple of things I've learned that make a big difference in the end, not that yall don't do a wonderful job and have a rig you built anyone would be proud of.

[@Blackandblueoffroad]

Awesome guys can't wait to see

[@philgriswold2133]

It's always interesting to take something apart that you thought you knew end-to-end. There are always so many discoveries. Once you get her back together, she'll have no secrets. You really do need to wheel the chassis, even if you have to put some cardboard in the back to stay warm.

[@ToyotaWorldRunners]

Yep! We're so happy we did. The amount of rust and decay that we had no idea about was astonishing. Going to have to try and find a box!

[@CommonSenseHuman]

The cardboard honeycomb is not insulation, but is a stiffener for the floor and wall laminates to make them as lightweight but as stiff as possible. America’s Cup yachts, at least those built about 25 years ago, used aluminum honeycomb sandwiched with pre-preg carbon fiber for the same purpose.

[@ToyotaWorldRunners]

Man, grateful for the comment section so that we too can learn a thing!

[@UnderAchievrLP]

Thought it was going to be a total composites derived build. but this is gonna be great!!!

[@MedievalMinecrafters]

im so stoked!!!!

[@JosephGoins-m1y]

You guys already took the bottoms off lol😂 fram work 😊

[@cjg1482]

In regard to sealing the new floor structure with a vapor barrier on both sides, beware! When you think things are sealed, moisture will find a way in but it won’t find a way out. Keeping it so it can breathe is a safer way of going. An option would be to build the structure and fully spray bedliner it (not just the rattle can type).

[@chepeloc28]

go for it guys I can wait to see it finished 🎉😊👍🏻

[@ToyotaWorldRunners]

Cheers! We're so stoked!

[@ronedelenbos272]

If your budget allows, marine plywood throughout would be a good choice. 5/16 and 3/8 are super light and ridged. You can also source MDO plywood, Super strong and durable but a little heavier.

[@ToyotaWorldRunners]

Awesome, thanks for the tip!

[@blkmoon5596]

YEEEES Paul from FAB RATS!!!! Would of been awesome to have a 3D camera that you could of scanned when you had it empty so you could downloaded it and played with the program and build it on your computer before jumping into it

[@ToyotaWorldRunners]

haha yes! we will most likely be drawing it online to design the interior!

[@tinkteena23]

Amazing my friends

[@stevenjones6780]

A real testament to the original fiberglass that you can still use some of it...

[@ToyotaWorldRunners]

Exactly why we are re using it. So strong!

[@neils4271]

One heck of an ambitious project, you have your work cut out for you. Demolition is the easy part. Thinking it would have been nice if you had a laser scanner and solid model software to design your dream camper, easier to iterate a design then with metal, wood and fibreglass. Have fun, great adventures await.

[@ToyotaWorldRunners]

Very true. Once the demolition was done, there was an “oh crap” moment

[@OTFish]

love this content, following the build, stoked to see where it goes! also GO WHEELING ALWAYS

[@ToyotaWorldRunners]

ALWAYS AND FOREVER

[@Toyota_Ted]

I didn’t know we were doing old camper ASMR today. Crunchy goodness.

[@ToyotaWorldRunners]

HAHA crunchy goodness

[@mikeshuck2760]

I’m not a camper builder, but an aluminum boat owner. Lots of info out there rebuilding boats. Be careful of the type of wood. Some will react with aluminum. I would look at marine products for the build.

[@whiteblacksicktricks]

You should not have a vapor barrier on each side of the insulation, it can cause the moisture to get trapped.

[@mattcookeco]

Thats kraft paper honeycomb, when layed up with fiberglass or wood panels on either side it acts like the web in an ibeam giving the panels much more stiffness and strength. Kind of the predecessor to nydacore and plascore used in bost building and other structural fiberglass layups

[@cristian47639]

Watch some fourwheelcamper videos or go look at one of their dealers to get floor and roof idea of sheets of aluminum and welding. Pretty similar to your wants. Good content keep it up 🤟🏽

[@ToyotaWorldRunners]

Will do! Thanks for watching!

[@robgosse9923]

There is also a product called Coosa Board. Glass impregnated composite boards, different thickness. Good weight and indestructible.

[@ToyotaWorldRunners]

Been recommended this a couple times. Will have to check it out!

[@PatrickRTaylor-n8k]

I love the Skull Skates hoodie.❤

[@thebanjoman1963]

i don't care who/whats "top" is coming off. i'm watching...🙂

[@ToyotaWorldRunners]

lol yes!!

[@TonyToniToneJames]

Loved seeing this project enter reverse Engineering! Our family owned a 1979 Chinook, it was a blast! You guys definitely need to rock crawling just on the frame haha! Did you guys ever contact the Chinook Coachbuilders for any tips or original blue sheets; I think 1 important thing to consider is a fire-suppression system for the whole rig!

[@ToyotaWorldRunners]

So awesome! And it's something we've wanted to do for sooooooo long haha feels cathartic! We're also confident we know pretty much everything there is to know about these campers now. Fire suppression is key!

[@abucklife]

We used 25mm insulation board in our van with 12mm ply hoping this is warm for very cold climates.