We started with 2010 Chevy 4X4 3500HD long bed, extended cab with a 6 liter gas engine. We have the snow-plow package which beefs-up the front suspension for the Off-Road Bumper. It also included most of what you get with the off-road package like the locking-diff.
Cut some insulation for the back side windows, not only to keep the heat out but to also hide the stuff in the back from prying eyes.
This was the original plan and would have worked, but we found this fantastic stuff called Smash and Grab film that not only darkens the windows so you can't see in but also protects the glass from being smashed by an intruder! Watch this incredible YouTube video to see what I mean:
We couldn't get this stuff anywhere on the East coast so we had it installed on all 4 side windows by RD Window Tint in Colorado Springs on our way out to have the flatbed done.
Next stop Layne of Denver Off Road in Grand Junction CO to get the flatbed and bumpers installed.
Off with the bumper
Off with the bed
On with the flatbed
Meanwhile Marc is building the XP in California
Popping it out of its mold
Then putting the pieces together like Lego blocks.
Annie and Marc discussing where the toilet paper holder should go. I kid you not, this was a half-hour conversation. That is what happens when a German who is fanatical about detail and a New Englander who is equally fanatical about detail get together. God bless them both.
That damn door
Final touches before we do a test load onto the truck
Dinette cushions and kitchen sink
Great teak floor
Shower and toilet with real teak slats on floor
Back to Layne in Colorado to replace the ladder with a beefier version.
That is Layne on the right.
The sand-ladders bolted under the flatbed on slides.
They became the foundation for our slide-out table but that is another story.
New steps with skid pads installed
Rear bumper and the back door on flatbed that hides my slide-out table.
And here we have the 'almost' finished expedition Camper.
I say 'almost' because there is always something else that you need.
In our case we wanted to beef up the suspension for our expedition so we had Super Springs installed on the rear, Sumo springs on the front and we raised the front end 3 inches with a new key from Central 4 Wheel Drive in Sacramento.
We also bought steel 19.5" wheels from Rickson with Michelin XDS2 245/75/19.5 tires.
Rickson wheels installed.
Now we are ready to ship her, but what about tools and spare parts? It is so hard to decide what to take and what to leave behind when we are going to be gone for 2 years and maybe longer!
Here is the collection I am taking. Spanners and screwdrivers have their own wrap-around cloth/canvas bags that Annie made to stop them banging into each other on the rough roads and it also keeps them well organized.
Thankfully everything fits in 2 tool boxes that slide under the sub-floor in the back of the cab.
Here is Bush Baby on the dock in Baltimore waiting for the ship to arrive. She does have a campervan from Germany and a motorhome from Norway to keep her company.
Now what do we do for 3 weeks while she is in transit, oh I know let's update the blog in between getting all the other things that need to be done for international travel.
Great blog! I have been waiting for an XPCamper owner to start describing this unique rig! I like the high res pictures.
ReplyDeleteWhy did you pick a Chevy? Do you expect to run into clearance issues with the low frame (compared to Ford and Ram)?
Why did you pick a gas engine, when the camper's systems are diesel fired? Was it because of the Duramax emissions and the low sulfur fuel requirement? Are you planning to carry additional gas, and how?
What sort of winch and recovery gear are you planning to add? I like the sand ladders, but they will be a real pain to remove if you are bogged in soft sand or mud.
Thanks and have fun!
JD
Hey JD, great questions!
ReplyDeleteI will start with the easy one, not because it is easy to answer but because it was an easy decision for us. We decided on gas over diesel because of the low sulfur availability issues in most 3rd world countries. For instance you can only get “clean diesel” in the big cities in South Africa, but the rest of Africa, not so much. The same applies to Central and South America where it is not available at all. The XP does not tap into the vehicle fuel tank for it diesel appliances as it has its own fuel tank in the passenger side rear bin. You can see the vents to this bin in the shot of new ladder.
On the F550 Xplorer we had a Reunel bumper with a Warn 12000 winch and in all our travels never needed it, oh we did pull others out of trouble but never ourselves. We used the sand ladders more than once though. Weight and expense also comes into the equation. The sand ladders are on a slide so they will be a pain to get to but not as bad as you would think. It is all about “where does everything go” in such a small rig. The only additional recovery equipment is our 30ft heavy duty tow-strap. I want to say it has a 30,000 lb weight capacity but it is on the truck which is on the ship so I can’t check.
Ah, the Chevy…. I have always owned Fords and the 7.3L engine has been so reliable for us that this was difficult. We thought about going with a ’05 Cummins in an Ex-British army DAF but that presented huge logistical and registration problems so we passed. During my research I found that the 6 liter gas engine from GM is sold in many vehicles in other countries including the Chevy Lumina Ute in South Africa and the Holden UTE in Australia… Who knew? The same is not true for the Ford engines. We did get in touch with some V.P. at Chevy who confirmed this and he put is in touch with an engineer in South Africa who stated that although the engines sold overseas are tuned differently almost all their parts are interchangeable. Decision made. Low frame, yeah small problem but that was more about installing the flatbed though than ground clearance.
Wow, this turned out much longer than I intended!