Laharview Farm Camper Build

[breeze]

How are you going to fit a motorcycle in there now, on the trailer?

 

Thanks.

[laharview]

Hi Breeze,

 

I use a trailer hitch rack.  Beefed it up a bit and it works well.  The photo was taken before added windows and wrap.

 

 

Best Regards,

Mike

[breeze]

Hi Breeze,

 

I use a trailer hitch rack.  Beefed it up a bit and it works well.  The photo was taken before added windows and wrap.

 

IMG_20151004_130036097.jpg

 

Best Regards,

Mike

 

That's the optimum solution, except for stealth and protection. It's going to be a significant part of my cargo area, requiring many hours of thought to take advantage of the vertical unoccupied space in the tall van. I guess I should start watching "Tiny House", ha ha.

 

If there were an aerodynamic enclosure around the bike on the rear trailer hitch/bumper like yours, then that may be something worth pondering about, but I haven't seen anything like that yet. 450 lbs.for my bike would be enough weight hanging on the rear bumper, so the enclosure would have to be AL sheets like used on pickup-truck bed-dressings (rail tops, inside gate.) It would sure make things a whole lot easier to fit!

 

** With just your bike on the rear bumper, does your gas mileage take a big hit, or is the Drag Coefficient virtually unnoticeable by gas mileage?

 

Thanks!

***********************************************************************************

However, this may support an AL enclosure, but lots of details to investigate. But it's a lot closer than any other hitch-tote I've seen. This looks economical tool, minus the lift/winch/etc... to lift it. It looks sturdy and cheap :-)

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9H_Egu0f2f4

 

Combined with an enclosure like this except w/o curves maybe - ? (I need to study rear aero-draft spoiler shapes- ?)

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKV58DLC_Jw

 

Or this looks like a mini-version, except only an email contact -? But actually, that's a lot of $,$$$ hanging off the bumper, not to mention the off-sprung weight for carrying near 100% of the time. Back to plan A, and if I need the room inside temporarily, I'll use your cost effective idea!

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rE3vcKHCjpk

Edited January 21, 2017 by breeze

[laharview]

Hi Breeze,

I have made the same run a over the Cascades few times with and without the Bike and fuel consumption was the same.  I prefer the simplicity of this type of mount and ease of removal so I can haul the heavy stuff!

 

 

Best Regards,

Mike

[laharview]

Built a Cooler Cart for ease of moving the cooler out from under the bed platform.  Just lift the handle a inch and the wheels make contact with the floor and she rolls easy.

 

 

 

[andy_george]

Smart design! Moves easier and no scratching the floor. Well done!

[SilverNV]

Awning (6).JPGAwning (1).JPGAwning (2).JPGAwning (7).jpgAwning (3).JPGAwning (4).JPGAwning (5).JPGAwning (8).jpgAwning (9).jpgAwning (10).jpg

 

Got the awning mounted.  Bought the F45S 2.6m and used Ford Transit mounts 986955-741.  The awning came with wall mounts so I shimmed one and used in in the middle.  Maybe a bit overkill but turned out very solid.  The photos show the shim thickness needed and the location on the side.  I used 1/4" Riv Nuts on the top holes and the supplied screws on the bottom holes.  I placed the order directly with Fiamma USA.  The Ford mounts do not show up on their web site but they are a stocked item.  Lots of rain here so am working under the tarp again!

 

Thanks for the write up, this is my next mod.

[laharview]

You are welcome!  Double check the shim thickness with a good straight edge, the body can vary a bit.

[laharview]

Mother nature refuses to stop the rain in the Puget Sound area so I added a rain guard to my Fiamma Awning to stop the drips at the sliding door.

 

I used the Fiamma Rain Guard Seal 9mm and installed it in the groove in the awning body.  Then I topped it off with an aluminum strip attached to the mounting points on the roof.

 

This part does not show up on the FiammaUSA site but they have it in stock.  Give them a call, nice folks

 

Edited June 18, 2017 by laharview

[nihil_perditi]

Thanks for sharing the update on the awning.  Are you pretty happy with it so far?  This is on my to-do list but I have a lot of other items to tackle before.  

[laharview]

Awning has worked out great.  It may seem a bit pricey up front but I think it is high quality and have used our almost every outing.

Edited June 29, 2017 by laharview

[laharview]

Botched this post.  How to delete it?

Edited June 29, 2017 by laharview

[laharview]

I modified a Boat trailer to haul our two place Kayak or both DR 350's.  Went to Banks Lake last weekend and it did the job.

 

Edited June 29, 2017 by laharview

[radin2son]

Just say something clever and hope no one noticed...

[laharview]

Family photo. The NV200 we use to read water meters, mine is the high top, and one of my field techs just bought a 2016 NV2500 low top to convert.

 

Edited July 11, 2017 by laharview

[radin2son]

Cute. There has to a children's story here...

[laharview]

Last trip through Idaho and Montana got just over 17 MPG!

[laharview]

Bought the big Skeeter Beater for the back door and found it a bit of a challenge to get up solo.  So we sewed a horizontal rod pocket near the top and used a piece of 5/16" solid round stock as a curtain rod.  The bag works good for storage and it is now very fast to deploy.

 

 

 

[radin2son]

Did they not give you the “super” magnets? They mailed us a pair to better hold the top in place.

 

Send them photos of your solution and ask for the magnets as well. You can use them on the sides or bottom.

[laharview]

Hi radin2son,

 

They sent the magnets however the rod carries the weight so I did not need them.  They do work good for holding phone charger cords, brew openers, etc!

 

I'll send them the photos as well.

 

Best Regards,

Mike

[laharview]

Just got back from 17 days out and 3,524 miles.  Traveled through Washington, Idaho, Montana, South Dakota, Wyoming, up through Glacier into B.C. and home through Okanogan Valley.  Took every back road possible and avoided interstates most of the trip.  This is year 3 for my simple build and so far would not change a thing.  

 

 

 

[ASD Dad]

That lake is beautiful in the last photo!  

[laharview]

That's Ashley Lake west of Kalispell, MT.  One of the free, dispersed campgrounds we stayed at.

[laharview]

Hi All,

It's been 6 years now since I did this simple build.  We still spend about 70 days a year on the road and have not changed anything!  Going to have to loose that silly day job.

Edited June 13, 2021 by laharview
missing space

[Local Apparent Friday]

@laharview Still out there traveling?