roadstermatt Posted May 8, 2013 Share Posted May 8, 2013 looks like a good idea cant beat a strange idea project Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyrichard Posted May 8, 2013 Share Posted May 8, 2013 awsome !! going to be sweet QQ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Geiger Posted May 8, 2013 Author Share Posted May 8, 2013 Oh yes. This is going to be good. Is that the AMT '65 Elky camper? I've been wondering what to do with one of them and this has given me an idea. Now, where did I put that Batmobile... Yes. It is the one from the '65 Elky camper. The shape of it (to specifically fit the Elky roof) is a bit of a problem, but I've cut it into straight edges. I will be adding some metal to the sides of the back drop down, and squaring off that edge too, so it fits the '51. Right now I have a second camper soaking in stripper. I had another one, badly painted and the windows hogged out, in my parts box. I will be using the siding off this one to do the work on the good one. Now, overall the thing that's bothering me right now is that the camper doesn't really scale out. For instance the rear door is 20" wide x 48" tall. The 20" wide isn't a big issue (although I'd like to see a minimum of 24") but the 4' door height needs fixin'! Also, no matter what I do, the maximum height inside the camper will be about 5'. I think we'll just be living with that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davewilly Posted May 8, 2013 Share Posted May 8, 2013 Looks very cool...cant wait to see where this one goes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tabsscale1 Posted May 9, 2013 Share Posted May 9, 2013 Neat Idea Looks like a modern Hillbilly Mobile home! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Geiger Posted May 23, 2013 Author Share Posted May 23, 2013 (edited) I had a bit of free time this afternoon so I pulled the '51 Chevy back onto the workbench. It had been packed up so that I could do a quick build of the Rusty Corvette. Anyway, on our last visit, I was upset that the camper really didn't look right from the back. I dug out a badly built camper shell from my parts box, stripped the angry green paint from it and used it for parts to move this project forward. The camper I got from Rich Manson is the brownish plastic and the parts one is the white. I added some serious depth to the back by combining both back panels. Then I found sections of the parts piece side panels that would match the sides to make the drop down. Here's what I started with. The El Camino camper doesn't come down far enough and doesn't match up with the pickup bed on the sides. I think I've matched it up much better at this point. It's all glued and now I need to work it in so it looks right. I think I've changed the characteristics of that El Camino camper to fit the project. And it's onward from here... Edited May 23, 2013 by Tom Geiger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slusher Posted May 23, 2013 Share Posted May 23, 2013 That is really cool. What a creative ldea... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kennb Posted May 24, 2013 Share Posted May 24, 2013 coming along great Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Geiger Posted May 24, 2013 Author Share Posted May 24, 2013 Today's update without photos... Last evening I played a bit and assembled the suspension. Cool kit in that it includes different suspension height options. I used the extension blocks on the rear to raise it high. The front end comes with two sets of spindles. There are the stock ones and a pair that can be used to either raise or lower the nose, depending on which way you flip them. Of course I've set everything way high! I left it with the glue drying, so I'll have to pop four of those big Suburbanite snow tires on it to see what we've got! Once on wheels, I will be doing the unexciting work of making the body sit right on the chassis and fitting the underside of the pickup box and camper into it. Already I can see a lot of empty space under the pickup box, and seeing that the interior is less than a scale 5 foot deep, I will be carving out the bottom of the pickup box to give it some depth. And yes I will do another cool camper interior! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Cranky Posted May 24, 2013 Share Posted May 24, 2013 I love the idea and execution, Tom, and look forward to seeing more progress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Geiger Posted June 3, 2013 Author Share Posted June 3, 2013 (edited) Here she is up on wheels. I set the front spindles on the highest setting and used the raising blocks on the back. Since this is supposed to be a high desert or outback vehicle, ground clearance would be needed. And the good news is that the camper unit has come to shape and is fitted into the car. Previous photos were just squeeze fit. Although I don't have any photos, I also had to build up the interior to create the relationship between the body, interior and camper. The big problem for me was the shortcomings of the old El Camino camper shell. It was just done for visual appeal with no interior. My big enemy is my scale ruler. That's where I discovered that the darn thing sitting in the pickup bed was only three foot deep! So I thought about just going with it and blacking out the windows, but you know where that went with me. Next thing I knew I was carving plastic again. What you see here is the original bed cut into three sections and the center one dropped down two feet to match the rear door. That involved some engineering at the back, mainly that the pickup bed used to sit on the trunk lip, now cut away to allow for walk through. And from here I'll start fabricating the interior from basswood. Sleeping area will be over the cab, and I'll make one side all cabinets, an abbreviated kitchen, and the other side will be all couch. At the rear there will be a closet on either side of the door. Here's the camper unit bottom. Everything white is either Evergreen or part of a second camper unit. You can see where it mates up with the car cab. Now that I have a solid camper unit, I can do the trim repairs on the sides, as well as the fun part... creating the interior! Edited June 3, 2013 by Tom Geiger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wrecker388 Posted June 3, 2013 Share Posted June 3, 2013 Very cool Tom! I love these crazy campers of yours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davewilly Posted June 3, 2013 Share Posted June 3, 2013 Cant wait to see some more of this one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrKerry Posted June 4, 2013 Share Posted June 4, 2013 WOW, Way kool. Keep on Truckin' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Geiger Posted June 8, 2013 Author Share Posted June 8, 2013 Tonight's progress... got the galley roughed out. Starting on the right side, there's a closet. Next to that is a fridge that I'm scratch building from some shape from the parts box. It may have been the bottom of a large tool box or something. Now it's a refrigerator. Next is the cabinetry. I still have to do a two burner stove top and a sink. I may also add a microwave, like in my last camper. There will also be some wall cabinets, once I get the orientation of everything else. But that's enough for one sitting! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Geiger Posted June 14, 2013 Author Share Posted June 14, 2013 More progress. This week I got to sit down twice for an hour or two. I did get side tracked into painting a 2010 Mustang convertible body too. I'm easily distracted by bright shiny objects! This side was pretty much done the last time I posted. I added the sink from this part I found in my junk box. I have no idea what it really is, but it looked like a sink to me. I will drill a drain in it, the two existing holes will be covered. The faucet will sit in that lower edge in the back and probably have a bar of soap next to it. Once it's dull silver, you will think it's a sink. Same with the refrigerator. It may be the bottom of a tool box, the top of a gas tank, who knows.. but now it's a refrigerator. It will get a handle and a convincing paint scheme. Everything else is basswood held together with Bordens Wood Glue. The top is a piece of Evergreen. More view - Here's the perspective with the overhead bed. Mattress is again, a piece of basswood that will get a covering of tissue. I've gone thin since the height of the area is low. You aren't sitting up in bed, you are crawling in submarine style. I may have to do a thicker mattress, if so it will just be a double layer of the same wood. On the opposite side, I made another cabinet, this one with a lower cabinet but open shelves on the top. I did this just to add interest and make it different from the one across from it. It gives me an opportunity to make some shelf junk too. The bench seat will be upholstered. I'm not sure if it will have individual cushions just yet. There will be a table in the middle of it that will fold up into the wall between the two windows. And the view of it all. I think I want to take a wander around the country in it. I'm done with all the rough work at this point. So it's onward to starting to prime and finish pieces and parts. This is a fun project. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gramps2u Posted June 14, 2013 Share Posted June 14, 2013 Looking good Tom! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Most Posted June 14, 2013 Share Posted June 14, 2013 Now that's campy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramfins59 Posted June 14, 2013 Share Posted June 14, 2013 Tom you are progressing very nicely on this project. You've got a great feel for these camper projects. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eshaver Posted June 14, 2013 Share Posted June 14, 2013 (edited) This one reminds me of a Cadillac camper I saw on the H A M B . Either way, it's EXTREMELY ORIGINAL and fresh too ! This is the kind of thinking I'm always into !!!!! Keep up the great work sir . Edited June 14, 2013 by Eshaver Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knarf Posted June 15, 2013 Share Posted June 15, 2013 Do it Do it Do it Do it i concur Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Austin T Posted July 18, 2013 Share Posted July 18, 2013 Very nice job so far. I started making the inside of the camper for the el camino and came into the problem that all my occupants have to be hobbits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Johnny Posted July 18, 2013 Share Posted July 18, 2013 (edited) Nice! I like it! Working on one of my own based on the same camper shell mated to a 55 Nomad. Just mine will not get the interior detail like yours is getting. Edited July 18, 2013 by Johnny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Geiger Posted July 19, 2013 Author Share Posted July 19, 2013 Very nice job so far. I started making the inside of the camper for the el camino and came into the problem that all my occupants have to be hobbits. Yes! The back door is something like 40" tall before I modified it. And still my people need to be 5'-6" or less! The bed area above the cab is submarine like quarters. Nobody is sitting up in bed there! I just got a resin order of a few details for the camper. I soaked it all today and am ready to work. I got a propane bottle, a camp cook stove and some minor accessories I'll be using from Escort's Resin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Johnny Posted July 19, 2013 Share Posted July 19, 2013 Yes! The back door is something like 40" tall before I modified it. And still my people need to be 5'-6" or less! The bed area above the cab is submarine like quarters. Nobody is sitting up in bed there! I just got a resin order of a few details for the camper. I soaked it all today and am ready to work. I got a propane bottle, a camp cook stove and some minor accessories I'll be using from Escort's Resin. The thing is that is exactly what some of those vehicle specific campers were really like in 1:1! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.