[Technotron101]

Hey fellas,

Just throwing more stupid ideas around again and looking for some input if you don't mind haha

I've got in my mind a camper shell a la GoFastCampers or the Vagabond Drifter in the US (look them up, I especially Iike the GFC) for my lwb Sierra. Obviously scaled down and built lightweight Suzuki style

I'd drop the fibreglass canopy I'm running now, strip the bed out and start again with a pop top, bed up top and standing room inside with bed panels removed. Small seat/box built uber-lightweight on the right hand side, fridge and water right behind the seats front and centre, and a full height cabinet/box up the left, again, built super lightweight. Then each of the three sides pop up as a gullwing, gaining access to said cabinet from the outside as well. Throw a fold out table from inside the gullwing and you've got a full indoor/outdoor kitchen.

What I'm interested in, is weight. I understand fully that this is absolutely not the right platform for a camper, and just about any other car on the market is better suited, but I see no challenge in that. I'm interested in what can be done about payload in a Sierra. Obviously tare is about 1000kg, give or take, and I'll have to strip mine and take it down to the weighbridge and see for sure in my case, but that means I've got 390kg to play with before I'm at gvm.

I've crunched numbers over and over again and I see no way I can come in under gvm. I'm going to be at least 20-30kg over, no two ways about it.


My question to you then is, is there any way I can either rerate (literally for legality's sake, it doesn't mean shit for the stresses on the car) or simply beef up anything I can to help take some load off the car.

I know for example the rear axle housing is prone to cracking, and a truss would help with that, but is there anything else, either driveline or suspension related that's a common failure point for overloaded cars that I can do anything about?


Again, I know this seems ridiculous and I should just buy a Hilux and be done with it, but I will do this, and I'm gonna make it happen somehow. I just need to find the best way.

Thanks in advance for your input though guys, it's much appreciated. Interested to see how the discussion plays out.

[Eddy]

Technotron101 wrote:

...and I should just buy a Hilux and be done with it, .

wash your mouth out!!

Pretty sure GVM increases are being phased out. Already been reduce in SA by about half.

Probably the heaviest part of your build is going to be the framework needed for the bed up top bit.

Following the recent mini tourer discussion, I been fiddling a bit with old bit of plywood and assorted shit in the LWB Vit, with a bed at floor level and kitchen storage etc inside the back door up over the foot of the sleeping area. So far it looks pretty good.

If you could maybe put the bed on top of the tub itself, fold it forward and have your standing room thing in the back bit and on the tailgate?

[Technotron101]

Eddy wrote:

wash your mouth out!!

Can you see why I'm sticking with a Suzuki

I actually have a fully functioning camper in the car now, except I'm yearning for the ability to sit up in bed, and to stand up and cook inside if the weather is atrocious. It works well as it is for what I'm currently doing in it, which is short weekender camps, but I want to do more longer distance camps and stay in the car for potentially weeks at a time and not being able to stand up and being forced to do everything outside is already getting old. Plus Sierras are quite small inside anyway so it's hard to make the bed any lower than I have it.

[Eddy]

Technotron101 wrote:

... yearning for the ability to sit up in bed,

absolutely imperative !



4WD Carry ?

[sideways]

I looked into increasing the gvm of a Suzuki recently. It would involve a brake fade test and potentially a lane change test. The engineer was happy to approve a lot of things for reasonable prices but the minor gvm increase would run into the thousands. Of course that was just that engineer here in W.A.

[Technotron101]

That's interesting to hear that it's possible. I'd probably end up doing a rear disk conversion anyway both for engineering and simply to have better brakes, but what there stuff did he want to engineer the gvm increase?

I'd only be looking at 100-150kg increase tops

[Gwagensteve]

I'm massively confused.

Quote:

(literally for legality's sake, it doesn't mean shit for the stresses on the car)

Huh? So you don't think exceeding GVM is a problem, only a legal problem? I believe that lightly sautéed baby is really delicious. Is that the best way of cooking baby? I don't care about the legalities.

Quote:

or simply beef up anything I can to help take some load off the car.

So adding weight by adding heavier components reduces load by adding load? Right.

Quote:

I know for example the rear axle housing is prone to cracking, and a truss would help with that, but is there anything else, either driveline or suspension related that's a common failure point for overloaded cars that I can do anything about?


Again, I know this seems ridiculous and I should just buy a Hilux and be done with it, but I will do this, and I'm gonna make it happen somehow. I just need to find the best way.

see baby example above.

See why I'm confused?

Increased GVM has been engineered in Sierras. Basically, you can likely approach the GVM of a Vitara by using Vitara axles/wheelbearings and having some very careful (or possibly evasive) conversations with an engineer, so you can probably add 150kg of payload or so. If you told the engineer you wanted to up the GVM and put a huge great shed on the back, I think you'd be kidding yourself. You won't be 20-30KG over GVM. You're going to be 200-300kg over GVM. Seriously, buy the right car for the job. A Sierra with a camper on it is always going to be hideous to drive. Even if you can get the GVM legal. That's because you don't ever want to build a car that's a t the limit of its GVM just to roll down the road. That's like buying a stereo that has to be turned to maximum just to hear it - everything is on the ragged edge. Cars aren't engineered to operate at GVM all the time. They're engineered to operate at about 30-50% of payload all the time.

Let's use the example of taking a Sierra and legally upgrading the GVM using vitara components. you've now taken a car with all it's systems over maximum capacity to a car with some of its systems over maximum capacity (cooling? spring design? shock mounts? body mounts?) and some of its systems at maximum capacity (brakes, wheel bearings, axle housing)

Lets say you went looking at a hilux to replace the Sierra with - would you buy one that the owner told you has been loaded to maximum payload for it's entire life, our one thats been driven around empty, all things being equal? Of course you'll choose the car that's been driven empty, because the car that's driven around at GVM will be trashed. Same point here - don't build a car that's right at the edge of failure.

[Gwagensteve]

Oh, and look into engineering a rear di$$$$$$k conversion. It's quite fraught.

You'd be wise to pick the complete brake system in total for a car with the GVM you require, but even then engineers HATE engineering brake systems.

[sideways]

Technotron101 wrote:

That's interesting to hear that it's possible. I'd probably end up doing a rear disk conversion anyway both for engineering and simply to have better brakes, but what there stuff did he want to engineer the gvm increase?

I'd only be looking at 100-150kg increase tops

Basically, if it passes the tests it's all good. There's no arbitary requirement for you to upgrade anything. I was only looking at +100kg too, just to totally cover me for extra weight touring. I don't think I'll actually be over gvm but my thought was if it's cheap/easy enough to increase the gvm by a small amount then why not.

Because you have to hire barbagallo raceway and a driver it does get very expensive. I think he said I'd be looking at around $3k for the approval for gvm.

I'd suggest you call an engineer and discuss it. A different guy in a different state probably has a different process.

[got_bar_work]

I think the only way you would get the weight low enough would be to get every bit made of a vacuum bagged foam sandwich by a composites engineer.
Build a camper thats 400kg payload right there

[alien]

Couldn't you focus on building a really good pop-up trailer instead? My grandfather built one years ago and got it rego'd - towed it behind his Rav4 around Australia twice. The thing was about 6m long, 2m wide and once popped up you could comfortably stand, use the built in kitchen, toilet etc and there was a double bed! Weight was SUPER low with the top half being mostly aluminium channels and composite panels. With a jockey wheel on the towball, one person could push it around the yard with ease (fully loaded).

[shakes]

If you set on using your sierra... A good tent and awning is far more practical.

Something like this is your worried about set up time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_qGGQpf5XY


Option 2 is a trailer like christover built.

Best option if your set on the camper style 4x4. Buy a converted landcruiser or defender and deal with the land barge-isms.

[bumstein]

What happened to Mr Rocky’s? That was a work of art!! I know he sold it but it did pop up again somewhere.