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PEASHOOTER's M109A3 CAMPER Build Thread

red

red

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Don't know if you have installed your MRAP seats yet but as VPed stated, they are much more comfortable. During my trip from Midland Texas/Salt Lake City Utah most of my days of driving were 8-10 hours. No discomfort from the seats, zero back/butt/leg pain. Provides a comfortable reclined stance as well.
 
T

turnkey

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Great build so far peashooter...You won the state lottery and don't work for a living....Also have a machine shop and garage for all the little stuff....The very idea after idea that you come up with is just great....looking good and have fun with it...I just bought a 28 jayco....works good to ...
 
peashooter

peashooter

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turnkey said:
Great build so far peashooter...You won the state lottery and don't work for a living....Also have a machine shop and garage for all the little stuff....The very idea after idea that you come up with is just great....looking good and have fun with it...I just bought a 28 jayco....works good to ...
Click to expand...
Ha, thanks for the compliments but I'm too frugal to buy a lottery ticket;) I also just changed jobs so I lost access to a lot of the fun machine shop equipment I had enjoyed for the last 8 years. Many of the ideas on this thread aren't mine but from other members who I copied. Like you, I did just buy a jayco also (although it's a 97 popup from Craigslist) that our family is currently enjoying in Yellowstone for a road trip! I couldn't convince my wife to take the 109 out here and after some of the mountain passes and small tunnels, I'm glad we didn't take it. After this trip I'm selling the Popup and going back to the 109 though (couldn't get myself to spend $1000 on renting a camper so I bought an older one to use for 2 weeks then am selling it).
I'll have a few updates on the truck once I get back, Mrap seats are installed and a few smaller things finished and in the works but not much for big stuff.
 
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peashooter

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Well life has been busy lately. I took a new job a few months back and we did/are trying to do a lot of camping as our kids are at a good age for it. I haven't done too much to the deuce this year but I did do enough that I'll hopefully get some pictures for a few posts soon. Got the seats done finally, added some shelving in the box, a speedometer from an A3 truck (has the trip odometer on it) and some other stuff smaller stuff that I cant think of at the moment.
Here are a few pics from my phone of a kids cot that we bought earlier this year which helps out on the space constraints at night. So our 2 kids sleep on this and my wife and I on the couch that pulls out into a queen bed.
 

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Drunkle Scuzzy

Drunkle Scuzzy

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Glad i checked out your thread, I think I will get this camera for my CUCV M1010 camper build. Thanks for the info!

peashooter said:
Cab 1:One other thing I did nearly right away after buying the truck was to install a rear view camera. Since it’s a 109, there is a huge blind spot and I have small kids (can’t see anything right behind it). It’s a Rear View Safety brand backup camera (RVS-770613).
You can add up to 4 cameras to it and works with 12-24v, has the IR night vision too. Costco had the best price and they have an indefinite return policy. This unit had good reviews. I'm glad I installed it; it's not cheap but was a good value given the other options and certainly helps with parking and connecting to the trailer. http://m.costco.com/1-Backup-Camera-....11526596.html amazon has it also for a bit more $.

I just keep the camera on at all times and not just when the truck reverses. The camera is wired into #27 under the dash that gives power whenever the main switch is on...sort of works as a rearview mirror then when I’m driving and wondering if there is a vehicle right behind me in the blind spot.
Click to expand...
 
peashooter

peashooter

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Here are a few pics of the projects I did this summer to the deuce.... really didnt do too much. The seats were by far the biggest project since I ended up reupholstering them myself. I started that sometime last year and just finished recently!
Anyway, it took some trial and error to get them positioned in a way that gave me some leg room but still had as reclined of a backrest as possible (I'm 6'3" so leg room is important). For quite a while I didnt have the center seat in and it was nice, once I added the center seat it gets tight feeling again and my elbow keeps hitting it. It will be nice to have for those rare times that both kids ride up front with me though.

The other pics are random things like some shelves I put up, a neat little under cabinet fan I ran across on amazon, an outdoor garbage can that I made a mount for to slide into the van box's side ladder pockets, some storeage pans that slide into the kickplate area of the cabinets, and some folding towel bars I built.
 

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peashooter

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Here are some more pictures of revised supports that hold up the deck/platform between the truck and trailer (deck folds down so we dont need to unhook the trailer from the truck). Platform idea courtesy of Lowtech.
Previously the support arms were attached to the deck and could flop around while driving. The new design has them attached to the trailer and they fold up to connect them to the deck when its "deployed".
I also made some quick mounts for the scissors ladder. There are mounts on both sides of the deck so we can quickly attach the scissors ladder to either side of the deck. There are also mounts on both sides to attach the military style ladder that comes with the M109s.

This is what the deck support arms looked like before:
CIMG5592.jpg

This is what the revised setup looks like:
 

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peashooter

peashooter

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A couple more pics I had. First are of the camper parked at a family Bible camp we took it to this past weekend:
IMG_1746.jpgIMG_1743.jpg

These are of the rock parking pad area I finished up the other day. We try to hide the truck/trailer on the side of the garage as best as possible.
 

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bonedoc

bonedoc

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peashooter said:
Here are some more pictures of revised supports that hold up the deck/platform between the truck and trailer (deck folds down so we dont need to unhook the trailer from the truck). Platform idea courtesy of Lowtech.
Previously the support arms were attached to the deck and could flop around while driving. The new design has them attached to the trailer and they fold up to connect them to the deck when its "deployed".
I also made some quick mounts for the scissors ladder. There are mounts on both sides of the deck so we can quickly attach the scissors ladder to either side of the deck. There are also mounts on both sides to attach the military style ladder that comes with the M109s.

This is what the deck support arms looked like before:
View attachment 580406

This is what the revised setup looks like:
Click to expand...
Looks great Aaron!! I really like your truck and trailer set up!!
 
Another Ahab

Another Ahab

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peashooter said:
I also made some quick mounts for the scissors ladder. There are mounts on both sides of the deck so we can quickly attach the scissors ladder to either side of the deck. There are also mounts on both sides to attach the military style ladder that comes with the M109s.
Click to expand...
That scissors step is slick. Is there a handrail of any kind to post up for it?
 
Valence

Valence

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Did you put the smaller (~18") steering wheel in your truck?

If so, how do you like it?

If not, do you mind sharing your reasoning?
 
peashooter

peashooter

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Valence said:
Did you put the smaller (~18") steering wheel in your truck?

If so, how do you like it?

If not, do you mind sharing your reasoning?
Click to expand...
yes, I traded some items for a new 18" steering wheel from the a3 trucks. It is more comfy since it's got some cushion to the wheel. It does give you an extra inch of belly room also which isn't much but every bit helps in the deuce. My truck came with air assist steering and I've never driven a deuce without it so I don't know what the effort would be like for a "regular" unassisted steering deuce when using the smaller 18" wheel.
 
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