Bigboom338
Active Member
I assume that you will have a camera on the camper also?
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4500 Camper/Jeep Hauler Build
- Thread starter gprguy
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- 4500 camper chassis cab jeep
gprguy
Well-Known Member
I’ve removed the wireless camera that came with our camper and put a DRVM trailer camera in its place. One of the big goals of this project was to get rid of all the monitors and TPMS displays and crap all over the dash on the last truck.
Bigboom338
Active Member
I can relate to what you are doing. I have a wireless system, monitor fastened to the rear veiw mirror and I have a Bulletpoint rubigrid phone mount on the dash. It is kind of busy up there.
I can't imagine towing without a camera watching my trailer/toad anymore.
I can't imagine towing without a camera watching my trailer/toad anymore.
oledirteh
Well-Known Member
i wish i had a friend like you lol. then maybe i could get my rock crawler build started lol.
gprguy
Well-Known Member
More final assembly. All of the little bolts are installed and tightened and the 4 swiveling D-rings are in place. These are stainless steel and held in place with 8 grade 5 knurled carriage bolts each. Unfortunately the bolts aren't stainless, but I couldn't find knurled in stainless. This is more bolts than my car hauler uses for the same tie downs so it should be plenty.
Next - finishing up the front lip that the camper will rest against. This needed the holes countersunk for the 1/2" and 5/8" stainless flat head bolts.
And installed.
Last I installed the camera, mud flaps and tail lights with the brackets that I painted up earlier this week.
And just for fun because the jacks were on blocks anyway, and because @Great White North Eh asked a while back (I think) - yes, the truck can lift itself off the ground. The pump didn't even strain.
Tomorrow I want to get the fill necks trimmed to length and temporarily installed, install the SnapPads that showed up today, and then test fit the camper. Gonna be a big day if I can get all that done!
Next - finishing up the front lip that the camper will rest against. This needed the holes countersunk for the 1/2" and 5/8" stainless flat head bolts.
And installed.
Last I installed the camera, mud flaps and tail lights with the brackets that I painted up earlier this week.
And just for fun because the jacks were on blocks anyway, and because @Great White North Eh asked a while back (I think) - yes, the truck can lift itself off the ground. The pump didn't even strain.
Tomorrow I want to get the fill necks trimmed to length and temporarily installed, install the SnapPads that showed up today, and then test fit the camper. Gonna be a big day if I can get all that done!
gprguy
Well-Known Member
Yes, but the only place I am at all concerned about is the underside of the heads on those big bolts. I can easily keep an eye on them and if needed add some insulating paste or something in there, or some extra never seize. All of the other stainless fasteners are so small in relation I don't think it'll be a problem - not like the truck will be submerged (I hope). The truck generally doesn't live outside permanently either.
gprguy
Well-Known Member
Fillnecks installed. I won't rivet the surrounds in until I make the edge trim for the bed.
SnapPads installed. Put a full set on the truck and got one for the EQ systems tongue jack on our enclosed trailer as well. Looks to be a high quality product, easy install, should prevent me leaving divots in asphalt while camping.
Back down at ride height.
Tomorrow I clear the junk out from in front of the camper and we see if it fits.
SnapPads installed. Put a full set on the truck and got one for the EQ systems tongue jack on our enclosed trailer as well. Looks to be a high quality product, easy install, should prevent me leaving divots in asphalt while camping.
Back down at ride height.
Tomorrow I clear the junk out from in front of the camper and we see if it fits.
gprguy
Well-Known Member
Absolutely. That's the plan for the weekend, and it should be the last fabrication project before the first trip. But I can test fit it today and I want to do that first - it's been a 2.5 year project and 1.5 years of fabrication.. I need some payoff. And thanks!
ramblinChet
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Maybe weight your rig prior to installing the camper since you have the original weight of your rig? And maybe a final weight once everything has been installed. It would be very interesting to know exactly how much weight was added during different phases of construction. Happy trails!
gprguy
Well-Known Member
Absolutely - I've been weighing it as I go at major milestones and will do the same when it's done, both with and without our very heavy camper. Thanks!
gprguy
Well-Known Member
Big day.
Summer 2022 - my wife and I decide it's time to upgrade the truck, we don't have the storage space we want in our 3500 dually. We consider putting a camper bed on it, but compared to starting over with a chassis cab that just doesn't make sense. I spend the next 6 months trying to order a 5500.
December 2022 - Finally find a dealer that's not a clown and order a nice white 5500 Limited.
February 2023 - The truck rolls down the assembly line.
April 2023 - There is a hail storm in Mexico. After that, there's no further updates on my truck. At one point my truck order status page shows it's actually a Promaster van. I'm not even sure if that was a glitch.
June 2023 - I get fed up waiting for a truck that is probably hail damaged and just gone in a black hole. I find a close enough silver 4500 in Wisconsin and have it shipped cross country to me.
June 26, 2023 - Our new 4500 arrives and I start this thread.
18 or so months of fabrication later, and here we are.
Started the day off by trimming the horse stall mats to fit for the camper to sit on. This shows the footprint of the camper nicely and all the storage we will have down the sides.
I pulled it outside while I moved stuff out of the way of the camper. It's been inside waiting since our last trip in April 2023.
Then the big moment, I lowered the air suspension down, set the camper on it, and put together some new shorter Fastguns.
Looks like I measured right after all. It fits great - it does need some thicker bumpers on the front of the camper but that was expected and they will be here tomorrow.
After all that I put it back inside, dropped the suspension and hit the auto level on the hydraulics. Worked just like it should. Last thing I did today was see if the spares fit. I wasn't sure since the Lance has a lower floor than some campers, but it worked out perfectly.
There's an inch or more clearance back there. I might make a spacer to push the tires out another 1/2" just for extra margin but that's not a priority at the moment.
The plan for tomorrow is to finish up wiring the rear camera on the camper and then take the camper back off so I can finish the trim around the bed. Once I get that done I will do some test driving and get some weights next week.
Summer 2022 - my wife and I decide it's time to upgrade the truck, we don't have the storage space we want in our 3500 dually. We consider putting a camper bed on it, but compared to starting over with a chassis cab that just doesn't make sense. I spend the next 6 months trying to order a 5500.
December 2022 - Finally find a dealer that's not a clown and order a nice white 5500 Limited.
February 2023 - The truck rolls down the assembly line.
April 2023 - There is a hail storm in Mexico. After that, there's no further updates on my truck. At one point my truck order status page shows it's actually a Promaster van. I'm not even sure if that was a glitch.
June 2023 - I get fed up waiting for a truck that is probably hail damaged and just gone in a black hole. I find a close enough silver 4500 in Wisconsin and have it shipped cross country to me.
June 26, 2023 - Our new 4500 arrives and I start this thread.
18 or so months of fabrication later, and here we are.
Started the day off by trimming the horse stall mats to fit for the camper to sit on. This shows the footprint of the camper nicely and all the storage we will have down the sides.
I pulled it outside while I moved stuff out of the way of the camper. It's been inside waiting since our last trip in April 2023.
Then the big moment, I lowered the air suspension down, set the camper on it, and put together some new shorter Fastguns.
Looks like I measured right after all. It fits great - it does need some thicker bumpers on the front of the camper but that was expected and they will be here tomorrow.
After all that I put it back inside, dropped the suspension and hit the auto level on the hydraulics. Worked just like it should. Last thing I did today was see if the spares fit. I wasn't sure since the Lance has a lower floor than some campers, but it worked out perfectly.
There's an inch or more clearance back there. I might make a spacer to push the tires out another 1/2" just for extra margin but that's not a priority at the moment.
The plan for tomorrow is to finish up wiring the rear camera on the camper and then take the camper back off so I can finish the trim around the bed. Once I get that done I will do some test driving and get some weights next week.
Great White North Eh
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Here I was secretly hoping that it wouldn’t fit… you would throw your arms up in the air in a fit of rage and give me the truck. Darn I guess I’ll just keep kickin rocks. 
Great White North Eh
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By the way it looks FAB tastic … good job.
gprguy
Well-Known Member
Thanks!
You might want to think about a backup securing system for those snap pads. Safety wire or something. I've seen more than a few posts of folks loosing them off RV's. Now maybe they're dragging them, but food for thought...
gprguy
Well-Known Member
I probably will, but mainly for the front ones. They have different styles and attachment methods depending on the size of jack/pad. I can't see the rear ones ever coming off, they took a lot of force to get on. The front ones, if I dragged them, maybe...