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You can drive it, but there really isn't any good shuttle skiing in Utah that I know of.Quote:
Originally Posted by kidwoo
It might not be as fast as a sled, or as burly as a $200k snowcat, but it rides smooth, it's fairly quiet, the heater works, and it's comfortable.
I can think of no better way to get to the bottom of your skin up something than kicking it on a couch with a sound system with some good peeps. Beer on the return.
And that's coming from someone who just spent 8k on a new sled too. ;)
Or a hot drink off the stove and some bacon.Quote:
Originally Posted by kidwoo
Might be time to change neighborhoods.Quote:
Originally Posted by Trackhead
Well done, great looking rig, can't wait to read subsequent TR's.
Haha. What the hell kind of couch fits in there? Can you seat two? Pics, pleaseQuote:
Originally Posted by Trackhead
Edit: I guess you probably have the cab open through to the back end? Can you shimmy between the front seats and the camper? Remove the passenger seat for a larger space?
Two seater "couch" with storage and shitter below. This is standing up in camper, looking down at couch and right window. Three could sit on couch. But when the pop top is up, there is a bed over the cab and another bed over the right window, so really, there's a shit ton of seating in there. Comfy for four, easy.
http://i795.photobucket.com/albums/y...-03-29_514.jpg
Cupboards and "kitchen" on the left. Kid is on floor, with 10g water tank, or whatever else below.
http://i795.photobucket.com/albums/y...-32-59_647.jpg
What's the stove setup? Propane, I assume? Built-in burners or Coleman-style fold-up?
How about water? Do you run an electric pump? Gray water to shitter tank?
And what about the shell itself? Fiberglass? Did you build a mold or do the panels separately? The tail light bosses look really clean.
And thanks for sharing this project and answering questions. I've had dreams of doing a home-made 4x4 minicamper with a Tacoma for a while now, and this is inspiring.
Congrats on the kid, btw.
Tank to 12v pump. No gray/black tank, just a porta-potty in this one. Gray water to ground, hippy soap.Quote:
Originally Posted by Norseman
Truck "bed" is wood encased in fiberglass on both sides. Walls are two layers of 1" pink polstyrene foam encased in fiberglass. First coat of glass needs to be epoxy, as resin will eat the foam. So I made the tub, then bolted it to the frame. Then made the camper out of foam, then encased it in glass (2 layers on walls-3 on corners). Then sanded the shit out of it with bondo for filler and smoothing. The camper is fused to the cab with a wood frame covered in glass. There's no way it's going anywhere, in part because it's small and light, and also very strong.
Total weight above stock hard top samurai is about 300lbs. I could have shaved probably 50lbs of that if I were to do it again.
In a year or two I might buy an old, piece of shit Toyota truck and build another one just for fun. I learned so much doing this one and I'd like another crack at it. Probably just build it, then sell it. Hobby stuff to occupy my mind.
I will do slave labor for a ride up the mirror lake road or similar.
That is a really cool looking samurai, even better with the tracks. I'd also like to try a project like that at some point.
I'm serious about the first part.
I just wanted to emerge from thread lurker status to say that thing is super bad ass. Props.
Damn, that rig looks ready for a serious expedition! http://www.strangevehicles.com/image...ent/116053.JPG
Add another to the list of TR anticipation.
Any updates? Trip reorts?? Anything???
Rode in a van converted with Mattracks to get to the Cat at SJCS, a buddy has been obsessed with getting one ever since.
Tushars next month......canceled a January trip....no snow. We finally got some.Quote:
Originally Posted by Flake
duuuuude. that thing is awesome.
This is AWESOME! Now I see what you were thinking when you called a few months back. Did you get anywhere? If anything, I assume watershed would be the issue.
Whats (roughly) the diameter of the drive sprockets? They look small, gear reduction must be huge.
Have you figured out a ballpark PSI yet? Curious. I want to take an older AWD Toyota van - the midengined deal - lighten it up as much as possible (plastic windows and whatnot), see what that gets me.
Hrmph. Awesome.
Iain
Trackhead I mean this in the nicest of ways and this is merely derived from my pure envy and hatred ensuing from the former, but fuck you for being so much more ahead of me in life :wink:.
Hot damn that's a nicelooking set up and good job.
You've always been a creative individual by my forum followings of you.
Well done sir, well done.
i've always vaguely wondered where the name trackhead came from.. :)
totally rad rig!! what a great idea! impressive that the extra stuff on back only weighs about 300lbs.
when slow speeds were mentioned, i was instantly reminded of the ripsaw.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_iup2jXQqI
by the way, i love the dogface picture Trackhead... makes me smile every time i see it.
Decided to make it a DEDICATED snow machine, so to make it perform the best, weight is the ultimate concern. Chopped the camper off (ouch), now I will rebuild it with a soft shell to keep it super light.
Cruised up Guardsman in 4-6" of new snow at 12mph pretty easy (uphill at 9,500ft). Super fun rig!
http://i795.photobucket.com/albums/y...8228469583.jpg
Click for slideshow.
http://s795.photobucket.com/albums/y...view=slideshow
So glad to see this thread/idea come to snowy fruition. Must be a bit colder w/out the back/top on.
Great to see the update...
So, the camper part is gone for good, or gone to a new home?
Gone! I'm going to rebuild a modular system that will be uber-light weight. I learned a ton building the first one, but weight is everything, and this will be a hut access/family rig, so camper for summer, soft top for winter.Quote:
Originally Posted by AlpenChronicHabitual
I don't get it. The camper was the best part, and it being a 2 season self contained vehicle. If you just wanted a snow crawler, why not just track up a used utv?
SAMURAI! LOL that is so awesome. nice work man. You've been killin' it all over the 'satch for years and this is no exception.
Camper will be back, but it will lighter and better designed. Ultimately, I wasn't quite happy with the camper. Never built one before, learned a lot, and v2.0 will be better.Quote:
Originally Posted by MakersTeleMark
Tracked UTV's are $12,000, I don't have that kind of money. The Samurai was $1,100.
heee heee!!!!!!!!
So fucking rad!
Love it...Quote:
Originally Posted by Trackhead
AHHHHHH! WTF?
Is the camper still in oneish piece? And is it for sale?
shits still dope. if your going light weight this could go well. insulated and sets up quick. a buddy in vancouver's company http://www.beastgear4x4.ca/pro-ject/...ooftop-tent-2/
A friend bought a 12x12 aluminum pole, wall tent with a wood stove. That will be the "portable yurt".Quote:
Originally Posted by grinch
nice 12x12 gives you lots of options
Trackhead, you are blowing my mind. Keep up the mad scientist work!
Somehow I missed this thread (I think I thought it was about you running track or something)... but that samuri is the baddest $1100 mofo I've ever seen.
Next trip out, please try to shoot some video - I'd love to see it in action up some slopes!
Out of curiosity : does that thing go of the beaten path (deeper pow) or does it need some kind of base,like harder snow 60cm beneath, to get purchase?
Awsome little thingy, even if its cousin tried to kill me in the island of lesbos way back in 1994...kinky little fuckers...
No way to answer that question precisely, as it obviously depends on snow density. Look at the pics though, one of them the Samurai is on level ground, and I sunk up to my waist in snow next to it. So yeah, it floats well, but as soon as the incline gets too much, you're done.Quote:
Originally Posted by Meathelmet
The current PSI (pounds per square inch) it exerts on the snow is about 0.75psi, which is pretty close to some of the lightest purpose built snowcats with psi ratings around 0.65 with a passenger.
It needs a rear locking differential, because open diffs are just silly for an off-road snow vehicle. I might also ghetto on some deeper cleats/paddles, or not. Seriously, as it is now, it will go 95% of the places I'd ever want to go, and it'll haul a ton of shit doing it.
Strong Work!
Now you just need this for summer
http://www.expeditionportal.com/msco...year2011/8.jpg
I think the trackmobile needs this as an accessory:
http://cache.gizmodo.com/assets/imag...898a4087fe.jpg
peace, pot, and micro dot man Attachment 110021