12:38 - "Absolutely the wrong way to do this, but I do it all the time" - You sir, are a man after my own heart.

This guy is literally a post-apocalypse garage mechanic. Making these MadMax machinery

I just love how you nonchalantly point out anything that's concerning during the restoration. The way you Macguyver your build just cracks a wide smile on my face. Keep it up brother! Awesome build!

looks great! You should utilize those drop down sides and add some chains to one side so that it drops down like a tailgate. Add a propane stove and eureka! cooking area!

@screefus

5 ай бұрын

cool idea. 60-66 chevy stepside bed chains could work

@RealJonDoe

3 ай бұрын

Not until the under sides are sealed, surely, and with a direct for the fumes, else they end up causing a carbon monoxide risk.

@MrMEmEmEmEMEMEeeeeee

3 ай бұрын

​@@RealJonDoeDon't call him Shirley!

@RealJonDoe

3 ай бұрын

@@MrMEmEmEmEMEMEeeeeee common mistake, surley you can see I called him surely!

Someone else’s bolt box broke open, and you got the bonus

@jlucasound

5 ай бұрын

A kind of double edged sword but he knows how to make gaskets, if he has to. The pump is fine. This is good. I LOVE getting free hardware!

@robertgorman5622

27 күн бұрын

😆 😂 he's a friggin roit ​@@jlucasound

" I collected every tube of JB weld that was lying around here" And with that you earned yourself a subscriber. Never have I felt such a kindred spirit

This has got to be one of the most clever camper builds I’ve ever seen! Your creativity is amazing.

Finally! Someone that made a camper attachment for one of these Kei cars that actually looks good!

@dawsonramdass1145

5 ай бұрын

this isnt a kei car but fr

@staninjapan07

4 ай бұрын

It does look rather like some K trucks, but it's quite a bit bigger than one. He did call it a mini truck, but that's by locals standards, I am guessing, and that means the US.

@dreadred92

4 ай бұрын

Not a kei truck

@Fenrires

3 ай бұрын

I was rooting for a Luton over the cab, but this is pretty neat!

"What kind of packing peanuts do we have?" "Grade 8"

@jlucasound

5 ай бұрын

😅🤣

@corydriver7634

5 ай бұрын

😂

@2coolwheels139

5 ай бұрын

😅

@ronb6182

4 ай бұрын

ROTFLNG 73

@BrianSnider-de1tt

4 ай бұрын

Styrofoam peanuts aren’t worth 💩, but grade 8 bolts?? For the win! 😂

I love the way you work. An old welder once told me that tricks I learn from others will worth more than money. I learn tricks from you every episode.

Great build with all the comforts. Maybe add a flip down step and handle for entering the camper. An easily deployable mount for the solar panels to act like awnings would let them do double duty. Shading the camper and powering it. Internal lighting of course. Exterior lighting perhaps.

“it’s absolutely the wrong way to do this, but I do it all the time.” Beautiful.

Hey look, it is everyone's favorite junkyard engineer/shop teacher He is building & doing what a lot of us can only dream of doing

@harrywalker968

5 ай бұрын

buy a mig, learn to weld,,then buy a 5'' grinder.. the world is yours.. i buy tools for a job i might use once in 3 yrs,, but i have it..

@staninjapan07

4 ай бұрын

@@harrywalker968Indeed. I would have the bike servicing stand I wanted if I had those two things... and some free scrapped tubing.

That nice smooth camper top could hold at least 500 watts of flexible solar panels when the sun is high noon you wont have to deploy your ground units .I would add some 12 volt led lights and you could power your roof vent too if it's 12 v. Very cool project I love it.

The best mechanic on KZread...fun... informative...and fun.. sorry Fun with a capital F...

"Absolutely the wrong way to do this but i do it all the time" you got a new subscriber brother lol 😎👍

Fantastic build - what a blast. I second the folks who suggested chaining the drop sides so they can hang open as cooking/working surfaces as well as a step for getting in. Love hanging out while you work on stuff. One of my favourite channels ever. 😎

I love this thing. So nice to watch you work and chat with us. Really feels like hanging with a buddy.

"This is actually working! Nice!" I can relate to that

Sixty eight thousand subscribed fans !!!!!! Too cool for school !!! Well done sir, can't wait for you to hit one hundred thousand subscriptions !!!!! Cheers 🎉

This is a million dollar build idea. A diesel sippin camper. These trucks go for about 6k in my area with low miles and in good shape. If you could build the camper shell for them for

Name the thing “The Easy Bake Oven”

@popmarbles6980

5 ай бұрын

Are you going to use that new automotive floorboard sound/insulation that will stick to your walls to insulate your easy bake oven?

Спасибо за ваши видео. Работаю в автосервисе, и часто возникают проблемы из-за возраста автомобилей. Но, глядя на вашу работу, понимаю, что в моих руках почти что новые игрушки :-)

My dad owned a camper manufacturing business in the 90's. Same basic design as yours only we used 1" square aluminum for the most part. The camper top and bottom rails were pre-made extruded aluminum. We used a stamped aluminum camper skin that had sort of a woodgrain pattern embossed in it, and came in dozens of colors. Everything came from RV suppliers in Elkhart, Indiana, which is the RV/camper center of the universe.

It looks like a mini Pinzgauer, maybe continue along that theme.

@deepbludude4697

5 ай бұрын

Exactly what I thought

@harrywalker968

5 ай бұрын

paint it green, so its ''environ mentaly'', friendly..

When I was 17 and working at a local "service station" my boss and I were talking camping. He'd never camped and thought it would be something he wanted to try with his family. He had a International pickup which we used as a base to make a plywood camper. 2 X 2 frame with plywood overlay. I thought it funny that I was his camping expert and he left design and construction to me. Painted it blue to match the truck. He used it for a couple years until he finally bought a commercial unit. He's well into his eighties now and unable to use his monster fifth wheel camper. We still had a laugh about his humble beginnings.😊

I had an old van that had body panel water leaks. None of the silicone based sealants worked for very long. Removed all the silicone and used a butyl caulking. The butyl worked perfect and lasted years.

I love how your skill set makes a complicated task seem easy. James, you are a mechanical genius.

This guy is simultaneously the cause of and solution to every “why the heck would you build that like that?!” moment ❤

"This part goes on a different engine". "I'm hoping it bolts right on". LOL. Yup. that sounds like myself.

Professional , practical and full of humor , thanks for the fresh output of ideas.

Really enjoyed this video, thanks so much. Best line from the vid was ... "that's absolutely the wrong way to do it ... I do it that way all the time" Really enjoy your dry humour. On another tack, I had to fix a window regulator, wiper motor and wiper washer on the Ford on the weekend. Was all ready just to buy new stuff, then thought, "what would James do?" So I removed each item, lubricated them all, straightened up a few things and everything works once more, without spending a cent. Thanks James, keep up the great work.

Ha Ha Ha! The one part that I didn't think you would find was the only part that you found! The water pump! What a hoot!

Your trick for elevating the square off the floor, was nuts!

Love this! I think I may have tried to put the AC on an overhang over the cab. Above the driver. Then it's out of the way and you would have more storage or move the battery next to it.

You need to grease your elbows so you don't hear that squeaking sound when you turn the steering wheel. : )👍

Well I know what I'm now watching for the next 40 mins. :)

A 10X10 canopy with walls is a good addition for the rear of the camper. You can stand up to change clothes, use your cook stove and sit in your chair, out of the rain. You have inspired me to build another camper on the old Coleman camper frame I bought. Thanks.

that looked like it was fun to build. It was definitely fun to watch. thanks for sharing

Your patience is inspirational.

Just fantastic to watch you working like this.

Your use of JB Weld makes me happy to see. I was replacing the clutch in my '68 C10. During which, the Saginaw 3 managed to fall off the jack, and break a mounting ear off. I JB'd that entire ear back together (the clamping was something to behold!) and it has never given me any issues. I check rather often, just in case.

@nightsailor1

5 ай бұрын

I always thought JB Weld should sponsor a Nascar team. An all grey car.

@ludditeneaderthal

5 ай бұрын

A fairly long while back, my job had recently acquired a diesel high volume air compressor (think jack hammer sized). When prepping it for use, we discovered the air circuit oil cooler (huge radiator made from aluminum) had a few leaks. My co-worker/pal suggested "let's weld it!", which only inspired visions of oil soaked aluminum tubing, fins, etc "going houdini". I told him "I have a much better idea". I pulled the fins around the wet spots, leaving somewhat lace-like short runs of exposed tubing. Wire toothbrushed with lacquer thinner til everything would actually dry, covered the holes in the fin matrix one side, and laid that side on the floor. Mixed up "the biggest tube" of jb weld at the local hardware monger, and pour filled all those finless spots. Left it curing over the weekend, re-assembled Monday am. Boss, co-worker, and engineer neighbor all clicked tongues, shook heads, and expressed sympathy for my parents at having raised a sub-moron. They all chuckled, and took up my offer of a 5 buck wager as to effectiveness of my repair, "easy money". Fired up the beast, made full pressure, full volume, and didn't leak or overheat. I went home with 15 bucks, and those patches lasted as long as the compressor did, never even got damp, lol. Jb weld is the miracle fix for just about everything

this is great for alone time at the remote property

Well, that's the first time I've ever seen rocks coming out of an engine (@05:19). Very impressive.

Looking forward to more on this.

What a pleasure to watch you build and repair stuff. You are my favorite you tuber. Keep up the good work! You are truely creatve and giftet!

A patio umbrella pole and base would make a stand for attaching the solar panels to. Some locking collars/mounting sleeves and they could easy adjust towards the sun. They don't look too heavy so some light arms, pivoted of each side of a collar should hold them up and open. You are the Red Green, Steven Wright, mechanical mashup the world needs right now !

I found your channel today; this is my first episode. You provided education and humor in one channel. Thanks.

So what you can do is use the sheet metal stretch concept. Hot glue blocks on either side of the sheet metal bend or dent. Add lateral tension with one of those squeeze clamps or something... Then you can pull it out with paintless dent techniques. The "pull" should almost pop right back, knock down the high spots and you should be dialed.

Id probably use that white roof coating you didnt end up using on the kenworth

I'm glad this is on KZread

That little thing will be really handy. You have a camper to take to your other property and have somewhere to live while your there. If you have to stay for a few days. I did remember you have a very long drive to just get to the new to you property. So that's a big win for that little truck.

Almost ready for an adventure! JB weld has saved me a few times also. Great stuff.

You just made the best hide out from the wife and kids to get peace and quiet for a nap and it's mobile brilliant 😂🤣👍👍🇺🇲🇺🇲

By far my favorite KZreadr!!! Cheers from Alberta Canada! I learn something new from every video!

I have been watching this channel for awhile now. I have to say, I like watching you build things more than watching you not fix things. ;-)

re-watched this video just because its fun, and I like the way James thinks. updates please

Love watching camper conversions. Was thinking about making one of these myself, even cooler that you got a diesel one!

when i recovered my camper shell I found all the wood was rotten. As you did I replaces with a cedar and oak as framing. On the advice of an professional camper fabricator i used rubber insulation between every metal edge. after resealing and replacing ever screw with stainless steel and plastic washers. I painted in cool seal. the sides got a rust preventative paint coat. everything turned out great.

I liked the way you edited this Vlog. It kept me interested and didn't get bogged down with minutia. Quite a few good ideas and good pointers. I could live in that camper fairly comfortably.

Turn the folding sides under bed and such into storage areas accessible from outside. Great build!

@charlesangell_bulmtl

5 ай бұрын

Bet he will...

I'd paint the whole truck and camper a really light blue. Or sea foam green. Or pink. Whimsical and breezy.

Another epic build from scratch & a true pleasure to watch 👏🏽

A hi-low roof would be awesome, sealing the drop side with weatherstripping would save on AC. I'd love one of these as a mini hunting rig.

I was totally surprised there was enough watts coming in to counteract the AC and Cooler draw. Thanks for your video.

That's an awesome little rig. I can't wait to see more.

With a proper support hinge, those sides are also perfect table tops.

Great project! It’ll be fun to camp in

What if you put some fold out arms on the sides of the truck bed floor, so that when you lower the truck bed sides you could have them stop when they are flat out at 90 degrees to use as work surfaces? Just have a couple of triangle braces made out of square tubing on hinges so they can fold flat on each side of the bed.

I love the square on the floor idea. Could you use magnets as spacers so they stick to the square; if you have them around the shop, of course. gotta keep up the low-buck life.

This is so much cooler than an RV, because it's safe. You aren't just using plywood. This is such a cool usage of this vehicle. How much did you end up spending? You are not only intelligent, but you're very creative and I'm sure some could mistake you for a pack rat but I can tell you know where every single part is, and you can locate it and find a good use for it! Super cool.

"you grab the sharp pointy bit and pull" ... that spoke deep truth to me.

i really enjoyed this video, thank you for posting it .

I always have fun watching your vodeos. When i saw you climb in and sit on the bed and crook your neck it occurred to me you could have made the camper a few inches taller for improved comort.

This is a great start to a little over land adventure mobile

Definitely dig the Peter Gabriel-esque "Sledgehammer" welding video editing style. Definitely appropriate. Your process is fantastic, pragmatic. The Ecoflow and panels are a fantastic idea, as well. We have an old Tada that could use an upgrade.

I was YouTubing for something to watch and your video came up. Watched it, enjoyed your delivery and subscribed. 👍🇺🇸

Those fold down bed sides really make accessing the under bed storage easy. If you added some chains or cables to them so they only folded half way down like a truck tailgate they might make for a nice place to set a camp stove for a camp kitchen. I can't wait to see how this turns out

I'd like to see ya finish this little project, that's cool af,👍, awesome video, and thanks for sharing.

The ‘Class A Living’ channel needs to take some notes from this guy.

The camper itself is built like mine, also the same size, but everything is different on the inside. Greetings from Volvo Laplander Camper

It's a really sweet build and those drop down sides make for a great luggage compartment! You could fab up a sliding plate on one side if you wanted a table when parked, maybe an awning on the outside as well? Good place to grill and relax.

Another fun build, looking forward to the four wheel drive conversion

You’re basically awesome my friend

you may want access between the cab and the camper side before you button it up too much. you may consider an area for a small wood stove and the ventilation for it, and for condensation which can be a problem inside sometimes.

You might have a marketable idea here. The market for accessories on those trucks is non-existent but the owners are loyal to them. That's a good combo to have. Sell it as a pre-bent kit.

Your can-do but honest about motivation fluctuating attitude is what I appreciate most.

I love this channel.

This was awesome. Can't wait to see more of it.

As a locksmith, I think the best bet for door handle is usually to look at the key. If that truck is anything like similar ones I've seen, it's more likely to be an Isuzu. Lock and handle sets tend to follow in whole parts.

I thought this one would be boring: not so! Was intrigued and impressed with your frame and hermit- like set up. Nice. Btw: agree that drop down sides in American trucks would be welcome.

Id put chains or skide bars on the bedsides to make outdoor prep/counter space and back gate a table. Utilizing every inch of the rig

What a transformation James!! 😀

looks like you can do another one of those slide out grill under those storage compartment with the convenient side doors on the bed, OR a slide out chair/table for camping stuff, either way that's a very neat mini camper!

Great job buddy thanks for sharing

I wasn't looking at the screen when this video auto-played and thought it was Hank Hill!

This car is going to star in just rolled in

Love your channel, your creativity amazes me, keep up the good work! Definitely looking forward to your next video 👍

thats an awesome little camper! I cant wait to see how it looks when youre finished! if you made inner fold-down/fold-up panels to access under the bed while also being able to keep the cold in/heat in would be a great use of space!

Absolutely wonderful. I can make 2 suggestions from experience. JB weld is great; you can strengthen it and shorten the cure time if you can place the item in a conventional oven at 350°F for 2 hours. No information about this is available for JB weld, as far as I know {just experimentation from me}. The AC should be easily removable. For travel, the AC will last much longer if placed in a cushioned spot. Not mounted for use until you arrive.