1966 custom camper & alaskan camper survivor

[Clyde65]

If!

[Chevystep]

Originally Posted by murdoc

Thanks for posting! Have you been happy with your Alaskan camper since the restore? Was it worth all the effort? I have been weary about restoring mine. Mostly because of the weight of it too. The thing has got to weigh at least 2,000 lbs, probably more since it is a 10 footer.

Oh yeah, it's a great little camper. I put it on my 3/4t Dodge about 5 times for camping, now I've got a hold of a little dual wheel utility trailer I take it on and off of. Two folks for a weekend is a great time, or a deer camp trailer on battery power. The real scary part on truck bed mounting is how high you have to lift the thing to slide the truck under it. I mounted 4 aftermarket RV top screw lifts on it but it was still a nervous time lifting the thing up to truck bed height. Resto wasn't too bad since I really only did the top half, just pulled it all the way off and redid the ends, stringers and new metal skin. Added some bulk to the stringers for a small roof A/C and completely epoxied the two lowest stringers (the originals were pretty rotted) and re skinned the inside with 1/8" oak panels. If you've got the original brass hydraulic rams, just new O rings will fix them up. You're probably not too far off on the weight, it's a bunch.

[Chevystep]

Hey, if you get around to pulling that horn ring off, I'd love to see what it looks like under there. I have an original ring like that without the center emblem (I think!?) and would like to know how it all went together on the wheel, I'd like to try to put an old bowtie center horn button emblem in it somehow....

[sodly]

Any progress to report, murdoc?

[murdoc]

Sorry for taking so long in getting back to this thread and this project. Busy since the beginning of summer and haven't had enough time to justify working on this truck.

I did find the time to get the engine running enough to pull it into the shop so it is out of the weather. I have been very happy with how little effort it took for me to get this engine running again. I had a carter YF carburetor which I had rebuilt earlier in the year for another project, so I just swapped the carb, bypassed the fuel tank, and threw on a used upper radiator hose. I bit the bullet and got a new battery for the truck, hooked everything up and turned the key. About five rotations of the crank was enough to get it started. Runs great, a little bit of valve slap from one of the valves, but aside from that it runs and idles very very smoothly. I'm beginning to question whether or not this really might be a 12,000 mile truck rather then a 112,000....





Here are some pictures that show the condition of the original paint after wiping off the oxidation with a warm wet towel. I then buffed the area dry with a soft microfiber cloth. I am very happy with the results. Imagine with some rubbing compound and a good polishing! I am thinking the most delicate approach to washing the dirt, grim and oxidation off the trucks is with a bucket of warm soapy water and a soft truck brush. I am surprised with how vibrate the color is after all these years.










Sodly, this question is particularly for you: I'm beginning to get a bit concerned about the frame on this truck. In a couple of these pictures you can see the "3/4 ton sag" in the space between the front of the bad and the back of the cab.

Being that this really heavy camper has been on this truck since it was new, I don't know how easily the truck could be made to look straight again. I am in the process of locating some camper jacks and will hopefully have the camper off of the truck before winter hits, but what has your experience been in solving this issue? Should I be looking for a new frame?






Sent from my iPhone

['63GENIII]

First off, beautiful truck! What a find with all of the little add ons and cool features in addition to a well made Alaskan. I was getting a little anxiety until I saw your post about saving the LS swap for something else that had been worked over already. I agree, its a nice time capsule!

As far as the frame, from the pics, the gap doesn't look to be closed at the top. It actually looks pretty good to me. As far as having a 2K lb load in it, I used to regularly put nearly 3k worth of concrete, pavers, rock and whatever I needed while working on my house. Some pretty ridiculous loads for a 1/2 ton frame. Anyway, Id be looking at the cab bushings and the little rubber spacers (if the fleet beds have them under the bed) before I started measuring the frame or even thinking about looking for a new one. Does the frame look at all bent or is it just the body lines not lining up right that's got you worried?

['63GENIII]

Just noticed it's a 3/4 ton. I think the frames are a little bigger than the 1/2 tons. I wouldn't be sweating the frame at all at this point. Start small.

[1971 GMC SHORTY]

What a Great Truck all Kinds Of Great Stuff I'm Watching This Thread
Best Thing is the Spare Tire Slider

[sodly]

Yeah, I'd just echo what 63GENIII said. Unless the frame looks bent, I wouldn't panic until you get that load off the rear to see what you've really got there. Three quarter ton trucks more typically sag at the rear cab mounts. Yours almost looks like the bed is tail heavy or something.

As for reviving the original paint, drop me a PM and I can give you some suggestions for how to do that gently (or did I already talk to you about that... can't remember). Might not be necessary to resort to compound and lose even more paint in the process.

['63GENIII]

[QUOTE=sodly;73338 Yours almost looks like the bed is tail heavy or something.



Im glad you saw that as well. I didn't want to get called out for needing glasses! LOL.

[BOE]

good find murdoc. it looks real close to my 64. I have the same plan keep it stock and then I will find a shortbed to customize.

[sodly]

Can't wait to see that pristine bed wood hiding under that camper!

[factorystock]

Super clean find, an unaltered truck like this is getting harder and harder to find. I wouldn't hesitate to purchase a truck like that sight unseen. I'm positive there is no frame damage on that 3/4 ton, its just the heavy weight of the camper with the center of gravity mostly behind the rear axle.It appears the paint will buff out nicely, who knows how many trucks were un necessarily completely repainted just because they were heavily oxidized. The hood and roof are obviously beyond reviving, I would just fog in the hood and roof with correct forumula 1966 GM light green, be careful not to use'64-'65 light green, it has a different formula.

[murdoc]

Originally Posted by '63GENIII

First off, beautiful truck! What a find with all of the little add ons and cool features in addition to a well made Alaskan. I was getting a little anxiety until I saw your post about saving the LS swap for something else that had been worked over already. I agree, its a nice time capsule!

As far as the frame, from the pics, the gap doesn't look to be closed at the top. It actually looks pretty good to me. As far as having a 2K lb load in it, I used to regularly put nearly 3k worth of concrete, pavers, rock and whatever I needed while working on my house. Some pretty ridiculous loads for a 1/2 ton frame. Anyway, Id be looking at the cab bushings and the little rubber spacers (if the fleet beds have them under the bed) before I started measuring the frame or even thinking about looking for a new one. Does the frame look at all bent or is it just the body lines not lining up right that's got you worried?

Thanks for the confirmation on keeping it original, I can't believe what plans I initially had in mind for this truck. I was going to scrap the frame and drivetrain, sell the steel rims, the entire bed and camper, (for whatever I could get out of them) and just keep the cab, doors and front clip for an LS short bed conversion project.

I think you are right about the frame, your approach at very least seems the most logical, as well as easiest way to begin looking into the frame. There is nothing I have seen on the frame that would yet lead me to believe it is bent, I guess maybe I'm just a little paranoid.

[murdoc]

Originally Posted by sodly

Can't wait to see that pristine bed wood hiding under that camper!

You and I both!!! I really think I spend too much time thinking about it during the day. I will do my best to not keep you waiting for long!!

[murdoc]

Originally Posted by factorystock

Super clean find, an unaltered truck like this is getting harder and harder to find. I wouldn't hesitate to purchase a truck like that sight unseen. I'm positive there is no frame damage on that 3/4 ton, its just the heavy weight of the camper with the center of gravity mostly behind the rear axle.It appears the paint will buff out nicely, who knows how many trucks were un necessarily completely repainted just because they were heavily oxidized. The hood and roof are obviously beyond reviving, I would just fog in the hood and roof with correct forumula 1966 GM light green, be careful not to use'64-'65 light green, it has a different formula.

This is a very valuable bit of information. I haven't yet considered to add any new paint to this truck, but not knowing there was a difference in the light green color paint in 66 could have been disastrous. There are only a couple of dents on this truck. The worse is on the hood. So fixing the dent and repainting the hood is not entirely out of the question...... what you guys think???

I will be posting more pics tomorrow of all the dents I have found on it so far, both big and small. Hope to not disappoint!!

[murdoc]

Here are all the dents. Not sure how much interest anyone has in these pics, but more for reference and perhaps recommendations for ways of pushing these dents out without needing filler or paint. Hell, they really aren't that bad, I'll probably just leave them...


First pic, the front part of the roof. Now I have seen this pattern of indentations along the front roof on several other trucks I've owned in the past. Could have this been a factory imperfection from when they spot welded the roof skin to the rest of the cab?




This one is obvious and pretty normal. Every hood comes with at least one dent right?




I have posted a pic of this one near the beginning of the thread. The only dent on the grill support. The front fenders have absolutely no dents, only the normal rust through at the back bottom section close the rocker panels.




Have posted this dent earlier as well. The hit on the pass. rear bed corner section. More than likely while backing up, it continues on to next image.....




Passenger bedside rear panel. The initial hit moves on a bit further down the bedside, creating a distinct, but not too noticeable crease here...



Only dent on the entire driver's side! Right there on the door before the west coast mirror arm.



Under the passenger bedside, between the rear wheel and the cab. Camper's propane tank pictured, bolted to the frame.

[oem4me]

That's not too bad, considering it's age. IMO, your choice would be between careful paintless dent repair (youtube PDR) and just letting the dents show. NO WAY under any circumstance should you start beating the dents out from behind. As bad as any legit dent looks, a poorly worked over one is WAAAYY worse.
PDR is a fascinating disipline, and you'd be amazed what a pro can can do with no harm to the factory paint. What might seem kinda expensive for labor, is offset by no cost for paint.

[argonaut]

Dents add character. I say polish and drive.

[C/10 King]

Originally Posted by argonaut

dents add character. I say polish and drive.

x2!

[TJ's Chevy]

Originally Posted by argonaut

dents add character. I say polish and drive.

x3!

[jdl71]

Originally Posted by argonaut

Dents add character. I say polish and drive.

x4!

[murdoc]

Took the truck very carefully outside (no functioning brakes) and washed it for the first time in probably 20 years. All of the oxidation came off with just warm water and a soft truck brush. The bucket that held the warm water looked like skim milk once I had finished washing it. Dried it off with micro fiber towel.

Here are the results:








I didn't notice this written on the old belt the first time I went through the glove box......



reads: "This belt came with the truck. Replaced at 11160. July 27-84"

Not sure what to make of that. Pretty much either the truck's odometer had already rolled over by 1984, or the think had only 11,160 miles in 1984. It currently shows 12,094.0 Mysterious.....

[1976gmc20]

Not sure what to make of that. Pretty much either the truck's odometer had already rolled over by 1984, or the think had only 11,160 miles in 1984. It currently shows 12,094.0 Mysterious.....

If it was only used for vacations, it's possible that the truck really does only have 12K miles.

[Greenlee]

Wow. This is a sweet truck!