The Pig Rig!

[1976gmc20]

I was considering removing our Suburban rear (middle) seat so that I could put a mattress in the back and have a foot well between the bed and the front seats. You can't open the barn doors from the inside so if you're sleeping inside, you have to enter/exit through the back seat doors. But LadyGMC wasn't too keen on the idea so I think we are just going to sell or trade it for a nice GMT400 pickup and a small pickup camper.

It's nice that you are doing a build in order to actually go out and travel in it, rather than just a show truck or something to sell and start over.

[ericjon262]

the "bedframe" is coming along nicely



in the truck:



rough cut plywood thrown on top



further cut with hinge added



both hinges



lifts up gullwing style. I still need to add a filler piece in beneath the side rails to keep things from rolling out the bottom, but it functions ok. it's held in place by the hinge the seatback would have used, and I'm going to add a bracket to bolt it to the floor near the front on each side. I also need to add a hole to lift it by, and a kickstand to hold it up while it's open.



I also got a new favorite toy, Hypertherm Max40 plasma cutter, it's probably 30+ years old, but ti works and was about $700 less than a new one!

[1976gmc20]

So what is your expedition load out plan?

Will you slide you mattress to the front and have a couple feet at the back for cargo, or for a chuckwagon box ?

[ericjon262]

Originally Posted by 1976gmc20

So what is your expedition load out plan?

Will you slide you mattress to the front and have a couple feet at the back for cargo, or for a chuckwagon box ?

I was planning on using an air mattress than can be easily moved around as needed. I really need to start planning what I am going to take with me so I can figure out how and where it's going to go.

The brakes on this thing have been giving me hell, turns out, my brand new master leaks... that'll prevent you from stopping for sure.



the trans cooler lines were a bit too long, and the ends had the wrong angle to them, so I chopped the slack out and put 90 degree ends on instead. I gained a pretty good bit of clearance with it.

[1976gmc20]

Those "aeroquip" type fittings are handy! We used to find hoses in trashcans and junkyards, then go buy some new bulk hose and change the fittings over. People were throwing away hoses with re-usable fittings and thought we were crazy digging through the trash! I plumbed most of a log loader that way.

Anyway, I had a crazy idea about building a raised platform for sleeping in the back with storage underneath, and taking out the second seat like you did for access and a footwell and maybe some storage on one side. I think we're going to just trade for a long bed pickup instead.

[ericjon262]

I like the reusable fittings, they come in handy for sure!

in the process of redoing the trans cooler line ends, I noticed the fluid looked pretty bad, I also remembered that the trans didn't really like to shift right, and being that I plan to drive this thing to Alaska(4000+ miles in a relatively untested truck... ) I decided to have it rebuilt, I called around, and after a couple hours of talking to very incompetent sounding shops, I found one about an hour away that said he could do it for a reasonable price. I set a new personal best, from the time I hung up the phone, to the time I had the transmission out in the back of my other truck pulling out of the driveway was less than 2 hours! he told me that unless something crazy happened, he could probably have it done tomorrow before he closed up shop! if he does, I'll get it installed before I go to bed tomorrow!

[68Timber]

Please keep the thread going when you're driving to Alaska. Love to see the squares road tripping.

[ericjon262]

I'll keep the thread up as long as I have the Pig Rig, updates will probably be in batch form during the trip though.

well, transmission isn't done...

in other news, I found out that if I bolt my tow hooks up differently, they become tusks!



lol! I'm definitely doing this now!

I started work on the front bumper, but I'm not sure what route to take, I need to make sure there's room for a winch, I think I'm going to run one of these:

https://www.quadratec.com/p/quadrate...-stealth-winch

or these

https://www.quadratec.com/p/smittybi...n2-winch-97417

anyone have an opinion on synthetic rope instead of steel? my biggest concern would be abrasion of the synthetic.

the bumper progress is otherwise nothing to write home about, so far, I've cut two brackets and held the tube up to it.



it will be significantly more contoured to the truck than a straight line, but I'm not sure quite how much.

[1976gmc20]

I like the big square bumper, but I would somehow integrate tow hooks into the bumper instead of separate hooks bolted to the frame.

If it wasn't for leaving room for a winch, I would suggest one of those big pin hitches right in the middle of the bumper like logging trucks have: tow big triangular plates sticking out with a big pin that drops down through matching holes.

[ericjon262]

not much in the way of updates, I got the transmission back, it's installed, as well as the new master cylinder. the brakes are still a little squishy, and I have some driveline vibration I need to look into, I think I may need some axle shims to get the pinion angle right in the back, it's at a kinda odd angle right now. adjusting the TV cable proved to be way more of a pain in the ass than I expected, the automatic adjustment feature of the cable didn't want to work, so I had to manipulate it by hand to make it work, which made for lots of short minute drives followed with me under the hood for 10 minutes doing adjustments. the cable design is great when it works, but when it doesn't, it sucks.

I'm going to start work on the bumper again over the coarse of the next week, hopefully I can get something suitable built without too much work, I also need to find a winch so I can figure out mounting to said bumper.


1970gmc20, got a picture of what you are refering to? I'm not sure I've seen it.

most of my neighbors have been shocked to see the thing moving again... lol.

[1976gmc20]

1970gmc20, got a picture of what you are refering to? I'm not sure I've seen it.

Here's a walk around video of a KW:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBFiqe6SmRQ

That looks like a one piece bolt on hitch. I was just thinking you could torch something out of a couple pieces of plate or better yet, a couple chunks of large channel, and weld it right to your new bumper. I always liked to use something that had an L-shape so I could weld it flat to the main part of whatever I was building, instead of trying to clamp a plate at exactly 90 degrees.

[ericjon262]

1970gmc20, I might do something like that, it depends on if I get a winch or not.

A quick shot of the transmission awaiting the t-case



this was the first start of a bumper, I wasn't happy with the results though, so I scrapped it.



I then got 4 pieces of flat stock, drilled the appropriate holes, and bolted them to the frame. once they were bolted in place, I tack welded them to ensure they didn't move relative to each other.



then I tacked the tube to it,



then I cut two V-notches into it at each frame rail.



and, with the assistance of a 2x4 and a ratchet strap, bent the ends to a fairly close match to the grill.



Next, I am going to cut pockets to hold a couple of ammo cans and allow for storage of a recovery gear. if I can find on before I leave for alaska, I will also notch it and install a winch between the frame rails.

[ericjon262]

I snagged this bad boy pretty cheap, it's a mile marker SI12000, rated to 12000 pounds of line pull.



I don't like it sitting this high in the grill, or this high above the frame rail.



I made a piece of channel to mount it in out of some of the box steel I have.



then I drilled and notched it for the fairlead



here's the assembly on the bumper



next step was to cut a notch. the plasma cutter made short work of it.





initially, the tray overhung the front of the bumper by a large margin, so I notched the frame a bit so I could recess it some.



hard to tell by the pictures, but it made a big difference.



then I test fit the whole thing.







I also started trying to drive it as much as possible, to work out any little problems while I'm still close to home.





I pulled the whole bumper back off, added some angle stubs to the ends to contour the truck a little better, and capped off the ends of the tubes. I also capped off the fairlead mount, and added a gusset. can't forget the custom paint either!

[ericjon262]

it would also be a shame to do all this work and not live a life of luxury on the road...

some frosty pipes in the engine compartment!







I also went ahead and installed my 40 gallon fuel tank and skid plate:





From empty on the gauge I have about 7 gallons left in tank.

[1976gmc20]

Nice bumper and winch!

The 40 gallon tanks are handy, except when you have to drop them to change the fuel pump (again). Maybe things are different with your lift, but mine I have to sort of see-saw it up between the tailpipe and hitch and spring mounts. Hardest part is reaching in to get the lines connected. I dunno why GM couldn't have put a short line on the top of the tank with a union that you could reach over the axle? There's a pigtail and plug for the wires.

[ericjon262]

Originally Posted by 1976gmc20

Nice bumper and winch!

The 40 gallon tanks are handy, except when you have to drop them to change the fuel pump (again). Maybe things are different with your lift, but mine I have to sort of see-saw it up between the tailpipe and hitch and spring mounts. Hardest part is reaching in to get the lines connected. I dunno why GM couldn't have put a short line on the top of the tank with a union that you could reach over the axle? There's a pigtail and plug for the wires.

Thanks!

I don't know why either, it's crazy. same with the wiring pigtail, why is it way far out there, it's a royal PITA.

[ericjon262]

well, life happens, and I haven't updated anyone on whats really been going on.

crummy pics, sorry...







on the night of the morning of June 26th(morning being 2:00 am...) I was on the way home from picking my dad up at the airport for the Alaska trip, and then disaster. I looked into my side view mirror, just in time to see rapidly approaching headlights with just about enough time to say holy F**K before a drunk nailed the rear bumper and began pushing his way up the entire side of the truck, no driver's side panel was spared from damage. cops came, arrested the POS drunk, and dad and I finally got home around 4 am, tired, angry, and a bit frustrated, I downed a beer called my insurance company, and went to bed. about 2 hours later, the adjuster calls and asks if he can swing by that day, which worked out better for my dad and I because we were planning on leaving one way or another, for Alaska the following day. the adjuster showed up, started looking at the truck and kept saying he thought it was in excellent shape, but, would almost definitely be totaled. this was not at all unexpected, but still, hearing it was a major bummer.

at this point, dad and I have 3 options,

1: take my 06 2500hd to Alaska instead, I needed to put the shell back on, and do a ton of last minute maintenance, I've neglected it a bit in favor of fixing the Pig Rig for the trip.

2: don't go to Alaska, there are bunches of cool places to go closer to home. but, I already spent a ton of money on a ferry.

3: F**k it, take the Pig Rig to Alaska anyways.

after about 45 minutes of debate, and attempting to beat the bumper back to at least halfway straight. we chose option 3! we loaded the truck, with gear, and took off!

the first leg of the trip, we had to cannonball a bit, I had the a ferry booked, that left Port Hardy on the 29th, and the booking slip says be there two hours early, so, 5 am... we hauled all the way up to Port Angels, WA, and picked up a ferry to Victoria, BC. We then drove the length of Vancouver Island, all the way to Port Hardy for the ferry.

in Port Angels/ferry









Pig on a ferry



into Canada







the sign at the Bear Cove Ferry terminal



The next Ferry





Me and the truck in the ferry



From the ferry

























Camping spot in Prince Rupert, BC



Thats all for tonight, I'll upload some more over the next few days.

[RyanAK]

Oh, man! Sorry brother. I can only imagine the feelings you went through. Luckily no one was hurt. And I admire your perseverance in taking the rig anyway. Says a lot about the capabilities of these trucks. Your "4x4 beater camper fun truck" just got a little more beat, but can still have fun. Good on ya.

What was the drunk driving and how did it fare against the Pig?

[1976gmc20]

So, can you transport a firearm through to Alaska in a vehicle on the ferry?

I wouldn't want to be roaming around the back roads of AK without at least a 30-30 or a 12 gauge.

[ericjon262]

Originally Posted by RyanAK

Oh, man! Sorry brother. I can only imagine the feelings you went through. Luckily no one was hurt. And I admire your perseverance in taking the rig anyway. Says a lot about the capabilities of these trucks. Your "4x4 beater camper fun truck" just got a little more beat, but can still have fun. Good on ya.

What was the drunk driving and how did it fare against the Pig?

the POS was "driving" a late model dodge challenger, not sure of the exact year, but probably a 2015 or so. my guess is that he was doing over 100 MPH when he hit me, I was doing about 60 MPH and he deployed all of his airbags, and destroyed his radiator and front suspension, he wasn't going anywhere if he wanted to.

Originally Posted by 1976gmc20

So, can you transport a firearm through to Alaska in a vehicle on the ferry?

I wouldn't want to be roaming around the back roads of AK without at least a 30-30 or a 12 gauge.

in Alaska, probably, I know Canada has very strict gun laws compared to the USA, so getting them there becomes problematic.

[ericjon262]

Found this neat lava flow!













at the end of the Lava flow, was a very narrow wooden bridge, probably only a few feet wider than the truck!








And our first dirt road!







More to come!

[68Timber]

I would ask the adjuster not to total it and repair. Good that you’re ok and the truck could still make the trip. Looking forward to more pics.

[ericjon262]

Originally Posted by 68Timber

I would ask the adjuster not to total it and repair. Good that you’re ok and the truck could still make the trip. Looking forward to more pics.

the truck is pretty banged up. I'm keeping it, but we'll see where we go from here.

My sister made us this awesome dehydrated chili!, add some water and/or beer, let it soak for about 30 mins, heat and eat! Super good, and very hardy! the stuffed pigs "piggles and wiggles" had their picture taken all over the place for my 3 nieces.



next morning, we saw our first (and only) Grizzly bear. I actually drove past him, turned around, and came back to get these pictures. he didn't have a care in the world about us being anywhere near him, but I wasn't going to get out of the truck and try my luck...





some on the road shots near destruction bay IIRC.









The next day, we again crossed the border, this time into Alaska, the crossing was cool, marked as far as the eye can see.











the next day we checked out Eklutna lake and Thunderbird falls

[1976gmc20]

We used to go up to Eklutna Lake for picnics and driftwood bonfires on the gravel beach

It was just a few miles up the road from Chugiak so perfect for a quick getaway.

One time at Thunderbird Falls, a couple friends and I got adventurous and climbed up above the falls. As "brave mountaineers" we scrambled up this cliff and found ourselves in somebody's backyard looking right into their patio door - oops!

[ericjon262]

Originally Posted by 1976gmc20

We used to go up to Eklutna Lake for picnics and driftwood bonfires on the gravel beach

It was just a few miles up the road from Chugiak so perfect for a quick getaway.

One time at Thunderbird Falls, a couple friends and I got adventurous and climbed up above the falls. As "brave mountaineers" we scrambled up this cliff and found ourselves in somebody's backyard looking right into their patio door - oops!

lol, we definitely saw a few structures fairly close.


We drove down to Homer Spit, which looked really cool in the pictures, and it was a pretty awesome drive, but when we got there, it was absolutely packed with people, so we rolled on. it's a shame, because the ongoing forest fires greatly reduced visibility.

I thought these were kinda cool for bridge railing. they were somewhere in Anchorage



Road pics on the way to Homer





you can see a little snow still clinging to life...







it's a real shame how poorly the depth and color shows in the pictures...









on Homer Spit, we didn't end up with a ton of pictures, it was a nightmare trying to navigate the place because there were so many people around. I'm hoping the go-pro I had on the dash caught some good shots.