Isuzu NPR HD Truck Camper Build

[VicHanson]

I arrived in Miami on Monday afternoon and on the way to where I am staying got to stop by and see my truck - it looks great! Went to Walmart in the evening and got a cell phone with Straight Talk, the $30 a month prepaid plan (1000 min, 1000 text messages and 30 MB of data) and a Samsung R451C phone with a slide out QWERTY keyboard ($100), which uses the Verizon network. Seems to work good, but I'm still trying to figure out the web part of it.

Ahh, the joys of trying to work outside the system! I had received two quotes online for RV insurance, one with Good Sam (GMAC) for $791 per year and the other with Progressive for $844 per year. Yesterday I got the title signed by the seller and this morning I called to get insurance on the truck, so I could get my temporary registration to drive it from Florida to Minnesota.

I called Progressive first to see if they could somehow match GMAC's price but they said they didn't have any listings for Isuzu motorhomes (actually there were some a number of years ago) and when I gave them the VIN number they said they could not insure it as an RV because it was registered as a commercial vehicle (belonged to a small package shipping and mailing service), and was not built as a motorhome. I asked how much it would cost to insure it as a commercial vehicle and they said they don't insure commercial vehicles.

I then called GMAC and they said the same thing. I can't believe that GMAC doesn't insure commercial vehicles! For both of these I called the toll free numbers that were listed on the quotes. One of them said something about not being able to insure it if I put a truck camper on it!

Next I called the agent in Minnesota where I had previously insured my car when have I returned home for a month or two every year (the vehicle will be registered in MN), which is also Progressive. He said they couldn't do it as an RV but he could do it as a truck. However because it listed as a commercial vehicle it costs more to insure it if it is used outside of a 100 mile radius of where it is registered! It ended up costing about $100 more for six months, with less coverage. They also wouldn't put road service on it because it is a commercial vehicle! It doesn't make any difference that I'm not using it commercially and don't even have a business.

Anyway, I finally got insurance on it and they faxed proof for the registration, so I was able to get a 30 day temporary permit to drive it back to Minn. to register it. Because I will be mounting the camper here in Florida, I asked about renewing the permit if I need more time and they said no problem.

I picked up the truck and on the way home I stopped a Home Depot to check on wood, tools, etc. and confirmed that the prices here are 10 - 20% higher than in Northern Minnesota! I was looking at lumber and plywood, but couldn't find out what kind of wood it was. I wanted Douglas Fir, but only found a small amount of that, and nothing in the sizes or dimensions I need. I looked at the pressure treated lumber but it didn't say what kind of wood it was. I asked the "sales" guy, and he had no idea, but took me to the customer service desk in the lumber department to find out. Both of them gave me the same answer when I asked what kind of wood it was. First answer was "pressure treated". Thanks, I can read that. What "kind" of wood is it?, I asked again. "Prime" they said. I said that prime is a grade of wood, not a kind of wood. Received blank looks. So I then asked if it was Southern Pine. "Yes, I think so!" was the reply, so I guess they just needed some prompting! I guess I will have to find a real lumber yard, but first will give Lowes a try.

Tomorrow the pastor and church here who have been helping me, need to pick up some donated office furniture, so I'm able to use my truck for that and repay them some for their kindness. Then in the afternoon I will go to my cousin's to look at the truck camper!

Vic

[VicHanson]

I finally got to drive my truck today, the first time I have every driven an NPR. It is definitely not a Honda!! The 5 speed shifter is reversed, I'm used to 1st being top left and reverse being bottom right. The NPR has reverse in the top left position, 1st below that and 5th being bottom right. There is a strong spring to push against to get to the far left for reverse and 1st, and a somewhat less strong spring to get to 4th and 5th. The 1st gear is very low, which will be nice for off road driving, but it easily starts in 2nd, at least with no load on it. I think I will be able to get used to it fairly quickly.

A bigger difference is the low speed of the Isuzu diesel engine. It doesn't have a tach but it is really a low revving engine. I need to read the manual tonight and see what they recommend for shift points, but 10 mph seems about right to shift out of 2nd, with 15 being about max. My friend, pastor Eddie said that when he picked it up and drove it back to the church, he couldn't get it above 70 mph on the freeway. Does that sound normal to any of you familiar with the NPR? It seems to have plenty of power at low RPMs, I didn't get on the freeway so never got it above 50 mph.

I was pleased with how it drove, handles well and turns nice and tight. I was a bit concerned making my first U turn at an intersection, and realized too late that I should have tried one in a parking lot first. However it turned very sharply, which I guess is an advantage of the cab over design. You can bet that I was really being careful and watching my mirrors on turns so that I didn't cut the corners too close!

I was also very happy with how it rode. The truck was empty, but does have the 14' cargo box on it, with a power lift gate. It wasn't harsh or rough, felt smooth and controlled over bumps and a couple of dips. Will see how it does on the freeway tomorrow. I love the wide open view and the high seating position, lots of glass with the big windows and windshield.

So far all is good, I'll keep you informed.
Vic

[VicHanson]

A quick update - I drove to Fort Meyers, FL on Thursday, about 140 miles. The truck drove and handled well, but I was going into a strong headwind almost the whole way and mileage was terrible! I haven't filled yet but looks like it got about 10 MPG! I was hoping/expecting about 15 mpg so that was a big disappointment. Hopefully it was the headwind and the high box. I was driving right at 60 mph, which is what I expect to travel at. Maybe I will have to slow down even more!

At first glance the truck camper looked pretty good, there was some rot around the bathroom at floor level in the back, so figured it was probably the shower leaking. However when I started taking the siding off to look at it, it is much worse than it appeared. It looks like it was the seams leaking in the siding, and goes all the way around on the left side to the front. There is a lot of damage where the water heater is, which is also where the water inlets are. Not sure if it is the hose connection or not, but everything around there was rotten.

The camper construction is 1x2s laying flat, with a very thin plywood on the inside and none on the outside, just the aluminum siding attached to the framework. And 3/4" of fiberglass insulation. I will have to take much of the siding off to repair the wood, so am thinking about putting 1/8" plywood under the siding, and maybe putting in a better insulation.

I did also consider cannibalizing the camper and using the cargo box on the truck but have pretty well ruled out that idea. There is some serious looking rust on the truck frame, where the box attaches to that. The floor of the box frame is steel and there is a 1x4 between that and the truck frame. There is lots of rust in spots where the wood touches the frame. I'm wondering if maybe they used pressure treated wood directly on the metal and didn't put anything between them to protect the metal. So, I want to take the box off and check the frame carefully, clean up all the rust and repaint it. The box also has the power lift gate, which would be nice to load a motorcycle, but it is heavy, hangs low, and is in the way to put on a trailer hitch, so I think I will get rid of both of them (they are actually welded together).

I've got lots of photos, but haven't had internet access until today. I will try to get some posted soon and document the progress.

[kerry]

Don't know about the Isuzu but 70mph would be about the top end for a Fuso FG. 11mpg is about the low end of a Fuso in my experience, so 10mpg is not out of the question in my opinion.
Too bad about the rot in the camper. That's always a problem in wood based campers. Years ago I sold a Toyota pickup based Class C camper to a friend. A few years later his wife was laying in bed in the cabover and crashed right thru down onto the hood of the truck. The good news is that they are pretty easy to rebuild. Last time I was over at RV.net on the truck camper forum I saw lots of good pictures on rebuilding rotted wooden frames. If it were me, I'd rebuild with better quality wood and fasteners and glue everything.

[jhrodd]

I just got back from a 3000 mile trip in the FE (6 spd. auto) and averaged 10.4 mpg with a scooter on the front bumper and 7 more on a trailer behind. Drove down the Oregon Coast and through the Redwoods......to Las Vegas then back through Northern Nevada and Idaho

[Michael Slade]

I am liking that package. Tell me about the cargo storage below the slide-in camper? Are the boxes below the bed also custom?

Looks like a nice compact set-up.

[jhrodd]

The Scooters of Bellingham club (SOB's) voted to attend a scooter rally in Las Vegas for our Winter getaway and I hauled 8 scooters down including a 650 Burgman (big scooter) while the other members flew in for the weekend. I put a front hitch on the Fuso and still got away within the axle limits with a 150 Genuine Buddy on the front rack. I managed to squeeze 7 scooters on my 14' trailer. Everyone chipped in for fuel and we were going south for a vacation anyway so it worked out well. The camper is a stock S&S 11fbsc with the wheel well recesses inclosed. The tool boxes and fender are pro-tec off the shelf units.

[VicHanson]

I went to Home Depot today, not a very good selection of lumber, will have to look some other places. I had ordered a combo set of Ryobi 18v tools while still in Peru, when I opened the box here I was quite disappointed to see that the battery charger was only a trickle charger, takes 12 hours to charge the battery! I there was only 1 battery for 5 tools. So I bit the bullet today and got another combo set with a real charger, 2 batteries and another drill and circular saw. The 2 drills with be nice, one for drilling and the other for screws. I don't need the second saw but it was cheaper to get the combo set then the other items separately.

Very nice looking camper, jhrodd! I filled my fuel tank today and was able to figure the mileage - it was 11.5 mpg.

Vic

[VicHanson]

Thanks, Peter, I will check them out!

Here are some photos.


You can see larger photos in the album on my profile.

[john101477]

I have an NPR with 14ft flatbed. been tryin to sell it but no dice yet. emailed the Hackney"s about their rig and trips and then found this thread. neatless to say I am watching very intently now. Sounds like insurance was a PITA but not undoable.
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