IH Scout Four Wheel Pop Up Project and Questions

This is COOL! I have a 1977 Scout II being restored for me. I hope to get it back in the next few weeks. A potential project for my truck is a pop-up camper by taking another hard top and cutting the top out to make a pop-up roof, so that it's low-profile and fits under the carport, and doesn't weigh much like a slide-in camper. Another potential project is keeping the truck completely stock as it is and building a "slide-out camper" sorta similar to the man with the *-90 and a tent that extends out the back door.

Stephanie
 

joelweb

New member
Quick update - parts are coming together.

New aluminum sheeting in original style has arrived that will be used for the outside of the front wall (that's a piece of dead grass in the photo, not a scratch).
aluminum.jpg

I also found a vintage aluminum sliding window for the front wall. It is nearly identical to the style of the factory windows on the camper and the dimensions are about perfect...
Camper Window.jpg

More to come..

Joel
 

joelweb

New member
Significant additional progress has been made on the Scout Camper.
Scout logo.jpg

We cut and installed a new wood panel for the cabover bed area that hangs over the cab. There wasn't much left of the original piece…
cabover wood panel.jpg

The cabover bed area originally bolted to the Scout windshield frame and I was concerned it wouldn't be strong enough to hold the weight of a couple sleepers without additional support. I picked up some 1x3 inch aluminum C channel and ran it inside the factory C channel area of the aluminum frame from the front of the cabover bed area almost all the way to the back of the camper to add rigidity to the cabover. I also slipped the bottom edge of the C channel under the cabover wood panel to provide additional strength and rigidity. It seems to hold my weight just fine.

New cabover bed area and front wall and window resting in new hole.
wood front and new cabover wood.jpg

The front wall has been cut for the window, aluminum sheeting has been installed, window installed, and corner trim has been cut and installed with sealant. It all looks like it was meant to go there. Notice the new latches.
camper from front with aluminum and edge trim.jpg

New Screens.
new screens.jpg

I'm now in the process of rebuilding the interior.

Removed the old wood paneling and insulation. Looks pretty clean.
drivers inside wall insulation removed.jpg

I'm replacing the old nasty paneling with 1/8" birch plywood. I'm currently considering insulation options.
Birch Panel Test Fit.jpg

We built a new countertop and installed a barely used stove and sink that I recently purchased thanks to Jeff over at Wander the West. I'm also in the process of building birch cabinets...
Cabinet Construction Partial Done.jpg

The interior is looking a lot better than it did when I bought the thing. Smells better too :coffee: Still more wood to cut.
Interior Cabinets.jpg

I drove the truck from Oregon to Montana a few weeks ago and the weather has been wet. I'm finding a few water leaks and need to address that soon.

Thanks again to Mike, Aaron, John, and my Dad for their time and help.

Stay tuned for more.

Scout W Camper Passenger.jpg
 
Last edited:

joelweb

New member
One of the ugliest parts of this truck from the outside was the rear. While the sides seem to have escaped damage over the past 30 years, the back end got all the abuse.

Someone had backed into something and torn a couple panels on the driver's side. Many panels in the rear were dinged at some point and residue from bumper stickers of the past had become fossilized over the white paint. The porch light was broken and repaired with duct tape, the door stop was missing, and the water fill broken.

Thankfully, most of the problems were with the white panels, but the dark brown aluminum panel on the driver's side had been punctured and needed to be replaced.

When I purchased the aluminum sheeting for the outside front wall, I also ordered enough sheeting to rebuild the rear.

Here she was when I first purchased the camper – ugly.
scout rear before.jpg

After I brought this baby back to Montana I tore all the sheeting off the rear and then put it back together one piece at the time. I replaced the old insulation and the wood that provides a mounting surface for the door stop and the water fill.
insulation and wood rear.jpg

I replaced all of the white aluminum panels and the one brown panel – the horizontal pieces were cut and folded by the metal fabricators and the large pieces for the lower section were the same as those I had made for the front. I just ordered a piece that was large enough to cover both the front and rear and broke out my metal shears.

The torn brown piece was textured in "cedar" and it was only available in white. It came originally came with a two tone wood grain type finish. I had a little paint mixed up in both tones and was able to match the look of the original piece extremely well. I should have taken some photos of the process...

coming together
rear coming together.jpg

Corner buttoned up.
rear passenger finished.jpg

I also replaced the porch light, water fill, and door stop.

Now that I've done this I'm looking at that dinged up sheeting on the door that suddenly became the ugliest part of the exterior… it will have to wait in line.
 

joelweb

New member
The birch cabinets and wood paneling have neared completion.

I replaced the insulation. Noticed the piece of C channel that runs all the way to the back of the camper to provide added support to the overhang bed area in the front that no longer bolts to the windshield frame.
interior insulation.jpg

After cutting and fitting all of the 1/8” birch plywood panels I finished each piece with semi gloss spar varnish.
interior panel drying.jpg

Here it is coming together.
interior panel installed.jpg

My friend Aaron helped me build two drawers and a cabinet (thanks Aaron). We also built an access panel that covers the water and propane plumbing. I chose to ditch the original ice box in favor of the cabinet. I wanted the storage space and plan to use a cooler instead of an ice box.
drawers and cabinet.jpg

I installed an electric water pump, plumbed the water system, installed new copper propane pipe, and wired the lights and pump into a fuse box. A tight fit...
plumbed and wired.jpg

I then cut the wood trim pieces to finish it all off.
front interior finishing.jpg

You will notice the unfinished area below the cabinets. That is where the heater will go at the rear of the truck. I plan to build a cabinet in front of the heater to finish the space.
big look at interior.jpg

Next for the interior is the linoleum floor and carpeted passenger overhang area.
 

joelweb

New member
I have been working overtime on the camper recently to get her ready for hunting season. My Dad and I removed the camper in the middle of August so we could protect the wood tub from moisture.

We applied three coats of Glidden polyurethane porch and floor paint. It is slow to dry, but ends up as hard as a rock.
painted tub.jpg

I then finished the rear quarter aluminum framing with the leftover aluminum sheeting that I used on the outside front wall and rear of the camper. I am very pleased with the way it turned out.

Before
rear quarter aluminum tubing.jpg
After
finished rear quarter.jpg
Big look
big look.jpg
From the back
camper from rear.jpg

I also ran the necessary wiring in anticipation for an upcoming battery isolator so I can charge the camper battery when the truck is running. I used this plug for easy connect/disconnect.
wiring plug.jpg

I also replaced the vinyl strip that covers the white trim.
vinyl strip.jpg

Getting ready to load her back up into the Terra.
Scout and Four Wheel Pop Up Camper.jpg
 

joelweb

New member
The interior has come a long ways over the past few weeks.

I traveled around to all of Missoula’s flooring stores and looked at their remnant linoleum and carpet supplies. After sorting through my options, I picked up a piece of each and spent a day installing it all.
interior lenolium.jpg
Finished edges...
edge trim.jpg

I then routed the wiring around the inside of the camper to the battery box using household wiring channel.
wire channel.jpg

Placement for the batter box was a tough choice, but behind the wheel well is the only option that seems to work. A battery isolator is still a pay check or two away. I will be installing a bench/fold out bed next year similar to the ones used in newer Four Wheel Campers so it will be hidden and not an eyesore.
battery box.jpg

Even if the wiring in this baby is relatively simple, it brought a smile to my face that everything functioned as planned from the start.

Faucet, roof lights and porch light all work.
porch light.jpg

It is the simple things that bring a man pleasure. No leaks from the copper tubing and hot coffee.
stove.jpg
And I found this perfect rug to finish it off.
big look with rug.jpg

All just in time for the maiden voyage during archery season last weekend.

Getting ready
maiden voyage getting ready.jpg
At Camp
parked at camp.jpg
When the road ended, we headed out on foot. No dead critters, but good country.
Joel Wisherd.jpg
A few more things to finish on the camper this fall, but I'm getting close to using this baby for what she's made for and picking up the projects again next summer. I'm sure you see that unfinished area under the cabinets - I'll get to it down the road...
 
Nice build! A terra is a great platform for the FWC. Here's a link to my Scout II FWC build:

https://expeditionportal.com/xenforo_live/index.php?threads/9497/

I haven't posted anything in a while because there have been no improvements performed in the last 2-1/2 years. Just getting back into it...

Keep up the great work!

Please get back into it. I want to make a camper out of the Scout II and would like to see what my options are. Right now, it would be a simple sheet of plywood slid into the bed and hanging over the rear passenger feet area to lengthen the sleep area while the rear seat is out. Then, after I have most of the new truck paid off, I might look into getting something for the Scout II.
 

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