I’ve been back in the states for a bit now, just kinda
getting readjusted to life here. It’s
crazy different but that’s to be expected.
It’s nice being able to get something or do something just because I
want to. Instead of weighing my “want”
vs. the “huge pain in the ass” that it takes try to track down something simple
like a hardware store and try to learn the Thai words for 2 inch screws.
…and speaking of going to hardware stores: I have been working on a project to turn my
newly purchased truck into a camper/mobile home. I think I’ve just finished up with it. My
long journey to getting it ready has gone something like this:
I brought the truck into a mechanic and got everything
replaced that was all fucked up. I purchased the truck in the twin cities and
then went up 10 days later to get a topper.
When I purchased the truck I had no idea that there is only one style of
topper that fits a step-side Ranger. According
to the Ranger forum, these camper shells are incredibly difficult to find but I
lucked out and found one. The topper was
red, which was hideous on my dark green truck, so I got that painted. I also ordered a ladder rack and bolted it
onto the roof of the topper. I
installed a new stereo to allow satellite radio and more importantly an
auxiliary input for my big ass 160 gig ipod.
Having done all of this I was nearly prepared to live life on the
road. The only part that I still needed
to do was figure out how I wanted to modify the back.
First off it didn’t come with a bed liner, so I made a
platform to serve as one.
Next, I framed out an area for a shelf, a bed, a drawer and
a small storage space.
Here I’ve attached the side of my shelf/storage area and
I’ve cut out the platform where my “bed” will lie.
Here we have the top of the shelf, the drawer, and the
sleeping platform has been cut in two pieces to allow easier access to the
storage area underneath.
After sanding, staining, and varnishing: here is the final product of all the hours of
woodworking.
Thanks to some burlap and twine I was able to make curtains
that do well filtering out the sun and combined with the tinted windows, make
it pretty much impossible to see inside.
The drawer also now has a handle and a hinge that allows a padlock to
shut the drawer up tight.
My new “bed” is a cushion for a patio chair which should
work out great because it can get wet and weathered without falling apart.
…and here we’ve got views of the storage space.
So that’s what I’ve got.
Not quite sure where I’m going yet or how long I’ll stay there or really
much of anything at all but at least I got a place to rest my head and the
means to go wherever the hell I want.
