Once again I took advantage of a mountain biking event to check out the motor vehicles, used to carry bikes and camping gear around. Once again I didn't learn much, because most people had the bikes on external racks. No thanks.
I didn't see one homemade, plywood cap/shell on a pickup truck. That is my best plan for the future. The commercial caps are expensive, not tall enough (at the stern), lack barn doors (at the stern), and have too many windows. (The first mistake in any vehicular design is too many windows.) Besides, I want to mount furring strips, shelves, and hooks on the inside, just like a cargo trailer. Are you really going to drill holes through a new commercial $2000-3000 cap?
But then I got a little excited about seeing the rebadged Fiat cargo van that Chrysler is selling as the RAM "Promaster." My goodness, where do they put the engine in this ugly, snub-nosed thing? But 'ugly' is OK with me. I knew that it was front wheel drive, and therefore wouldn't be much good for towing. But at least the ground clearance in front looked pretty good.
As the RAM Promaster van drove away, I managed to get a photograph of its rear end, practically dragging in the dirt. Maybe this is how they grade roads in Europe:
Gee, now that you mention it, maybe the "Zamboni" (that smooths the ice skating rink) is a branch of Fiat of Italy.
They can't be serious?! Why don't they go back where they came from? We don't cotton to their kind around here, in the great American West.
I didn't see one homemade, plywood cap/shell on a pickup truck. That is my best plan for the future. The commercial caps are expensive, not tall enough (at the stern), lack barn doors (at the stern), and have too many windows. (The first mistake in any vehicular design is too many windows.) Besides, I want to mount furring strips, shelves, and hooks on the inside, just like a cargo trailer. Are you really going to drill holes through a new commercial $2000-3000 cap?
But then I got a little excited about seeing the rebadged Fiat cargo van that Chrysler is selling as the RAM "Promaster." My goodness, where do they put the engine in this ugly, snub-nosed thing? But 'ugly' is OK with me. I knew that it was front wheel drive, and therefore wouldn't be much good for towing. But at least the ground clearance in front looked pretty good.
As the RAM Promaster van drove away, I managed to get a photograph of its rear end, practically dragging in the dirt. Maybe this is how they grade roads in Europe:
Gee, now that you mention it, maybe the "Zamboni" (that smooths the ice skating rink) is a branch of Fiat of Italy.
They can't be serious?! Why don't they go back where they came from? We don't cotton to their kind around here, in the great American West.
Comments
Then if you go to the Expedition Whacko web sites they are only reviewing rigs that cost over $100,000 as a base price and are all equipped to transit the Sahara or do an off road around the world tour.
What you need is an old Dodge Power Wagon or maybe a Military 1 1/4 ton Ambulance. Either one of those would give you the ground clearance you are looking for but you may sacrifice a little fuel economy. I think a Military Ambulance would look great towing your new home.
You are right about Expedition Whackos. Every time I bring up the subject of rigs with good ground clearance, somebody sends me a link about some rig that is outlandish and ridiculous. I hope they don't waste people's time like that, this time.
kaBLOOnie, why on the inside? Why not on the outside? A Communication Services - DCU Series Commercial Truck Cap or a SnugPro XL Commercial Topper may be tall enough in the stern, they have barn doors, there are shelves accessed from the outside and with a racks on top you would have perfect 'stealth rig'.
If not something like that then I think you will need to get a custom build or build it yourself.
But I do like the storage compartments that are accessed from the outside. They only eat up internal space that is chewed up by the wheel-wells, which is the least useful space anyway.
I don't see any reason to not build your cap. Get the height you need and the doors to suit. All the commercial ones I see are just thin junk.
It looks like you could get a commercial style cap that is 36" high (from the rails, I think) with barn doors and everything standard for around 1/2 that $4,000 you thought they would cost. I'm sure you could build something cheaper than that but those commercial utility caps do look good.