Going into this project, I thought I would be embarking on the next season of travel with a new rig and nothing more, but that could not be further from the truth. I am leaving with so much experience, knowledge, pride, gratitude and a whole lot more grey hair. This build was an ambitious undertaking, and became more of a project that I had anticipated, but it also turned out so much better than anticipated.
Nearly one year ago, this build went into the early stages of planning. This was my fathers old work truck when he owned a small logging company. When the company sold, the truck got parked inside a shop, and it sat there for nearly two decades. I always wanted to buy this truck off of him, but he wouldn't let it go. Once we had the conversation about an expedition truck build for my business, he was happy to donate the truck, an the plan was officially in motion. Over the summer travel season, before the build was announced, I began to arrange the logistics. Researching other builds, researching the truck, making connections and arranging sponsors. Once the first snow fall came, the motorhome was in the shop and the build was under way. Looking back now, I am thankful I didn't know what I was getting myself into, but I am so happy and proud to have pushed through to the end. And now I have an expedition truck that is ready, and capable of long term remote travel.
The candidate truck for this build is a 1995 Dodge Ram 3500 Cab & Chassis, powered by a 12 valve cummins engine. I wanted this particular truck not only because it was my Dad's old truck, but because of the drivetrain. A 12 valve cummins is an engine that can get more than a million km, it is completely mechanically operated and it gets remarkably good fuel economy. I also needed a one ton truck to handle the weight of the living quarters and storage, because this is not a camping rig, it is home. The truck needed some pretty big repairs from the last season it served in the bush, but the larger concern came from the fact that it had sat for so many years. Because of this, it is a low milage truck for the age, and it is nearly rust free, but anything rubber had dried out. The engine got new seals, but is otherwise stock. I did a complete front end rebuild, replaced nearly every bearing and every seal, rebuild both axles and differentials, new U-joints front to back, and anything that was showing wear got replaced or rebuilt.
Getting the truck mechanically sound took a couple of months, and then it was time to look into the task of mounting the living quarters and the storage boxes. Lucky for me I had some amazing sponsored support on both of these tasks, and this is where the truck really began to come to life. The camper was going to be mounted inside a cradle, and positioned 21 inches behind the cab, leaving enough room for a pass through storage compartment, and leaving the final product nicely balanced over the rear diff. Stinger Welding, out of Prince George was helping with this portion, and they were more than capable. They designed and build a three foot frame extension, with a six inch drop to get to the back of the camper, where they then built a bumper and trailer hitch for the boat. Leaving the shop, the truck looked like a frankenstein machine, but it was solid and ready for storage compartments, so I was off to Prince Rupert.
Harbour Machining, out of Prince Rupert was my sponsor for the storage boxes, and they had a plan that far surpassed my wildest expectations. I arrived with a need for storage boxes, and a place for the outboard to ride upright and accessible. I left with a world class set of boxes that turned the truck from a plain truck build to a show piece. Not only did they look amazing, but the functionality was 100%. By the time I left Prince Rupert, we all had a pretty good idea of just how capable the truck was going to be, but I still had a lot to finish.
Batteries, airbags, solar, heat, water, plumbing, generator, air conditioner, fridge... the list goes on and on, but day after day things began to get checked off. Finally the list is nearly complete, and the only things left are aesthetic. The truck is rock solid, it is reliable, and it is capable of very remote travel and self sufficiency for weeks at a time. Everything I need to comfortably live, travel and produce the show is contained within this truck, and built custom to the needs of myself and the channel. At this point, I trust this truck to take me anywhere, and I can't wait to see where we will go with it.
Thank you all so much for your patience during this time of infrequent uploads, and thank you so much to everyone that helped to make this build possible.
If you wish to help support the channel, please consider taking a look at the Patreon Page or the Merch line. Most of all, thank you for enjoying!
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/DestinationAdventure
Merch Line: https://destinationmerch.com/