Unimog 1550 camper build
About building the camper
In order to repair the cab near the window sill, and to sand it properly, we removed the windshield. It broke while doing so and we had to purchase a new one. Not all bad, the new windshield is tinted: less sun and flare.
It wasn’t an easy job, but working together, we managed to do it! We’ve got a windshield again and this feels so much ‘more finished’, it’s great.
After emptying, removing and cleaning the body it’s time to start sanding, more sanding, and then do some more sanding. Some of this was done with the cab still on the truck, but it’s much easier now. It’s a lot of work though. Some areas can be done using a machine sander, but there’s a plenty of places that can’t be reached and have to be done by hand. But another milestone is met: to the painter it is!
The cab is rolled onto the trailer, doors attached and some loose parts thrown into the trunk of the car. And after a while it’s time to pick it up!
Excellent! We’re so happy with this color!
Back home we have to attach some parts before the cab is put back onto the truck. In part because it’s easier and because for some parts it cannot be done once the cab is back on the truck.
After rolling the chassis into the open, we carefully lift the cab and hoist it back onto the truck. This went very well and it was over within the hour!
We’ve spent quite some time already, with sanding the body in order to have it spraypainted. It isn’t easy, you have to crawl into the truck or stand on a small ladder.
So, considering that the body is nearly empty already, we’ve decided to take it off after all. It’s a bit of extra work, but makes the sanding and the painting much easier.
It sure it a daunting task, but things are going quite well and it just fits.
After removing the last few items, it gets a good cleaning and then … sanding, sanding and more sanding.
So, after we’ve cut the cab and welded the frame in place, we decided that it was time to destroy the cab even further, eh, ‘modify the cab’.
We closed the gaps of the windows a long time ago, but with the pass through in place, we noticed it doesn’t look good…
We figured it would be time for a larger modification: the whole upper part of the back wall is removed, removing the depth variant of the old window frames. And we’ll put a new piece of back wall in place.
Weld the piece in place and then spot-weld while grinding away the pieces of cab behind the steel. This way it fits exactly.
Removing dents with filler and sanding, much sanding… All in all, a new back wall that looks much better than before!
OK, it had to happen: cutting the cab, a hole for the cab-to-camper-body passthrough. We want to have a passthrough because of two reasons: first, so that our dog Usko can enter the truck via the camper body and walk to his seat in the cat. He really dislikes being lifted. And the second reason is the ability to start the truck without having to go outside, in case of emergy. A safety reason.
It all starts with a frame, with rounded corners for the boot that will create a closed connection between cab and camper body.
After that, it’s time to cut the cab. And of course, to weld the frame in place.
An exciting step in our plan. It seems it fits quite well.
The mounting of the living area, the cabine, consists of 4 parts. The third party we’re creating is for the front-to-back attachment point.
I wasn’t able to put the laser-cut parts together using magnets and clamps, things were moving constantly.
So, in the end, I drilled some holes and used threaded rods with bolts, now things were nice and tight.
Time to test-fit these chassis parts with the floor-frame attachment parts.
These connecting rods should be as a tight fit as possible. The holes in the welded rings have been made slightly larger… too large. This is a failure.
With the other attachments this failed as well, so I’m removing all the rings.
Instead, we had Bad Decision Works create a site of bushings with the lathe, this is a tight fit, as required.
In order to get an exact measurement of where to weld everything in place, we have to bolt all the attachments to the chassis and floor frame, see part 4.
The mounting of the living area, the cabine, consists of 4 parts, the last part is for v-shaped attachments in the front and back.
We can only weld these in place with the complete frame, connecting rods and other mount parts in place. So, we hoist the frame onto the truck, attach the 4 rods in the middle and then it’s time to get the exact height for the front and back mount parts.
After finishing the welding, everything can be put together and onto the Unimog: the floor frame is fastened with 6 connecting rods. That’s it.
Another milestone passed.
During the design phase, it was decided to integrate the subframe and the floor. The attachments in between are bolted into the chassis and the floor. It’s our job to make this possible.
Step 1: lots of cutting of steel. Tubing for the frame, flat pieces for attaching it.
We’re drilling holes and tapping thread. The bolts will go through holes in the tubing into these pieces of flat steel with the thread.
The flat pieces are shoved into the square tubing and fastened with bolts. The extra holes are used to weld the pieces of flat steel into the tubing. Later on, the bolt holes are be used to attach the floor to the chassis.
The pieces of square tubing are welded together and create the frame for the floor. A piece of angle iron is used for the sides, the camper body walls will rest on this.
And so we move forward in our project. 🙂
The mounting of the living area, the cabine, consists of 4 parts. The second set of mounts we’re putting together, is meant for the front-to-back movement.
By having the parts laser cut, with small pegs and holes, it’s easier to put things together. Welding these was easy enough.
We need two, one on the left and one on the right.
After designing and laser-cutting the parts, it’s time to put things together.
There’s a few important parts here:
We’ll start with the crossbars on the chassis, one at the front and one at the rear. When putting the parts together, I notice that a mistake was made (by me): the front and rear mounting holes are distanced different and the size is different as well.
After welding the slots, new holes were drilled at the right location and the rear holes are enlarged.
Now everything can be put together!
Welding, deburring and there, two finished crossbars. A vibration damper will be pushed into the hole and later on, a connecting rod will be used to keep the living area attached to the crossbar.
