The Shelter Blog has been inactive since May, 2019. Too much to do! From this point on, Lloyd’s Blog will have the buildings, vehicles, and home-related posts such as what has previously appeared here. Go to lloydkahn.com.

Pickups with Campers (23)

Yogan Carpenter’s Ladybug Truck

By Lloyd Kahn on December 18, 2018

Yogan, a highly creative French carpenter, has been in our last three books. Here is his latest creation, about which he wrote:

This is a 2002 Mercedes 311cdi Sprinter double-cabin (7 seats) truck with a hydraulic bed lift. I call it Le Benne-Benz. I wanted the 7-seater because we live in collective and it’s cool to go to festivals in only one vehicle! All the stuff (tent, mattress, etc.) is in the truck and there’s only one driver! It’s also good for a hot tub and a good stage for a concert!

I travel a lot, so I had to make a place to sleep and live during my travels. The idea to make a removable cell came to me because I like to sleep under the stars, and sunbathe nude, so the open roof was mandatory!

For the shell, I made 10 arches in laminated poplar wood (9mm × 8 layers) and I glued 2 layers (2 × 6mm) of poplar plywood for the shell.

I have a big lifting frame in the forest where I suspend it, and it’s possible to sleep inside while it’s suspended (off the truck) like a big swing seat!

I travel with “Sucette,” my cat, and under my bed I have space to put my paraglider, my longboard, my accordions, and a lot of Cabanophiles books to sell during my travels.

This structure cost me less than 300 Euros!

I can level the bed with the hydraulic lift, which means I can find a lot more good camping spots! 50° max!

To use a van with a camper shell is a good way to be “unruly” because now in France its illegal to make your own rolling home. With this technique you can be so creative! I like to be unruly in this world; we need to be creative and have fun!

I will put Le Benne-Benz in my next book Cabanophiles II, in 2 years!

Note: Yogan published a book about his travels called Cabinophiles (for which I wrote the intro). It’s in French, but he’s translating it into English. www.cabanophiles.com

Here is more info on his Mercedes: yogan.over-blog.com/2018/08/dans-mon-benne-benne-benz.html

Finally, here is Yogan and his pal Menthe visiting Shelter two years ago:

www.lloydkahn.com/2015/11/french-carpenters-stop-by-shelter-on

Categories: Nomadic Homes, Pickups with Campers, Vehicles  Tags: , ,
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Beach Camping in Baja California Sur

By Lloyd Kahn on August 29, 2018

Left to right:

  • 1983 Toyota Tacoma 4×4 with 8-foot bed parked at Roosterfish Cove, Destilladeras (several miles farther out on the East Cape from Shipwrecks). This model did not have independent suspension for front wheels; desert rats preferred it because it was tougher.
  • Air Camping tent (made in Italy) on roof. When flap was up, it faced water. Had mosquito netting, mattress, pillow, sheets inside. Ladder holds up cantilevered section. Great for the desert, no worry about snakes, scorpions. I would 4-wheel it out in the desert on my travels in Baja at night, go down into arroyos and sleep. Stealth.
  • 9-foot Haut 3-fin board
  • Yakima Rocket Box on roof, which contained:
    • 10-by-12-foot flea market tarp for shade. There was a solar panel on the Rocket Box that charged up an extra battery. Note sandbags hanging in corners to hold tarp down in wind; no stakes nec.
    • fishing rod

I would fly into San José del Cabo, pick up the truck at my friend Chilon’s house, drive out to an arroyo on a ranch, down to the beach, let air out of tires and go 2 miles or so on the sand to Roosterfish Cove. All alone for days. No clothes nec.

Categories: Nomadic Homes, Pickups with Campers, Vehicles  Tags: , ,
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Looking for Contributors for Our New Book: Hit the Road, Jack

By Evan Kahn on August 1, 2018

Photo by Kaya Lindsay

We are doing a book on adventure rigs, and we are looking for custom trucks, vans, cars, and trailers that you use for adventuring around the world.

Would you like to be a part of the book? Please send Evan an email with a little information on your rig — as well as a picture — to evan@shelterpub.com.

  • Pictured above is Kaya Lindsay and her beautiful Sprinter van, check out her Instagram, webpage and YouTube channel.
Categories: House Buses, House Trucks, Pickups with Campers, Trailers, Vans, Vehicles  Tags: , ,
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Beautiful Camper Built by Jay Nelson

By Evan Kahn on July 2, 2018

…It’s on a 1986 long-bed Toyota truck that I converted to a flat bed; the shell can slide off by removing 4 bolts. It has a basic kitchen: single burner, sink with water pump, and a cooler. The bed cantilevers over the cab: it’s 6 feet long and folds into a sofa. The frame is all recycled redwood; the skin is ¼″ plywood with bio-epoxy resin and fiberglass. It’s insulated and weighs around 400 pounds…

Categories: Nomadic Homes, Pickups with Campers, Vehicles  Tags: ,
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Rob's French Army House Truck

By Evan Kahn on March 24, 2017

… It’s a 1959 French Army Truck — a Simica Unic Marmon Bocquet (or SUMB). The shack is built with wood from local sawmills, reclaimed bits, corrugated steel, and insulated with sheep wool. Friends Jo House and Charlie Goodvibes helped with the building, which took about three weeks, I hadn’t built anything like this before, but now I feel ready to build anything…

Categories: Nomadic Homes, Pickups with Campers, Tiny Homes  Tags: , , ,
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Mike Basich's Custom Snowchaser

By Evan Kahn on November 29, 2016

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Photo by Evan Kahn

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Photo by Mike Basich

He bought a 1999 Dodge Ram and started by cutting out the back cab and fitting a massive custom roll bar made out of 2″ square tubing where the end of the cab used to be. He then built a custom camper to fit the truck bed, with a liftable top. This way, after the snowmobile is secured, the roof could raise to allow for a more comfortable living space…

Categories: Nomadic Homes, Pickups with Campers  Tags: , ,
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Jeremy Tuffli's Creations

By Evan Kahn on February 26, 2016

I met Jeremy a few months ago in Bolinas, meeting young talented builders is probably my favorite part about working with Shelter. Jeremy’s attention to detail is on par with master carpenters twice his age. Here are a few words and builds by Jeremy.

Hi Evan,

Just got your message on Instagram and thought I’d share some photos of my projects with you.

The first two are custom pickup truck campers. I drove one out to Bolinas last year.

The other is a 1961 Winnebago trailer remodel in Colorado.

My latest project is a tiny home on wheels, currently under construction in Sonoma county. The tiny home is still several months away from completion. I will send more photos of that one when it is finished. Hope to have a website up and running by then as well.

Thanks to you guys at Shelter Pub for the inspiration. Builders of the Pacific Coast is one of my favorite books.

–Jeremy


Read More …

Categories: Nomadic Homes, Pickups with Campers, Trailers, Vehicles  Tags: , , ,
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Jay Nelson's Suzuki Camper Built for Foster Huntington

By Lloyd Kahn on August 10, 2015

Jay Nelson’s work has been featured in Tiny Homes and Tiny Homes on the Move. Foster Huntington’s Toyota Tacoma camper was featured in Tiny Homes on the Move.

Camper completed

From Foster:

The car is a Suzuki SJ410. It’s the predecessor to the Samurai and has a 1-liter 4-cylinder enqgine.

The camper is made out of marine plywood and thin copper sheeting. The camper has a sleeping space that’s just over 6 feet long over the cab.

Jay Nelson designed and built the camper in two weeks with some help from some friends.

From www.lloydkahn.com/…

Categories: Nomadic Homes, Pickups with Campers, Vehicles  Tags: , ,
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