1965 Apache Silver Buffalo

[85_Ranger4x4]

Then we packed up the next morning. This is what is really beautiful about this camper, all this gear, pretty basic stuff has somewhere to go aside from the vehicle. Campstove, lantern, chairs, bedding/matresses, chuck box, table(s), water jug, stroller, pack and play, heater etc with room for more.





She had laundry and the fridge in the Bronco so she could get that started while I closed up the camper and I pretty much just had bikes and extra firewood in the Ranger.





Now... onto Kansas next weekend.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Recently pulled the Silver Buffalo down to Kansas:

Post in thread 'Kansas Rocks Creepy Crawl'

Yesterday at 11:39 PM

Broke the oldest out of school a couple hours early and hit Missouri:



The ratchet strapped road cover really completes the look...



Had some fun with books on the road



Kansas!



Yeah, we saw this later...

• 85_Ranger4x4

• 

Really it did pretty good. I need to research sealing the canvas, after several hours of constant rain it did have a few seep spots... overall for a 50yo camper it did pretty good though. Towed great with the Ranger.

Road cover is still a POS however...

 

[cmcolfax]

Thanks for sharing this "build"!

I'd love to find something like that for super cheap.

I'm recently divorced and sold my 36' JAYCO JayFlight G2 Quad-Bunkhouse and my F250 CCSB...

I could fix everything but the canvas and it would pull behind my Ranger, getting me a way to get back out camping!

 

[cmcolfax]

If it didn't have new tires I would go spring under and put bigger tires on it to make life easier on both tires and wheel bearings...

Do you mean spring OVER?

I can't see how swapping to spring under would give you the additional room needed for larger wheels and tires?

Granted, I am not familiar with these type of trailers...

I wonder if swapping in "regular" utility trailer springs or even a complete axle would be easy enough to do?

My 5*10 single axle utility trailer has a 2500# axle rating and is on 205/75/15's which are a VERY common trailer tire/wheel size and they usually are the "Jeep" 5*4.5 bolt pattern so easy to source and replace

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Do you mean spring OVER?

I can't see how swapping to spring under would give you the additional room needed for larger wheels and tires?

Granted, I am not familiar with these type of trailers...

I wonder if swapping in "regular" utility trailer springs or even a complete axle would be easy enough to do?

My 5*10 single axle utility trailer has a 2500# axle rating and is on 205/75/15's which are a VERY common trailer tire/wheel size and they usually are the "Jeep" 5*4.5 bolt pattern so easy to source and replace

Yeah, that's what I meant. It is currently spring under.

Jeep 5x4.5 is the same as 83-11 Ranger... I already have wheels off my truck that would fit if I had enough room.

 

[cmcolfax]

People have modified them for offroading but so far I haven't really needed an off-road camper. Basically you make a frame with a new floor and set this tub on the new frame (because it there isn't a whole lot of structure to it right now) It is a lot of work to do and so far I haven't needed it.

Hmmmm

Without going "full off road build" I wonder if you could do the same sort of conversion using a standard utility trailer chassis and floor?

I would think 6' or 6.5' would be wide enough.

Length would be determined by how much additional cargo space you want and how you want the weight to balance.

Bolt the "tub" right to the wood deck boards of the trailer.

Or mebbe add some cross bracing and mount the Apache tub to the metal sides?

If you had the "low" sides it would only be 6-8" off the deck.
If you had the "standard" sides it would be 16" or so. Creating additional storage UNDER the body of the camper unit.

Almost like an overlanding rooftop tent, but with half-hard sides, and on a trailer.

The camper unit can't be more than a couple hundred pounds.
My 5*10 utility trailer isn't much more than that, so it will be well within the SOHC 4.0's tow and cargo capacities.

YES, I know you can BUY lightweight hybrid half-hard sided, fold out tent camper trailers... But BUILDING one might be fun and could prolly be done for A LOT less than they cost.

 

[cmcolfax]

Yeah, that's what I meant. It is currently spring under.

Jeep 5x4.5 is the same as 83-11 Ranger... I already have wheels off my truck that would fit if I had enough room.

I dig it.
I didn't mean to "correct" you since I don't know these type of rigs.
And I'm new to the Ranger world.

But I spent a solid decade messing with, building, wheeling Jeeps
(A couple of CJ7 's, two stock YJ's, a YJ on 36's, an XJ on 33's.
And a "go fast" GC 5.9 Limited...) and saw a number of SOA conversions.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Hmmmm

Without going "full off road build" I wonder if you could do the same sort of conversion using a standard utility trailer chassis and floor?

I would think 6' or 6.5' would be wide enough.

Length would be determined by how much additional cargo space you want and how you want the weight to balance.

Bolt the "tub" right to the wood deck boards of the trailer.

Or mebbe add some cross bracing and mount the Apache tub to the metal sides?

If you had the "low" sides it would only be 6-8" off the deck.
If you had the "standard" sides it would be 16" or so. Creating additional storage UNDER the body of the camper unit.

Almost like an overlanding rooftop tent, but with half-hard sides, and on a trailer.

The camper unit can't be more than a couple hundred pounds.
My 5*10 utility trailer isn't much more than that, so it will be well within the SOHC 4.0's tow and cargo capacities.

YES, I know you can BUY lightweight hybrid half-hard sided, fold out tent camper trailers... But BUILDING one might be fun and could prolly be done for A LOT less than they cost.

That is what they did here:

Apache Eagle - Unique Off Road Trailer

SOLD FOR SALE: 1974 (likely) Apache Eagle Location: Salt Lake City, Utah, USA Description: This tent trailer has been completely rebuilt into a reliable and capable off road camper. Very simple and functional as it stands, but also ready for finish work (paint, floor, trim, etc.). There is...

forum.expeditionportal.com

If I was to build a straight up overland rig I would really look into a camper like the one in the link with the door in the back and the top that folds out to the sides.

Extended cab first gen Ranger, 4-6" Skyjacker lift, TDI swap and replace the bed with reinforced camper unit. Tail lights and everything are even already there.

 

[cmcolfax]

That is what they did here

I saw that link. It's sweet. They seemed to go a lot more "hardcore" than I was kicking around in my little brain tho.

You had commented that there wasn't much structure under the Apache as it is so I was thinking about the easiest and cheapest way to "upgrade" that by using something that already exists and is easy to source.

You could probably mount it transversely so the door was to the rear and it folded out the sides.

I'm an "OEM Plus" kind of guy (because I am always working with a small budget and limited time) and one of the things I liked about my Jeeps, that I like about my VW's, and am coming to learn and like about my Ranger (and RBV's as you all call them) is parts interchangeability!

 

[Uncle Gump]

Extended cab first gen Ranger, 4-6" Skyjacker lift, TDI swap and replace the bed with reinforced camper unit. Tail lights and everything are even already there.

I like the sounds of most of that...

I have a nice Kamp-Rite cot... a nice flat bed with some mounting wizardry for the cot pretty tight to the cab with storage underneath. Pull the cot off and still use it as a truck.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I like the sounds of most of that...

I have a nice Kamp-Rite cot... a nice flat bed with some mounting wizardry for the cot pretty tight to the cab with storage underneath. Pull the cot off and still use it as a truck.

My '85 isn't going anywhere and I would still have to have a half ton, so not having a truck for truck things is kind of a non-issue. This hypothetical beast would just be for camping/long distance driving. Mainly Vagabond things, it will never happen just something I have thought about.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I saw that link. It's sweet. They seemed to go a lot more "hardcore" than I was kicking around in my little brain tho.

You had commented that there wasn't much structure under the Apache as it is so I was thinking about the easiest and cheapest way to "upgrade" that by using something that already exists and is easy to source.

You could probably mount it transversely so the door was to the rear and it folded out the sides.

I'm an "OEM Plus" kind of guy (because I am always working with a small budget and limited time) and one of the things I liked about my Jeeps, that I like about my VW's, and am coming to learn and like about my Ranger (and RBV's as you all call them) is parts interchangeability!

Ours is way too long to go sidesaddle, besides that it is nice and light so the Bronco can pull it once I get the lights squared away.

 

[cmcolfax]

having a truck for truck things

The EXACT reason I bought (and overpaid) for my Ranger.
When I sold my F250 I still needed a truck to do truck things.