M43 converted to a camper

[nhjohnny1]

First off im not trying to ruin any purists days but I have this old girl and no joy on selling it so the only way its going to see use is if I can repurpose it.
That said it would still get a military paint job and look the part, just not be a proper restoration.
Does anyone have any pictures or ideas on doing this? I would like to leave as much of the original rear interior as possible (at least to start with) if it turns out to be a hit with the family it would need to be repowered and a trailer would be added to the mix to bring along more amenities. I dont see a good way to add a kitchen so at this point it would be a sleeping area for the most part. One dilemma is how to add 2 more seats that can come out when its time to set up camp.
I have tried several google searches but havent had much luck.
thanks for any tips or ideas.

[Master Yota]

I have an M152 that'll be getting the same treatment eventually.

I was considering some fold down beds from the side walls, as well as some fold flat bench seats from an RV or trailer (Chevy holiday vans from the 80's might be good place to start looking for idea's, or Volkswagon Micro bus). A radical alteration for sleeping would be the addition of a pop-up roof tent (think micro-bus), an added bonus would be some extra headroom for standing up. As for a kitchen, the amount of available space requires a "less is more" approach. It may be easier to convert one of the rear doors (or both) into a field kitchen with some simple shelving and storage cupboards. An Awning over the rear doors will you keep you dry, and shaded and a bug screen would keep the critters out of your sleeping area.

There is probably enough room under the body for a water tank, and maybe even a black water (poo tank) if your inside layout permits a chemical toilet.
Try sites like Expedition Portal (forum) and IH8MUD (forum) to get idea's about small space solutions. The M43 isn't much smaller than the Earth Roamer setups that are built for long term expedition use, so finding a solution to any issue shouldn't be to difficult.

As for a repower, the sky is the limit...

[52 M-42]

Talk to Monkey Man about his truck (lots of very good ideas for "repurposing"). Also take a look at Steel Soldiers trailer threads. They have a plethora of great ideas for efficient use of space.

Consider using 1 inch receiver hitches on both sides of your M-43 (see Steel Soldiers trailer threads again). They work great for kitchens, umbrellas, tables, etc.

Surplus MRE Heaters (crock pots) and blood coolers (a Peltier cooler) are efficient space savers for cooking and refrigeration (28-24 VDC).

52 M-42

[nhjohnny1]

Thanks for the ideas, ive got a bit of planning to do

[k8icu]

Step one would be to figure out what kind of camper you want. Do you want the full blown pooper, shower, bed, kitchen, sitting area type of camper or are you looking for a place to rest your head? Over my 26 years with MVs I've seen people put a GI cot in the back and say they have a camper. Then I've seen where you open the back doors and your step up into a room from the Ritz. Only you can decide that. Once you figure out what you want then you can plan on fixing it up etc. Good luck with your project and don't forget to take and post lots of pictures.

[nhjohnny1]

I have a wife and two very young girls and we are not a big camping family but my wife comes from one, so heres my plan

-go out camping very close to home tp try it out a few times and see if it takes off
-single or duel level air mattresses spanning the stretcher/bench areas with a few rolls of TP, alot of beer (for me.....) and a camp stove

If it takes off im struggling with cutting up the M43, couple separate thoughts here, self contained or combines with a modified duece trailer (would like a 101 but I already have the 105?)
Self contained goes two ways
One
-back is storage for outside bathroom, kitchen and shower
-sleeping, either ground tent or roof rack style

Two
-bite the bullet and cut the top off to make a pop up and try for a super small interior kitchen, toilet and sleeping area, I see the shower still being outside due to lack of room

Trailer version is more up in the air
-trailer holds all cooking and bathe equipment and we sleep in the M
-trailer has a pop up of some sort and the M has kitchen and bath

Trailer issues are
-towing a trailer.... backing and turning on tight trails/back roads
-trailer could possibly be a self contained camping situation so why even have the M

As you can see I dont have a clear direction yet, partially due to my lack of camping experience.

[kelley]

NH Johnny,
How about rigging up the M43 as a pantry/kitchen/generator storage and towing a popup trailer? pop ups are great for sleeping in due to all the screen windows but the cooking facilities in a pop up are lacking. You could also set up a nice bathroom in the M43 for the women in your life. BTW, Ellcoya state park is a GREAT campground.

[Master Yota]

There is really nothing better than the great outdoors... The more time you spend in it, the better you get at it.

The outcome of your interior will depend a lot on your fabrication skills and what you can, and can't live without. As for bed space, I would think that a fold-up bunk style bed would work best off one side of the interior walls. This would allow you to have a permanent fixture on the opposing side wall for "storage, kitchen, whatever..." You may discover that you'll need to configure bedding to be setup for use at night, and then folded back up for realistic use of the rest of the interior space during the day. This usually isn't a big issue though, as the whole point of camping is to be outside anyway, save for when the weather turns sour.

The nice thing about two little kids, is they can usually share one bed due to their small size. Once they get older, they can always be relegated to a tent of their own when the truck gets too tight in the back. If you design the adult bed to be a double fold out unit, then there will be enough room for you and MRS. to be comfortable, and maybe even enough room to have a narrow walk way between the bed rail and the "built in" accessories on the other side of the truck.
Many companies make small pop-up shelters that can be used as either change rooms or as a private spot for a chemical toilet if nobody wants to use the bushes...

The plan for my M152 was to be primarily my tow-rig for my other off road toys and to act as a hotel room on road trips and as a short term camper for weekends. I cook outside most of the time anyway, and few tarp hooks bolted to the roof above the back doors makes for a convenient shelter with a few ropes or tent poles. A fold out awning from a company like ARB or Ironman, makes weather avoidance a lot easier too.

Are you thinking about adding some windows to the rear area to make traveling more comfortable for those seated back there?

[Monkey Man]

You could do worse than pick up a communications module and fit it to an M101 and fit jacks to it so you can fit out the module as much as you like, not modify the trailer too much and once the jacks are lowered drive out from under it and still have the functionality of the trailer PLUS your truck once fitted out, seeing as you have an M43 fit out to the vehicle is much easier and can be as little or very invasive with the mods as you choose, it is your truck after all, don't let others tell you what to do
....OR you can grab the mig welder and some RHS and start creating as you go like I did

MM

[Murf]

If you were talking about throwing a couple of dirt bikes in the back. 2 fold down cots. An AC/Heat unit on top and some type of water tank plumbed through to the outside wall where you can mount a shower head I would say you have yourself a decent, albeit slow, loud and crappy on gas mileage, adventure camper. For the family, and all the stuff you would want to do to the M , I would go buy a used pickup, if you don't already have one, and a decent slide-in camper. The ones they have now days are NICE. Tables, bed(s), toilet, shower.. To make the M worth it for family camping and especially more road friendly (to get you to the camping), you are going to drop a lot of money. OR simply mount a slide in unit onto the frame and cut the body to blend in to it. Add some paint and you won't be able to tell where one stops and the other starts. Then you would have an excellent camper that still needs to be more road friendly

[Master Yota]

Rv's are natures cruel money pit...

But the allure of having something in the park that NOBODY else has, can be too much to pass up... Almost nothing attracts "new friends" like an M....

[Juan]

I love the idea of an M/43 converted in Motor home.

[Hemiman]

I've thought about this as well.

My plan was to go with a dual unit. M-43 or M-52 as a nicely decked out master bedroom. Then an M116 trailer with a standard pop-up camper mounted on it.

Would have to remove the pop-up's frame and cut out the wheel wells to fit over the M-116's wheel wells. And paint to match the truck of course!

Room for the whole family!

[nhjohnny1]

thanks for all the good ideas, going to be picking up a welder in the next week or two and hope to start some work. I am still not sure how to mount removable seats in the rear yet, kicking that one around this weekend.

[Master Yota]

thanks for all the good ideas, going to be picking up a welder in the next week or two and hope to start some work. I am still not sure how to mount removable seats in the rear yet, kicking that one around this weekend.

A simple receiver (like your trailer hitch) might be the easiest way to mount a seat or two. If you use a plastic style racing bucket (with a padded cover) you can leave it outside without worry if it gets wet, plus, its an out door seat for around the fire pit...
You could also look at the "clip in" style seats found in a lot of mini vans. Simply hit up the local auto wrecker for the seat(s) and the brackets/latches out of the donor floor. A little tape measure work, and some time with a cutting device and welder, and you've now got removable seating in the back of the M...