Build Journal
The decisions, the mistakes, the fabrication and the engineering — written up in full. The imperfect journey is part of the story.
47 Years of Minimal Use
The Chinook's original interior survived nearly five decades virtually untouched. Here's what I found when I stripped it out — and why it had to go.
Planning a 200-Litre Fuel System
Sizing range for desert crossings, and building a tank that survives corrugations.
Choosing the L98 6.0-Litre V8
Why an alloy GM V8 makes sense for a heavy camper that has to move across a continent.
Understanding Australia's 60% Rear Overhang Rule
A plain-English look at the rear overhang rule and how it shaped the Chinook's wheelbase.
Extending the Wheelbase Without a Chassis Table
Cutting a LandCruiser frame in a home workshop, sleeving it, and keeping everything dead straight.
Why I Chose an 80 Series LandCruiser Chassis
Coil suspension, full-floating axles and a bulletproof reputation. The case for putting a vintage camper on a modern LandCruiser platform.
Designing the Chinook's Digital Dashboard
A hybrid Raspberry Pi + microcontroller architecture that runs the whole camper — and keeps working if the screen doesn't.
Why I'm Rebuilding a 1978 Toyota Chinook
It started as a forgotten camper in a shed. Here's why a rare Toyota Chinook is worth an obsessive rebuild — and what it's going to become.