This section details the conversion process of my regular Maruti Gypsy 4WD into an all-terrain mini-camper.
Truck as a Camper : While traveling through our vast forests, the Forest Guest house, a relic of our British imperial past, offered a great place to stay over, despite their often run-down condition. Until that is, I discovered the joys of “truck-camping”: park the car deep inside the forest, bang next to a waterhole and snooze off in the rear cabin until awakened by the chirping of birds at dawn! No more dirty, smelly, forest bungalows for me thank you! Truck-Camping has other advantages as well: on my last trip to Uttaranchal, i ended up using the Hotels for just 3 nights out of the total 12 days and that too only because I missed the potty! Needless to say ended up saving a bucket-load of moolah while having a lot more fun at the same time!
The Maruti Gypsy : The Gypsy, sold in international markets as the Samurai or the Sierra, was first introduced in India in 1985 and is currently available with a modern 80bhp MPFI engine: a far cry from the 40bhp 960cc F10A powering the original Gypsy. Like most things in life the Gypsy too has its pros and cons: while it can be a mountain goat off the road, it behaves like a perfect ass while on the road with reference to its rather bumpy on-road performance. But once off the road, it really comes into its element: handling the toughest of terrains with impeccable grace. And unlike the noisy oil burning competition from the Mahindra stable do it silently. Its incredibly silent petrol engine is truly worth its weight in gold! Put it in 1st gear with 4xLow, leave the pedal and clutch gently and watch the gypsy stalk silently down the fire line even as Sher Khan walks contentedly a mere 5 feet away! now try doing that with an oil-burner! 
Gypsy as a Truck Camper: The Gypsy sold in India is much longer than the version sold by Suzuki in other markets. If legend is to be believed, the length of the Gypsy introduced in India was based on the need to accommodate a full length stretcher: which enabled it to compete in the Indian Army competition for a 1T vehicle. This increased length, combined with its reliable and silent G13BB MPFI engine and the all-terrain, go anywhere ability makes it an ideal platform for a long-haul truck camper.
The idea behind this project is to turn the Gypsy from a light 4WD to a capable long distance tourer with some creature comforts, while at the same time not compromising its unique ability to take on the jungle trails and city roads! Impossible task? Well, watch this space!
Build-Log
Coming Soon