Well, as mentioned, my old KIT hasn't seen the road since her big adventure in 2012 and is showing signs in several spots of structural buckling due to injuries sustained during that trip and leaks that formed during the two years of idle time since her last time on the road.I had originally planned to take her partially apart, and repair what's broken, but the more I look at it, the more I'm leaning towards starting over as many had suggested in the past.Since I'm planning to build her from the ground up, I decided the best idea was to start with a well known set of plans, that come with instructions and full-size assembly sheets, that you basically lay the parts out on to help in assembly.I will be using the plans for the Glen-L - Everglade 11' side-entry as the base for the rebuild. ExteriorInterior - Floor planThanks to the heavy details and dedicated threads on the Amerigo rebuilds, I am also considering adding a Snap-N-Nap to the rear of the base Glen-L after making necessary changes to the design to allow of the additional leveraging load. The biggest expense will likely be in purchasing new aluminum siding to replace what I can't reuse off the original camper. I plan to glue and KREG join all the parts instead of using the stapling method that the camper was originally built with. Areas where changes in the design will likely occur are the corners for increase structural rigidity at the jack attachment points, and the placement of things like the propane tanks. I may utilize fiberglass wall paneling in some ares on the exterior to cut aluminum expenses down, as I'm not interesting in Filon and Fiberglass epoxy doesn't cure too well in the wet, cool, oregon winter weather.

Step 1 - Order plans (Completed) :p

My brother built this one many years ago. He had three kids so he also added a tilt out rear bed.When I was thinking about building my own, he gave me the set of plans. The set had the small plans but only one side wall sheet of the full size plans. Not sure what happened to the rest.No doubt the full size plans will help if you go that route.Beside some of the common sense changes and material changes you mentioned, I would have to change the slant of the front cap for more aero dynamics. Just a preference.He carried it on a F250 camper special. Said it did a great job even as big as it was. His son still has the truck.I'd still like to build one but the wife frowns on it. She'd rather use it than work on it. She just doesn't get the "I built that" enthusiasm, says it's just more work.Although, she does appreciate me when something needs to be repaired. tends to point me right at it.Good luck,

Joe417 wrote:My brother built this one many years ago. He had three kids so he also added a tilt out rear bed.When I was thinking about building my own, he gave me the set of plans. The set had the small plans but only one side wall sheet of the full size plans. Not sure what happened to the rest.No doubt the full size plans will help if you go that route.Beside some of the common sense changes and material changes you mentioned, I would have to change the slant of the front cap for more aero dynamics. Just a preference.He carried it on a F250 camper special. Said it did a great job even as big as it was. His son still has the truck.I'd still like to build one but the wife frowns on it. She'd rather use it than work on it. She just doesn't get the "I built that" enthusiasm, says it's just more work.Although, she does appreciate me when something needs to be repaired. tends to point me right at it.Good luck,Having traveled now for several years with the reversed slant, I think I'll likely keep it, namely because I've always preferred the look (And the over bed storage), and I'm trying to basically recreate a piece of 70s era equipment, including the look. I'm hoping to add a tilt out bed as well on the rear, because that back wall just screams "I've got wasted space!", though I think I'll go with a smaller entry opening than what the Amerigo's had, I'd love to get my hands on the old Kamp King's snap and nap, they were a very solidly built camper.Though, I have no plans to include the roof balcony, the old Kamp Kings are very very similar to the Everglade's in design.

Good luck Señor it will be a cool project. I have often fantasized about chopping the lower foot or so off the bottom of the cabover so I could drop the camper a foot on the chassis (for height reasons) and then put a pop-top of some sort for the roof of the cabover vaguely like on that rig in the parking lot but of course I wake up and realize I'd never do it to a perfectly good 1191 like we have. If I was undertaking a project like you are I'd be thinking about the kind of thing you are to take advantage of that "wasted" space. Pretty cool. Course if design it for a Flatbed without any shadow of a doubt! Good luck for sure, and we'll all be happy to follow along as arm-chair quarterbacks and perhaps even give you good advice early enough in your project for you to take advantage of it (not me I'm a dreamer without much practical experience with a big project like this!).

My best to you Joe. For the right person this is quite doable. I am doing a resto-mod at the moment on a somewhat different camper, but I noticed your floor plan is quite similar to mine. With the galley down the left and the u-shape dinette on the right (even the same fridge/range placement) and the double E/W bed (I'll bet it's longer than a double) it copies mine quite a bit. There is just something about that floor plan layout that while common among manufactures, is arguably the best layout for a truck bed camper.

A Kamper Rebirth - Planning - Propane Compartment (page 3)

29 Replies

GoinThisAway
Explorer
Dec 30, 2014
Next to trip reports, camper builds are one of my favorite threads to read so I'll be watching this one! Looking at the floorplan, I'll offer up two suggestions. First, switch the hinge side of the wardrobe door to the front of the camper. That way it'll swing up against the dinette which makes it more accessible for someone entering the camper and keeps from blocking the aisle when it's open. Second, move the stove to the opposite end of the counter. That way the window over the sink will be across from the dinette and you won't have an appliance that creates heat right next to an appliance that is trying to keep things cold. I realize this entails much more than just moving the stove though so may or may not work depending on what this impacts.
spacedoutbob
Explorer
Dec 30, 2014
Matt, Good luck on your project. I can't wait to see how it turns out. Happy New Year to You and Your Family!

Bob in Calif.
spacedoutbob
Explorer
Dec 30, 2014
Matt, Good luck on your project. I can't wait to see how it turns out. Happy New Year to You and Your Family!

Bob in Calif.
JoeChiOhki
Explorer II
Dec 29, 2014
Dave Pete wrote:
My best to you Joe. For the right person this is quite doable. I am doing a resto-mod at the moment on a somewhat different camper, but I noticed your floor plan is quite similar to mine. With the galley down the left and the u-shape dinette on the right (even the same fridge/range placement) and the double E/W bed (I'll bet it's longer than a double) it copies mine quite a bit. There is just something about that floor plan layout that while common among manufactures, is arguably the best layout for a truck bed camper.

Aye, we plan to extend the cabover bed space a bit, as we have a queen in the current camper, and plan to do the same with the new frame.

I'm currently trying to track down some design data from the old Kamp Kings and Amerigos on how they built the second tilt out bed on the rear, as I'd really like to have two large beds in the camper.

Got a quote back on Aluminum skin at $4.55 a sq ft, so I will likely be recycling as much of the older camper's skin as I can, to reduce how much new material I need to order.

I'm also starting to search craigslist for RVs being parted out to salvage siding material off of to supplement new material costs.
Dave_Pete
Explorer II
Dec 29, 2014
My best to you Joe. For the right person this is quite doable. I am doing a resto-mod at the moment on a somewhat different camper, but I noticed your floor plan is quite similar to mine. With the galley down the left and the u-shape dinette on the right (even the same fridge/range placement) and the double E/W bed (I'll bet it's longer than a double) it copies mine quite a bit. There is just something about that floor plan layout that while common among manufactures, is arguably the best layout for a truck bed camper.
btggraphix
Explorer
Dec 29, 2014
Good luck Señor it will be a cool project. I have often fantasized about chopping the lower foot or so off the bottom of the cabover so I could drop the camper a foot on the chassis (for height reasons) and then put a pop-top of some sort for the roof of the cabover vaguely like on that rig in the parking lot but of course I wake up and realize I'd never do it to a perfectly good 1191 like we have. If I was undertaking a project like you are I'd be thinking about the kind of thing you are to take advantage of that "wasted" space. Pretty cool. Course if design it for a Flatbed without any shadow of a doubt! Good luck for sure, and we'll all be happy to follow along as arm-chair quarterbacks and perhaps even give you good advice early enough in your project for you to take advantage of it (not me I'm a dreamer without much practical experience with a big project like this!).
JoeChiOhki
Explorer II
Dec 29, 2014
Joe417 wrote:
My brother built this one many years ago. He had three kids so he also added a tilt out rear bed.

When I was thinking about building my own, he gave me the set of plans. The set had the small plans but only one side wall sheet of the full size plans. Not sure what happened to the rest.

No doubt the full size plans will help if you go that route.

Beside some of the common sense changes and material changes you mentioned, I would have to change the slant of the front cap for more aero dynamics. Just a preference.

He carried it on a F250 camper special. Said it did a great job even as big as it was. His son still has the truck.

I'd still like to build one but the wife frowns on it. She'd rather use it than work on it. She just doesn't get the "I built that" enthusiasm, says it's just more work.

Although, she does appreciate me when something needs to be repaired. tends to point me right at it.

Good luck,

Having traveled now for several years with the reversed slant, I think I'll likely keep it, namely because I've always preferred the look (And the over bed storage), and I'm trying to basically recreate a piece of 70s era equipment, including the look.

I'm hoping to add a tilt out bed as well on the rear, because that back wall just screams "I've got wasted space!", though I think I'll go with a smaller entry opening than what the Amerigo's had, I'd love to get my hands on the old Kamp King's snap and nap, they were a very solidly built camper.

Though, I have no plans to include the roof balcony, the old Kamp Kings are very very similar to the Everglade's in design.
Joe417
Explorer
Dec 29, 2014
My brother built this one many years ago. He had three kids so he also added a tilt out rear bed.

When I was thinking about building my own, he gave me the set of plans. The set had the small plans but only one side wall sheet of the full size plans. Not sure what happened to the rest.

No doubt the full size plans will help if you go that route.

Beside some of the common sense changes and material changes you mentioned, I would have to change the slant of the front cap for more aero dynamics. Just a preference.

He carried it on a F250 camper special. Said it did a great job even as big as it was. His son still has the truck.

I'd still like to build one but the wife frowns on it. She'd rather use it than work on it. She just doesn't get the "I built that" enthusiasm, says it's just more work.

Although, she does appreciate me when something needs to be repaired. tends to point me right at it.

Good luck,
JoeChiOhki
Explorer II
Dec 29, 2014
Step 1 - Order plans (Completed) :p

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A Kamper Rebirth - Planning - Propane Compartment (page 3)

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