I've seen very few builds online where people built their own camper on a flatbed pickup truck - most of the DIY truck campers are of the type that slide into the box - to me this seems silly, because you lose floor space and it's more material and more effort - as long as you don't care about being able to easily remove it (and I don't intend to remove it)...I would like to purchase an older Chevy/GMC 3/4ton or 1ton flatbed pickup truck and build on that (or maybe get a regular pickup and either remove the box or build upon it), rather than the typical van chassis that most RVs use, because trucks are much easier to work on than vans.The biggest problem I envision is height. The tall floor height means getting in and out isn't as easy as with an RV... then again, I found removable/folding stairs for cheap online that solves this problem. My other concern regarding height is that I would like to be able to stand in the van - that's why I'd prefer to go with a dually (besides, a single rear wheel flatbed is not very common)... but I'm still wondering if it'll just be too tall to be practical. I have thought about a pop up but that just seems like extra weight and engineering work that makes it anything but simple.ANyway, I'd love to hear any reasons this is a really dumb idea (or a great idea), and/or from people that have done it. Your thoughts are appreciated!

Sounds like a fun project. Unless lots of things are left out, I don't see how it would be cheaper to DIY than it would be to buy one that's been mass produced. Get a used one, bolt it to the flat bed and then DIY some storage boxes to fill in the areas that would otherwise be covered by the truck bed. I recognize there's some margin to be saved, but investing your own time isn't necessarily free either?Without the steel "hull" of the truck bed, wouldn't the camper be subject to more stress as the truck pitches and yaws on down the road? Wouldn't the underside (holding tanks?) be subject to higher risk from impact of road debris.I don't know much about truck campers, the biggest thing I want to learn is why they're so expensive compared to trailers trailers. There's no frame, no axle, no wheels, no suspension, no brakes, and a much smaller living space which should mean less material and less assembly time, yet they cost so much more than a trailer.

GordonThree wrote:Sounds like a fun project. Unless lots of things are left out, I don't see how it would be cheaper to DIY than it would be to buy one that's been mass produced. Get a used one, bolt it to the flat bed and then DIY some storage boxes to fill in the areas that would otherwise be covered by the truck bed. I recognize there's some margin to be saved, but investing your own time isn't necessarily free either?Without the steel "hull" of the truck bed, wouldn't the camper be subject to more stress as the truck pitches and yaws on down the road? Wouldn't the underside (holding tanks?) be subject to higher risk from impact of road debris.I don't know much about truck campers, the biggest thing I want to learn is why they're so expensive compared to trailers trailers. There's no frame, no axle, no wheels, no suspension, no brakes, and a much smaller living space which should mean less material and less assembly time, yet they cost so much more than a trailer.You are spot on that if I wanted a fully featured camper with all the bells and whistles, buying a premade unit makes much more sense financially and in terms of how hard it would be to make.Thing is, I want something simple - no slide outs, probably not a pop up (hopefully it will be stable enough on the dually platform to be full height all the time), minimal plumbing and tanks and pumps etc.Assuming I start out with a flatbed truck, that will take all the abuse... so the camper doesn't get stressed/flexed/whatever.In terms of construction, I was thinking a simple frame of 2x4s, and wasn't sure where to go from there. Originally I was thinking of just using plywood for the outside walls, and corrugated plastic for the roof because it's very lightweight. Do you think this will be strong enough to hold itself? I think it would if I use enough wood. It might get a little heavy but that's again why I want a dually.I would have to decide between white or clear polycarbonate for the roof... clear would make the inside feel more spacious but might prove to be too hot and sunny when the weather is hot and the sun is shining. It would be nice to look up and see the sky, though... This is the material I am referring to... it comes in various colors of carying light throughput levels: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Suntuf-26-in-x-12-ft-Polycarbonate-Corrugated-Roof-Panel-in-White-101892/100041353That's what I'm thinking of for the roof - I'm just trying to make it as light as possible, and by using that material for the roof I won't have so much heavy stuff up there, which would help stability on highway and in the wind. On the other hand, then the roof would not be as "tough" and not as good structurally, and still would let more sun through. I'm not sure if a wood roof would be any cooler inside than the polycarbonate roof - that's where it's clear I have no expertise in the matter.Of course in the walls I have to incorporate things like the door (could put it in the back or on the side, undecided at this time but I'm thinking side), windows, maybe even an A/C unit... seems to me as long as I plan out beforehand and my frame is solid enough these things are not a problem.I'm not too worried about a heater since I can always put on a jacket or get into bed. I do plan to have a basic electrical system with a separate sealed deep cycle battery and maybe even a solar panel or something. Many things could run off 12V DC (fan, phone chargers, etc) but I do have a decent inverter I got for free that could power a laptop or something. Unfortunately the label peeled off long ago so real wattage is unknown but I'd guesstimate it's at least a 500W... enough for my needs. Again, going for simple here!Your idea of simply attaching a traditional cabover truck camper to the flat bed is not a bad idea, but I can't think of any way that wouldn't be ugly. Please don't take this the wrong way but in my mind that would look pretty ugly, and this truck needs to live at an apartment building so it needs to look halfway decent.I do 100% agree with your last point that truck campers are far overpriced. Travel trailers give you much more bang for your buck, but once again, we have nowhere to store it when we aren't using it. If that was not an issue I would go for that in a heartbeat because it's far less work, and because I already have a suitable tow vehicle for a smaller travel trailer (2002 GMC Envoy). Alas, we don't own a home so what we get has to fit in one parking spot (well, one extra parking spot, i don't think it's physically possible to fit our Honda Accord, GMC Envoy, and a dually in one assigned spot, but we can use our assigned spot and two visitor spots no problem)... lolI look forward to your thoughts and hearing from you if I'm nuts or if this might work.

Instead of starting with a flatbed, why not start with a box truck?

Bedlam wrote:Instead of starting with a flatbed, why not start with a box truck?Definitely something I've considered - however, just like most RVs, those are usually buily on a van chassis and I want a truck chassis. I've found some u-haul trucks but they are larger than I need and mostly built on Fords - I'd prefer to stick with Chevy/GMC.http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/cto/5539076168.htmlI found that but 1. It's huge. 2. It's a Ford 3. It's pretty ugly.Isuzu cab over trucks are another option, but a little pricier and I don't know anything about them.

Are you talking about building something like this?

DIY Flatbed Truck Camper Idea | Good Sam Community

Grit_dog
Navigator
May 13, 2016
dogemuffins wrote:
ok, i get it, it's not happening. you are all correct that it's not within my budget and way over my head. thanks for the advice, appreciate the input and reality check.

I wouldn't say it's not happening. As you now have an easy button for your camper shell solution. Still a good ambitious project.
If you go this route, I'd actually shy away from the Uhaul vans or other over the road ex rentals. Especially u haul. I've never rented anything from them that wasn't an absolute clapped out pos. Their maintenance program is really a repair program, fix it after it breaks. Typically after the customer is sitting on the side of the road, then band aid it up.
plenty of little vans around in every big city for sale.
mkirsch
Nomad II
May 13, 2016
I can't remember if you were looking for a 4x4 or not, but if not, 2wd box trucks built on pickup chassis are very common and driveable older ones can be had cheap, especially at government surplus auctions.

You're not looking to take it off so why go through the added complexity of a separate flatbed and tiedowns? The bodies do come off these trucks fairly easily anyway so you could transfer to a new cab-chassis down the road if you so desired. It's like 8 bolts, a couple wires, jack up the corners, and drive out from under.

Nothing says you can't start and work towards your goal. Go as far as the $6000 will take you and then add as you save more. Slap some paint on the walls, throw a cheap walmart rug on the floor, stick a bed in the corner, and you're camping!
Reality_Check
Nomad II
May 13, 2016
dogemuffins wrote:
ok, i get it, it's not happening. you are all correct that it's not within my budget and way over my head. thanks for the advice, appreciate the input and reality check.

Dreams are ok...it's the wake up that gets in the way.

You said 'reality check'... lol.
dogemuffins
Explorer
May 13, 2016
ok, i get it, it's not happening. you are all correct that it's not within my budget and way over my head. thanks for the advice, appreciate the input and reality check.
free_radical
Explorer
May 13, 2016
free radical wrote:
dogemuffins wrote:
Jfet wrote:
While good to think about things like roof material and such, you probably want to start by making a hand drawing with dimensions or if you use CAD, do a computer model. Figure out where you need to be on horizontal and vertical C.G. The truck body builder guide can help you determine acceptable C.G. for truck + cargo.

By the way the aluminum material is called "aluminum roof coil", ask for that and they will know what you are talking about. The thickness is 0.040" for what we bought. 0.4" would weigh more than your truck.

Whoops! Yeah, I meant 0.040 not 0.4. I don't know about all that math to figure out the center of gravity... I'm horrible at math... despite being a computer tech & web developer... people ask me all the time how I'm so bad with math... oh well!

Anyway, in some thread online I saw mention of a three-point mounting system. Two points (one on each side) in the front, and a third point in the center at the rear to allow for some bed flex. Maybe they are all onto something - I just can't imagine a metal flatbed "twisting" at all. I just don't want the thing to break apart when I hit a bump on the highway going 65mph+

I found this... also very well done: http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/tow-rigs-trailers/1111870-idashos-idacamper2-0-a.html

He chose to do a metal frame for the base and then wood for the rest. I'm starting to worry that a wood frame would fall apart the moment I go over a few big bumps. Another option is to build it straight onto the flatbed (by which I mean incorporating the flatbed into the frame rather than building the frame , and perhaps reinforce the flatbed (if neccessary) to prevent it from twisting.

jefe 4x4 wrote:
If you are going to do any hard-core off-roading with the proposed rig, where you get your axles twisted up, do skip over to Expedition Portal and search Steve Hackney for his long term skirmish with frame twisting and how he used a 3 point or 4 point pivoting sub frame on the back of his Isuzu C&C build. His thread about using a flat bed and a truck camper has had over 300,000 hits. I don't think we have one torsion sub-frame truck camper on this forum. I've written extensively on here about my attempt at living with the twist. If you do poor roads, you will, over time pull your camper apart, little by little.
jefe

No hardcore off-roading intended... base truck might not even be a 4x4. Poor roads, yes, though.

I see many delivery fiberglass box trucks around here mounted on one ton cutaway GM chassis,,
It might help you to go look under one of these and see how exactly its muonting system is set up if you plan to go that route..
free_radical
Explorer
May 13, 2016
dogemuffins wrote:
Jfet wrote:
While good to think about things like roof material and such, you probably want to start by making a hand drawing with dimensions or if you use CAD, do a computer model. Figure out where you need to be on horizontal and vertical C.G. The truck body builder guide can help you determine acceptable C.G. for truck + cargo.

By the way the aluminum material is called "aluminum roof coil", ask for that and they will know what you are talking about. The thickness is 0.040" for what we bought. 0.4" would weigh more than your truck.

Whoops! Yeah, I meant 0.040 not 0.4. I don't know about all that math to figure out the center of gravity... I'm horrible at math... despite being a computer tech & web developer... people ask me all the time how I'm so bad with math... oh well!

Anyway, in some thread online I saw mention of a three-point mounting system. Two points (one on each side) in the front, and a third point in the center at the rear to allow for some bed flex. Maybe they are all onto something - I just can't imagine a metal flatbed "twisting" at all. I just don't want the thing to break apart when I hit a bump on the highway going 65mph+

I found this... also very well done: http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/tow-rigs-trailers/1111870-idashos-idacamper2-0-a.html

He chose to do a metal frame for the base and then wood for the rest. I'm starting to worry that a wood frame would fall apart the moment I go over a few big bumps. Another option is to build it straight onto the flatbed (by which I mean incorporating the flatbed into the frame rather than building the frame , and perhaps reinforce the flatbed (if neccessary) to prevent it from twisting.

jefe 4x4 wrote:
If you are going to do any hard-core off-roading with the proposed rig, where you get your axles twisted up, do skip over to Expedition Portal and search Steve Hackney for his long term skirmish with frame twisting and how he used a 3 point or 4 point pivoting sub frame on the back of his Isuzu C&C build. His thread about using a flat bed and a truck camper has had over 300,000 hits. I don't think we have one torsion sub-frame truck camper on this forum. I've written extensively on here about my attempt at living with the twist. If you do poor roads, you will, over time pull your camper apart, little by little.
jefe

No hardcore off-roading intended... base truck might not even be a 4x4. Poor roads, yes, though.

I see many delivery fiberglass box trucks around here mounted on one ton cutaway GM chassis,,
It might help you to go look under one of these and see how exactly its muonting system is set up if you plan to go that route..
nomadictxn
Explorer
May 13, 2016
Was at a campground last fall and met an older gal from Texas living in an ex u haul box truck she had outfitted. She did a pretty good job of making it habitable for her and her dog. Nice lady and seemed pretty happy. She bought the truck for LITTLE MONEY and was getting by on the cheap.
Grit_dog
Navigator
May 13, 2016
Dogmuffins, while it sounds like an ambitious effort and venture, what you're proposing is a tough shed on the back of a truck.
This is not a great idea for many reasons. Like a lot of reasons.
Buying an old uhaul or other box truck would accomplish exactly what you're planning except with a better "box". Then try your skills at outfitting it.
Jmo
bka0721
Explorer II
May 13, 2016
dogemuffins wrote:
True... cheap compared to some things... but not cheap to me. As I mentioned, I want to come in at about $6K (or less, but gotta be realistic) including the truck... I expect to spend about $2500 on the truck.

First, welcome the TC forum.

You have some of the best people responding to your original question but you seem not be understanding their good recommendations. What you might want is not going to be reality. What you are describing is a truck and camper you could put together and park on some property. For what you might build you will need a sizable truck to safely move it from place to place. Reliability will decrease as you overburden the truck.

For the price range, you have set, you could purchase a nice half ton truck with a bumper pull trailer. Not much else. If you are attempting this project to save money, you will be disappointed.

Reality can be tough.

b
Jfet
Explorer
May 12, 2016
The $6k includes the truck?

Get a van.

Spend $5,000 on the van and $1000 putting a bed, cabinets, solar, and bucket toilet in it.

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