DIY Flatbed Truck Camper Idea

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-101892/100041353

That'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)... lol

I look forward to your thoughts and hearing from you if I'm nuts or if this might work.