I've recently acquired a 2.5 ton flatbed truck that I originally was going to utilize for the TC plus being able to trailer my stupid heavy 4x4s around that would far over weigh my 1/2 ton truck. Then I began to think about putting the 4x4 on the flatbed, and picking up a TT while keeping the TC for the 1/2 ton. Now I'm pondering again, this time about building a flatbed style camper to semi-permanently install on the truck, and putting the 4x4s on a trailer behind it. This being something I'll scratch build out, rather than buy a complete camper. I've been pricing out flatbed campers, and they sure aren't cheap by any definition! Not that this is purely a financially driven decision, as I've browsed around the new camper lots and it seemed like every camper I stepped into, I only thought about how much I'd want to change to make it right for me. I've rehabbed several campers, and have had several down to the bare frame work, so I feel that I have a pretty decent idea of what goes into building one. I'm also aware that this isn't going to be a $1,000 project any way you slice it, though I'm pretty sure I can build out something pretty nice using all brand new materials and equipment for far less than the $25K a place like Four Wheel Campers wants for theirs. But financials aside, I think the bigger/better question to ask would be - to those that have scratch built these campers...would you do it again, or buy a complete camper instead? I'm hesitant to spend any real money on a used camper, as after having bought a couple that looked solid on the outside, didn't have any funky smells inside, etc that ended up having major issues hidden away...once I realized how much time and money went into fixing those problems, it seemed like I really wasn't that far off from just starting fresh and building my own camper out....

I haven't built one, but from the people who've built them here, I'd consider it for a flatbed especially. I think the only really hard part is adding a slide or two, so assuming you don't want those, I think it's a good option. I know that most TC manufacturers have done a lot of slide design/redesigns, so I'm assuming that's pretty difficult to get right.If you haven't taken a look at some of the designs here, look for those threads.

No slides. What I'd really want would be pretty basic, with the exception of considerably larger than normal water/holding tanks. Especially if I go out in the middle of the summer in the desert, I could go through a considerable amount of water in a few days between drinking and bathing. That said, I wouldn't necessarily need to integrate the larger tanks into the camper itself. I'm almost thinking of making a second box with additional tanks, or hanging them under the flat bed, where I could add them when I know I'll be going on an extended trip without having to always carry them around. Kind of like the big diesel bed mounted tanks the construction guys use, where I could just use a transfer pump to fill up/drain the camper tanks as needed. I don't need or want all the fancy gadgets such as the TVs, satellite, computer, etc gear, but I would be incorporating support for my amatuer radio hobby - solar, extra batteries, antenna wiring, etc. Being able to integrate that into the camper rather than modifying an existing camper would provide quite a bit of benefit to me.

A couple concerns.. I don't know how you are about looks, but I've seen a few homemade ones that I wouldn't be driving in public.. if ya's know what I mean. That truck.. what kind of suspension does it have? Is it an old work truck that's going to beat you to death?

That's WAY more than I'd want, lol. What I was really thinking was something a lot like the old SixPac I have now, with just a few more inches in width in floor space, room for bigger water tanks, and a proper queen sized bed instead of the 3/4 that it's built for now. That's one of the biggest issues I've run into in looking at new campers as well. Just like with new cars/trucks, no one really makes a stripped down "base model" any more, because virtually everyone wants air conditioning, power mirrors/windows/locks, and the fancy stereo anyways. So I have to special order the stripped down truck, which ends up costing as much as the optioned out truck because I don't get the special deals that get applied to the 100 extra trucks sitting on the lot already. Which in the case of the campers, about the only time I see the basic stuff, its in the form of something like a specialized "expedition" camper, which costs a small fortune because it's "specialized", lol. But I understand the why of it, economies of scale and all that.

To those that have scratch built - would you do it again?

10 Replies

SoCalDesertRid1
Explorer II
Jun 16, 2016
I like the idea of finding a small travel trailer to mount onto the truck's frame. It would save alot of camper building time/effort and simplify the whole buildup of the truck. I agree a small older Airstream, Avion or Silver Streak aluminum trailer would look really slick on that '59 truck cab/chassis. :)

Travel trailers usually have bigger tanks than truck campers, or you could mount tanks under the truck's frame, as you said. The bed is usually a good size in a trailer too, and the bathrooms are bigger. And of course the floor is already flat and 8' wide, usually with some storage compartments on the outside, which truck campers generally lack.

I would think that de-framing a trailer might lead to the total destruction of the trailer when you try to lift the body of the trailer onto the truck with no frame holding it together?

You could leave the frame mounted under the trailer, remove the suspension, cut off the tongue and bumper, and mount the trailer frame to the truck frame with square tube cross members in between, like a sill-less flatbed. Cross members needed due to the narrow truck frame, versus the wider trailer frame.

A friend in town here did something very similar, but with a pontoon bass boat and a fold out camp trailer. He stripped the boat upper section down the just the bare flat deck, removed the axle and suspension, tongue and bumper from the camp trailer. He used a forklift with extended forks to lift the camper up onto the boat deck and attached the trailer's frame rails to the cross members of the boat's deck with brackets he bolted in. Since the boat's deck frame was aluminum and the trailer's frame was steel, they couldn't be welded together.
urbex
Explorer
May 26, 2016
2oldman wrote:
A couple concerns..

I don't know how you are about looks, but I've seen a few homemade ones that I wouldn't be driving in public.. if ya's know what I mean.

That truck.. what kind of suspension does it have? Is it an old work truck that's going to beat you to death?

Couldn't care less about looks. No, really, I couldn't :P I haven't been in a campground in over 20 years, and I fully intend to keep it that way whether or not they want to allow my 1959 truck and camper in :D I live out in the sticks for a reason, and going to an "improved campground" feels like a step backwards to me, like I'm parking my camper in the middle of an apartment complex to me, lol. That's not to knock anyone that does enjoy the campground experience, heck my mother is one of them. She enjoys the social aspect, and I want to get the heck away from everyone :lol:

The truck? Yeah, it's a 1959 2.5 ton truck on leaf springs. Of course it's going to ride rough. Eventually I'm going to convert to air suspension on it, but until that time comes, it's going to ride like a brick. I grew up in 60's and 70's trucks..it's nothing new to me.

Which does bring up the concern of whether it will shake the camper apart, but I figure I've got enough weight capacity to overbuild a bit here and there to compensate, and I'll also keep the smaller slide in for the Dodge 1/2 ton for when I won't be taking any other toys with me. I'm thinking with the additional tongue weight of the trailer, plus a full load of water and other stuff, it should be heavy enough that the stiff suspension shouldn't be too horrible.
jefe_4x4
Explorer
May 26, 2016
This comes up from time to time. I've spent a lifetime building up 4WD's. Most of those are gone now, but what a ride! I would say most of the big 'projects' start out with great fervor, and diminuendo to a stop once the missionary zeal has faded. If you have it in your bones, go for it.
As a second opinion, why not look into putting a AirStream or Avion trailer body on the truck with the same length as the bed, only now without the bed. I've seen a few of these and they look like form followed function. With the frame removed, you'll have to fab up a connection to the truck frame, hopefully a floating 3 point system. The good news is the tanks are already there. So are the electrical and plumbing. It would be a fine Armageddon Machine. Another would be finding a hard-side pop-up trailer, about 16-18 feet or so, and having a frame-echtomy. This would limit the height for traveling on the deuce and a half.
regards, as always, jefe
toedtoes
Explorer III
May 24, 2016
I'd do the flatbed camper with 4x4 towed behind. If you put the 4x4 on the flatbed and hitch a TT behind, you have to unhitch the TT to get the 4x4 off.
Kayteg1
Explorer II
May 24, 2016
I've been having "projects" my whole life.
The biggest one was buying 30 years old conversion with rotten interior and remodel it.
I am highly qualified for the job, still took 6 months full time (business was slow at the time) to bring it to useable condition and the "small stuff" never got finish during 11 years of ownership.
New owners love 44 years old conversion, but when I calculate the labor and cost, booking up 5-star resort would come cheaper.
Can't put "=" as nice motorhome can take you in unpopulated places where resorts don't exist, but still economy-wise it is going to be labor of love.
Bare in mind that lot of people start similar project, but less than 10% get finished.
Bottom line - you have to love working on the project and camping in it later is just icing on the cake.
Rewarding - yes
Economical in California yes.
Good for you marriage and family life.. WHAT?
Still when you sit at the lake all you think about is "what else I can add to the project"
Hope you have spouse that can put up with it.
Coming to scratch built, I have almost 4000 sq ft house in California, where the only part that was not build by my hands is foundation.
Took 7 years with struggling economy.
urbex
Explorer
May 24, 2016
That's WAY more than I'd want, lol. What I was really thinking was something a lot like the old SixPac I have now, with just a few more inches in width in floor space, room for bigger water tanks, and a proper queen sized bed instead of the 3/4 that it's built for now.

That's one of the biggest issues I've run into in looking at new campers as well. Just like with new cars/trucks, no one really makes a stripped down "base model" any more, because virtually everyone wants air conditioning, power mirrors/windows/locks, and the fancy stereo anyways. So I have to special order the stripped down truck, which ends up costing as much as the optioned out truck because I don't get the special deals that get applied to the 100 extra trucks sitting on the lot already.

Which in the case of the campers, about the only time I see the basic stuff, its in the form of something like a specialized "expedition" camper, which costs a small fortune because it's "specialized", lol.

But I understand the why of it, economies of scale and all that.
2oldman
Explorer II
May 24, 2016
A couple concerns..

I don't know how you are about looks, but I've seen a few homemade ones that I wouldn't be driving in public.. if ya's know what I mean.

That truck.. what kind of suspension does it have? Is it an old work truck that's going to beat you to death?
cewillis
Explorer
May 24, 2016
Here's a great one
urbex
Explorer
May 24, 2016
No slides. What I'd really want would be pretty basic, with the exception of considerably larger than normal water/holding tanks. Especially if I go out in the middle of the summer in the desert, I could go through a considerable amount of water in a few days between drinking and bathing. That said, I wouldn't necessarily need to integrate the larger tanks into the camper itself. I'm almost thinking of making a second box with additional tanks, or hanging them under the flat bed, where I could add them when I know I'll be going on an extended trip without having to always carry them around. Kind of like the big diesel bed mounted tanks the construction guys use, where I could just use a transfer pump to fill up/drain the camper tanks as needed.

I don't need or want all the fancy gadgets such as the TVs, satellite, computer, etc gear, but I would be incorporating support for my amatuer radio hobby - solar, extra batteries, antenna wiring, etc. Being able to integrate that into the camper rather than modifying an existing camper would provide quite a bit of benefit to me.
jimh406
Explorer III
May 24, 2016
I haven't built one, but from the people who've built them here, I'd consider it for a flatbed especially.

I think the only really hard part is adding a slide or two, so assuming you don't want those, I think it's a good option. I know that most TC manufacturers have done a lot of slide design/redesigns, so I'm assuming that's pretty difficult to get right.

If you haven't taken a look at some of the designs here, look for those threads.

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To those that have scratch built - would you do it again?

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