We bought an old Red Dale truck camper for $350. It had been gutted. Some of the water damaged wood had been replaced. We stripped it down on the inside to the frame & aluminum siding. We're building it out to suit us. It's gonna be our off-grid travel rig. We enjoy projects like this. We also enjoy not spending a lot of money on a camper! Most of the cost will be tied up in the gear - fridge, solar, cook stove, etc. Things that can be removed from the camper. We'll be hauling this in a 2000 Ford F350. If you like videos you can see this camper project unfold on our YouTube Channel: Adventures of Sandra and Dave.
Pictures:
What it looked like when we got it.
Pictures:
What it looked like when we got it.
We bought a portable toilet for the camper. Our thinking is to keep things simple. Most of the "gear"/ appliances inside the camper will not be permanently attached.
For instance, we got a CampChef stove/oven. It will have a spot inside the camper where it'll be secured. However, when we get to a location we'll be able to take it outside to cook if we like. We can also use this stove in situations without the camper.
We patched the biggest holes in the siding with aluminum pop-riveted onto the siding. Went to great lengths to make sure these were sealed as good as possible. There has been a lot of Eternabond tape and other sealants used in this project!
We took out the stuff on the ceiling and walls. Started from the frame and skin. Most of the water damaged wood had already been addressed before we bought the camper. However we felt the frame needed some beefing up. We also replaced the vent with a Fantastic Fan & added an escape hatch over the cabover area.
We replaced most of the ceiling framing with boards cut in an arched shape. This raised the ceiling + eliminates a lot of water pooling on the roof.
Here are a few more pictures of BEFORE we did anything.
The previous owner had installed laminate floor planks & some other boards on the walls. There was reflectex on the ceiling. Also some pieces of plywood in the lower area for a bed.
The previous owner had installed laminate floor planks & some other boards on the walls. There was reflectex on the ceiling. Also some pieces of plywood in the lower area for a bed.
