Planning a dry camp oriented DIY TC build.

[Luvs2ski]

Hello,

I have been browsing the web the last few weeks looking at various resources about manufactured truck campers, as well as DIY versions of campers, trailers, tear drops etc.

About us: we are big fans of skiing and have car camped for 8 years. Originally in smaller vehicles and the last few years out of Suburbans. This has been a great way to save money on a motel and have comfy air bed/ sub zero sleeping bags. Our suburbans are getting older (2008 and 2011) and we thought moving to 3/4 trucks with a truck camper would be a good way to step on up in our dry camping lifestyle.

Our goals of a truck camper: a bit more sleeping space. Our suburbans comfortably fit a 4x8 sheet of ply in the back which we use an air bed on. But we want Atleast a queen bed in the new rig as we have a dog and the 48” width is small for our size. Not unusable but small. We have no interest in showers, bathrooms, sinks, water tanks or cooking appliances or AC. We want at most a camper style vent fan, a propane heater and entertainment system (led tv, PlayStation) as well as 12v lighting. This would strictly be our ski rig so AC is not needed in our cool winter and spring months here.

Why diy? I am a contractor by trade and after viewing build processes of lower end truck campers (namely Capri Retreats) I feel comfortable building a reverse engineered similar truck camper. The used market is full of junk campers and lots without floor plans we are interested in and tons of features we don’t want.

The rig: the idea is this coming summer to buy a 3/4 truck, likely an f250. Not set on the 6.75 or 8 ft bed. Will likely be a crew cab for our various needs when not camping.

Going forward I want to ask questions to this forum for feedback and discussion around my various design considerations as well as answering questions or help I am
Not quite sure of.

The diy camper: the goal is to build a stick built frame, panel board interior, insulated walls and thin plywood covered by epoxy/ fiberglass and topped with paint ala boat building. I choose wood over aluminum frame as I do a lot of framing for work in wood and it is comfortable for me. It appears to be good enough for many budget brands so I view that as ok. Why fiberglass over ply? My uncle is into project boats and has done it this way for 40 years. He thinks it could help make a waterproof, better insulated enclosure which would lend itself toward our winter use goals. I haven’t personally done a lot in this field but have researched other common camper skinning methods and this is a major decision point.

I will post rough design ideas soon and lending interest in this build will be glad to give more information and hope to make some critical decisions in planning the build.

[free_radical]

Fwiw
Ive built similar TC using 3/4 exterior plywood for the lower part,box and half inch for sides and roof.
Made ribs spaced every 4 feet from 3/4 ply about 5 inches thick,also used those in all corners.
Made those slightly curved towards the top.
Glued everything using PL construction adhesive,sticks like crazy and doesnt run.
Used small screws to hold things in place.
Glued 2" rigid foam board insulation inside.
Coated exterior with Cold cure epoxy,two coats on sides 3 on top,then used Marine enamel over that.
Its good for a while but needs REcoating every few years,NOT the best idea.
If I was doing it again
Using truck box Bedliner coating would be much BETTER imo and would last longer too.

Got Espar diesel heater,easy to keep warm in winter for about galon a week.
Nowadays there are Chinese copy of Espar available for much less money
Seems to work ok
Check YT vids for more info

Btw I use two Brophy portable jacks that hook up on both sides of camper,makes loading chalenging but doable,just not on windy day 🙂

[theoldwizard1]

Things to think about.

Corner, especially between the roof and the side walls, are high stress points. They should be re-enforced, some how, to provide maximum rigidity.

The roof needs to have some pitch to encourage drainage.

Instead of caulking window and vents, use butyl tape and install them in a way that they can be removed and re-bedded. Roof protrusions should be on a built up "curb" that is fiberglassed to the rest of the roof.

Non-venting propane heaters (Mr. Heater Buddy Heater) give off large amount of moisture. If possible, you are better off with a vented heater. Seriously consider 12VDC mattress heaters. Warmth from underneath is much nicer than warmth from above and easier to trap.

Two 6VDC golf cart batteries should get you through the night. If you are going to watch a lot of video or be online for a few hours, consider four batteries. 12VDC is the way to go for lighting and appliances.

At my age, a "pitstop" is a nightly occurrence, sometimes even twice ! I would not want to put my boots on and walks 100 yds, in well below freezing temps to "do my thing". Consider a "cassette" camp toilet.

Also, after a full day of skiing, a hot shower sure sounds nice, but that adds a lot of complexity and is the reason I would never consider a TC.

[Kayteg1]

If I understand you want brush exterior fiberglass over plywood as finish?
That will look redneck.
Interiors are relatively easy for guy knowledgeable in wood work, but make the siding looking good is the hard part.
Also DIY you will not leave the gaps in construction that "happen" with normal manufacturing. That brings need for planning camper ventilation. Small space for sleeping will need it.

[Grit_dog]

The biggest decision point and hurdle imo is deciding between permanently mounted and removable with jacks. 1 being much more involved than the other.

[Bedlam]

For what you are describing, I would look at starting with a high top canopy with full rear door as your outer shell and build out the inside with sufficient insulation and comforts. A futon style couch on one side that folds out to a queen at night, a catalytic heater with the propane bottle mounted outside in a insulated blanket only when in use, one or two AGM batteries under the futon wired to an inverter and DC-DC charger running to your truck, media center on the front wall or opposite wall from the couch

[Dave_Pete]

There is nothing so satisfying as "making it yourself", especially when you have the support that comes with "personal capabilities". Sounds like you do.

What you're describing can be done very lightweight. No matter how small (and lightweight) you make it, it will always feel heavier than you wanted (I may be reaching on that one, but it's a point to think on).

Without water, sinks, tanks, etc., weight can be nicely controlled.

I'd suggest (with your contractor, stick-built thinking) 1 by 2 framing laid flat. You might consider examining a little of our chapter on our small camper structural framing thoughts. Sorry for the missing pictures, but all I can say is "photobucket", maybe you get it. And my lengthy detailed narratives without pictures might cause brain damage! So beware!

Even using a 1 by 3 on edge or a 2 by 2, would be overkill on a small lightweight house (camper), and the extra inch won't gain noticeable insulation affect, but will add to weight and/or cost.

With small R values (less than a 2 by 6 house wall) your main target is to remove "drafts" completely. Make certain your venting is proper for whatever heater design you choose (more a factor for radiant heat like a Wave 3 or 6 than it is for a basic forced air furnace, which requires both propane and 12 volt electric), but even with proper venting, simply keeping the heater on throughout the user experience will keep the interior comfortable warm when you need it. A 1 by 2 wall will hold your interior panel and exterior board just fine. I'd keep the exterior board just as thin as possible for whatever the fiberglass treatment needs. And Fiber glass will add some weight, which you'll be mitigating with absence of appliances and tanks, etc.

Build it! You got this! Target lightweight at every turn, and put your chosen floor plan and needs into reality! We did the same (although we've chosen more weight and greater luxury that you're planning), and we couldn't be happier.

P.S. I have a .pdf file for each of my chapters, saved on my computer, which includes the pics. So if you MUST see photos, PM me and I'll fire off the .pdf to you so you can get the narrative and pictures together.

[naturist]

Go for it!

[jimh406]

Around 30 years ago, one of my friends had a similar camper. He bought a taller aluminum shell. Then, offset a mattress frame to one side above the bed rails. He added a small heater ... done. He comfortably slept in it down to 8. Well, it was 8 on and especially cold hunting trip. You have to be able to take it off. Yes, you could build the supports into it for jacks, but that’s a lot more complicated. You also have to be able to make it tolerate the rain/snow/ice without coming apart. That probably means some type of aluminum or fiberglass to be able to drive it down the road, and it will get heavy.

If you search the archives, you can see some other projects.

I think it would probably be a wash for doing a few extra jobs and saving money to buy a shell already built compared to building it all yourself.

[Grit_dog]

Cool project!