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Camperizing the truck from the wood shop.

9K views 16 replies 7 participants last post by  jbertelson 
#1 ·
The design process...

I have mentioned it previously, and will likely mention it again repeatedly, among other things, one of my most beloved things to do aside from woodworking, is, well anything outdoorsy, but in particularly, hunting, fishing, and camping.

Now I admit that I am not in the shape I once was, nor am I as young as I once was. The appeal of throwing up a tent on the ground, and either sweating to death, or freezing my knees off is somewhat faded.

Now I could go the easy route, and just buy a travel trailer, which my wife would love, or at the least a slide in truck camper, but I am not ready for that yet… I really want something, well.. different. For starters my HOA won't let me store an RV on my property.

Another issue I have with a travel trailer is WHERE we want to camp. On the beach on Padre Island National Seashore, in the East Texas Piney woods, through the various spots in West Texas, and even some camping out of state in places like Oklahoma, Arkansas, and God willing even road trips to Oregon from time to time…

Pulling a nice luxurious trailer behind us down logging roads, or across soft beach sand is a disaster in the making…

I need something light, and roomy, but can be stored easily at home. Something weather tight, with provision for A/C and heat, and with an organized kitchen, as well as a decent privy. It must be easy to setup, take down, and store.

I came across this idea on Youtube for a collapsible truck camper.


While the size is perfect for a Dodge Dakota, my truck is considerably larger, however the concept is spot on…

At least the concept for the camper shell part itself…

So my brain gets to churning. How do I integrate something like this, with a platform bed, and chuck box, while leaving room for an EZ Up shelter for a kitchen, and a rapid setup privy tent / port o let?

So I figured why not open this up to LJs and see what y'all have done, if anything similar…

So my fellow Lumberjocks, what have you done to convert your pickups into weekend RVs?
 
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#3 ·
I don't have the bandwidth here on ship to download the U tube item, but what you are planning to do is a tinkerer's delight. From my experience with a motorhome, I would say that most mobile home parts are overpriced. But if you could get hold of, say, a partially damaged pickup camper or even small trailer, you might be able to scavenge quite a few things. The voltage converter, water heater, etc, comes to mind. As well as the fridge and the stove. This should be fun as well as useful…..........
 
#6 ·
Truck prep, and some design thoughts...

Long overdue, the truck took up WAY too much of my time this weekend, and reminded me I am no longer a twenty something fit guy… Those 35" mud tires really beat you up pulling them off, and worse, putting them back on to the truck! But I got it done…

At the 40K mark, my OEM disk brakes were worn thin, probably from the stop and go driving I had done when I worked the Energy corridor of Houston and commuted too stinking far every day in gridlock… Shortly after the brake job was done, the rear rotors warped. And my wife got laid off, so I have been due to budget reasons, dealing with a pulsing brake pedal for far too long!

Well I finally got it fixed. A well recommended set of slotted / drilled rotors and semi metallic pads from Powerstop were an easy enough install. I sure wish I had a vehicle lift though, would have made the work MUCH easier!

All that is left to prep for tripping with the truck is a maintenance fluid change. I am going to hire that job out… Going to go with full on synthetics, Transmission, transfer case, both differentials. Then a fresh set of tires, alignment, and new belts / hoses, and of course clean and re-oil the K&N air filter…

Now back to the woodworking part of all of this activity…

After reviewing the collapsible truck camper video I had linked, I like it, but it isn't 100% right for me…

I am thinking about maybe some way to have fold down insulated tent sides , such that I can create a large, well supported platform, to hold a King Size air bed.

The inside of the truck bed, under the sleeping platform doesn't need to be fancy, but it DOES need to be organized. It should be tall enough to stand up next to the mattress and get dressed. And there should be a port / support for an air conditioner. Organized storage for the kitchen, and privy tent should be a priority, as should security…

Not sure if I mentioned this before, but the purpose of this is to be able to endure ROUGH trail usage down 4×4 trails on Padre Island, Guadalupe Mountains, and, well points undecided yet…

I keep contemplating what I need to do here, and I am coming up with some interesting ideas, my biggest concern is the weight handling capacity.

I admit it, I am a fat man… Crestor didn't help that at all, what Crestor made me gain in 1 month has taken my 2+ months of kicking up excersize and dieting to get half off of me… While I deal with these issues, I don't want to break through thin plywood… Before I get fussed at by anyone over the health issues blah blah blah… I AM under a doctors care for this and some other issues that prior PCPs just wouldn't listen to, and things are starting to go the right way. I have lost probably 45lbs in the last year, sadly though 40 of it came back when the Dr. wanted me on Crestor. if your doc puts you on some meds… work with them if you are getting odd effects, speak up for your own health!

Yes, that is another reason I am not wanting to go with a factory built camper. There are some really nice units out there in our budget range, but I am afraid they won't support my weight…

I am somewhat considering using a combination of wood / foam insulation sandwich panels similar to teardrop trailer construction, and skinning with fiberglass. Again the big trick is going to be the ability to knock it down and stow when not in use, and to support my weight… I have ideas, just wish I had better relationships with engineers…
 
#12 ·
More work on prepping the truck for the camper...

So the toolbox is long gone, and the bed is fully cleaned. Okay I could probably use to pressure wash it, but it is cleaner than it was with an oil catch pan in it…

The front suspension has been rebuilt using Moog, and Rancho components, replacing the stock strut and lift spacer with the Rancho Quicklift Loaded adjustable ride strut.

A new set of tires has been installed, and to finish it all up, the alignment has been done.

Measurements are being taken, and retaken, and I am coming up to a couple of conclusions.

#1. To get the kind of interior volume needed to make it agreeable with my wife, I would need to have a sturdy frame work that would support a mattress just above the wheel arches, but below the bed rail height. so that the entire area is flat. This poses problems of its own. More research (staring at the empty bed with a notebook, pencil, and tape measure in hand) needs to be done.
#2. I need to insure that he bed support allows sufficient storage space for other items such as the chuck box, EZ Up , and of course the AC unit itself.
#3. The AC can be installed quickly / or left out depending on the time of year, to a flip down port on one side. Must support the AC unit, while allowing it to drain and breathe properly.

The ideas are coming together, time to get busy with Sketchup!.
 
#13 ·
Considerations for construction materials and weight issues.

Now those that have seen pics of my truck now I drive a half ton pickup. Okay so the payload rating is actually well over that, actually well over 3/4 of a ton, but they are doing funny things with truck ratings and classifications these days. Still weight is a consideration when building any sort of truck bed camper.

Working with my Sketchup drawings, and looking at the assemblies it occours to me that it needs to be lightweight for 2 reasons really.

#1. Hauling capacity of the truck itself. My F150 is no super duty, and I honestly want to build the camper to allow me to get deep into the brush without a top heavy camper as well..
#2. I have to put this thing up, and my 20s were a LONG time ago now…

I know for durability I am going to skin the panels with fiberglass, and the panels themselves are going to be built as boxes of sorts, with the voids filled with either rigid foam, or expanding foam insulation for comfort and weight issues.

So now the questions for those that are experienced with wood / fiberglass construction.

#1. In my experience the fiberglass provides much (most) of the rigidity once the resin is set. I assume then the framework within the box sides doesn't have to be super beefy, but to act as a mold, and to keep the large expanses of glass from bowing in. Would this be a good application of Cedar? the stuff is light, very easy to work with, and very rot resistant.

#2. Again, the wood box really just needs to be a mold of sorts for the fiberglass. So what would be the thinnest sheet lumber / ply material I could obtain to use for the outer sides of the "boxes"? I need to factor this in to my design.

I would also love to know if there is a chart somewhere online that would list the weight loading / strength of various woods for a given size / thickness and length. I.E. how much weight can a SYP 2×2 48" long support without bowing or failing…

With your help guiding me to the needed information, I will be able to make more progress. My plan is to use Sketchup to mock up the truck bed, and the camper knock down box. (Got an F150 supercab model from the warehouse, and it seems pretty close). Once I have the truck bed enclosed, I will have a better idea of how to work the bed, AC, cargo capacity etc… in.
 
#14 ·
How long is the truck bed, thinking about space for sleeping? Don't know much about the materials questions, so I won't even guess. I remember the wood cover I built for a Jeep Honcho I had. Built it out of plywood. I think I just saturated it with BLO. That worked in Fairbanks, AK, but don't think it would work in Texas. Both the sun and the humidity will demand something like fiberglass, so that seems the way to go.

I am thinking, however, that cedar may not have the necessary strength. Treated pine might give you more strength and not be that much heavier. And of course, don't forget aluminum extrusions, both rectangular tubes and angle extrusions. The aluminum works with your wood cutting tools, and may give you the best strength/weight ratio.
 
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