I'm finally getting around to watching the rest of Jake's camper build videos, and I'm really impressed with the construction techniques and ideas he's using. The only slightly dubious build decision so far is the combination of "Small internal space", "Constructed from sheets of insulation", and "8KW DIESEL HEATER !!!". What I'm seeing is essentially the specifications for an oven. I know a guy who uses one of these 8kw units to heat his double garage home workshop. It's not particularly well insulated, but even so, he told me even in the colder months the heater is still only running for a couple of 10 to 15 minutes blasts out of every hour. In such a small space as this camper body, that heater could be starting and stopping almost constantly (or dry roasting you), and the start ups can be pretty smoky until they get warm. They kind of rely on getting up to temperature for a bit to burn off all the oily soot that starting up causes. I read somewhere that you can get into a hidden configuration menu on most of these to tweak them and get higher outputs, so maybe it's also possible to dial them back for less aggressive heating and better economy too? It'll be interested to see if this turns into a problem in later the videos when you start camping in it.
Few people understand the difficulty of designing custom parts. Especially things like hinges. You were correct in saying that it can drive you crazy. I am so happy to have found your videos. this build is nothing short of amazing.
Thanks! A simple concept spirals into madness before you reach the final product. I must be a glutton for punishment, because I love this kind of challenge.
Awesome man. Brings back great memories of my 79 Hilux long bed with shell and carpet kit. I've been thinking of making one for my 2003 Taco ma. Thanks for the Masterclass.
Wow! Much skill! Fabrication, Composites, woodworking, CAD, welding, electrical and video editor? Who are you superman? Most people would be happy with just one of those skills. You started with some raw materials and now it's a useful piece of gear. Amazing work. We need to see more of that massive smoker I see in the background, did you build it? looks like you could feed an army. Subscribed! Can't wait to see more, keep them coming.
Superman? More like Super Easily Bored Man! The smoker is a working, partially completed project. The second video on my channel titled "Day 2" has some shots of the smoker in action. Its a traditional Texas style offset, and will cook a hellofa brisket or 25! Maybe Ill do a future video covering the last few details of the build. Thanks For Watching!
I'm working on a very similar design for a Ram 2500, only started it using plywood. Overtime, I decided to go Foam for some parts to reduce weight. I'm doing a rear wing as well, again very similar. Trying to keep the wind profile similar to not kill MPG. LOVE your design.
“ … now we just gotta get this to cure out without gettin a cat stuck in it” LMAO. And this is why I sub’d, haha. Love your vids, man! Great progress on your build, looks incredible! I really like all the little details you’ve built into it. So do you have a feel for the weight so far? I’m in the final stages of designing a hard-side pop up truck camper based on stress-skin panels using XPS foam core and Azdel 2.7mm skins inside & out. These panels only weigh 6.6 lbs per 4x8 sheet so I think the weight should be comparable to your build. BTW, they sell direct from the plant for only $15/sheet. Well worth my 1 hour drive to Lynchburg VA!
Thanks Klauss! I'm still calling it "sub 200lbs" just based on being able to move it around the shop as I work on it. I cant wait to get some actual numbers on it. Soon! Your hard side pop up build sounds rad, I keep coming back to that myself. Maybe on v2. I'm jealous of the northern states foam selection. Id almost kill to get my hands on some foamular 250, at twice the compressive strength of the 150 I'm using, I can only imagine it shapes like a dream. The composite "skin on foam" approach will be a nice upgrade over the traditional luan or thin ply. Awesome to see a manufacturer selling direct too.
Hey to Dale! My question is why do you do a layer of glass and then cut in the “hard points “ instead of cutting them into just the foam and then glassing them in with big sheets? Thanks for the great info and explanations and jokes, great vids!
Hey Scott! The only reason for cutting away the finished glass is lack of pre planning. it's fast and loose around here, and sometimes that means doing things in an odd order. Thanks for watching, Ill give Dale some pats for ya!
Very cool idea! I had never thought of using that kind of material! I'm wanting to build a pop up roof on my 2003 Ford Excursion. Any advice would be greatly appricated?
Thanks for watching Anthony! I haven't been keeping up with it closely, but Ive used around 4x 1Gallon kits of epoxy from us composites. A 1 gallon kit is is actually 1.3to 1.6 gallons total volume depending on the speed. (slow/med/fast). I will do some bookkeeping soon and include total costs in an upcoming video.
Wow, love the door! Was thinking about a pop-up for my Ridgeline but after watching your build I think I may do a slide in foamie instead. Did u consider thinner xps laminatedwith 5mm luan instead of the thicker xps?
Thanks Darryl! I went with the 2" xps for the extra R value. It should be effortless to keep warm or cool depending on the season. Thinner foam with a wood skin would also build a nice camper.
What glue do you use to bond the panels and timber together? My fiberglass guy says to use chopped strand, then a strong mat (450 double bias), and then chopped strand again. That seems overkill. My project will be about the same size; can you tell us exactly what mat you use? I'm doing a camper, would you glass to the frame, or work our a way to bolt the camper to the frame? How heavy do you think your cabin is (without bed and kitchen)
I almost exclusively used epoxy thickened with microballoons for all my foam to foam bonding. In places where extra strength was required such as the tie down hard points, I used epoxy thickened with cotton flock. Be careful with traditional fiberglass resins as they will most likely melt foam. All fiberglass used in the construction is a woven product, chop strand mat is not compatible with epoxy. I've detailed the specs in several other comments on the channel. Empty weight of the shell is 300-350lbs give or take
@@ThatJakeWorldWide thanks! For a super light weight project using foam, what would be the minimum number of layers of mat and type could you get away with? It’s a small build and rounded, so stronger than a box.
A single layer of 6oz cloth would keep it in one piece and be waterproof, but you have to think of the end use of the design as a whole. heck even just foam bonded together with epoxy would be waterproof and hold up at highway speeds with sufficient anchoring. Do you want to walk on the roof? Expect to encounter hail or other inclement weather? do you want to patch areas damaged by stones or road debris? Think about all these details and plan accordingly.
@@ThatJakeWorldWide Thanks so much. You mentioned anchoring. I’m building a custom trailer for a teardrop. Would you build a strong anchoring system, similar to the one you have built, and bolt it to the frame on all four sides (or even running a timber frame all the way around the base) or would you somehow glass it to the frame? And would you consider using a gel coat or flowcoat instead of prepping and painting like you did. It seems easier to get a nice finish.
At 26:30 in this video is pretty much all there is to see. Welding is hard to capture on camera, and I don't have the patience to screen record/edit the cad work.
Epoxy resin, Glass balloons for thickening the resin, 8oz fiberglass cloth, and there's a small amount of 1/4" and 3/4" plywood in strategic areas. Thanks for watching!
You’re sanding dog paw prints, Hes like, excuse me, sir, you seem to need some dog paw prints here? Im certain i decorated with paw prints just yesterday?
I'm finally getting around to watching the rest of Jake's camper build videos, and I'm really impressed with the construction techniques and ideas he's using.
The only slightly dubious build decision so far is the combination of "Small internal space", "Constructed from sheets of insulation", and "8KW DIESEL HEATER !!!". What I'm seeing is essentially the specifications for an oven. I know a guy who uses one of these 8kw units to heat his double garage home workshop. It's not particularly well insulated, but even so, he told me even in the colder months the heater is still only running for a couple of 10 to 15 minutes blasts out of every hour. In such a small space as this camper body, that heater could be starting and stopping almost constantly (or dry roasting you), and the start ups can be pretty smoky until they get warm. They kind of rely on getting up to temperature for a bit to burn off all the oily soot that starting up causes.
I read somewhere that you can get into a hidden configuration menu on most of these to tweak them and get higher outputs, so maybe it's also possible to dial them back for less aggressive heating and better economy too?
It'll be interested to see if this turns into a problem in later the videos when you start camping in it.
Few people understand the difficulty of designing custom parts. Especially things like hinges. You were correct in saying that it can drive you crazy. I am so happy to have found your videos. this build is nothing short of amazing.
Thanks! A simple concept spirals into madness before you reach the final product. I must be a glutton for punishment, because I love this kind of challenge.
Great design and craftsmanship. Awesome to see someone building a foamie and doing radii everywhere.
Glad you like it!
This is such an amazing build! I am going to have to go back and watch previous videos. AWESOME!
Awesome! Thank you!
Great video, thanks 👍
Thanks, This will come in handy for my lifting roof I am building on my foamie!
Awesome man. Brings back great memories of my 79 Hilux long bed with shell and carpet kit. I've been thinking of making one for my 2003 Taco ma. Thanks for the Masterclass.
It is looking fantastic. I love all the curves and the spoiler. can't wait to see it painted!
Thanks my Doöojj! I cant wait either!
There's some seriously good crafting going on here combined with some pretty serious "dorkage" anyway thanks for making the video I enjoyed it.
Thanks for watching!
Fantastic, brilliant, marvelous 👍👍
Thanks PAT! I included some sweet epoxy mixing clips just for you!
Luv it. You are an artist and master craftsman. Keep on killing it!
Thanks for watching Brian!
Wow! Much skill! Fabrication, Composites, woodworking, CAD, welding, electrical and video editor? Who are you superman? Most people would be happy with just one of those skills. You started with some raw materials and now it's a useful piece of gear. Amazing work.
We need to see more of that massive smoker I see in the background, did you build it? looks like you could feed an army.
Subscribed! Can't wait to see more, keep them coming.
Superman? More like Super Easily Bored Man!
The smoker is a working, partially completed project. The second video on my channel titled "Day 2" has some shots of the smoker in action. Its a traditional Texas style offset, and will cook a hellofa brisket or 25! Maybe Ill do a future video covering the last few details of the build.
Thanks For Watching!
Such a cool build, and you're local in my own backyard!
Hey dude, thanks for watching! Maybe I'll see you around sometime.
Love your build
Very professional.. You must really enjoy your work.
I do! Thanks for watching!
very good your videos. I'm building a camper and the information is very important.
Glad it was helpful!
I'm working on a very similar design for a Ram 2500, only started it using plywood. Overtime, I decided to go Foam for some parts to reduce weight. I'm doing a rear wing as well, again very similar. Trying to keep the wind profile similar to not kill MPG. LOVE your design.
Thanks Mark! I'll be doing some MPG comparisons soon. It will be interesting to see the data.
awesome job bro! I'm motivated.
Lets go!!! Keep that energy!
Beautiful workmanship. You must be very proud.
Thanks Greg! I am smitten.
Great design! Thanks
Thanks for watching Doc!
Wow, looking great!
Thanks Terry!
Very Cool! 😎
Thanks!
“ … now we just gotta get this to cure out without gettin a cat stuck in it” LMAO. And this is why I sub’d, haha. Love your vids, man!
Great progress on your build, looks incredible! I really like all the little details you’ve built into it. So do you have a feel for the weight so far?
I’m in the final stages of designing a hard-side pop up truck camper based on stress-skin panels using XPS foam core and Azdel 2.7mm skins inside & out. These panels only weigh 6.6 lbs per 4x8 sheet so I think the weight should be comparable to your build.
BTW, they sell direct from the plant for only $15/sheet. Well worth my 1 hour drive to Lynchburg VA!
Thanks Klauss! I'm still calling it "sub 200lbs" just based on being able to move it around the shop as I work on it. I cant wait to get some actual numbers on it. Soon!
Your hard side pop up build sounds rad, I keep coming back to that myself. Maybe on v2. I'm jealous of the northern states foam selection. Id almost kill to get my hands on some foamular 250, at twice the compressive strength of the 150 I'm using, I can only imagine it shapes like a dream.
The composite "skin on foam" approach will be a nice upgrade over the traditional luan or thin ply. Awesome to see a manufacturer selling direct too.
Hey to Dale! My question is why do you do a layer of glass and then cut in the “hard points “ instead of cutting them into just the foam and then glassing them in with big sheets? Thanks for the great info and explanations and jokes, great vids!
Hey Scott! The only reason for cutting away the finished glass is lack of pre planning. it's fast and loose around here, and sometimes that means doing things in an odd order. Thanks for watching, Ill give Dale some pats for ya!
rad build
Thanks!
Very cool idea! I had never thought of using that kind of material! I'm wanting to build a pop up roof on my 2003 Ford Excursion. Any advice would be greatly appricated?
Send it! Don't let your dreams be dreams.
Sweet hinges! Do you know about how much epoxy you’ve used? Any idea of the total $ for just the glass and epoxy? Thanks
Thanks for watching Anthony! I haven't been keeping up with it closely, but Ive used around 4x 1Gallon kits of epoxy from us composites. A 1 gallon kit is is actually 1.3to 1.6 gallons total volume depending on the speed. (slow/med/fast). I will do some bookkeeping soon and include total costs in an upcoming video.
Cool thanks man.
Wow, love the door! Was thinking about a pop-up for my Ridgeline but after watching your build I think I may do a slide in foamie instead. Did u consider thinner xps laminatedwith 5mm luan instead of the thicker xps?
Thanks Darryl! I went with the 2" xps for the extra R value. It should be effortless to keep warm or cool depending on the season. Thinner foam with a wood skin would also build a nice camper.
Better than paying for an overly prized truck camper. 👍
What glue do you use to bond the panels and timber together? My fiberglass guy says to use chopped strand, then a strong mat (450 double bias), and then chopped strand again. That seems overkill. My project will be about the same size; can you tell us exactly what mat you use? I'm doing a camper, would you glass to the frame, or work our a way to bolt the camper to the frame? How heavy do you think your cabin is (without bed and kitchen)
I almost exclusively used epoxy thickened with microballoons for all my foam to foam bonding. In places where extra strength was required such as the tie down hard points, I used epoxy thickened with cotton flock.
Be careful with traditional fiberglass resins as they will most likely melt foam.
All fiberglass used in the construction is a woven product, chop strand mat is not compatible with epoxy. I've detailed the specs in several other comments on the channel.
Empty weight of the shell is 300-350lbs give or take
@@ThatJakeWorldWide thanks! For a super light weight project using foam, what would be the minimum number of layers of mat and type could you get away with? It’s a small build and rounded, so stronger than a box.
A single layer of 6oz cloth would keep it in one piece and be waterproof, but you have to think of the end use of the design as a whole. heck even just foam bonded together with epoxy would be waterproof and hold up at highway speeds with sufficient anchoring.
Do you want to walk on the roof? Expect to encounter hail or other inclement weather? do you want to patch areas damaged by stones or road debris?
Think about all these details and plan accordingly.
@@ThatJakeWorldWide Thanks so much. You mentioned anchoring. I’m building a custom trailer for a teardrop. Would you build a strong anchoring system, similar to the one you have built, and bolt it to the frame on all four sides (or even running a timber frame all the way around the base) or would you somehow glass it to the frame?
And would you consider using a gel coat or flowcoat instead of prepping and painting like you did. It seems easier to get a nice finish.
@@ThatJakeWorldWide any reason why you use epoxy plus rather than what many people use - gorilla glue Etc?
do you have footage available for the read door hinge fab?
At 26:30 in this video is pretty much all there is to see. Welding is hard to capture on camera, and I don't have the patience to screen record/edit the cad work.
How do you connect the foam xps wall to the bed of the truck?
th-cam.com/video/BbMeJ0gYWaQ/w-d-xo.htmlsi=m4EKczEYxYjyh8W1&t=749
shes lookin nice man! how many different iterations of hinges did you have to come up with? haha
Thanks! I easily made a dozen hinges, It felt like summing Everest when I figured it all out.
What are the products used here besides the foam.board? Thanks
Epoxy resin, Glass balloons for thickening the resin, 8oz fiberglass cloth, and there's a small amount of 1/4" and 3/4" plywood in strategic areas.
Thanks for watching!
You’re sanding dog paw prints, Hes like, excuse me, sir, you seem to need some dog paw prints here? Im certain i decorated with paw prints just yesterday?
If I ever need to find Dale the wonder dog I can just turn on some power tools and he shows up like it's some kind of magic trick.
You are a cool cat, sticky resin's got nothing on you
Thanks man!
Have you ever thought of being a cake decorator?
LOL Im not big on sweets.
be aggressive.
"b" "e" aggressive.
your dog thinks it's a cat
Part cat, part coyote, 100% goof.
I stopped watching after 46 seconds of that "music."