I saw this couple build foam cabinets in their vsn a few years ago..... They used 1" pieces of foam and designed their own cabinets and threw them together and then they stiffened them with fiberglass resin. At that point you could sand them or paint them but they covered theirs in wrinkled up maps with more resin on top. They showed how sturdy they were and if you could get this to work you could save sooooo much weight......
I was contemplating a wood frame build, then an aluminum frame build, but once I heard the weight for your steel frame slide-in - my project will be steel. I'm in the planning process at this point, and preparation with contemplation can reduce any stress down the road...or as an old sergeant once said..."if you haven't got a plan, you can't screw it up". On the other hand, planning can mitigate problems down the road. At least that's what I've been telling my wife as a pour through numerous videos to help my "plan". Great build and thanks for sharing!
The final weight is 1800 lb. Most of the weight seem to come from the interior. Cabinetry adds more weight than you think. Countertops, drawers and so on. In hindsight, I wish I had planned my steel frame more thoroughly so as to avoid some of the wood that I had to add later. I wasn't exactly sure where I needed cross pieces oh, so I waited. Don't make that mistake. Plan out your sheets, overlaps and so on to get best use of frame materials. Aluminum has the best weight compared to strength, but it also seems to have the highest cost.
If you draw something up and would like my thoughts on it, I would be more than happy to look at it and give you my insight now that my project is done and I have been using it.
I love the camper. I don't think steel is lighter or better. You are right, it's all the stuff inside that makes all the weight. Some manufactures will sell you a shell so you can build out the inside your self. Huge difference in weight when you finish it out.
Wow, that is a VERY well thought-out build! I'm going to have to remember that magic wall if I ever get around to building a camper for one of my trucks. My idea is building a full replacement for the stock bed (unless I build it on my cab & chassis truck, instead) and both my trucks are DRW, so I'd get some nice extra width there.
what do you have for ventilation under the mattress? Condensation under them will cause mould to grow and destroy it. Changing out to a facet is a good idea, those hand pumps seem like a good idea, till you want to wash both hands. Works great when your right hand never gets dirty.
I don't have anything under the mattress, and so far it stays bone dry. I did, however add ventilation where it meets the walls, below the windows. I posted a video about that recently
Man you really did an awesome job! I’m about to get ready to build one. Mine will not be nearly as nice as yours though. I’ll only be using it once a year to go camping at the lake. But you have given me some really good ideas. I like that bathroom wall.
Great job looks impressive! Can I ask what did you use on the aluminium joints for the outside body to avoid any leaking? Do the sheets rivet directly to the steel frame and butt to each other? Thank you.
The Sheets Were bonded to each other and to the steel with a high grade construction adhesive. The sheets overlap so that no rain can get into them. There's only one protocol joint and it has a larger overlap. The rivets are called blind rivets because once you pop them they are still sealed on one end. There is a link below in one of the comments if you would like to see all of the details of the build.
Amazing build; like the steel frame for strength. Did not notice in your other videos if you mentioned sources for your parts and pieces. I saw that you said you were in Mississippi, did you have a local source for the aluminum sheeting? Also heard you mention some of your parts coming from a "donor" camper. Did your windows, propane door, entry door, etc come from that camper or did you have another source for them. I am looking to build a pop-up truck camper. Originally thought of using steel because I can make steel stick together; but didn't think I'd be able to use an aluminum shell. Then thought of building it using lumber and plywood with a fiberglass wrap. Getting close to pulling the trigger since I have so much free time at home with the whole virus thing and stay-at-home in place. Any help pointing me in the right direction for parts is appreciated.
All of the components that you mentioned came from the donor camper. Some of the plastic parts and repair pieces where ordered on eBay. That was the key to keeping the project very affordable. I bought the aluminum sheeting from a stock car builder in Petal Mississippi. His name is Robert Casada. You should be able to find him on Facebook. He stocks the metal for himself and his race Buddies and will sell to anyone with money. Where are you located?
@@Reserector I'm in North Carolina; we have our share of race tracks around, I'll have to see if anyone close has what I would need. Appreciate the info; I'll have to keep my eyes out for a cheap donor. I have already picked up a $25 truck shell that I thought I could use the windows from (and still may) but I like the looks of the true camper door and windows. I also bookmarked your build page for future reading. Thanks for sharing this build.
How much does your camper weigh? I’m thinking about doing a steel frame with steel flat sheet outer skin and 2” iso board ( flat roof deck insulation board )…………… I was a little worried about the weight.
I would definitely find a donor for the appliances, fittings, plumbing, windows, door, and so on. Cabinets would depend on condition and practicality to my needs. Being able to adapt the cabinets was not part of the original plan. Getting all of the manufactured parts for cheap was the goal of the donor. I got a fortune in parts for $500 while helping the seller to get rid of a large, rotting eyesore. Bear in mind that using those parts means totally dismantling the donor and eventually disposing of the frame. The up side of that is learning how they are built. I picked up on a lot of things that I might not have thought of on my own. Things relating to propane (safety), electrical, and water.
Timothy Anderson Most of the strength that holds up the cabover portion comes from the side sheets. In fact, the sheeting turns a slightly flimsy frame into a very rigid shell. It's incredible. The flat bottom of the overcab needed some additional help because as a horizontal surface, it was not stiff in the vertical direction. This was fixed when I added the plywood on top of the frame. The over cab portion was supported by a jack and two by fours during the installation of the rigid foam and plywood. The foam was glued to the aluminum with construction adhesive. I used Loctite Power Grab. Next, the plywood was glued to the frame and the foam with more construction adhesive, and then screwed to the frame. The whole assembly was left to cure for a week. It is now perfectly flat and rigid with no signs of sagging.
Width outside is 77" Overall length is just over 13'. That breaks down to a 54" cabover, 75" bed section, and a 30" rear bath overhang. Interior headroom is 76" including the 21" bed-to-rail height. My truck has a modified bed that is 3 1/2" deeper than stock, making it similar to many full-size trucks. My truck is rather tall, so the overall height is 10' 10". Ground to floor is around 34"
@@Chris-hy9ln I designed it using Sketch Up for the concept, and then Solidworks to create a 3D model and layout drawings. However, because it was designed for an altered truck bed (3.5" deeper than stock) I saw no benefit for anyone in saving those files after the build was complete. If this had been for a factory built truck, I would have made the plans and documentation available. There's a chance that I still have the marked - up prints that I used.... somewhere. If I find them, I will post them.
Most impressive DIY truck camper I’ve seen on TH-cam!👍🏻
I saw this couple build foam cabinets in their vsn a few years ago..... They used 1" pieces of foam and designed their own cabinets and threw them together and then they stiffened them with fiberglass resin. At that point you could sand them or paint them but they covered theirs in wrinkled up maps with more resin on top. They showed how sturdy they were and if you could get this to work you could save sooooo much weight......
I congratulate you on your project, something out of the ordinary, very creative. Greetings from Austin, Texas.
Thanks. I appreciate that. We'll be camping in it this week. Heading out tomorrow.
Very nice Workmanship, great ideas used in your build.
Thank you!
I was contemplating a wood frame build, then an aluminum frame build, but once I heard the weight for your steel frame slide-in - my project will be steel. I'm in the planning process at this point, and preparation with contemplation can reduce any stress down the road...or as an old sergeant once said..."if you haven't got a plan, you can't screw it up". On the other hand, planning can mitigate problems down the road. At least that's what I've been telling my wife as a pour through numerous videos to help my "plan".
Great build and thanks for sharing!
The final weight is 1800 lb. Most of the weight seem to come from the interior. Cabinetry adds more weight than you think. Countertops, drawers and so on.
In hindsight, I wish I had planned my steel frame more thoroughly so as to avoid some of the wood that I had to add later. I wasn't exactly sure where I needed cross pieces oh, so I waited. Don't make that mistake. Plan out your sheets, overlaps and so on to get best use of frame materials.
Aluminum has the best weight compared to strength, but it also seems to have the highest cost.
If you draw something up and would like my thoughts on it, I would be more than happy to look at it and give you my insight now that my project is done and I have been using it.
I love the camper. I don't think steel is lighter or better. You are right, it's all the stuff inside that makes all the weight. Some manufactures will sell you a shell so you can build out the inside your self. Huge difference in weight when you finish it out.
Good job man! congrats on a very nice home build. Learned some things, and probably going to steal ur magic wall idea.
Congratulations. Really great work and the patience you must have had through the whole project.
Wow, that is a VERY well thought-out build! I'm going to have to remember that magic wall if I ever get around to building a camper for one of my trucks. My idea is building a full replacement for the stock bed (unless I build it on my cab & chassis truck, instead) and both my trucks are DRW, so I'd get some nice extra width there.
what do you have for ventilation under the mattress? Condensation under them will cause mould to grow and destroy it.
Changing out to a facet is a good idea, those hand pumps seem like a good idea, till you want to wash both hands. Works great when your right hand never gets dirty.
I don't have anything under the mattress, and so far it stays bone dry. I did, however add ventilation where it meets the walls, below the windows. I posted a video about that recently
Very nice design!!
Very nice and very good. Anjo my brother
Man you really did an awesome job! I’m about to get ready to build one. Mine will not be nearly as nice as yours though. I’ll only be using it once a year to go camping at the lake. But you have given me some really good ideas. I like that bathroom wall.
Great job buddy. Ready to start on mine now?
Great job looks impressive! Can I ask what did you use on the aluminium joints for the outside body to avoid any leaking? Do the sheets rivet directly to the steel frame and butt to each other? Thank you.
The Sheets Were bonded to each other and to the steel with a high grade construction adhesive. The sheets overlap so that no rain can get into them. There's only one protocol joint and it has a larger overlap. The rivets are called blind rivets because once you pop them they are still sealed on one end. There is a link below in one of the comments if you would like to see all of the details of the build.
Amazing build; like the steel frame for strength. Did not notice in your other videos if you mentioned sources for your parts and pieces. I saw that you said you were in Mississippi, did you have a local source for the aluminum sheeting? Also heard you mention some of your parts coming from a "donor" camper. Did your windows, propane door, entry door, etc come from that camper or did you have another source for them.
I am looking to build a pop-up truck camper. Originally thought of using steel because I can make steel stick together; but didn't think I'd be able to use an aluminum shell. Then thought of building it using lumber and plywood with a fiberglass wrap. Getting close to pulling the trigger since I have so much free time at home with the whole virus thing and stay-at-home in place. Any help pointing me in the right direction for parts is appreciated.
All of the components that you mentioned came from the donor camper. Some of the plastic parts and repair pieces where ordered on eBay. That was the key to keeping the project very affordable.
I bought the aluminum sheeting from a stock car builder in Petal Mississippi. His name is Robert Casada. You should be able to find him on Facebook. He stocks the metal for himself and his race Buddies and will sell to anyone with money. Where are you located?
@@Reserector I'm in North Carolina; we have our share of race tracks around, I'll have to see if anyone close has what I would need. Appreciate the info; I'll have to keep my eyes out for a cheap donor. I have already picked up a $25 truck shell that I thought I could use the windows from (and still may) but I like the looks of the true camper door and windows. I also bookmarked your build page for future reading. Thanks for sharing this build.
How much does your camper weigh? I’m thinking about doing a steel frame with steel flat sheet outer skin and 2” iso board ( flat roof deck insulation board )…………… I was a little worried about the weight.
It weighs 1,800 pounds empty. Around 2,000 pounds with water, propane, food, clothing and so on.
To do it over would you again go with a donor trailer or make cabinets from scratch to fit your plan framing?
I would definitely find a donor for the appliances, fittings, plumbing, windows, door, and so on.
Cabinets would depend on condition and practicality to my needs. Being able to adapt the cabinets was not part of the original plan.
Getting all of the manufactured parts for cheap was the goal of the donor. I got a fortune in parts for $500 while helping the seller to get rid of a large, rotting eyesore.
Bear in mind that using those parts means totally dismantling the donor and eventually disposing of the frame.
The up side of that is learning how they are built. I picked up on a lot of things that I might not have thought of on my own. Things relating to propane (safety), electrical, and water.
How does it hold up with the .060 steel for the sleeping area over head?
Timothy Anderson Most of the strength that holds up the cabover portion comes from the side sheets. In fact, the sheeting turns a slightly flimsy frame into a very rigid shell. It's incredible.
The flat bottom of the overcab needed some additional help because as a horizontal surface, it was not stiff in the vertical direction. This was fixed when I added the plywood on top of the frame. The over cab portion was supported by a jack and two by fours during the installation of the rigid foam and plywood. The foam was glued to the aluminum with construction adhesive. I used Loctite Power Grab. Next, the plywood was glued to the frame and the foam with more construction adhesive, and then screwed to the frame. The whole assembly was left to cure for a week.
It is now perfectly flat and rigid with no signs of sagging.
Wow
What’s the dimensions of the whole unit
Width outside is 77"
Overall length is just over 13'. That breaks down to a 54" cabover, 75" bed section, and a 30" rear bath overhang.
Interior headroom is 76" including the 21" bed-to-rail height. My truck has a modified bed that is 3 1/2" deeper than stock, making it similar to many full-size trucks.
My truck is rather tall, so the overall height is 10' 10".
Ground to floor is around 34"
Reserector sweet thanks I’ll be building one for my longbed truck starting next year the truck is in my profile picture along with my beater ranger
The complete build, from concept to completion is here: mississippi-mud.com/Thread-Slide-in-camper-for-the-FM
@@justind.laashley1220 Did you start on your camper?
What is the final weight of the camper?
Jason Grigsby Final weight is 1,800 with half tank of water, and propane, and some odds and ends.
The entire build is chronicled here: mississippi-mud.com/thread-20380.html
Do you have plans or documentary on it?
@@Chris-hy9ln I designed it using Sketch Up for the concept, and then Solidworks to create a 3D model and layout drawings. However, because it was designed for an altered truck bed (3.5" deeper than stock) I saw no benefit for anyone in saving those files after the build was complete.
If this had been for a factory built truck, I would have made the plans and documentation available.
There's a chance that I still have the marked - up prints that I used.... somewhere. If I find them, I will post them.
@@Chris-hy9ln Oops! I just checked the link and it didn't work. I've updated it above. The corrected link is mississippi-mud.com/thread-20380.html