Ladder rack camping setup
- Thread starter jeryshery
- Start date
southpier
Expedition Leader
is this tack budget driven?
it would seem mechanically feasible, but unless you're doing every facet of the job yourself (with no dollar value placed on your labor), it looks complicated for what you'll have in the end.
the ladder rack foundation seems very practical. would you consider sheathing the sides with something like 1/2" MDO plywood, well painted (especially the edges)? even if you kept some canvas or ripstop nylon panels, there would be some inherent lateral resistance. as an option, loose pin butt hinges would allow panels to be removed for travel.
assuming the height of the rack (sleeping surface) is 7' off the tarmac, you'd probably want 3' on top of that for sit-up room & mattress thickness. so the top is now 10' high. would the welcome summer breeze turn into a fall sirocco? broadside wouldn't be bad, but end to end wind might be a pain.
it would seem mechanically feasible, but unless you're doing every facet of the job yourself (with no dollar value placed on your labor), it looks complicated for what you'll have in the end.
the ladder rack foundation seems very practical. would you consider sheathing the sides with something like 1/2" MDO plywood, well painted (especially the edges)? even if you kept some canvas or ripstop nylon panels, there would be some inherent lateral resistance. as an option, loose pin butt hinges would allow panels to be removed for travel.
assuming the height of the rack (sleeping surface) is 7' off the tarmac, you'd probably want 3' on top of that for sit-up room & mattress thickness. so the top is now 10' high. would the welcome summer breeze turn into a fall sirocco? broadside wouldn't be bad, but end to end wind might be a pain.
It's gonna be less of a budget thing and more of a purpose built thing but yes it's gonna be assembled and stitched by me and I already have everything except the ladder rack, canvas and small miscellaneous crap. As for stability trailer tongue jacks or scissor jacks on each corner. The only plywood I want is the kitchen on the side and the floor for the sleeping area The rest will be canvas covered to make it less heavy especially while driving.
The bottom section will stay up like a camper shell and the top section bows will fold or unbolt and stow on top just tied to the ladder rack the top canvas will pack into the bed. It should only be three or four bows and one canvas tarp with tie downs for the top section so I would say less than half hour for full install. I could drill out where the bows go instead of using stake pockets and have it to where they all fold down to the plywood when not in use. To set up it'd be just fold the bows up, pin them in place throw the tarp over and tie it down. I'll just use a power drill to lower the jacks to level the truck.
TacomaJack09
Observer
Hey OP,
I'm thinking about the same idea, but enclosing the bed area with plywood and possibly fiberglass. Here are my initial thoughts so far. I'll keep an eye on this thread!
http://i1353.photobucket.com/albums/q669/TacomaJack09/POPTOP_zps9efe4f0f.jpg
I'm thinking about the same idea, but enclosing the bed area with plywood and possibly fiberglass. Here are my initial thoughts so far. I'll keep an eye on this thread!
http://i1353.photobucket.com/albums/q669/TacomaJack09/POPTOP_zps9efe4f0f.jpg
TacomaJack09
Observer
I've considered it, there are a few cheap ones for sale around me. Problem is there all built for bigger trucks since they're all older models, so I would have to modify it to fit in my bed. Also the weight of those older campers is something I'm concerned about. I'm rocking a 4 banger so I keep a close eye on my overall weight. I think building from scratch using the ladder rack as my frame is my best bet. I may buy an old slide in to steal parts from though.
I'm considering something similar without the pop-up. I have a camper shell but it is too heavy for me to lift on and off as I need it. I also don't have room to store it while not in use. A friend is giving me a contractors rack that I will keep on all the time and just use panels to enclose the bed. Then when I take off the panels I can store them flat.
any suggestions for panel material? plexiglass? corrugated aluminum?
My requirements...
light weight
Already waterproof (no fiber-glassing required)
stiff yet flexible enough to stay on while driving highway speeds.
any suggestions for panel material? plexiglass? corrugated aluminum?
My requirements...
light weight
Already waterproof (no fiber-glassing required)
stiff yet flexible enough to stay on while driving highway speeds.
robert
Expedition Leader
Pardon my ignorance as I'm still not understanding your final goal, but wouldn't it be easier (and probably cheaper) to just buy a used camper shell? The older style shells with the aluminum frames inside can be found cheap (at least around SC) and they'll support more weight than most fiberglass shells and won't leak dirt and water as badly as skinning a rack. If I was going to use a ladder rack as a shell I'd probably use either corrugated aluminum or something simple like plywood that had been varnished. Put weather stripping on it where it touched the bars and screw it in with stainless screws.
There are also plans on the net (individuals and companies like Glen-L) for building your own camper.
There are also plans on the net (individuals and companies like Glen-L) for building your own camper.
The goal is multifaceted. It needs to be soft sided so I can air it out on nice days and be able to remove it by myself for storage, it needs to be larger than a roof level shell but storable so I don't have to worry about hitting branches, it needs to not be cluttered with unimportant things you'd usually find in a camper so I can fit more gear in it, cooking can be done outside the vehicle, I need to be able to sleep above the storage area so I don't have to pull everything out to sleep. Just think of it like a rooftop tent but instead of buying one I'm building one that's larger and fits my needs better.
fourstringfletch
Adventurer
Subscribed! I've been interested in the same concept for years.
For me, the purpose (while it is on) is to keep myself and my gear dry while camping and to keep my gear inside while on the hwy and hidden while stopped in town. (while it's off) it needs to be light enough to be able to take off by myself and to store flat in a small space, unlike a heavy/bulky camper shell. I'm thinking 1/4" painted plywood would give me an idea of what I'm looking at as far as a mock up. Unfortunately the rack I got from a friend does not fit my little truck. so if anyone needs a contractors rack for a full size truck and has a small one to trade, let me know. (I'm in the SoCal area)