Camper Box ideas and help

[Spudy]

Hello all
First let me start by telling you all a few things about what i want to try and do with this. I have a jeep that i trailer around to play with. I want a camper to without a truck box camper. I own an excavating business so i have a 25ft 20,000 trailer i can us to haul my jeep with.

What i want to do is build a box (for lack of better word) that i can use as a place to get out of the rain that will set on the front of the trailer and still park my jeep behind. I know i could use a pop up camper but i don't want the hassle of the canvas and popping up and down.

I am planning on building it so it can be placed on the front of the trailer with a loader with forks.

Now on to the help part. I dont have a good idea as to what to build it out of. Steel is what im thinking but how thick of tubing would i need? Also what is a good way to sheet the outside?

Was thinking of using a 1x2 tubing about 14ish gauge. Also attaching the outside sheet steel with rubber washered self tapers? or would rivites be getter? The inside is just going to be simple storeage and bed i think.

Also any suggestions of ideas would be great.

Thanks

 

[JPK]

Maybe a steel frame if weight isn't an issue, Aluminum or wood if it is. Maybe steel for the floor/underbody and aluminum or wood up top since you will be lifting with forks.

For siding, I would stick with good ol' plywood. Light but strong, doesn't conduct heat or cold like metal. Attach with washers and self tappers, seal with 3M 5200 polysulfide caulk/sealant/adhesive.

Maybe a sheet aluminum sheathing or a coat of fiberglass mat on the roof for complete weather protection. Pickle (coat with West Systems epoxy) then paint the sides.

JPK

 

[greentruck]

A utili-body with suitable enclosure for getting out of the elements would keep everything handy. What I'm thinking of is one the ones that are used with the cutaway van chassis, so there would be plenty of overhead clearance to stand up in. Sort of like an ambulance with toolboxes?

Those are 8' long I think. Does that leave enough room for the jeep?

 

[Titanpat57]

The available space size would be a first step, then how many people max, will be using it?

 

[Spudy]

well i think i can go be 10 x 8. Also on the front i could do a dent out like a truck camper for storage if i wanted to too. Looking to go camping with just 2 people and 2 dogs. Wish i could find a box off a uhaul truck or something like that but i love building thing anyways.

 

[Titanpat57]

A little primitive.....but based on a 8' x 10' outside size.

You could end up wih a bit more floor space with a pull out couch and fold down table.

The bathroom has just a porti potty and a shower / sink with some cabinet storage.

The fridge (ARB type) pulls out under the stove and there is plenty of storage under the benches (for water tank, pump, batteries, possible hot water heater.....how friggin nuts you wanna get?)

Pat

 

[Spudy]

well to be honest we are simple. Right now we just tent camp it and have no problems as long as the weather holds out. I just hate trying to take down camp when it raining. The more i think about it the more i lean towards just 2x4 construction(have even though about the metal 2x4s) with plywood sides and top.

So with plywood you glue the boards together and what do you seal the outside with?

What about the roof to make it sealed well?

The bottom im not sure about because i want it to support the weight of the while thing when lifted.

 

[Spudy]

A little primitive.....but based on a 8' x 10' outside size.

You could end up wih a bit more floor space with a pull out couch and fold down table.

The bathroom has just a porti potty and a shower / sink with some cabinet storage.

The fridge (ARB type) pulls out under the stove and there is plenty of storage under the benches (for water tank, pump, batteries, possible hot water heater.....how friggin nuts you wanna get?)

Pat

Love the rendering but i dont figure on using a bathroom or sink or anything like that in there.

God i wish i could use that program that well.

 

[JPK]

well to be honest we are simple. Right now we just tent camp it and have no problems as long as the weather holds out. I just hate trying to take down camp when it raining. The more i think about it the more i lean towards just 2x4 construction(have even though about the metal 2x4s) with plywood sides and top.

So with plywood you glue the boards together and what do you seal the outside with?

What about the roof to make it sealed well?

The bottom im not sure about because i want it to support the weight of the while thing when lifted.

The 5200 is a marine chaulk/sealant/adhesive. You wouldn't use just the 5200, you would use mechanical fasteners as well. Since you're looking at plywood, that might include washers as well, to prevent pull through. Also, marine plywood has more laminate layers per similar thickness than standard plywood, and uses waterproof glue for lamination. Its stiffer and better resists pull through. I also think you could use a thinner sheet to save weight and help offset the higher cost of marine plywood.

As far as sealing the plywood, pickling it - coating it with epoxy - would do it, for the roof maybe add a layer of fiberglass mat while the epoxy was wet and rolling it out. Then prime and paint. Of course, you could just prime and paint. (My parents own a historical home and are required to maintain certain features, including wooden gutters. After regularly replacing the gutters when they rotted out every X number of years, a contractor suggested pickling the next set before instalation. That was maybe a decade ago and the gutters are still going strong with no rot.)

Take a look at West System's site, they have a bunch of info there, though finding it can be a pita. Many user guides for fasteners, waterproofing, etc. Start here: http://www.westsystem.com/ss/ In strip plank boat building, which is still today the strongest, lightest and best way to build a high end sportfishing boat, the strips or panels of plywood are glued together with epoxy and fastened with screws. But once the epoxy sets the screws are removed.

Here is a schedule for fastening plywood for exterior walls facing for providing lateral resistance, its the second section. 3" centers. There are guides which provide fastener detail down below the body of the specs which you can click on for more detail - but they use permanent nails while I would use permanent stanless screws (or at least galvinized.) http://www.beforethearchitect.com/Articles-Plywood Wall SHTG Fasteners.htm

As far as base rigidity and stength for lifting with forks, in our yard we recieve lots of fairly heavy equipment shipped on 4x6's with fork/lifting strap clearence milled into the bottom of 4x6's. Not too disimilar to an extra, extra duty pallet in practice, but fixed to the equipment mounts. So maybe sub frame of some sort, maybe 2x6's with the exterior doubled and a center spine doubled as well?

Hope this helps

JPK

 

[Spudy]

getting some great information. Kinda leaning towards building the whole thing out of wood to save on costs. Dont know when i am going to build this as money is tight but wanted to get planning to see if it was going to be an option or not.

Getting a rough cost compared to buying a popup or something else. (talked to the wife and i got that you want to build what look lol)