Help me think this through? Custom Pop Up Truck Camper

[18seeds]

Help me think this through. I would like to have Lite-Craft Campers build me a slightly modified pop up truck camper. My truck is a 2006 Dodge Ram 2500 Short Bed Diesel. The camper I would like to start with has a floor length of 8.5 ft. Here is the floor plan.

The camper body is made of wood and the roof is all aluminum.

30 gal fresh water supply
hot water
2 6v batteries
cassette toilet
5 - 10 gal grey
outside shower
larger entry door
exterior storage for honda 2000 generator
5 lb propane tank
5 lb propane tank holder on the rear of the camper (extra propane for winter)
Ducted Heating
Winter Package: Insulation to put around pop up material on the inside
Fantastic Fan
wave 3 catalytic heater

Most of the time i will be traveling with no more than 2 people (ME and GF, or Me and a friend). I do a lot of winter camping (skiing and snowmobileing). Trip length are 2-4 nights.

My idea for a small grey tank is because most of the time i can just drain into a bucket. I want a small grey tank just in case i stop for lunch while traveling and don't want to dump grey water all over the parking lot. The camper will not have your traditional dump mechanisms. Just a hose connection to attach a garden hose.

The water tank, propane tank, batteries, hot water heater will be mounted as far forward as possible and the water tank and batteries as low to the ground as possible.

The back of the camper will be lower than the bumper by a few inches. This will allow for a small step up into the camper and a larger entry door. On the passenger side below the refrigerator will be an exterior storage for a honda 2000 generator.

What do you guys think?
the heating will be ducted and will run along side the fresh and grey tanks as well as much of the water lines as possible

For extreme winter's i'd like them to make a weblon kit that would snap to the pop up weblon for more insulation.

This will be a somewhat "buget" build (well under 18k). I do not do any crazy expedition like travel. Just mostly a few miles off the road to get to a secluded campsite. Winter camping is just in a parking lot.

 

[Nuclear Redneck]

Is there any particular resaon you are choosing Lite Craft over Four Wheel Campers? I'm only asking because so many members here are very satisfied with the FWC.

 

[eugene]

I always thought taking off the tailgate and dropping the rear floor would be a good idea, I think the shower floor could be dropped down too to give a little more height to the shower so the showerhead could be moved up higher more like a house one.
One of my other ideas is no basement in a camper, put the water tanks under the bed of the truck in the empty spaces between the frame and body.

 

[RocKrawler]

I always thought taking off the tailgate and dropping the rear floor would be a good idea, I think the shower floor could be dropped down too to give a little more height to the shower so the showerhead could be moved up higher more like a house one.
One of my other ideas is no basement in a camper, put the water tanks under the bed of the truck in the empty spaces between the frame and body.

I've had the exact same ideas, the other benefit of the dropped floor would be a taller rear access door.

 

[18seeds]

FWC are great compact units. My main reason for not ever having a FWC is because of the roof lift mechanism. It is not "SNOW LOAD" friendly. People say they just brush the snow off the roof but snow melts than freezes which get's really heavy.

As far as putting the tanks below the truck bed that would take a good amount of work to keep them from freezing. Their are TC's that have basements built into the camper but I'm not sold that that is needed for winter use.

Based off some advice i got on RV.net. I am going to turn the cassette toilet 90 degrees so it backs up against the driver side wall. This would allow for more leg room when needed by just leaving the door open. Also i am going to talk to the manufacture to see if they can make the walls a little thicker thus creating more insulation.

 

[Rhode Trip]

Could you swap positions of the refrigerator and the dinette? That would improve the COG.

 

[18seeds]

That's what i would prefer but the builder says it will interfere with the roof lift mechanism. I am still researching it

 

[Prybry]

skip the grey tank...

I'd say skip the grey tank all together... just carry a jug or bucket to drain into. I doubt you will be putting anything down the drain when your not setup for camp.

Might want to rotate the toilet 90 so the cassete can be pulled out the back, rather than from inside. Swing the john door toward the rear door and it gives you more room to "do your business" if you know what I mean.

5lbs of LP is pretty light... heating on cold nights will suck that up pretty fast.
and you also have hot water and the stove to supply. What kind of fridge?, may also pull LP.

courious how ducted heat works with cat. type heater?

Don't forget power supply/ inverter can take up some space... What type of batteries?

 

[18seeds]

I'd say skip the grey tank all together... just carry a jug or bucket to drain into. I doubt you will be putting anything down the drain when your not setup for camp.

Might want to rotate the toilet 90 so the cassete can be pulled out the back, rather than from inside. Swing the john door toward the rear door and it gives you more room to "do your business" if you know what I mean.

5lbs of LP is pretty light... heating on cold nights will suck that up pretty fast.
and you also have hot water and the stove to supply. What kind of fridge?, may also pull LP.

courious how ducted heat works with cat. type heater?

Don't forget power supply/ inverter can take up some space... What type of batteries?

there will be 2 heating sources. a cat and a forced air furnance

there will be holder for a aux propane tank on the back for winter

 

[masterplumber]

Check out Carlyle's Alaska Camper build thread on this forum for a great grey water system - is switchable to outside & uses the same type cassette tank as the toilet. Sorry I haven't figured out how to post links yet but a quick search in the domestic trucks page should yield results.
Doug

 

[West Coast Mags]

Not to be party pooper, but seems with the recent economic cruch there have been a ton of only slightly used pop up truck campers on the market from $3500 to probably $7000 is the most I have seen among about a dozen units atleast. Maybe consider just finding a nice used unit, plop it on and you're ready to go. It might not be the Exact floor plan you have in mind but surely you could make do and have $10,000 to travel on. Just my $.02

 

[18seeds]

Not to be party pooper, but seems with the recent economic cruch there have been a ton of only slightly used pop up truck campers on the market from $3500 to probably $7000 is the most I have seen among about a dozen units atleast. Maybe consider just finding a nice used unit, plop it on and you're ready to go. It might not be the Exact floor plan you have in mind but surely you could make do and have $10,000 to travel on. Just my $.02

i've done that 5 times already

My thoughts are the ecomonic crunch will also allow me to get a good deal on a new unit. Works both ways... We'll see once i start pricing stuff out. Will be contacting some hardside makers also.

 

[18seeds]

wow.. i am gonna have to read that a few time for it to sink in...

Thanks

 

[18seeds]

Yes. I am really considering a hardside and am probably gonna pick a used one up to try for this winter. Northstar makes some really nice stuff.

 

[Desert Proven]

I've owned a FWC and and Outfitter.

FWC seems like it isn't an option because of snow load issues AND they were never too keen on custom work, so forget about any custom design.

You've got some good ideas about the design of the camper, but I'd probably skip the grey water tank and opt for more propane if the bulk of your camping is winter. On that note, if the bulk is winter, then a hard side might serve you better as well. I light weight hard top isn't going to weigh in much more than a fully loaded pop up and will work much better in the cold air and you never have to set up/break down the camper.

I've never owned a camper with a bathroom inside of any kind, however, as my two daughters are getting a little older, I'm giving it some thought.

We had a Tundra fridge in our Outfitter and it worked great. AC/DC only, no propane. As a result, the propane would last pretty long because we really only used it for cooking and heating.

On a side note, If you are looking for a good set of camper dollies for whatever you get, PM me for more info. I've got a set of Unid-dolly jacks I'd like to get rid of.