Home Built Pop-Up

[Trefotymag]

The material used for the popup portion (I've been calling it "the skirt") is 18oz vinyl coated fabric from Big Duck Canvas and 20 gauge double polished clear vinyl for the windows. Nothing is sewn. All seams are glued with Vinyl cement. I've repaired tears in large vinyl tarps for concrete work with this cement and it holds up great for years. It even works under water for repairing pool liners.



I did most of the work on the kitchen table.

 

[Trefotymag]

 

[Trefotymag]

I used a staple gun to hold the skirt in and added an aluminum bar to "sandwich" the material against the body and roof.
That is the point we took it on its maiden voyage.

 

[Trefotymag]

Since that trip I have finished the drawers and started building removeable foot lockers for more storage.

 

[ITTOG]

It looks great. I am sure you started using it before it is complete (Are they ever complete?) so how many nights have you used it since getting it ready for its maiden voyage.

View attachment 741839View attachment 741840View attachment 741841View attachment 741844
The material used for the popup portion (I've been calling it "the skirt") is 18oz vinyl coated fabric from Big Duck Canvas and 20 gauge double polished clear vinyl for the windows. Nothing is sewn. All seams are glued with Vinyl cement. I've repaired tears in large vinyl tarps for concrete work with this cement and it holds up great for years. It even works under water for repairing pool liners.

View attachment 741846View attachment 741847View attachment 741848View attachment 741849View attachment 741851

I did most of the work on the kitchen table.

Very interesting approach on the cement and not sewing everything. I had never thought of that. I will be needing canvas for my popup soon so I will have to consider this!

 

[Trefotymag]

It looks great. I am sure you started using it before it is complete (Are they ever complete?) so how many nights have you used it since getting it ready for its maiden voyage.


Very interesting approach on the cement and not sewing everything. I had never thought of that. I will be needing canvas for my popup soon so I will have to consider this!

We have only slept 2 nights so far. We are heading out next weekend for couple nights with the family.

 

[Trefotymag]

Here is a quick video of the linear actuators after they were sync'd.
They are Optical feedback linear actuators from Firgelli Automations. They have a dynamic force rating of 200lbs each and a static force rating of 500lbs each with a 24" stroke. They require a synchronous control board to move in sync with each other.

https://www.firgelliauto.com/products/optical-sensor-actuators?variant=16326698467399

Linear actuators for DIY Truck Camper

Testing linear actuators after getting them sync'd.

youtube.com

 

[VanIsle_Greg]

Looks great!

 

[84FLH]

Builder,

Your first post on the subject was very understated. The "no sink, no heater, no frills" concept brought on images of a Lil Abner build; a plywood and tar paper shack with a stovepipe sticking out.

BUT all the proceeding pictures showcased a first class engineering mind, exacting taste, and pursuit of perfection. IOW, completely blown away by your work.

Thanks for sharing with us. A real treat to watch it come together and hear you think out loud as it does. As an old timer I now limit my projects to changing oil, pads, and rotors; and painting the outbuildings built long ago. Nice to see this level of detail and remember the times when.

 

[Trefotymag]

Finished up the foot lockers this weekend

 

[Trefotymag]

Looks great!

Thanks, I like your camper. It looks really good!

 

[Trefotymag]

Builder,

Your first post on the subject was very understated. The "no sink, no heater, no frills" concept brought on images of a Lil Abner build; a plywood and tar paper shack with a stovepipe sticking out.

BUT all the proceeding pictures showcased a first class engineering mind, exacting taste, and pursuit of perfection. IOW, completely blown away by your work.

Thanks for sharing with us. A real treat to watch it come together and hear you think out loud as it does. As an old timer I now limit my projects to changing oil, pads, and rotors; and painting the outbuildings built long ago. Nice to see this level of detail and remember the times when.

Thank you for the kind words

 

[Fly fisherman]

View attachment 741839View attachment 741840View attachment 741841View attachment 741844
The material used for the popup portion (I've been calling it "the skirt") is 18oz vinyl coated fabric from Big Duck Canvas and 20 gauge double polished clear vinyl for the windows. Nothing is sewn. All seams are glued with Vinyl cement. I've repaired tears in large vinyl tarps for concrete work with this cement and it holds up great for years. It even works under water for repairing pool liners.

View attachment 741846View attachment 741847View attachment 741848View attachment 741849View attachment 741851

I did most of the work on the kitchen table.

I used the HH66 on my fabric also. I sewed then coated the thread and area around them. Very nice job. I also built a wood frame pop up. I posted it on Wander the West. Some folks here can be hard on wood frame builders. Enjoy your camper, and the money you saved .

 

[pigsammy]

Very nice!
Your camper turned out very well and I have learned quite a bit from your write up. Thank you for posting this.
The use of adhesive is intriguing ,as the fabric work can be intimidating. I'll have to look into this a bit more.
I hope you and your family are able to enjoy this camper often, I'm sure there will be a lot of great memories for years to come.

 

[cooper2020]

I am also building a camper and am struggling with a system to lift the roof.
Do find the actuators get in the way of the 'skirt' folding when lowering the roof?