Carl's Home-built Popup Scheme/Build thread

[CLynn85]

Alright, So I guess we're finally going to just build our own popup, or at least give it a go.

Backstory: I camped here and there with friends through high school and college, and nearing college graduation the GF and I decided to do a long trip. I was already a member of this site, and was planning to camp out of the Jeep I had at the time. Long story short spring semester the Jeep got replaced with the Tacoma, and I stumbled onto this thing called a Four Wheel Camper. SOLD! We bought it and loved it, but due to debt when we got home, sold it. Little did we know how hard it would be to find another on this side of the country. Over the next couple years we tried out other solutions, such as an EEZI-AWN RTT, a Starcraft popup trailer, and a fiberglass shell with sleeping platform. While each had their benefit, none of them really came close to the FWC. The other thing that the RTT and Shell lacked that the others didn't, was the ability to live in the camper, rather than around it. If I was in the SouthWest it'd likely be a bit different, as I really did like the RTT, but it rains to friggin much around here to really be enjoyable, thus we want something we can live in OR around while on the road.

So we've had our eyes peeled for the last year and a half or so for another FWC eagle or similar within a reasonable distance and nothing's really popped up, so we've decided to follow another path we've been considering, build your own. I've had the basic idea in my head for a while, and after seeing pictures of the Alaskan Mini, it cemented my resolve that it was a doable layout, and I did some sketches.

One thing I didn't like about the FWC was the cab over-hang, both from an aerodynamic and aesthetic perspective, though it does add a lot of space. We decided to go with an older-style Callen-esque profile for simplicity, and add a hinged popup to provide standing room for cooking, with benches that will fold down for the bed.

Here's what I've come up with so far, going to get some ply this weekend and start on the base and see where we end up from there. First one will be made from a play base, and 1x2 or 2x2 framed walls, with a canvas when opened, if the idea works I'll refine and build an aluminum framed one.

Fridge will go under the bench in the back, typical 12v model that I can pull out and use elsewhere too. storage under the benches, fairly simple overall. Wish me luck.

 

[rdraider]

Good Luck!

I have been considering a hard sided pop u build. I dont have a lot of faith in a soft sided design based on the attachment of the canvas to the frame. How do you plan on accomplishing that?

 

[Stan@FourWheel]

. . . teaser







.

 

[sarconcepts]

Stan's right to tease you.. ..
you should call four wheel campers to see if they have any used consignments. I bought my eagle used (a '97') in '99' from the factory, saved a chunk of money, & being even lightly used, I felt much more comfortable cutting, drilling, & customizing it to my specific needs. plus, I'm sure they could install any un-included options you wanted as well.
At that time they had two used eagles, one with no real interior to speak of, & the one I bought, which had more options than I thought I needed but have grown to appreciate since, you get to choose your path.

(after telling you this, I hope they still offer some used ones!)
.. ...If not, mine will inevitably be for sale in a year or two..

The only thing to think about in the design you've come up with is that you'll have to crawl in through the door, then crouch over as you walk toward the front to stand up, & can only really stand up at the front, right in front of the sink. You did mention that you want to be able to hang out inside as well as outside the camper, which starts to lead back to the FWC design (both the front & rear of the roof lift). other than that, your interior layout seems promising

p.s. Stan, you may want to think about painting those shop walls some!

 

[HMR]

CLynn85- I love your idea! Looking forward to watching it come together.

I dont have a lot of faith in a soft sided design based on the attachment of the canvas to the frame. How do you plan on accomplishing that?

I haven't gotten the official word from our local shop but I'm gaining confidence that a good sail designer/manufacturer can figure this out. There should be a number of small, quality sail shops for CLynn in VA. I'm guessing there must be a few along the coast closer to you in TX?

. . . teaser

That's cruel.
You have to give us some more info. Do those things pop up like a regular FWC or at an angle like CLynn's sketch?

PS- I wish you guys would post a section on your website showing all the custom work you've done over the years.

 

[CLynn85]

Stan, Those are wild! I've never seen one without the cab-overhang. Too cool!

Good Luck!

I have been considering a hard sided pop u build. I dont have a lot of faith in a soft sided design based on the attachment of the canvas to the frame. How do you plan on accomplishing that?

I'm not sure whether we're going to take the hardsided or canvas approach, but leaning towards canvas for a number of reasons, I have some ideas, but will probably just figure it out when we get there like usual...

you should call four wheel campers to see if they have any used consignments. I bought my eagle used (a '97') in '99' from the factory, saved a chunk of money, & being even lightly used, I felt much more comfortable cutting, drilling, & customizing it to my specific needs. plus, I'm sure they could install any un-included options you wanted as well.

Thanks for the tip, didn't know they did consignments. That being said, they're still on the opposite side of the continent. I've driven to CA and back, and it was fun when I had 3 weeks of leave to do it (see first photo), but otherwise it'd be a bear.

The only thing to think about in the design you've come up with is that you'll have to crawl in through the door, then crouch over as you walk toward the front to stand up, & can only really stand up at the front, right in front of the sink.

That's kind of the idea, we actually kind of tried it out in the living room lol. The only place where we really need standing room is in the cooking area, otherwise you just need head clearance to sit and eat/use the computer/read. Also enough space to stand and change is useful! Even when we had our FWC we had to duck going through the door and kind of progressively straightened out as we got inside.

CLynn85- I love your idea! Looking forward to watching it come together.

Thanks, we'll see where it goes. If nothing else it'll just help us to further refine what works and doesn't, and give me something to do over the winter when we can't go anywhere anyways.

 

[18seeds]

my buddy had something similar made by Lite-Craft (no longer in biz)

 

[Overland Hadley]

. . . Teaser


.

a fwc nco?

 

[Overland Hadley]

I understand the wish to live in the camper, not around the RTT or shell.

 

[Scoutman]

I admire you taking on such a project but I have some concerns...

It seems that with the beds folded down that it will be very difficult to get in and out of the camper. You also lose the ability to do anything in there while the beds are down. The process from waking up to cooking breakfast to getting outside looks difficult to me.

Also the front profile of your design (and the one Stan posted) is going to be the same or close to a standard cab over bed camper. Are there concerns for going cab over or is it just to keep it a more simple design?

Really count up every possible item that you will need to build this and include your prototype cost as well and see if this still makes sense. It seems that you're buying some plywood and canvas without a full plan. Maybe it's me but I want to know every detail before I decide to start dropping coin on materials.

I'm not saying go out and buy a new truck camper, I'm just saying that unless you're going for something really unique, a used unit or a modified unit may be a better idea. It seems that a flip top tent camper would work nicely unless you're wanting to stay away from a tent roof.

 

[CLynn85]

I admire you taking on such a project but I have some concerns...

It seems that with the beds folded down that it will be very difficult to get in and out of the camper. You also lose the ability to do anything in there while the beds are down. The process from waking up to cooking breakfast to getting outside looks difficult to me.

Also the front profile of your design (and the one Stan posted) is going to be the same or close to a standard cab over bed camper. Are there concerns for going cab over or is it just to keep it a more simple design?

Really count up every possible item that you will need to build this and include your prototype cost as well and see if this still makes sense. It seems that you're buying some plywood and canvas without a full plan. Maybe it's me but I want to know every detail before I decide to start dropping coin on materials.

I'm not saying go out and buy a new truck camper, I'm just saying that unless you're going for something really unique, a used unit or a modified unit may be a better idea. It seems that a flip top tent camper would work nicely unless you're wanting to stay away from a tent roof.

Thanks for the criticism, it makes for a good sanity check. That being said I'm still fairly confident that I've justified what we're doing with myself.

We did our last long distance trip in a camper shell with sleeping platform, so getting in/out shouldn't be any more difficult, I've also considered leaving a notch in the area closest to the door to help squeeze through a little more. My wife and I are in our mid 20's, so we're still pretty flexible. In reality the only time we'll be using the interior for cooking will be in inclement weather or for changing. When I say "live in" I don't really mean full time get up walk around activities.

I wouldn't say that I don't have a plan, most everything is accounted for in my mind, if not on paper or in words yet. As far as buying a camper, I've just come to the point that I've waited long enough, watching, asking, looking, and I'm ready to do something about it. We ended up with a shell for our last trip because we were looking for a FWC up til the very last minute. The flip up tent styles won't work for us for a couple reasons. 1 - We want something self contained that can slide on and off the truck and be ready to go in a matter of 30 min or so. 2 - I actually came VERY close to ordering an AT Flippac last year, until Martyn informed me that the material was very lightweight and would require a rainfly for any type of precipitation, and that all their design efforts were funneled into other projects and a custom canvas for me wasn't really an option at the time, and that just won't work for us.

In the end I just learn by building and doing, some things work out great, others go to the land of misfit prototypes, but in the end I still come out better for having done it.

 

[CLynn85]

my buddy had something similar made by Lite-Craft (no longer in biz)

I like that A LOT. Never heard of the company before.

 

[homemade]

I like that A LOT. Never heard of the company before.

That Lite-Craft camper would probably be an easy build for anyone with reasonable skills. Like the one I built but without the cab-over. Let me know if you have any specific questions. All easy, attachment of canvas not difficult either.

 

[Accrete]

Hi Carl, best wishes on your project...it looks fun.

On the getting in and out comments...This image is of a sleeping platform i built in the back of our now-sold 2007 TACO with ARB shell.

The man door is probably about the same general location/size of what you are thinking of in your DIY shell. I can state that for my wife and i, both agile 50+, we had no issues getting in/out as needed with the sleeping bag/airbed on top. We often had a truck-tent attached for the _living room_ and enjoyed it lots!

 

[robert]

I've thought about something like this too on multiple occasions. I've got the same problem with not being able to find any Fourwheel, ATC, Wildernest or flipacs on this coast. I have the tonneau cover that was on my truck when I bought it and I've thought it would work as a top since it's already fiberglass and has the frame/lift assembly in place. The fabric shouldn't be that hard to do; it's a pretty straightforward design and I've already replaced the canvas in my VW. I'm usually alone so I don't have to figure in as much sleeping space either.