Custom camper friendly truck bed..
- Thread starter pawleyk
- Start date
pawleyk
Running from Monday..
Looking for anything specific?
Its 3"x0.25" angle for the clamp and bar, mounted to a chunk of 6" channel. I used some 5/8" gate hinges so it has a little adjustability and welded four 2" square tube chunks on the underside of the bar at different angles to slide pipe into as a handle.
Sent it off to my powdercoater and told him to shoot it any color but black or white.
If there's anything in particular you'd like to see on it I could snap a pic or two.
Its 3"x0.25" angle for the clamp and bar, mounted to a chunk of 6" channel. I used some 5/8" gate hinges so it has a little adjustability and welded four 2" square tube chunks on the underside of the bar at different angles to slide pipe into as a handle.
Sent it off to my powdercoater and told him to shoot it any color but black or white.
If there's anything in particular you'd like to see on it I could snap a pic or two.
pawleyk
Running from Monday..
Here's a link to a facebook album of mine with a whole bunch of different projects. There are some pretty good pics of the brake at the end. Just scroll through all the lame bumpers and junk.. :sombrero:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10202944368987490&type=1&l=d23990c21c
pawleyk
Running from Monday..
It fits!
I'm going to add two extra stringers on the open side of the center two bed mounts, closest to the camper tie ins. I'm sure everything's strong enough, but the most likely failure I can see would be the weight of the camper pulling up on the bed and rotating the stringers that have mounts welded to them. An additional stringer sandwiching the mounts would eliminate that possibility.
I figure I can't be too careful with the alloy. Steel gives a lot of warning before failure, I'm worried my first warning with the aluminum could be seeing our tiny house topple off the truck..
I'm going to add two extra stringers on the open side of the center two bed mounts, closest to the camper tie ins. I'm sure everything's strong enough, but the most likely failure I can see would be the weight of the camper pulling up on the bed and rotating the stringers that have mounts welded to them. An additional stringer sandwiching the mounts would eliminate that possibility.
I figure I can't be too careful with the alloy. Steel gives a lot of warning before failure, I'm worried my first warning with the aluminum could be seeing our tiny house topple off the truck..
AdventureHare
Outfitting for Adv
Hmmm, that's sitting directly over the frame. The only stress on the aluminum is compressing under the weight, and resisting the toppling forces. I bet you could have put that camper on without the tray. Not that I would have but probably could have been done. I'd be more worried about the bed attached to the tray than the tray failing. You may want to attach the camper to the truck frame (drilling thru the tray) and then you won't have any concerns.
One more thing, you should make certain it takes some special tools to separate the camper from the truck. I'm reminded of my Yakima bike rack: it has locks to keep the bike attached to the rack and keep the cross bars attached to the car, but the rack to bar interface is 3 large wingnuts. Guy up the block had his bikes stolen with the rack attached.
pawleyk
Running from Monday..
Sucks that your friends bikes were stolen, I've heard of that happening. I've never heard of a camper being taken off the truck without the entire truck being stolen, but I'm sure with enough guys and motivation it would be possible..
pawleyk
Running from Monday..
Worked well past my bed-time to get to my "phase one" completion goal.
I've now got bedsides (mostly) fender skirting, and tailights so this thing's almost legit.
Phase two will be the built in boxes and folding upper bedsides.
Loading the camper up tonight for Overland Rally this weekend!
I've now got bedsides (mostly) fender skirting, and tailights so this thing's almost legit.
Phase two will be the built in boxes and folding upper bedsides.
Loading the camper up tonight for Overland Rally this weekend!
pawleyk
Running from Monday..
I haven't updated this in a while, but I also haven't made much progress on the bed. I've been doing a lot of wiring on the truck lately. Made a junction under the hood for all the power leads that used to just be hooked to the battery, ran a heavy line out to the rear bumper for the winch, and built a junction from that behind the cab on the frame to power the camper from..
As far as the bed, we got the liquid rubber down on the 3/4" ply. It was a mess to put on, but as it cures I really like it. It self-heals to a point and the camper sits on it really well. Doesn't seem to want to move at all. I don't think I'll need the heavy rubber stall mat I had in the stock bed..
I did start on the front boxes this weekend. Man that's a lot of cutting! These things have a lot of angles to make use of as much space as possible, but still flow with the body. I'm farther along than the pics show, but not tons. They should be mounted on the truck by the end of the week. I'll start on the rear boxes and then doors/hinges/latches for all four this weekend/next week.
As far as the bed, we got the liquid rubber down on the 3/4" ply. It was a mess to put on, but as it cures I really like it. It self-heals to a point and the camper sits on it really well. Doesn't seem to want to move at all. I don't think I'll need the heavy rubber stall mat I had in the stock bed..
I did start on the front boxes this weekend. Man that's a lot of cutting! These things have a lot of angles to make use of as much space as possible, but still flow with the body. I'm farther along than the pics show, but not tons. They should be mounted on the truck by the end of the week. I'll start on the rear boxes and then doors/hinges/latches for all four this weekend/next week.
pawleyk
Running from Monday..
All four boxes (two front saddle, two rear-under bed) will be bolted to the truck bed, not welded on. I wanted to let them move and flex independently as much as possible to hopefully reduce cracking on rough roads.
I also want to give a quick shoutout to Sketchup- everything that has come out right on this, I modeled first. Everything I "just winged" hasn't come out nearly as neat or finished looking.
I could never have gotten all the angles and body lines to match up without the computer stuff first.
I also want to give a quick shoutout to Sketchup- everything that has come out right on this, I modeled first. Everything I "just winged" hasn't come out nearly as neat or finished looking.
I could never have gotten all the angles and body lines to match up without the computer stuff first.
pawleyk
Running from Monday..
Thanks, it's my wife's favorite part too.
pawleyk
Running from Monday..
Boxes!
Boxes built and installed..
I also threw it up on the forklift again, to make sure everything flexed where it was designed to and nothing broke. So far so good, but I'm guessing the roads of Baja and central America will do a better job of exposing weaknesses..
Bedsides this weekend, then off to powdercoat!
Boxes built and installed..
I also threw it up on the forklift again, to make sure everything flexed where it was designed to and nothing broke. So far so good, but I'm guessing the roads of Baja and central America will do a better job of exposing weaknesses..
Bedsides this weekend, then off to powdercoat!
