Flatbed conversion, camper design for light weight camper, heavy person.

[dbhost]

I've got a half ton 4x4 F150 and don't want to massively overtax it.

I am considering ripping the truck bed off, and doing a flatbed / box camper conversion to it using aluminum framing. There are lots of aluminum flatbeds around I see that I can copy designs from, but not sure about the camper box.

My biggest concern is the overcab sleeper. I am heavy. very heavy. And I need to insure that the overcab isn't going to bend, sag, or bow under my weight, or otherwise basically rip apart. I wouldn't be concerned about this if I were using steel, but again, I am doing this to a half ton truck, and steel can add up to some serious weight pretty quickly.

How can I make this happen?

Again framing desired is aluminum, the rest of the camper is intended to be fiberglass with Epoxy resin over XPS foam for durability, and insulation / comfort.

 

[mexjtc]

Here you go. Total Composites makes them for their boxes.

Aluminum Cab Over Braces (set left and right)

These are needed for your Total Composites cab over or your DIY Alcove. These are built tough like off road vehicles. These can also be used on a variety of other campers either DIY or to upgrade your existing truck camper. Install is simple, a combination or drilling and tapping into the steal...

expeditionupfitter.com

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ExpoMike]

Wishing you the best but honestly a 1/2 ton truck is not going to be a good fit for a flatbed/camper build unless you leave the camper empty. It is very surprising how quickly weight adds up.

Before you get too far down this road, load up all the gear, food, water, etc in the bed and go weigh the truck with full tank of gas and the normal amount of people who will be in it most of the time. Then add 1000 lbs to the weight you got (for the flatbed and camper weight, likely will be more but this is a good start). Then look at your GVWR and compare that to the total weight you got. If you are at or over GVRW, look to replace the truck with a 3/4 or preferably 1 ton truck.

 

[dbhost]

Wishing you the best but honestly a 1/2 ton truck is not going to be a good fit for a flatbed/camper build unless you leave the camper empty. It is very surprising how quickly weight adds up.

Before you get too far down this road, load up all the gear, food, water, etc in the bed and go weigh the truck with full tank of gas and the normal amount of people who will be in it most of the time. Then add 1000 lbs to the weight you got (for the flatbed and camper weight, likely will be more but this is a good start). Then look at your GVWR and compare that to the total weight you got. If you are at or over GVRW, look to replace the truck with a 3/4 or preferably 1 ton truck.

Quite the reason I am looking to delete the steel truck bed, add aluminum frame / foam core fiberglass camper box. I know of 2 other builds similar to what I am looking at doing. The camper build / flatbed frame dry comes in at 250lbs over the stock truck.

There is a guy on TNTTT.com that built a wood framed foamie truck cap camper on a Toyota Tacoma. Wood is certainly heavier than aluminum framing. He is easily able to solo pick up and haul the camper like portaging a canoe...

Intended water capacity is 28 gallons. Onboard additional fuel is 15 gallons. My current tent camping gear weighs in at 375lbs. Leave out airbeds, giant 50lb tent etc...

1 gallon water = 8lbs ish. 224lbs of water.

1 gallon water = 6.3lbs. 94.5 lbs of gasoline.

I am going to round that to 320lbs of fuel and water.

So let's round up. 300lbs added for camper. 300lbs for the camping gear / supplies. Stove, cookware, freshwater full toilet etc... 320lbs fuel / water. And just wag at 80lbs of food.

That puts us at 1K lbs

Per the owners manual the payload of this truck is 1920lbs.

Plenty of headroom.

Items of note. F150 4x4 with payload and towing packages. Not your straight up V6 model...

I will be calculating weight of materials to be used once the design is more or less finalized. And will be making sure that adjustments can be made to move the design from say the F150 to an F350 longbed chassis should I need to, which I may. I am not totally closed off to the concept, but it isn't my first choice based on the fact I already own the F150 free and clear and have for years.

Some weights to consider.

2" x 4' x 8' Owens Corning XPS R10 insulation board = 8lbs each.
1 gallon water = 8lbs each.
1 gallon gasoline = 6.3 lbs each.
Coleman 424 Dual Fuel Stove. = 12lbs
Coleman Dual Fuel lantern with case = 6.75lbs.
Lifetime 55qt high performance cooler = 23lbs.

Yes I have an awful lot of addtiion to do before I come up with certain totals...

 

[Victorian]

There is no way you can build a camper that size with the needed internal structure at only 300lb. I agree with the other posters, get a bigger truck or count for more weight.

 

[ExpoMike]

I was just giving you something to check, not that it can't be done. Way too many people "Think" they weigh less then what actually happens in the end.

Knowing real numbers is all that matters. I just finished completely stripping the box on my M1010 project and took it to get weighed today. Came in at 6140 lbs. I loss 300 lbs removing stuff. None of it felt heavy but it all adds up. I have a 9450 lbs GVWR so I have 3310 lbs to work with. My goal is 1500-2000 lbs added.

Good luck with your project.

 

[s.e.charles]

... a guy on TNTTT.com that built a wood framed foamie truck cap camper ....

two in one week.

Q: anyone want to buy a house lot in florida? pm me (cash only - no checks!)

 

[dbhost]

I was just giving you something to check, not that it can't be done. Way too many people "Think" they weigh less then what actually happens in the end.

Knowing real numbers is all that matters. I just finished completely stripping the box on my M1010 project and took it to get weighed today. Came in at 6140 lbs. I loss 300 lbs removing stuff. None of it felt heavy but it all adds up. I have a 9450 lbs GVWR so I have 3310 lbs to work with. My goal is 1500-2000 lbs added.

Good luck with your project.

I totally agree, and before wrench gets put to bolt, or saw gets put to foam, calculations will be made, tallies will be done. It's part of the design process.

And yes, I might just have to move to a heavier duty chassis. It just isn't my first choice.

 

[dbhost]

There is no way you can build a camper that size with the needed internal structure at only 300lb. I agree with the other posters, get a bigger truck or count for more weight.

Remember to subtract the weight of the all steel truck bed, tailgate etc... being removed.

 

[akhummer]

How many people are you trying to accommodate with your floor plan? Going solo? If so, you might want to consider a floor plan that utilizes the cab over as storage rather than a sleeping area. Some people don’t like convertible dinettes, but in your case you could design something that fits specifically to your stature. Build in the extra length and clearances needed for comfortable seating. There’s nothing worse in a camper than a dinky dinette area that you have to squeeze in to. If possible, forego any type of bathroom. Most are uncomfortable or impossible to use (think NFL lineman in jetliner head) and eat up a bunch of space. add weight. I’d focus on comfortable seating, adequate berth size, decent cooking area.

 

[dbhost]

Just FWIW, here are the foamie builds I am talking about.

The truck cap foamie on the Tacoma. http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=55&t=64361&sid=4b6e77bf0c786a1651fe97daf5c5837d

The F150 bed replacement foamie, still a heavier wooden frame and wooden mechanicals such as the roof lifts etc... Same general truck without the HD package as mine. http://tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=55&t=72408

Some items of note however.

#1. 2.5" lift (Rancho) with Moog HD springs on the front.
#2. Ride Rite airbags on back.
#3. Load Range E MTs currently, want to go back to ATs, and drop size somehat. Looking at what would basically be 33x12.50 fitting to 17" rims. I want the wide tire, but don't need 35s, especially with IFS 4x4.
#4. Engo E9000 9K winch with synthetic winch rope.
#5. AirRAID intake with K&N.
#6. Magnaflow exhaust.

 

[dbhost]

How many people are you trying to accommodate with your floor plan? Going solo? If so, you might want to consider a floor plan that utilizes the cab over as storage rather than a sleeping area. Some people don’t like convertible dinettes, but in your case you could design something that fits specifically to your stature. Build in the extra length and clearances needed for comfortable seating. There’s nothing worse in a camper than a dinky dinette area that you have to squeeze in to. If possible, forego any type of bathroom. Most are uncomfortable or impossible to use (think NFL lineman in jetliner head) and eat up a bunch of space. add weight. I’d focus on comfortable seating, adequate berth size, decent cooking area.

If I was going solo, I'd just use a hi top aluminum cap and a bed platform. Dinette won't happen. Even if I had all the $$ in the world and was buying a factory built unit, any dinette would get ripped out and replaced with a convertible sofa sort of setup.

The idea here is for the inside of the camper to provide sleeping / seating space for 2 large people. A fold down table to hold camp stove if need be on the inside. Stowage for camping gear.

Externally I am thinking about how to design / build a 270 degree awning that can be enclosed. Either by screen, or tarp type sides.

I have an older Cabelas Deluxe Shower Shelter. A 5 gallon flushable toilet, and a battery shower (heat water on the stove).

Kitchen would be fold out table on outside of camper for the Coleman Stove, and a couple of plastic washbasins / gray water catch, and preferrably pumped water feed.

Weight wise I am not going for ultralight backpacking weights, but nothing my '06 Malibu won't easily handle. Due to the fiberglass over foam construction, I have pretty much zero concern for the weight of the camper and camping gear. I mean not dimsissing it entirely, but I think folks are assuming I am using much heavier materials than I am planning on. I am choosing Aluminum framing over steel for a reason...

 

[Paddler Ed]

The one weight that hadn't been mentioned is the driver and passenger. I'm going for 250lbs (about 120kg) each, but I'm wary that I might be underestimating.

So, that is a relatively unmovable weight of 500lbs and may as well be struck out of the possible payload straight away.