Four Wheel Camper Flatbed Conversion

[teleturns]

hey there-

definitely enjoying your build!

i have a mid 80's FWC non-cabover camper that i'm trying to figure out what to do with. i guess i'm trying to decide whether i'm better off selling it, and trying to find a full size, partial cab-over like yours or just working with what i have...the canvas in mine is still in tact but needs R&R'ing...i was thinking of building a roof and "hinged siding" for the pop-up. anyways...

i've also been toying with the idea of adding some cab-over space (mainly for storage or a single bed). i was wondering if you had any pics that might show the front cab-over construction. just trying to get an idea of what material i would use (wood or aluminum, square tubing or sheet) and how it would be joined.

also wondering what your plans are for the interior accommodations? are you laying it out as it was before or are you "customizing" it? especially with all the additional space you'll have after squaring it off! are you keeping the original FWC appliances?

looks great and nice work with the aluminum welding!

cheers-

darin

Take a look at the pictures I have posted of the overhead bed. The main structural piece in the cabover is a "C" channel that wraps around the entire camper. I think if you were to build a cab over portion for yours it would be easy using aluminum tubing and welding it to the existing frame. I would make sure and brace the existing frame though. I like the idea of having a hinged roof. I really wanted to extend my cabover and I never thought of a hinged roof. I really didn't want to replace my canvas though.

As for the interior I will have a dinet in the rear of the camper, the galley will be on the drivers side with the heater and propane storage, and the fridge and battery storage will be on the wall that goes against the truck cab. I was limited on options due to the brand new FWC door I purchased for the camper. The door opens to the left and can really only be placed in one located on the side of the camper. I wish I had a door that opened to the right, but it was $500 and I didn't plan on this rebuild when I bought the door for the camper.

I am keeping the original heater, sink, and stove and I am using an edge star 12v freezer.

 

[teleturns]

One question about the rivets, have you tried riveting the panels to anything yet? I'm wondering how sturdy the "core" material is? Will the rivet cause the core to crush and leave a dimple in the outer skin? Can't wait for more pics man!

Also, not sure where your getting your rivets from but this guy seems to have pretty good prices on closed rivets. Beats the hell out of grainger.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260965209457

I'll will do some test riveting before I start the skinning. The e panel is firm, so I don't think the rivets will dent it. Thanks for the rivet link. I was looking at McMaster-Carr, but their shipping takes a long time. Looks like the ebay guy can get me rivets by Friday! I'll probably order from him.

 

[Ponyracer]

Cool, ya thats the cheapest I've seen them for a closed end rivet.

 

[nosnerd]

SIKKAFLEX iirc .its used to glue in automotive windshields..needs a special liquid primer...

 

[teleturns]

Test fitting panels I cut this morning.....

 

[xxfullsailxx]

hey that paneling looks perfect! super-clean...i def. have that material bookmarked. did you add the flashing around the top first? household stuff? also-will you have any seams in the middle or are you able to use full sheets? i'll be curious to see how the riveting goes.

i just started a thread over in the "trailer" section...you've been an inspiration...not that my project is moving at any sort of pace.

i am also going to steal your jack-bracket idea, those look super-solid. right now i have some old-school tri-pods that sketch me out every time i start cranking (both for loosing a digit in the cable/ratchet system as well as loosing the camper to a hard fall from a few feet off the ground.) i don't even let my wife watch...

-darin

 

[teleturns]

hey that paneling looks perfect! super-clean...i def. have that material bookmarked. did you add the flashing around the top first? household stuff? also-will you have any seams in the middle or are you able to use full sheets? i'll be curious to see how the riveting goes.

i just started a thread over in the "trailer" section...you've been an inspiration...not that my project is moving at any sort of pace.

i am also going to steal your jack-bracket idea, those look super-solid. right now i have some old-school tri-pods that sketch me out every time i start cranking (both for loosing a digit in the cable/ratchet system as well as loosing the camper to a hard fall from a few feet off the ground.) i don't even let my wife watch...

-darin

Thanks man! The siding/flashing on the top of the panels is the original FWC siding. It is an "S" lock style aluminum siding. I decided to keep the top piece because the E-Panel slides right into the "S" channel. I lucked out and will not have any seams on the camper. I could have finished mounting the panels today, but I forgot to buy the aluminum angle pieces I need for the corners and the metal store is closed on the weekends.

The jack brackets are rock solid and I am very happy with them. I know the camper doesn't weigh much right now, but the camper doesn't even wiggle when jacked up. I also have experience with the cable jacks. One time my brother and I were using them and the ratchet on the jack slipped causing the camper to fall. The jack went right through the wall of the camper.....super bummer.

I'll check out your trailer thread and if you are ever in the Albuquerque area and you want a sample of the E-Panel let me know. I have a ton of extra pieces.

:sombrero:

 

[xxfullsailxx]

did you see this guy's build? it's way over the top...but he used what looks like e-panel and fastened it with the glue referenced above (silkaflex?)...page 4/ post #33. he also talks about dado'ing a kerf to be able to bend it around corners...pretty cool.

http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/56995-Rolling-Studio-FG-Camper-Conversion

my folks bought property south of gallup and my wife has family outside santa fe so, we travel through ABQ every once in a while...careful what you offer!

 

[teleturns]

did you see this guy's build? it's way over the top...but he used what looks like e-panel and fastened it with the glue referenced above (silkaflex?)...page 4/ post #33. he also talks about dado'ing a kerf to be able to bend it around corners...pretty cool.

http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/56995-Rolling-Studio-FG-Camper-Conversion

my folks bought property south of gallup and my wife has family outside santa fe so, we travel through ABQ every once in a while...careful what you offer!

Yeah I have seen that build (and it is amazing), but honestly adhesives scare me. I really don't want to be driving down the road and chuck a piece of paneling into on coming traffic. Rivets will ease my worries. I know they take away from the smooth look, but I like the industrial airplane look rivets give.

There is a sign shop in Albuquerque that routers composite panels and makes bends with them. I have seen neat boxes and other creations.

If you are in the area feel free to stop by anytime.......

 

[PNWDad]

You have sold me on the e-panels. I will be checking them out at my local sign shop. Thanks! Keep up the good work.

 

[eugene]

Modern adhesives are stronger than rivets. Look at how small the heads are then even though there are a lot it doesn't add up to much surface area. Adhesive will have a much greater surface area of contact. Think about the paneling you removed from the inside how easy it was to pull off, I replaced mine and used liquid nails and its much stronger than nails, staples or screws, any of those fasteners I could yank the panel hard enough to just pull the heads through.
The "made in china" on the e-panel will probably fail before the adhesive

 

[teleturns]

Modern adhesives are stronger than rivets. Look at how small the heads are then even though there are a lot it doesn't add up to much surface area. Adhesive will have a much greater surface area of contact. Think about the paneling you removed from the inside how easy it was to pull off, I replaced mine and used liquid nails and its much stronger than nails, staples or screws, any of those fasteners I could yank the panel hard enough to just pull the heads through.
The "made in china" on the e-panel will probably fail before the adhesive

I never said one was stronger than the other, but I feel for me one is more fail safe than the other. I have already invested in a pnuematic rivet gun and a box full of rivets, so there may be no going back. Secondly the transition from the S lock on the original siding to the e-panel is not perfectly flush to the frame so applying an adhesive there would be difficult. Plus I can not think of a logical way to clamp the panels and apply even pressure while the adhesive drys.

The one thing I do like about adhesives is that you are not putting a ton of holes in your frame where eventually cracks could form.

Oh and by the way the "made in china" is a protective plastic layer.......it peels right off, so no worries of failure.....

 

[teleturns]

After a long night of not sleeping I have decided to give this adhesive debate some more thought. Can anyone please suggest logical ways to clamp these panels while the adhesive sets? Clamping the first couple panels would be easy but once you get to the last one there is nothing to clamp to. I really do not want to buy 10' pipe clamps.

Any thoughts?

 

[chris_the_wrench]

Ratchet straps around the entire box. Put 2x4s at the seams to localize the pressure.

Just a thought.
-Chris

 

[chris_the_wrench]

3M makes a tape specifically for bonding aluminum to paneling. If you can get it in the width of your tubing that could make a very clean install. A guy over on pirate has a f600(maybe bigger) camper he built and he taped the panels on and then used 2"ish aluminum strips held on with adhesive over the seams. It seems pretty solid and water tight.

-Chris