Four Wheel Camper Flatbed Conversion

[teleturns]

Look forward to some updates of your progress.
Can't tell for sure from the pics, but it looks like you put the door on the passenger side? If so, why did you pick passenger side over drivers? Just curious.
Keep up the good work.
Kevin

Yeah it is on the passenger side. It seems every camper/motor home I have seen has the access door on the passenger side. I guess I am going with the trend.

 

[adam88]

Yeah it is on the passenger side. It seems every camper/motor home I have seen has the access door on the passenger side. I guess I am going with trend.

This trend began mostly because we drive on the right hand side in the US, so when parked on the side of a road, the door is on the sidewalk side. So you're doing more than going with the trend, you're making sense!

 

[krj]

Ah ha! Living in NW Montana, and traveling/camping in less populated places, I don't often factor sidewalks and on-street parking into my thinking. Non-the-less, I really like the fact that your incorporating a side entrance into a truck camper. You've given me some good ideas for my eventual (read pipe dream) build. Can't wait to see the finished product.
As far as the "making sense" part goes, I think that's relative. I don't camp/park on the sides of roads...

 

[teleturns]

Slow Progress

I have been distracted with other projects (4bt swap), but I have made some progress on the camper.

The last 2 weekends the bread truck went from this

to this...my neighbors HATE me!

I also managed to start the jack brackets for the camper.

I plan to weld these brackets to the frame. They will be my jack brackets and mounting brackets.

 

[lostworldexpedition]

:lurk: Subscribed...

 

[Gerdo]

I've started looking for a FWC for my truck. One that I have found is totally covered with hail damage. It's cheap so I'm thinking of jumping on it, stripping and gutting it and rebuild the way I want it. Seeing your thead gives me hope with my possable project. Now I just have to get my wife to see my vision.

 

[teleturns]

I've started looking for a FWC for my truck. One that I have found is totally covered with hail damage. It's cheap so I'm thinking of jumping on it, stripping and gutting it and rebuild the way I want it. Seeing your thead gives me hope with my possable project. Now I just have to get my wife to see my vision.

I say go for it. Reskinning a FWC would be super easy. Once you have the skin off, check for cracks in the aluminum. Above the door and on the corners are the suspect areas.

If you get it and have any questions feel free to ask. I also have a lot of the OEM stuff from my camper if you need anything.

 

[Gerdo]

I have my eye on two different ones. My truck is a short bed and they both are long bed models. Other than hanging out the back I don't see any reason to shy away from them (size wise).

I kinda know what will happen. I'll buy it, start to fix a few minor things and I'll find myself standing in front of a bare frame like yours.

 

[chris_the_wrench]

This has been an awesome project to follow! I have been planning my own flatbed based camper for about two years. Do you think the wider footprint will be significantlly affected by frame twist? I hope that question was clear.

Thanks
-Chris

 

[teleturns]

This has been an awesome project to follow! I have been planning my own flatbed based camper for about two years. Do you think the wider footprint will be significantlly affected by frame twist? I hope that question was clear.

Thanks
-Chris

I don't intend for there to be any frame twist transferring through my flatbed. My flatbed is constructed of 2x3 rectangular tubing with an 1/8 steel diamond plate deck. If the frame twists, the flatbed and the camper will move together as one unit.

This is just a theory and hopefully I am right....:088:

 

[teleturns]

2 Steps Forward ...1 Step Back

So I made some progress recently...

I constructed the floor not once but twice. I originally intended to build the floor with 2 pieces of plywood with a biscuit joint to connect them together. When I went to Home Depot I spotted the tongue and groove plywood and a not so bright light bulb turned on in my head. At the time I thought the tongue and groove would save me time and would make a stronger joint. So I proceeded to have the guy at Home Depot cut the tongue and groove plywood for me and I took it home.

My girlfriend and I threw some glue in the groove and clamped the 2 pieces together. We let the joint dry over night and when we placed the floor under the camper the next day we realized it was an inch short. Come to find out when you place 2 pieces of tongue and groove together the total length is 95" not 96" like I thought it would be. It never crossed my mind that I would lose an inch.

So back to Home Depot to buy 2 sheets of 4'x8' plywood. At least I get to use my new biscuit jointer.

Floor #1

Biscuit Joint

Floor #2

Floor painted and placed under the camper.

I also finished welding on the jack brackets. I ended up welding small pieces of plate aluminum around the brackets, so I can rivet the E-Panel and make a tight seal around each bracket.

 

[eugene]

Interesting your sits on top the plywood, was the original FWC like that? I thought about putting angler all around the bottom so that i could just lay the floor in and remove if it ever needed replaced.

 

[UglyScout]

Interesting your sits on top the plywood, was the original FWC like that? I thought about putting angler all around the bottom so that i could just lay the floor in and remove if it ever needed replaced.

Factory FWC setup is a plywood floor with plywood sides up partway...

 

[teleturns]

Interesting your sits on top the plywood, was the original FWC like that? I thought about putting angler all around the bottom so that i could just lay the floor in and remove if it ever needed replaced.

Yes the original frame sat on top of the plywood floor. I intend to insulate the floor with 1" foam, so that is why I went this route

 

[Shawnrprice]

This is a great build!!! I have thought of doing something very similar with my truck!!