ITTOG's Truck Camper Build (was 6' x 12' Trailer Conversion)

[dreadlocks]

lol yeah I hadn't felt that woozie since my wife had a C-Section and I stood up and saw over the curtain accidently.. I was just using my angle iron a buttload to cut up aluminum angle, crouched down on the ground and grinding inbetween my legs, omg never gonna do that again.. think I'll start wearing my leather welding apron at least, considering chainmail tho heh.

 

[1000arms]

lol yeah I hadn't felt that woozie since my wife had a C-Section and I stood up and saw over the curtain accidently.. I was just using my angle iron a buttload to cut up aluminum angle, crouched down on the ground and grinding inbetween my legs, omg never gonna do that again.. think I'll start wearing my leather welding apron at least, considering chainmail tho heh.

... I'm glad you weren't using one of these on your grinder: King Arthur's Tools 14-teeth Lancelot chainsaw cutter

@dreadlocks, if you want a good excuse to go with chainmail, check out what you could put on a grinder:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/King-Ar...hainsaw-Blade-for-Woodcarving-47814/301530618

 

[1000arms]

Excluding nerve damage, almost 100%. The nerves are about 75%. Doctor expects a full recovery though and said the nerves could take four to six months.

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How are you?

 

[calicamper]

lol yeah I hadn't felt that woozie since my wife had a C-Section and I stood up and saw over the curtain accidently.. I was just using my angle iron a buttload to cut up aluminum angle, crouched down on the ground and grinding inbetween my legs, omg never gonna do that again.. think I'll start wearing my leather welding apron at least, considering chainmail tho heh.

My first kid the doc let me help her exit the C-section ?. It was a rough delivery stubborn kid kept flipping over I felt terrible for my wife so when the C-section call came I was like hey I’ll help pull the kid out. I didn’t tell my wife till a few years later and she was like “What!!!”

 

[ITTOG]

How are you?

The wound is fully closed now and just giving the nerves time to heel. As I tell the family, it is over, as if it never happened.
Thanks again for asking.

 

[1000arms]

The wound is fully closed now and just giving the nerves time to heal. As I tell the family, it is over, as if it never happened.
Thanks again for asking.

You are welcome.

Remember that you are wiser and more careful than you were before your accident!

 

[1000arms]

@dreadlocks, if you want a good excuse to go with chainmail, check out what you could put on a grinder:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/King-Ar...hainsaw-Blade-for-Woodcarving-47814/301530618

@dreadlocks and @Jnich77

I highly recommend using a guard on any grinder with a King Arthur's Tools chainsaw blade!

Oh, there is also a tandem version, for twice the fun and cutting capability! Muwahahaha!

King Arthur's Tools Lancelot 14/Lancelot 14 Tandem Combo-81414 - The Home Depot

Lancelot/Squire Combo Double Up For More Power. Tandem Combinations - Two saw chain cutter accessories used with our universal nut will virtually double productivity in a safe and efficient way. In addition,

www.homedepot.com

 

[ITTOG]

You are welcome.

Remember that you are wiser and more careful than you were before your accident!

No doubt. Completely changed how I use it and my awareness of positioning, items around me, potential for kickback, and not using on the ground.

@dreadlocks and @Jnich77

I highly recommend using a guard on any grinder with a King Arthur's Tools chainsaw blade!

Oh, there is also a tandem version, for twice the fun and cutting capability! Muwahahaha!

King Arthur's Tools Lancelot 14/Lancelot 14 Tandem Combo-81414 - The Home Depot

Lancelot/Squire Combo Double Up For More Power. Tandem Combinations - Two saw chain cutter accessories used with our universal nut will virtually double productivity in a safe and efficient way. In addition,

www.homedepot.com

These blades are just crazy looking. Look like instant death! But part of me wants to buy one and see if I can sculpt anything of value.

 

[1000arms]

No doubt. Completely changed how I use it and my awareness of positioning, items around me, potential for kickback, and not using on the ground.

These blades are just crazy looking. Look like instant death! But part of me wants to buy one and see if I can sculpt anything of value.

You can get tandem King Arthur's Tools chainsaw blades, for your grinder, with a smaller diameter bottom blade for cutting bowls (or otherwise hollowing out wood).

You can get different teeth/inch blades for speed or finesse.

 

[Andrew_S]

Man awesome progress here. It's really starting to take shape. You've got me considering a shelving design idea for the front of the bed that will spread the load of my camper a little bit now. I never really considered how much weight the very front of the bed has to bear with such a large overhang.
Forgive me if you've already mentioned this but what are you using for sheeting? Also how are you doing you pop up over the bed?
That little wind deflection detail at the front looks awesome. The wife was all over me to do stuff like that but I don't have the patience lol.

 

[ITTOG]

Man awesome progress here. It's really starting to take shape. You've got me considering a shelving design idea for the front of the bed that will spread the load of my camper a little bit now. I never really considered how much weight the very front of the bed has to bear with such a large overhang.
Forgive me if you've already mentioned this but what are you using for sheeting? Also how are you doing you pop up over the bed?
That little wind deflection detail at the front looks awesome. The wife was all over me to do stuff like that but I don't have the patience lol.

Thanks for the kind words. I am getting close to finishing the frame. I hope to build the door and the flip up bed this weekend and then off to the sand blaster and powder coater. I can't wait.

During my research I read where an F250 actually had his bed rails crushed while off-road. So all the twisting and torqueing on the frame was part of the issue and it did weigh a little over 800 pounds. I assume the bed rails on the F250 would be stronger than those on an F150 but not sure, so I decided I better do something to prevent that from ever happening. I am estimating mine will be around 500 to 550 pounds.

So I keep waffling a bit on the skin. I want to do fiberglass so there are no joints that could create a leak but I don't want to fiberglass the entire thing myself and I couldn't find any premade sheets large enough for the camper. Thus I have been thinking about ACM (aluminum composite material). ACM is a layer of polyethylene sandwiched by two layers of aluminum. It is 3 mm thick so it has some rigidity to it. So I was settled on ACM the past two months and about a week or two ago I found fiberglass that comes in a roll on Amazon. So now I am thinking about fiberglass again. The only thing holding me back is fiberglass doesn't do well with 90 degree bends so I would have to find a way to round all my corners if I go that route. So... too many difficult decisions. I will most likely stick with the ACM but currently undecided.

I cannot do the wind deflector myself since I do not have a brake. Unfortunately all the machine shops around here appear to be booked for 6 months. So I am not sure I will get to move forward with it. I hope so though. I originally thought about it to protect the seal on the top. I figured with direct wind hitting it a leak had a higher probability. So blocking the wind would prevent that. The wind noise reduction would be a side benefit.

 

[dreadlocks]

You seen the poor mans fiberglass technique? (aka PMF) if not go google it.

 

[ITTOG]

You seen the poor mans fiberglass technique? (aka PMF) if not go google it.

I hadn't but researched it. Very interesting. My issue is I do not want to make long flat sheets using fiberglass or PMF. I was only interested in using it if I only had to work on butt joints or corners. Thus the reason I am interested in the product on amazon.

But thanks for showing me another process. I love learning things like that.

 

[jmnielsen]

PMF works great, FWIW. Did that on a trailer I built 6 years ago and it’s still in great shape.


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[ITTOG]

Date: July 18 and 25, 2020
Time: 7 hours
Total Time to Date: 81 hours
Rework: 0 hours
Total Rework to Date: 24 hours

NOTE: On September 14 I decided to go a different direction on the weight supports and begin modifying the frame to a slide in. So info between now and Sep 14 related to weight distribution has changed. This change in direction begins on post 126.

Due to vertigo I didn't get to work on the camper much. The main thing I accomplished was building the weight support frame for the front of the truck bed and the front bed rail connection. The frame below will help with the weight distribution to the floor.

I decided I will weld a custom c-channel frame to put on the front bed rail of the truck. I indicate custom because the bed rail is not a uniform width and curves. It has bolts to connect to the camper frame. It will have vertical tube from the frame above, that goes on the floor of the truck bed, up to the c-channel to distribute some of the weight off the truck bed rails.



When welding the c-channel I went too fast and it warped the c-channel and will not fit on the bed rail now. Thus I will have to rebuild it. In this pic you can see the bend in the top plate I welded. You can also see the curve in the bottom part of the 2.5" angle I used to make the c-channel. With this bend it will no longer go on the bed rail.


I also welded a support for the wedge that will set on rubber that sets on the bumper.