ITTOG's Truck Camper Build (was 6' x 12' Trailer Conversion)
- Thread starter ITTOG
- Start date
ITTOG
Well-known member
A while back, https://expeditionportal.com/forum/...6-x-12-trailer-conversion.199414/post-3000870, I talked about how I want to do my corners/edges, weather-stripping, canvas connection, etc between the roof and the camper. I think I have settled on the design and just need to determine some of the final dimensions and a few questions. What are your thoughts?
A while back, https://expeditionportal.com/forum/...6-x-12-trailer-conversion.199414/post-3000870, I talked about how I want to do my corners/edges, weather-stripping, canvas connection, etc between the roof and the camper. I think I have settled on the design and just need to determine some of the final dimensions and a few questions. What are your thoughts?
That looks like a good detail! Mastic tape or an appropriate sealant (3M 5200?) behind the break metal/extrusion will be your friend.
I Don’t recommend that you use silicone though, you need something that will stay flexible like mastic, or that 3M marine stuff is plain crazy, used for sealing through penetrations on boats, i used it to glue down my bilge pump… not sure if it would be right for that, it would insure those pieces are locked down and sealed up, but i do not know how it would hold up to the flexing you’ll see
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ITTOG
Well-known member
My current plan is to spot weld the extrusion to the roof. I don't need a seal between it and the roof given it is on the inside. Between the extrusion and the skin I will use a combination of vhb tape and Sikaflex 252.That looks like a good detail! Mastic tape or an appropriate sealant (3M 5200?) behind the break metal/extrusion will be your friend.
I Don’t recommend that you use silicone though, you need something that will stay flexible like mastic, or that 3M marine stuff is plain crazy, used for sealing through penetrations on boats, i used it to glue down my bilge pump… not sure if it would be right for that, it would insure those pieces are locked down and sealed up, but i do not know how it would hold up to the flexing you’ll see
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I haven't thought a lot about the bottom extrusion but most likely the same method. A good spotweld on the horizontal section will insure it never moves. The downside would be if I accidentally left a crack in the weld.
I do feel having both pieces is a bit of overkill but there isn't a good way to add the top extrusion later, if I have problems. Thus, it all has to be up front.
ITTOG
Well-known member
I have been bored out of my mind so I decided to do a small job I have been pushing off for a year. I have been calling it operation black out. When I bought my truck it looked like this.
Hating chrome, I have slowly been making changes. First change was the wheels. New on top.
Next was the mirror skull caps and the grill. The grill has gone through several changes.
Hmmm, not sure I like it, probably too much black. However, this grill design is my favorite one ford made. I believe it was for the Lariat SE.
Probably the biggest change to the truck is when I plasti-dipped the gawdy rear aluminum on the tailgate.
In Jan 2021 I picked up my favorite grill in matching body color. That was the last change I had made until a few days ago.
So, being bored out of my mind and not very mobile I decided I could make some changes on the truck while moving around on a stool with wheels in the garage. Thus I began making changes to the chrome on the side of the truck. I also change the skull caps again. So it changed from this...
to this...
Now the only chrome/aluminum left on the truck is the tow loops in the front and along the running boards. I will probably look at putting smoked vinyl over the headlights and the mirror light.
Hating chrome, I have slowly been making changes. First change was the wheels. New on top.
Next was the mirror skull caps and the grill. The grill has gone through several changes.
Hmmm, not sure I like it, probably too much black. However, this grill design is my favorite one ford made. I believe it was for the Lariat SE.
Probably the biggest change to the truck is when I plasti-dipped the gawdy rear aluminum on the tailgate.
In Jan 2021 I picked up my favorite grill in matching body color. That was the last change I had made until a few days ago.
So, being bored out of my mind and not very mobile I decided I could make some changes on the truck while moving around on a stool with wheels in the garage. Thus I began making changes to the chrome on the side of the truck. I also change the skull caps again. So it changed from this...
to this...
Now the only chrome/aluminum left on the truck is the tow loops in the front and along the running boards. I will probably look at putting smoked vinyl over the headlights and the mirror light.
I hope you are healing well! (or healed!)
ITTOG
Well-known member
Not healed but improving. It has only been six weeks. I am fully healed at 14 weeks and then get to start running again. So almost halfway. Luckily I am healing according to plan though. Thanks for checking on me.I hope you are healing well! (or healed!)
You are welcome!
ITTOG
Well-known member
Time: 12.5 hours
Total Time to Date: 279.5 hours
Rework: 0 hours
Total Rework to Date: 79 hours (not part of time above)
Current Weight: To be weighed, but at least 660 pounds
After a couple months away I was finally able to begin working again. I believe I have now completed all of the welding and grinding required now that I finished welding my fasteners for the six latches to hold the roof. The lower latch mechanism has three bolts and the top has two. I used a combination of regular nuts and barrel nuts that I created out of half-inch round bar.
In the pic below I have welded on a 1/8" plate that has two standard nuts behind it and above the plate is one of the barrel nuts I created with the round bar. I used barrel nuts whenever the nut needs to be within the 1.5" tubing. This is the same as when I welded the barrel nuts for the gas struts for the roof. The reason for using barrel nuts is to help transfer weight on both sides of the tubing to help mitigate deflection/twisting of the metal. In addition, it would obviously be twice as strong. In this pic the barrel nut has not been welded in yet.
Just a quick pic to show what the bottom of the latch looks like.
This is the start of the barrel nuts used in the roof for the top latch. This sequence of pics takes you through the process from beginning to end for installing the barrel nuts. This first pic is just a template to attempt to make all of my barrel nuts have the same height and width for spacing.
To ensure my holes were square on both sides of the tube I broke down and bought a magnetic drill press. Due to my tubing only being 16 gauge it didn't hold on so I would also ratchet strap it to the tube. Otherwise it worked great.
The holes have been drilled all the way through the tubing.
I have inserted the two barrel nuts.
Continued below...
Total Time to Date: 279.5 hours
Rework: 0 hours
Total Rework to Date: 79 hours (not part of time above)
Current Weight: To be weighed, but at least 660 pounds
After a couple months away I was finally able to begin working again. I believe I have now completed all of the welding and grinding required now that I finished welding my fasteners for the six latches to hold the roof. The lower latch mechanism has three bolts and the top has two. I used a combination of regular nuts and barrel nuts that I created out of half-inch round bar.
In the pic below I have welded on a 1/8" plate that has two standard nuts behind it and above the plate is one of the barrel nuts I created with the round bar. I used barrel nuts whenever the nut needs to be within the 1.5" tubing. This is the same as when I welded the barrel nuts for the gas struts for the roof. The reason for using barrel nuts is to help transfer weight on both sides of the tubing to help mitigate deflection/twisting of the metal. In addition, it would obviously be twice as strong. In this pic the barrel nut has not been welded in yet.
Just a quick pic to show what the bottom of the latch looks like.
This is the start of the barrel nuts used in the roof for the top latch. This sequence of pics takes you through the process from beginning to end for installing the barrel nuts. This first pic is just a template to attempt to make all of my barrel nuts have the same height and width for spacing.
To ensure my holes were square on both sides of the tube I broke down and bought a magnetic drill press. Due to my tubing only being 16 gauge it didn't hold on so I would also ratchet strap it to the tube. Otherwise it worked great.
The holes have been drilled all the way through the tubing.
I have inserted the two barrel nuts.
Continued below...
ITTOG
Well-known member
...continued from above.
The barrel nuts have been welded on the front side and back side of the tubing. Another advantage of the barrel nuts is that it completely eliminates any possible way for water to get inside the tubing. If water were to get behind the skin it would only be able to get within the nut itself which is not open on the backside. The worst case would be it would only rust the inside of the barrel nut.
The top latch is attached. At this point I have not granted the weld on the barrel not for the bottom latch.
My new solution to move the camper.
I also cut the skin for the left side and back side of the camper. Not pictured but I also cut the scan for the roof.
I riveted the middle hinges on the lift stabilizers for the roof. I spaced the rivets approximately 5 inches apart. The hinge on the floor is one of four that will connect the lift stabilizers to the camper and the roof.
The barrel nuts have been welded on the front side and back side of the tubing. Another advantage of the barrel nuts is that it completely eliminates any possible way for water to get inside the tubing. If water were to get behind the skin it would only be able to get within the nut itself which is not open on the backside. The worst case would be it would only rust the inside of the barrel nut.
The top latch is attached. At this point I have not granted the weld on the barrel not for the bottom latch.
My new solution to move the camper.
I also cut the skin for the left side and back side of the camper. Not pictured but I also cut the scan for the roof.
I riveted the middle hinges on the lift stabilizers for the roof. I spaced the rivets approximately 5 inches apart. The hinge on the floor is one of four that will connect the lift stabilizers to the camper and the roof.
ITTOG
Well-known member
As I think about putting some skin on the camper this week I really wish I wouldn't have cut any to size yet. It is going to be difficult to keep the pre-cut panels perfectly square with VHB tape. I should have affixed it to the camper and then cut the skins. This would make it so there were no alignment concerns. I should have thought that one out a bit more.
Could you make a lightweight framework (from thin plywood and lumber) to help you keep the skin stretched out and flat while you move it in to place on your camper-frame? Maybe with magnets/shop-vac-suction/easily-removable-double-sided-tape?
ITTOG
Well-known member
The skin is solid so it is stretched out without issue. The problem is I used a router to cut it to the campers shape and there are holes to align. Given I plan to use VHB tape, which is unforgiving if you let it touch, I have to stick it perfectly the first time. So I will have to set up guides of some sort to help stick the skin on perfectly. Which in the end should be doable. Just extra work.
