jnelson4x4taco
Adventurer
I originally posted this thread asking for some advice/opinions/comments on the idea, and after 750+ views and no responses I decided to just go for it. This project started as many of my projects do; a couple guys day dreaming about a cool idea, sooner or later we break out the graph paper and rulers and before you know it, you have pages upon pages of sketches, designs, notes, dimensions, etc. Before long my ideas and sketches turned into actual measurements and then into an invoice from a local metal supplier.
Heres the idea, build a popup camper that functions like a topper when down, but has the added functionality of an overhead bed, and room to stand when popped up. I didn't want to give up my ability to use my truck bed to move or haul things (like with a slide in camper) but I wanted more room than a topper could give me to sleep and hang out. This should appeal to the Flippac crowd as it has a very similar approach. There will be a lift system and about 30" of fabric that will give good standing room in the truck bed, and a decent amount of space in the cabover bed. My sewing skills are very limited, which is why I opted for the cabover popup, rather that a full flip over style. Didn't want to have to sew a big ole tent. Im lucky to have a very talented brother in law with a variety of nice metalworking tools who is willing to help me make this a reality. This concept is near and dear to him as well, and this will hopefully be the prototype for something he could produce in the future. Ill get to the pics, and then hopefully you all can help me with some questions along the way.
As you can see, we've made pretty good progress in a few weeks time. I am a teacher and my brother is in law enforcement, so we are doing this on weekends and evenings, but I'm really happy with our progress. Now a few questions for the collective...
Fabric? Ive looked at Sunforger canvas, Sunbrella, plain duck canvas, synthetic ripstop types, and vinyl. Im leaning toward Sunbrella or Sunforger for its breathability and ability to stand up to UV, but am worried about its weatherproofness in the long run.
Lift system? Ive looked at the four wheel camper lift boards and obviously they work, I'm just worried about them working with the weight of my roof. I may have a tendency to overbuild things lol Im thinking of using a similar concept, built out of aluminum tubing, that would mount to the sides. Similar to what I think I've seen on phoenix popups.
Outer skin? I have aluminum skin for the exterior, and I'm curious what the recommendation is on the 3M VHB tape, rivets, combination of both?
Any input, advice, etc is welcome, ill try and keep posting throughout the process!
-Jeff
Heres the idea, build a popup camper that functions like a topper when down, but has the added functionality of an overhead bed, and room to stand when popped up. I didn't want to give up my ability to use my truck bed to move or haul things (like with a slide in camper) but I wanted more room than a topper could give me to sleep and hang out. This should appeal to the Flippac crowd as it has a very similar approach. There will be a lift system and about 30" of fabric that will give good standing room in the truck bed, and a decent amount of space in the cabover bed. My sewing skills are very limited, which is why I opted for the cabover popup, rather that a full flip over style. Didn't want to have to sew a big ole tent. Im lucky to have a very talented brother in law with a variety of nice metalworking tools who is willing to help me make this a reality. This concept is near and dear to him as well, and this will hopefully be the prototype for something he could produce in the future. Ill get to the pics, and then hopefully you all can help me with some questions along the way.
As you can see, we've made pretty good progress in a few weeks time. I am a teacher and my brother is in law enforcement, so we are doing this on weekends and evenings, but I'm really happy with our progress. Now a few questions for the collective...
Fabric? Ive looked at Sunforger canvas, Sunbrella, plain duck canvas, synthetic ripstop types, and vinyl. Im leaning toward Sunbrella or Sunforger for its breathability and ability to stand up to UV, but am worried about its weatherproofness in the long run.
Lift system? Ive looked at the four wheel camper lift boards and obviously they work, I'm just worried about them working with the weight of my roof. I may have a tendency to overbuild things lol Im thinking of using a similar concept, built out of aluminum tubing, that would mount to the sides. Similar to what I think I've seen on phoenix popups.
Outer skin? I have aluminum skin for the exterior, and I'm curious what the recommendation is on the 3M VHB tape, rivets, combination of both?
Any input, advice, etc is welcome, ill try and keep posting throughout the process!
-Jeff
