Sportsman Matt
Adventurer
Howdy all, I've been reading a lot of posts on this board since I found out about it a few months back. This is going to get long winded but will bring everyone up to speed on the issue at hand.
I'm currently working on a small slide in truck camper for weekend fishing trips, the plans came from the 1955 Popular Mechanics Do It Yourself Encyclopedia. A simple box style, no fancy overcab sleeping area, just a 8 foot long box with windows, area for a chemical toilet and stove, some bench seating and a standard bunk across the front of the camper when needed.
The dilemma comes in the exterior materials. Some prefer aluminum, some filon or fiberglass, and the plans call for painted hardboard over thin plywood. So I was thinking, if I made the framework out of aluminum tubing or C Channel instead of the recommeded steel, The frame would last for a few decades. Then I thought about what I saw when working for an RV dealer in their repair shop, mainly leaking seams and lots of rotted plywood and moldy insulation.
Now knowing what plywood can and can't do, plus the plywood in my current camper is becoming dry and brittle after 20 years of service, I am looking at this in a different direction. I found King Starboard, a composite marine material, and it's equivalent, available in 54"X96" sheets for around $100.00 to $350.00 a sheet depending on brand and thickness. They use this material to make parts on boats, various doors, covers, cabinets, decks, etc. It's UV resistant, comes color molded in, thus no painting is required. The key thing is weight. Each panel weighs 48 lbs, and under my current drawings and plans, I would need 9 sheets. The other dilemma is that they have to be put in with mechanical fasteners, as I haven't the capacity to purchase their welding system or fancy adhesive to put this together. The key thing I am looking at is that I am going to build this camper and use it for the next 40+ years, probably every weekend for 8 months out of the year and 4 weeks solid for vacation from work, and by the time I get ready to get rid of it, I'll be in my late 70's early 80's. Biggest thing is that if I build this it has to last, and easily repairable, thus the mechanical fasteners.
So what's your thoughts on using Starboard for the outside of the camper?
Thanks
Matt
I'm currently working on a small slide in truck camper for weekend fishing trips, the plans came from the 1955 Popular Mechanics Do It Yourself Encyclopedia. A simple box style, no fancy overcab sleeping area, just a 8 foot long box with windows, area for a chemical toilet and stove, some bench seating and a standard bunk across the front of the camper when needed.
The dilemma comes in the exterior materials. Some prefer aluminum, some filon or fiberglass, and the plans call for painted hardboard over thin plywood. So I was thinking, if I made the framework out of aluminum tubing or C Channel instead of the recommeded steel, The frame would last for a few decades. Then I thought about what I saw when working for an RV dealer in their repair shop, mainly leaking seams and lots of rotted plywood and moldy insulation.
Now knowing what plywood can and can't do, plus the plywood in my current camper is becoming dry and brittle after 20 years of service, I am looking at this in a different direction. I found King Starboard, a composite marine material, and it's equivalent, available in 54"X96" sheets for around $100.00 to $350.00 a sheet depending on brand and thickness. They use this material to make parts on boats, various doors, covers, cabinets, decks, etc. It's UV resistant, comes color molded in, thus no painting is required. The key thing is weight. Each panel weighs 48 lbs, and under my current drawings and plans, I would need 9 sheets. The other dilemma is that they have to be put in with mechanical fasteners, as I haven't the capacity to purchase their welding system or fancy adhesive to put this together. The key thing I am looking at is that I am going to build this camper and use it for the next 40+ years, probably every weekend for 8 months out of the year and 4 weeks solid for vacation from work, and by the time I get ready to get rid of it, I'll be in my late 70's early 80's. Biggest thing is that if I build this it has to last, and easily repairable, thus the mechanical fasteners.
So what's your thoughts on using Starboard for the outside of the camper?
Thanks
Matt
