Lightweight Homebuilt Camper for my Tacoma
- Thread starter riveroceanandmountain
- Start date
riveroceanandmountain
Adventurer
Great progress today... got to work on the camper most of the day... until 4 pm baseball practice
That is a lot of white.... I think I need some awesome graphics!
are people putting rubber mats under their campers does anyone know? I am just thinking about what to put on the bottom of the frame and was pondering just attaching a rubber mat although I am sure they are not light .... then insulation and plywood on the inside.... what do you think would 1/16th plywood be strong enough for the floor?.... think light!
just kidding
That is a lot of white.... I think I need some awesome graphics!
are people putting rubber mats under their campers does anyone know? I am just thinking about what to put on the bottom of the frame and was pondering just attaching a rubber mat although I am sure they are not light .... then insulation and plywood on the inside.... what do you think would 1/16th plywood be strong enough for the floor?.... think light!
just kidding
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I have a rubber mat down on my flatbed that my camper will sit on since I didn't want my sandwich structure walking around at all on it. For the bottom of your camper though I'd likely go at least 1/4" ply on the bottom I think assuming it was glued down to foam insulation in the bay gaps, thicker if not.
riveroceanandmountain
Adventurer
pods... not sure I am clear on your idea about gluing the foam in the bay gaps??.... anything I put under the camper frame is simply a cover for the foam insulation and to hold it in... I was thinking a rubber mat to stop sliding and shifting of the whole camper and perhaps absorb some vibration.... but depending on the weight of a rubber mat plywood would work too.
Whatever is on the bottom will be protecting and distributing the load on the frame/foam. All the weight of the camper will be on this material. I don't think I'd want to cheap out there, sure things can be repaired but who wants to try and work on the underside of a completed camper?. If a hole gets punched in it or such then you have water getting to that EPS which sucks water up (where as XPS doesn't). That'll wick it up around your frame and to whatever your inner floor is as well.
As to the glue, if you're using plywood or such under neath the surfaces touching it will be the frame and in between the frame you're putting foam right? If the foam is glued to the plywood (or whatever) is on the bottom it'll help strengthen it rather than just attaching it to the frame alone.
riveroceanandmountain
Adventurer
Picked up a used rubber truck bed mat..... but at 95 pounds (43kg) I am not going to be using it.... way too heavy! I might use a couple strips down either side and down the middle to dampen the bumps and stop the unit from sliding around.... I will wait and see.
Spent a long day cutting pieces of EPS... wow what a lot of little spaces!
A few pieces will need to be pulled out again to allow bolting on the corner jack brackets.... which I still need to get the material for... and perhaps the awning hinge.... and no doubt a few other things that I have not thought of.
The plan is to use 1/2 inch EPS laminated to the inner panels which will be 1/16 marine okume... the extra 1/2 inch of foam will cut down on the thermal transfer through the frame members. all the wiring will go in under the inner panels.
I can see how many of the crazy ideas us home builders come up with would just not be financially viable in a production environment... all the time I have spent making just the base of this camper... with welding the many pieces of aluminum and then installing the many pieces of backing and the many pieces of foam.... wow the labor costs would be huge!
The joys of doing it our own way!
Spent a long day cutting pieces of EPS... wow what a lot of little spaces!
A few pieces will need to be pulled out again to allow bolting on the corner jack brackets.... which I still need to get the material for... and perhaps the awning hinge.... and no doubt a few other things that I have not thought of.
The plan is to use 1/2 inch EPS laminated to the inner panels which will be 1/16 marine okume... the extra 1/2 inch of foam will cut down on the thermal transfer through the frame members. all the wiring will go in under the inner panels.
I can see how many of the crazy ideas us home builders come up with would just not be financially viable in a production environment... all the time I have spent making just the base of this camper... with welding the many pieces of aluminum and then installing the many pieces of backing and the many pieces of foam.... wow the labor costs would be huge!
The joys of doing it our own way!
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riveroceanandmountain
Adventurer
Thanks.... yes I do live in a beautiful place.... hiking, biking, boating, skiing... I am blessed with an abundance of outdoor recreation at my door step.
riveroceanandmountain
Adventurer
Welded the last few pieces on the roof.... and set it up.
I tried it lifted 30 inches but it looked way too high... and the extra height in a wind when set up could potentially be a problem.
So I cut down the temporary supports to a 24 inch lift.... I still have 6 feet 9 inches of head room and there will be about 27 inches above the cab over bed.
It was getting late so I spent a bit of time planning and getting ready for ordering more materials
I like the size and shape of the propane tanks I found... they will live in a sealed and outside vented locker in the back corner.
I just need to find some vent covers ... one for the propane locker door and one for the hole I will drill in the floor of the propane locker... anyone know of any good round vent covers?
I plan to build a small cabinet above the propane locker and a electronics recharging station on top of that... perhaps a lid that lifts up with USB plugs inside for charging stuff.
I tried it lifted 30 inches but it looked way too high... and the extra height in a wind when set up could potentially be a problem.
So I cut down the temporary supports to a 24 inch lift.... I still have 6 feet 9 inches of head room and there will be about 27 inches above the cab over bed.
It was getting late so I spent a bit of time planning and getting ready for ordering more materials
I like the size and shape of the propane tanks I found... they will live in a sealed and outside vented locker in the back corner.
I just need to find some vent covers ... one for the propane locker door and one for the hole I will drill in the floor of the propane locker... anyone know of any good round vent covers?
I plan to build a small cabinet above the propane locker and a electronics recharging station on top of that... perhaps a lid that lifts up with USB plugs inside for charging stuff.
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riveroceanandmountain
Adventurer
The propane locker will be a wood cabinet box
riveroceanandmountain
Adventurer
Couple steps back..... and then a bunch more forward.
Had to pull a couple small skin panels off the back to put some plates in for the lift mechanism... got it all figured out and and took some photos of the clamped up test install
the rope on either side was there to simulate the fabric and stop the roof from moving fore and aft
I ordered a whole bunch of expensive marine plywood... I think I am crazy all the money I am spending on this.... but I figure do it the way I want. I calculated the weight savings using Okume plywood over traditional plywood... and going as thin as possible where I could.... close to 100 lbs!
also ordered the 24inch actuators which will do the lifting.... and the manual mechanisms will be locked front and back to tension the whole roof/fabric setup
also ordered more VHB tape so I can skin the roof and doors. Will start the door frames tomorrow.
Had to pull a couple small skin panels off the back to put some plates in for the lift mechanism... got it all figured out and and took some photos of the clamped up test install
the rope on either side was there to simulate the fabric and stop the roof from moving fore and aft
I ordered a whole bunch of expensive marine plywood... I think I am crazy all the money I am spending on this.... but I figure do it the way I want. I calculated the weight savings using Okume plywood over traditional plywood... and going as thin as possible where I could.... close to 100 lbs!
also ordered the 24inch actuators which will do the lifting.... and the manual mechanisms will be locked front and back to tension the whole roof/fabric setup
also ordered more VHB tape so I can skin the roof and doors. Will start the door frames tomorrow.
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