New and Improved Camper Box Build - Ver 2.0

[Heifer Boy]

Stage Fifteen – Sanding, filling, sanding, filling and more sanding...

Now the box is nearly complete it was time to finish the filleting and give the inside a coat of epoxy.

But before this it was time for one last test fit to ensure that it is all going to be ok. I didn't want to do all the finishing work to find out it doesn't fit again!!! All was well and it's going to look really good I think. Loads more storage space than last time.

Filleting the inside of the storage boxes has got to be one of the hardest things I have done so far on this build. I put the box on the ground so I could wriggle into it on my back complete with respirator, gloves, glasses, a pot of thickened epoxy and various coving sticks. Two hours later after clambering around and getting up and down and sliding around on my back I emerged very sweaty with aching arms and with a few big blobs of epoxy stuck to my clothes!!! For a fairly simple process, doing it upside down made it a whole lot harder!!! It turned out OK but some of the corners are not for public viewing. The rest of the filleting (which is viewable) went considerably better and I am very happy with the result.

I let it all dry and started sanding. Back on my back and upside down again but this was a lot easier. Everything came up well but I made up some more thickened epoxy and finalised filling all the screw holes and patched a few bits of fillet where it would be noticeable Then I sanded again, then patched a tiny bit more and now it was ready to coat in thinned epoxy.

At the same time I also made up the roof of the box which required one last lap joint to made and glued. This is the biggest panel in the whole build – 1350mm x 1540mm.

Then I gave it all a coat of thinned epoxy. I coated the inside of everything – the main storage areas, the inside of the walls, the door jams, the inside of the roof and the inside of the doors. It's nice to have a lot to do to reduce wastage when it comes to brushes, rollers and trays. It looks all nice and shiny now and will be a good hardwearing surface.

The door frames and inside of the doors will get two more coats of epoxy to properly seal them and make them 100% waterproof.

So I'm very close to the official finishing stages now... of the main box anyway. Only one more joint to glue when I put the top on and I can start glassing the outside. There is still a lot of detail work to do with fitting the water system, the electrics and building the storage and kitchen drawers so a way to go yet. I think I making pretty good progress so far though. I'm happy with it anyway...

 

[RTO_Tracker9]

Coming along...nicely

The build is looking great! Can't wait to see the finished product!

 

[pods8]

Filleting the inside of the storage boxes has got to be one of the hardest things I have done so far on this build. I put the box on the ground so I could wriggle into it on my back complete with respirator, gloves, glasses, a pot of thickened epoxy and various coving sticks.

Coming along nicely!

How much vapor does the epoxy your using throw off? Respirator in the tight space is quite prudent, however have you been needing one when doing work out in the open? The stuff I've been using really doesn't have much noxious aspect to it and I've been fine with just having a draft moving through the room so far for the open air work.

 

[Heifer Boy]

I've been using the respirator and gloves every time I do some epoxy work. I think because you work so closely with a pot of epoxy when you are mixing it or spreading it that it's worth while even in an open space. I'm working in a large double garage with a couple of windows and always leave the one door up but it's pretty stinky when I take the mask off and if my partner walks in she can't stay for long with the smell. I wear the respirator sanding too.

I'm OK with the smell but I just don't think it's worth the risk for the minor hassle of wearing a respirator when your working. I've had experiance loosing a family member through asbestosis and although this is different stuff, toxic substances in the lungs is not nice.

My personal advise - wear a respirator.

 

[pods8]

Gloves are for sure a no brainer, I'll burn through a couple pairs each session (usually change out pairs when starting clean up). I've found the mechanics style nitrile gloves to hold up decently well and fit decently.

I haven't been wearing my respirator for the open layup work at this point, I had every intention of assuming I'd need to but to be honest I was surprised that the epoxy I'm using is actually quite low odor and I've not once gotten any hint of "funny fume feeling" while working out in the open in the garage yet. However I'll just been doing smaller ~1sqft test pieces and gluing core pieces together so far. I'll be laying up the 1/8" ply wood onto my floor core today which is ~50sqft so maybe I'll be changing up my impression there. I'm not discounting the noxious aspects of some epoxy's I've used some 5min stuff in the past that was quite rough but so far I've been pleasantly surprised on this project so far, the wife isn't complaining about it either which is a better indicator.

As always protect yourself as you see fit, I was just curious what your impressions were on the boatkote.

 

[Kilroy]

While epoxy has low odor, getting it on your skin and breathing it can lead to an allergic reaction to it.

Years ago (37?) I built a whitewater kayak with polyester resin. Part of it involved climbing into the kayak headfirst (this won't happen any more) to glass the two half's together. For days after, when I was jogging the smell of the resin was coming out of my lungs. Wonder how much time that will cost me?

Can't be too safe with these chemicals.

 

[pods8]

While epoxy has low odor, getting it on your skin and breathing it can lead to an allergic reaction to it.

Years ago (37?) I built a whitewater kayak with polyester resin. Part of it involved climbing into the kayak headfirst (this won't happen any more) to glass the two half's together. For days after, when I was jogging the smell of the resin was coming out of my lungs. Wonder how much time that will cost me?

Can't be too safe with these chemicals.

I always keep it off my skin for sure. I just finished spreading over a 50sqft layup and in the garage/temps/and brand I'm working with I'm really not getting much odor. Might just be naive on my part...

 

[Heifer Boy]

It's not so much the odour of the epoxy. Like I said before, smells like that don't bother me at all.

It's more that working with this stuff we are breathing in uncured epoxy fumes that ends up lining the lung capillaries and hardening. Over time that ain't a good thing. Like Kilroy said, I wonder how much time it costs us.

 

[Heifer Boy]

Gas Struts?

So now I’m finalising the details of my camper box one question has come up that I can’t answer… well not easily anyway. Hopefully someone can help.

I want to put a strut of some type on the main door to hold it open. I don’t need assistance with the weight of the door opening or closing because it’s side hung but I do want it to be held securely at 90 degrees to the box. So I did a big search on the net about gas struts and found a million complicated equations mostly related to lifting horizontally doors and whether or not the assistance required was for opening or closing. To confusing for this brain ???

As long as I get the open/close lengths right (easy) then I thought of maybe just getting a car bonnet strut from a wreckers and using that as it should hold the door open easily and not need too much force to close it.
Or should I just get an over-centre brace of some type like on the legs of a camp table and forget the gas strut?

What does everyone think?

 

[windsock]

If this is still the intention...

when the tailgate is down, I would have some form of pin that drops down from the door into a hole in an appropriate place on the horizontal surface of the tailgate. This way there is no gas strut or locking brace in the way of you getting into the work area directly infront of the box but the door is still 'held' open for use.

Looks fantastic, and well done on getting to the final stages.

 

[Heifer Boy]

when the tailgate is down, I would have some form of pin that drops down from the door into a hole in an appropriate place on the horizontal surface of the tailgate.

Looks fantastic, and well done on getting to the final stages.

Good idea!!! :wings:

I'm not really too keen on drilling a hole into the tailgate so the other option would be a bracket sticking off the top. Hmmm!?! I'll have to think on this a bit.

Thanks for the support.

 

[windsock]

OK, I can understand not wanting to drill the tailgate.

What about an extendable tubular (round, square or rectagular) arm. Dimension-wise, it would be at least as long as half two thirds of the door length. Inside this tube would be another tube the same length that can slide out to a point halfway along the door. The fit of the internal tube would be as snug as can be had

There would need to be some form of attachment from the tube to the door. A simple hook would suffice but it would need to be reasonably secure so as not to bounce around in any wind. It would lock the door at the angle you require. It would be rigid while in use but would slide away when not in use. It could either be mounted to the top of the box lid externally, or be mounted internally within the box. It could then become accessible once the door has been opened thereby avoiding water/dust ingress.

If mounted internally, I would look at what I was going to be storing on the shelf above the wheel-arch on the hinge-side of the door and utilise this in some way. I could well imagine it could be mounted to the underside of the shelf and slide out to attach to the door on the diagonal brace perhaps.

PS edit: I have just walked through an internal sliding doorway here at home and the slider would make an ideal and easy option to mount under the shelf. It would not be too rattly as the ball-bearing runners are snug. Caution would be needed to not over-extend the runner I think as it would all come tumbling apart. Just thinking too hard now probably....

 

[Heifer Boy]

I've had a good look at my tailgate and it has a row of holes along the bottom to let water out but there are even a couple in the small side panels about halfway up. I would only be drilling about a 10mm hole and as long as it's painted after drilling then it won't rust. I can easily block it with a rubber grommet blank or plug if need be.

I'll have to check out these other holes after the next rain storm and see how much they let in but I can't really see a problem. It's a preferable option compared to a bracket for sure.

 

[windsock]

Just another option out of left-field. I was out in the workshop before and I picked up one of my welding magnets while tidying up and thought of your tailgate/door scenario. Screw a metal strip to your door and use one of these on your tailgate against the metal strip on the door. Some can hold up to 75lb in place.

 

[indiedog]

Hi HB. Any progress? Or has Easter etc slowed you down?