Pop-Up Camper - Custom Build (scratch built) Oasis-Si

[VanIsle_Greg]

Thanks for the nice build report.

Sorry to bother you if I missed the details in the postings. How will you attach the fabric so that it is raintight while up and not pinch the fabric while it is down and weatherproof for driving?

Thanks from Niagara, (the good side, Ont)

Good question.
I am still working on the details for that. I think I have a pretty good plan in place, but I need to work out the final plan with the person doing the install. I have a few people who are interested in doing it and they all work in the marine industry doing boat toppers and dodgers and stuff...so they will have the final say. Basically the fabric sides will go down the sides of the camper and be captured by an aluminum strip. the top is held in place the same way but to the underside of the roof. I will likely put some stops in place to keep the roof from sitting directly on the fabric to reduce wear, but I also plan on clamping it down pretty tight so it shouldn't move around too much.

Stay tuned to this space in the spring for more details!! heh

 

[VanIsle_Greg]

Man... I can't believe it has been like going on 6 months since I updated this post... and like the better part of 8 since I even touched this thing. Life totally got in the way of things, and well, motivation too. I am taking this Friday off, and am going to start back at er. It's my 51st birthday, so my present to myself is an entire day of doing whatever the hell I want to do all day. I picked camper lift system and or wiring. Maybe both? That as well as some good Bourbon and a nice cigar.

Will post up at some point once I actually have something done. heh

 

[pigsammy]

Happy birthday!
I vote get the lift done. You can camp with a flashlight once the lift and fabric are on!

Glad to see the update, I've enjoyed your build thread and learned a lot.

 

[VanIsle_Greg]

Aaaaaand now I have to work tomorrow. Nothing like a last second emergency to ruin your plans. Ok, not an emergency, but when the Board of Directors say we need this in 5 days... I guess they need it in 5 days.

Sigh.

Thanks Pigsammy, much appreciated.

 

[ITTOG]

Sorry your day off was cancelled. I would love to know what lift system/technique you will be using. I have to decide on mine as well. I am leaning towards gas struts but can't find the right ones yet.

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[VanIsle_Greg]

Sorry your day off was cancelled. I would love to know what lift system/technique you will be using. I have to decide on mine as well. I am leaning towards gas struts but can't find the right ones yet.

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I put in a set of 4 gas struts on mine and will be using bi-folding manual lift bars inside. Was planning on finishing those this past weekend or this weekend, but its raining and I have nowhere to work.

Here is the gas struts installed... they work awesome btw.



As I recall these are 50# lift struts. I ordered them from a company here in Canada as well as all the brackets.



These are drilled into the steel frame and are drilled and tapped in machine screws. Solid!



Under-mount style for the roof.



The steel frame runs all the way front to rear, so also drilled and tapped machine screws here too.



Done!



Passenger side.



This is the lift bar design... the upper section will attach to the underside of the roof.This is the short side (drivers) because of the cabinet in the kitchen.



Long side, passenger. I will be adding one to the front over the bed, but just a security bar to keep the roof in place if anything should happen to the sides... I need to re-bend and make the lower bars on both sides as I messed up in my measurements. sigh...

 

[ITTOG]

Thanks for those details. I really appreciate it. Part of my problem seems to be that the longer the strut is when open the heavier the weight it can handle. The ones I was looking at were 40 in long when extended and rated at a hundred pounds each. My roof will only be about 200 lb so not sure if I will be able to pull it down. I may have to settle on shorter struts but I do not want to.

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[VanIsle_Greg]

Thanks for those details. I really appreciate it. Part of my problem seems to be that the longer the strut is when open the heavier the weight it can handle. The ones I was looking at were 40 in long when extended and rated at a hundred pounds each. My roof will only be about 200 lb so not sure if I will be able to pull it down. I may have to settle on shorter struts but I do not want to.

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Hmmm... that is a problem. My roof is probably in and around 150# give or take, and I am easily able to manage it up and down. The place that i got my struts from do custom lengths and lift strength. You can configure them in any way you want, right down to the ball end sizes and how they attach.

The company is called LST or Lift Support Technologies. (http://lstechnologies.ca/) Not the cheapest, but for the service (which was excellent) and the options, I was sold. I am certain that there are also places in the US that can help you. When I called them they guy I worked with said that they have done lots of these for Campers, lots of pop ups.

 

[ITTOG]

Hmmm... that is a problem. My roof is probably in and around 150# give or take, and I am easily able to manage it up and down. The place that i got my struts from do custom lengths and lift strength. You can configure them in any way you want, right down to the ball end sizes and how they attach.

The company is called LST or Lift Support Technologies. (http://lstechnologies.ca/) Not the cheapest, but for the service (which was excellent) and the options, I was sold. I am certain that there are also places in the US that can help you. When I called them they guy I worked with said that they have done lots of these for Campers, lots of pop ups.

That is a gold mine of information for me. I have called six or seven places here with no luck. I will call your link tomorrow. Thank you so much.

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[VanIsle_Greg]

Awesome... glad I could help. It was great dealing with these guys, I used them when I built my CDN M1010 trailer too. Nice folks and a good product.

 

[VanIsle_Greg]

So after a LONG delay, I finally got off my ******** and did some work on the camper. It wasn't nearly as much as I wanted to but its a start...it rained on and off, so as soon as I would get set up, it would start to shower. Stop, clean up... wait, sun comes out, rinse and repeat.

I pulled out the lift system I installed last year... that was 1" too short (DOH!) and then proceeded to remind myself how to measure and bend emt conduit again with a Greenlee bender. heh Yay YouToube! I also cut the nice fir strips for the roof mounting portion of this. I was going to mount the whole works, but only managed to get the newly bent and assembled arms installed. It started getting super windy and opening the top with it only attached with the gas struts was a BAD idea. So I will get that part done some time this week.

It wasn't much, but baby steps right? Need to go pick up a sheet of 1/2 cabinet grade Birch ply this week as well to finish up the bunk!

Newly made and longer, and more betterer? I should (if the math is right, get a full 6'3" interior roof height).



This stuff below... is now spare I guess? heh The big hoop in the back is going to get installed in the front by the bunk as a safety hoop.

 

[stomperxj]

Nice job on the bends

 

[VanIsle_Greg]

Nice job on the bends

Thanks Jess! Yeah, sadly I am becoming a bit of an expert at bending emt. lol

 

[VanIsle_Greg]

Ok, so I finally managed to get some work done, including a little design work and some fab work or sorts. I was contemplating how to make some awning brackets, as I was not able to find anything for flat mounting to the slab side of the camper. Lots of rack mount style brackets, nothing I could find for a flat side. After thinking about it for a couple of days I came up with this. It is just some C channel aluminum I picked up locally. It is the same wall thickness as the lid closure mounts I made, and it is very stout.

This will be held on to the camper body by drilling and tapping into the 1 x 1 steel frame so they are removable if I need to. Should be VERY strong. As usual the uploaded out of sequence...

Finished product ready for install.



This is basically the profile you see from the front or rear of the camper.



Slides in nice, weighs next to nothing.









Nice thick wall stuff, so no worries if this will stand up to wind and lateral forces.



I made 3, probably only going to use 2. Nay make a couple more to mount my water can to the rear of the camper.

 

[VanIsle_Greg]

Next up... the lift system. What a PITA this was to sort out. Lots of head scratching and going back and forth. It is not 100% what I wanted, but it works. Still needs a bit of tweaking too. I still think going to a linear actuator lift system is the way to go so I will likely use this for now and retrofit something like that in the future.

My son and my wife helped me get the temp bracing in place and to get the lid all squared up. Then some woodwork for the backing plates that attach it to the roof, and some screws in it temporarily to test function. Now that I know it works, and I can raise and lower it, I will glue and permanently fasten it in place. Not bad for about $50.00 worth of conduit, screws, bolts and 1 slab of Fir. And again, pics uploaded out of order...

Finally it is a real pop-up camper. It has been a tub with a box lid up until today. Was a little unnerving closing it for the first time. But with the gas struts it is simple and controlled... had to pull it down a bit, so the gas struts are perfectly sized for the weight. Once the solar panels go on this will be spot on.



That... looks rad. Hardly any side to side flex or front to back. There will be another brace at the front over the bed... just need to install it this week.



Here you can see the limiting screws I put in place behind the upright tube. This is drilled and tapped and can be adjusted to act as a limiting adjustment for helping keep the roof adjusted, in place and tensioned when open. They worked out amazing. so easy to adjust and a few threads moves the roof side to side a fair amount.



Another shot of the mounts and the adjustment/stop screws.



Finished (almost) product. I can't wait to get the fabric done now!



I used ratchet straps as limiters and to help secure the roof in place and to keep it tight to the braces.



Here it is with me and my son trying to get it lined up, squared up and mounted... bracing in place.



Looks a LOT bigger with the roof up. Only 21" of fabric visible on this one... a lot less than some makes. Makes for a full 6'3" headroom inside from the floor.



Big moves after nothing for so long. Camping before the end of summer.