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

[VanIsle_Greg]

Another weekend... and it was a long one too which was nice (happy easter BTW). I managed to fight off a few nasty migraines and wait out the rain to get out and to get some stuff done. Not as much as I would have liked, but forward momentum is good. I really need to get some good weather so I can work on my lift system. I can't cut or finish the parts (or install the brackets) until I can open up the roof... and I can't do that in the rain.

A nice overhead shot of the finished flooring installed (finally). I used HD vinyl from Home Depot, self adhesive and nice and easy to cut. Looks pretty good all things considered. I just need to install the 1/4 round to finish it up!



Tight space to work in, and lots of fidgety cuts too.



Looks good... though I still think I could have gone with something in a grey tone to break up all that wood? heh



So much better.



Finished up the interior plumbing, sink, drain, and all water feeds. PITA getting all the adapters and hoses I needed... thank heavens for Trotac Marine here in Victoria. They have all the bits and pieces and fitting I needed.



Hot and cold water lines and my drain... which I am not 100% happy with but it works great and no leaks.



lots of room for 'stuff'. I might install an outside shower unit in there, if I can find one that is nice and small. Most of them are HUGE, like 11.5" long which is silly big. Also need to finish all the wiring, and then it will all get wrapped in split loom.



Also installed a new stainless door catch to keep it open. I had to measure it and play around with it to get it just right. I am installing a 5 gal Sceptre Military Water Can MWC carrier back there, so it needed to clear that with room to spare. Anyone know of a good can holder? I really like the Adventure Trailers unit, but getting it to Canada will set me back a small fortune. They are one of the only ones that has a strap that covers the lid and locks.



I also had to replace the exterior drain as the one I used...broke. I picked up a stainless marine washdown fitting with a cap. Threaded inside 1/2" and really a nice piece of kit. Marine stuff is pretty decent quality so this one should last.

Next up, wiring and lift supports / kit.

 

[VanIsle_Greg]

Man... not much forward movement on this in the past few weeks. I have picked up a bunch of parts for this thing, like plumbing fittings and some trim pieces. The weather has been pretty meh still, so not a lot of exterior finishing and the top lift stuff still needs completing. I did order the gas lift struts and brackets just this week, so that will be a big move forward. I am hoping to get the lift brackets installed this weekend (fingers crossed).

I am aiming to be on the road with this for the end of June for the BC Overland Rally in Whistler BC. I have a bunch of people I want to see there, and I really want to be camping sooner rather than later!!

#Goals #Sehcdule #NoTime

 

[VanIsle_Greg]

I managed to steal a few hours away from Mothers Day (and my daughters birthday) and did a little work on the camper today. It really sucks only getting a couple of hours a week to work on this as I REALLY want to get this thing done and to get out camping. Lots of little things to do still, but the list is getting shorter every time I go work on it!

I masked up, primed and painted the roof again today. It was finished initially with a couple of coats of Gel Coat, but there were some spots that were a little thin and needed some more MIL to protect the glass. I primed it with the Zinser Bullseye 123 water based stuff... it sticks to anything (even ceramic tile) and dries fast. I let it dry in the sun for a few hours and top coated it with Interlux gloss white marine enamel. Expensive yes, but amazingly tough and holds its sheen.

Finished! Ready for solar panels, gas lift struts, etc. Oh and you can also see the HW heater vent I installed on the LPG HW heater box. I also lined the roof with aluminum and painted out the inside of the box.



Oh and I got the corners installed. I have been wanting to get that done for some time and came up with something that looks good and works. I took a length of 'L' angle and cut one face off of it and bent it to the appropriate shape. Voila.



The base of the tub was finish painted last week. A couple more coats of the Home Depot one part epoxy. I actually really like this stuff, nice sheen, covers well and dries VERY hard. I am thinking about doing the sides of the roof with this stuff instead of the white to keep the grey / aluminum look. TBD...



The other corner.



Primed.



Coming along.



I like that BIG window. Lots of light and looks great!



Next up is installing those roof lift tubes and the gas assist struts. That will be interesting... drill / tap / mount / cross fingers / profit$$. Then I need to come up with some brackets for my 8' OZtrail awning. Hmmm....

 

[CoyoteThistle]

Super nice work! That thing is looking really good. Yes, good luck with the gas struts and lifters. Someone around here long ago described figuring out the proper angles and forces with those things as something of a "dark art" - I always thought that summed it up well

Thanks for the updates!

 

[VanIsle_Greg]

Yes.. agreed. A very dark art indeed. I think i have a good plan, just need to get up the nerve to drill the holes. Heh

 

[VanIsle_Greg]

10 days... not much progress. I did a bit of work last weekend, and made a large change to the look with a small amount of work. I painted out the roof edge with the same grey epoxy i used on the bottom of the tub. I didn't really like it white, and before I mounted the gas struts I wanted to get it where I wanted it aesthetically. Funny though... in person it is a dramatic change (for the better IMHO) in the looks, but in the photos, you can't really tell. heh

I also hit a milestone last weekend, I installed the LAST piece of exterior trim and it is now waterproofed, or at least 100% sealed up. This was up under the bed at the upper corner of the front wall... and it was a bit of a PITA to install. I actually had to use screws to hold it in place, the only trim piece attached with mechanical fasteners in addition to adhesive. I notched it around the vertical trim and it fit in there nicely. I used 2 pieces because all I had left was ends and I didn't feel like buying more only to have a bunch of spare. #ImCheap




Looks pretty nice actually and felt good to complete. LOTS of SIka behind all of this trim, so even if there are small gaps there is zero chance of water getting in.



Here is the roof line painted in grey. Needs another coat, as the masking was iffy and a little bled underneath. I even used that $pendy frog tape too. #Gimmic?



Grey is better. I like the overall grey look with the truck.



KNOTS!!! I had a few small bubbles in the fiberglass, and it turns out where there were knots, there were bubbles. We were going to use clear fir for the roof edges, but could not get it when needed so we went with Spruce (or maybe it was Hemlock)? Anyhow there were a few small knots... and, they suck.



Cut out, fill with Bondo, feather / Prime / Paint x 2.



Knots...suck



Before the grey. Hard to tell in pics, hopefully you can see the difference!



Now on to putting on the lift setup and gas struts. I will post some pics of my methodology for getting those installed. Only if it works... if it doesn't and I screw it up, this thread is getting deleted. heh

 

[VanIsle_Greg]

LOTS of work done in the past few days. I turned 50 on Wednesday... so I decided to take a few days off to just do some stuff and to not do some stuff. Wednesday - Friday was 'me time' so I got to do whatever I wanted. I sat on my ******** on Wednesday and had a pretty chill day. Thursday and Friday (and Sunday) were all camper day(s). Saturday... that was too a bit, but also a lot of yard work.

Anyhow, as for what I actually accomplished, well it was a lot. I got a chunk of the mounts installed and ready for my lift system. I also got my electrical 99% complete while remediating some plumbing as well. Then it was on to fabricating up the mounts for my roof latches... that was fun. I can only upload 10 pics at a time, so this will come in stages (and in random upload order too...heh).

First lets start with the finished electrical shot. I had no battery box, only a battery in a hole... and that is no good. So hanging over the table and reaching down into a hole... I built and installed (and sealed) a battery box. I had already installed a vent to the outside, so now it is venting more effectively. In the pic below you can see the power inlets x 3 from under that side of the camper (passenger). 1 is the Noco shore power plug / socket for the 110v coming in. This is a BASIC system and is the equivalent of an extension cord\. No 110v breaker box, nada. The onboard 110v consists of a single plug split into a HD 3 way plug to run an on board charger / maintainer and a single plug for lights or a heater. Basic... simple, all I need.

The second inlet is wired to a custom harness I made to attach to the truck. This is power, ground and a line to trigger the running lights. I will still need to run a relay, but that is to come later. the third inlet is a solar pigtail for a portable 40 watt I have new in a box. A sun chaser panel if needed.



Here you can see the Noco charger / maintainer. the master on off switch to isolate all internal 12v from the battery and the Blue Sea power / ground block. Oh and a 50A circuit breaker for incoming power from the truck (via an Automatic Charge Relay) to the battery for charging. The looped up yellow is the running lights lead. Under the Noco is the 13 gal water tank.



Here is a better shot of the battery box. All matching trim and 1/4 panelling and all nicely sealed in place. Around the battery is sealed with caulking to keep any gasses vented outside and not in! That was a bugger to get in there, probably took me 3 hours from start to finish and it was 6 small pieces of 1x2 and 3 pieces of panelling. #TightSpaces #NeverAgain



Battery is an AGM, so sealed and nice and clean in there. It is anchored in place by another piece of 1x2 wedging it in the corner. I tried to budget it in there after, and it is going nowhere. Job done.



During...



Here is just a random shot from 'my seat' at the table. I think this was the first time I had the table raised and the seat cleared out so that I could actually sit down. With the roof raised and all my tools out of there, it is a pretty nice space to chill. Small, but manageable. With the 8x8 side awning room to hang out in, it will be pretty sweet!



Oh and foreshadowing my next post... the brackets I made from some box aluminum for the roof clamps.



Brackets for the lift tubes. I showed pics of these before... and here they are installed. That was fun (not). I had to hack up the very nice bullnose trim with my new to me Fake Fein tool... and while it works AMAZING, it creates a LOT of dust. heh Like a lot... lots. These are held in place with machine screws that are drilled and tapped into the upper 1 x 1 steel frame. These could anchor a small yacht they are so strong.



And yes, the top drawer clears... phew.



My gift to me (1 of 2) for my birthday. This is Rockwells version of a Fein Tool or a Sonicrafter (Sonic Rafter??). WOrks awesome, and nicely adjustable with a tool free attachment change system.



More....

 

[VanIsle_Greg]

Some more detail pics of this weekends work. While I was at it I installed my Solar Controller and the circuit breakers for all the 'free' electricity the sun is going to provide me. This is a 30A PWM controller for now, soon to be replaced by a Renogy 30A MPPT with Bluetooth.

I installed 2 x 30A circuit breakers one on the incoming power from the panels to the controller and one for the power heading out to the battery. Lots of wire to run still for this, and to mount the panels on the roof once all the lift supports and gas struts are installed.



This is the plumbing / electrical raceway with its covers on. These are 4" high to match the 4" cushions I am having made. Feet will go at this end of the table bunk.



Here is a shot of the bus bar I installed to ground out all the roof stuff. Lights, running lights, exterior lights and multiple high amperage USB chargers for 'stuff'.



Front shot of the switch panel finally fully installed. Yeah, those stickers are crooked... need to fix.



Re-worked the sink drain with a straight drain and a smoother curve. Cleaned up the wiring and covered it with some loom. And done! I 'might' install an exterior water source here too. Looking for a small / compact transom shower with a mixer (really small one) if anyone on here has a link to share??



Pump hooked up, tested and working! Plumbing is 99% done!



Cover off of wiring and plumbing.



Cover on the battery / water / storage area.



More...

 

[VanIsle_Greg]

And finally... latch brackets. These were a fun project as I got to make something from nothing. Ok, its not like I welded these up from flat plate and or forged these from an ingot... but I thought up the design, drew it up on paper, and made them. I like doing that, especially when they work out so good!! These were made from a 36" length of aluminum tube, and cut with my chop saw and a new blade (not so new anymore). Lots of drilling on the drill press and then I sanded them to give them 'brushed' look. A pile of stainless screws and of course more Sika and voila. A locking lid!

Installed and clamped down. I left lots of adjustment room for when I install the fabric and trim to hold it in place.



These are standard RV fare, and work very well. These are way more substantial that the ones we had on our first Tent Trailer, and those worked well for a MUCH larger roof. I like the way these look, industrial and STRONG.



All 6 mounted and done.



All of these were installed into 3/4" plywood backing we put in place before the skins and panelling went on. Planning ahead pays off.



Drilling yet more holes in a perfectly good aluminum skin... cringeworthy.



The finished product... I like these.



Shiny



More shiny



In progress...



So there you have it. After a full 3 days of work (3.5 really) I managed to complete and or nearly complete MANY of the major things outstanding. Electrical is 90% done, plumbing is 99% done, roof clamps are complete and the lift system is ready to install. I just need to cut some tubes and bolt it in! I should have that done by next weekend if I hustle. Then I am ready to get the fabric work done... and then, shakedown run. I might just make the BC Overland Rally after all!

 

[battleborn]

And finally... latch brackets. These were a fun project as I got to make something from nothing. Ok, its not like I welded these up from flat plate and or forged these from an ingot... but I thought up the design, drew it up on paper, and made them. I like doing that, especially when they work out so good!! These were made from a 36" length of aluminum tube, and cut with my chop saw and a new blade (not so new anymore). Lots of drilling on the drill press and then I sanded them to give them 'brushed' look. A pile of stainless screws and of course more Sika and voila. A locking lid!

Installed and clamped down. I left lots of adjustment room for when I install the fabric and trim to hold it in place.

View attachment 519787

These are standard RV fare, and work very well. These are way more substantial that the ones we had on our first Tent Trailer, and those worked well for a MUCH larger roof. I like the way these look, industrial and STRONG.

View attachment 519788

All 6 mounted and done.

View attachment 519789

All of these were installed into 3/4" plywood backing we put in place before the skins and panelling went on. Planning ahead pays off.

View attachment 519790

Drilling yet more holes in a perfectly good aluminum skin... cringeworthy.

View attachment 519791

The finished product... I like these.

View attachment 519792

Shiny

View attachment 519793

More shiny

View attachment 519794

In progress...

View attachment 519796

So there you have it. After a full 3 days of work (3.5 really) I managed to complete and or nearly complete MANY of the major things outstanding. Electrical is 90% done, plumbing is 99% done, roof clamps are complete and the lift system is ready to install. I just need to cut some tubes and bolt it in! I should have that done by next weekend if I hustle. Then I am ready to get the fabric work done... and then, shakedown run. I might just make the BC Overland Rally after all!

good luck hope you make it by the rally

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

 

[VanIsle_Greg]

I managed to hurt my back twice in the past 3 weeks... so things may slow down a bit. Ugh, so close. I am still going to press on and see if I can make it!

 

[BajaSurfRig]

@VanIsle_Greg amazing build, nice attention to detail, thanks for the inspiration!! I am redoing the inside of an 83 Grandby right now and will be using some ideas from your build.

 

[VanIsle_Greg]

@BajaSurfRig thanks for the compliment and I am glad I could help out even if it was just in a small way. In hindsight, I probably should have done what you are doing and picked up an older used unit that needed some love and rebuilt it. In the long run it would probably have been a lot cheaper and faster. But here we are. heh

I have not made much progress lately because life keeps getting in the way of my fun project, but I am almost ready for the fabric and interior finishing. The roof system 'should' be installed this weekend... should. If all goes well that is. LOTS of yard work to do, so I may only get it partially done.

I did manage to install a door handle and some door latches to keep it closed. That took me about 30 min a few days ago. heh #BabySteps

 

[VanIsle_Greg]

Another small amount of work turned into a large step forward for my camper build. I managed to get a few hours to myself and get the gas lift struts installed. There was no really good places to mount these on the front and on the rear, which is where I originally wanted to, so on the sides the go. I had to install them in this manner because of the window on the passenger side. All in all it worked out very well.

The lower brackets are drilled and tapped into the steel frame that runs down both sides of the camper. this worked out awesome, as the machine screws have a decent amount of steel to thread into with the thicker wall tubing we used for those frame members. The upper brackets get screwed into the frame of the roof and of course all fasteners and holes are sealed up with Sika.

I decided to give this a quick test, and un-clasped all of the clamps. I lifted the rear of the roof and with minimal force the roof lifted up. Pretty much going to be perfect lifting force with the panels installed. Of course I had none of the rest of the lift mechanism in place so up up and away the rear of the roof went...lol. Oops. No bigge, grabbed a ladder and closed it up again. Lesson learned.

Next up, tubing installation and final lift supports and braces. Then off to the fabric shop!!

Getting close... but likely won't make the BC Overland Rally in Whistler. That was my goal but life got in the way as always.

Passenger side rear over the main side window. Perfectly out of the way.



Drivers side rear installed showing the mount attachment to the side.



Rear finished.



This is how these all mount to the roof. Under and 3 stainless screws.



Looking nice and finished. I need to replace these machine screws with Stainless ones ASAP. For now plated was all I could find.



Front drivers.



So glad to get this done. Not cheap to do, but will be so worth it.

 

[Clay]

Excellent work. I hope that you get to use it soon!