Project 1x1

[toyrunner95]

well the project is kinda comming together. I bought a ladder/lumber rack today for 200 bucks. Total steal! This type goes for 1000 to 1500 brand new and its in pretty good condition. It came off almost the exact same truck to it fits like a glove.

The plan is to make like a can back system for it first for summer camping, then as the seasons change and i get used to using it i will wall it in and hard side it into a camper later. but so far so good in under 1000 bucks!

 

[Ironduff]

Just an FYI for future reference... Aluminum doesn't really take any special tools to cut.... I've cut 1/4" plate with a carbide tipped blade in a skilsaw. Don't recall the alloy and temper, but it was not soft by any means. Yeah, that tool does limit you to straight lines, but it works just fine. I suspect that a saber saw might work, too, for short curves, but I dunno what blade would give reasonable life.

If I was cutting really thin gages with either, I'd probably support the cut area on a sacrifical piece of plywood. Eye protection is a must. The skil saw throws chips like a muthafadder, and they're hot, hot, hot.....

Jim H.

 

[toyrunner95]

Cutting the aluminium isnt the problem. its weldign it back together. i dunno how to do that.

 

[Herbie]

Cutting the aluminium isnt the problem. its weldign it back together. i dunno how to do that.

Just overlap and rivet.

For lightweight trailer ideas, checkout these guys:
http://www.compactcampingconcepts.com/

The founder is a member here and I bought the book when I was considering an ultralight offroad trailer to tow behind my Subaru. In the end I had to go another way to have enough creature comforts to keep the wife happy, but this is a strong concept for a "towable-by-anything" trailer.

 

[HMalice]

I was planning on building a cabover shell for my truck, bed frame angle iron is typically cheap/free and pretty strong.

 

[toyrunner95]

Ok over the last year I have done alot of research, planning, compromising, designing, re designing, scrapping, re planning, re everything. I am days away from starting the frame. We are waiting on a few prices and what not to come back to try and keep the price down. But so far we are looking at a few changes and a few compromises that are kinda devestating.

1. The materieals havent changed much, light steel angle frame, 1.5" or 2" foam, and fiberglass. Simple effective.

2. The materieals are the foundation of this structure. We are hoping that the basics will be under the $1k mark. Its going to be extremely close.

3. With all the amenities and power and wireing and whatnot it will be close to 2k. We all know that the devil is in the details. And the devil has a BIG checkbook.

With all the things that we are thinking of putting in this thing and the weight factor, we should come in well under 1000 lbs. We are thinking about 800 lbs, unloaded.

It will have pleanty of storage, a full 6' bed and 2 person dinette a small galley, a few overhead cabnanits for storage. Mind you this doesnt have a cab over.

Any way, ill keep you all posted.

 

[Ozarker]

Some good ideas here. I was thinking of using my fiberglass tanaue/bed cover on my F-150, looks good and matches the truck. I was wanting to use something like 2 foot wide panels with an L like siding that could lock together. They would collapse, one sliding behing the next and store below the cap and raise vertically. I guess the corners would be the most probelmatic, or just store corners to attach from the outside.

I'd like to work something out that is similar to this thread, but I'd rather not have canvas and if I end up having to have a tent type, I think I would use Hypolon materials or something similar to sunbrella, maybe something I could have made in layers with an insulating material incased like a quilt.

Please continue....any brain storms? :coffeedrink:

 

[toyrunner95]

I have a tonneau cover but the problem is that im not a fan of the large square top. However I think a solution to your problem would be large hinged panels that act kinda like an accordian with canvas corners. That way its a semi solid side with a collapasable top.

 

[toyrunner95]

I have been doing some testing of materieals and getting prices and so far the foam idea is a disaster. It doesnt stick to what I want, It dissolves, Its frustrating.

Furthermore I have done research into nidacore, plywood, fiberglass cloth, aluminium, steel, even kydex and i have yet to find anything cheaper and easier to work with than plywood.

I looked into an alaskan style popup, and a fourwheel style popup, the alaskan seemed a miricle in engineering but they are close to 1500lbs empty, I dont like that. The fwpu is good but still, as monika wescott said "a 3 season tent." I live in the PNW, A hard sided camper is the best way to go.

During my research and design of this camper, the plans for my truck have wavered from a roof top tent to a can back system to a tonneau cover popup and none have really come to suffice. I need something cheap, effective, durable, easily repaired, and most of all comfy and dry! A slide in camper is the way to go.

After over a year of dreaming and looking at styles I have made a decision. I am going to build a slide in, non cab over turtle V type camper.

The price SHOULD come in under 1k and so should the 1k lbs weight or at least really close on both those numbers.

Hopefully starting TODAY!

 

[adrenaline503]

There is a product out there called polyboard, I believe its HDPE. It can be bonded with HDPE cement and there are bonding agents that will stick to foam. I don't know if you came across it but it is an alternative to plywood. In this thread I did a breakdown:

http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=52844&highlight=polyboard

Okay, so this is the APPROXIAMTE break down of weight and cost of plywood vs. Polyboard.

Plywood: 4'x8'sheet weighs 25 lbs per 1/4" of thickness.
Polyboard: 4'x8'sheet weighs 36 lbs per 1/4" of thickness.

That's a 44% increase in weight for Polyboard vs. plywood.

.020" aluminum sheet weighs in at 9.6 lbs for a 4'x8' sheet, add that to the plywood and that's 34 lbs total. I imagine that glue and fasteners to secure the aluminum to the plywood would weigh in at least 2 lbs, so it looks like you break even.


Cabinet grade plywood cost:
Thickness Type Size Price

1/4" Sanded Hardwood 4x8 Sheet $18.44
1/2" Oak (3-ply) 4x8 Sheet $38.47
3/4" Oak (5-ply) 4x8 Sheet $39.95

Polyboard cost:
1/4" Polyboard 4x8 sheet $43.59
1/2" Polyboard 4x8 sheet $61.60
3/4" Polyboard 4x8 sheet $86.28

That means that for 1/4" Polyboard is 42% more, 1/2" is 62% more and 3/4" is 46% more expensive than plywood. If you used the .020" aluminum sheet at $50-70, regardless of thickness Polyboard is cheaper. If you had a cheap source of aluminum then of course it would be different, I just used Google search so I'm sure that's max price. Add in the cost of glue and fasteners to attach the aluminum and the gap opens further.

According to my calculations Polyboard weighs about the same as plywood and aluminum and may be cheaper depending on your sources.

Now that I look at this again, the thicker you go with Polyboard the heavier it is. A 3/4" Polyboard weighs 98 lbs where as plywood comes in at 75lbs. Add the 10 lbs for the aluminum and the 3/4" plywood/aluminum combo weighs 85 lbs. So 10 lbs more per 4'x8' area.

If I were to use Polyboard I would definitely use 1/4" for the outside, ribs out of 2" 3/4" strips with a rigid foam void filler. Bond all the seams with a HPDE adhesive and I think you would be water tight. I would sheet the inside with varnished 1/4" plywood, its light and looks nice. Now, if I can figure out how to make a pop top light enough to be supported by the Polyboard foam panels I'll be in business.

 

[pods8]

I have been doing some testing of materieals and getting prices and so far the foam idea is a disaster. It doesnt stick to what I want, It dissolves, Its frustrating.

You can't use polyester resin with polystrene foam board if that is what you were trying to do. You need to use epoxy. Or use polyurathane foam board if you want to use polyester resin.

You may want to take a look at my build thread http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=58926 (just started but there is a link to the design thread in there too and I've talked about materials some, page 5&7). I'm probably doing something of the nature you're trying to go for. I could potentially knowledge dump what I've found out so far depending on what you're trying to pull off, I'm up in Everett by the way.

 

[toyrunner95]

well i went with plywood, cheap, effective, and easy to use. so far so good, here is my blog link http://taylermade4exploring.blogspot.com/

my girlfriend started it, shes just as excited as i am!

 

[toyrunner95]

Ok we have achieved the bottom half, both ends, and the sides. Starting on the roof tomorrow. Should have that done pretty quickly. We did some eyeballing on the layout of the bed and counters and dinete. Everything looks like it will find its place. Things are comming together! Hopefully I will post pics tomorrow.

 

[toyrunner95]

Pics!!!

ok so here is what we have done so far.

Thats it so far, feel free to ask questions!

Subscribe to our blog! Its in my signature.

 

[Cody1771]

nice, looking good! how come you didnt decide to go cab over?