Safari Cab "Overland Camper" Trailer Build

[jscherb]

Jscherb, did you ever receive your RTT for fitting, and testing?

Update: I just got the call from the trucking company, the RTT will be delivered tomorrow (Thursday).

 

[mbybee]

Watching this with great interest - I would love to get my hands on one! Gr8tops must be inundated with calls

 

[jscherb]

Here's a longer version of the Safari Overland Camper, this one's based on an 8' 8" long tub kit. I've moved the pull-out kitchen to the passenger side as suggested. This one's also got room for a small heater mounted below the bed platform in front of the kitchen. It uses the sloped front version of the side/end panels, and has a hatch on the front.

One of the nice things about the modularity of these parts is that the same sloped panels and hatch would be used to make the Safari Commando hardtop...

The Commando hardtop uses a different roof than the camper, the Commando roof is lower profile, modular (made in several sections) and designed for optional multiple sunroofs.

Anyway, if the longer version of the camper gets built, it's likely that a Commando hardtop would get built as well (at least in prototype form, can't say if it would get marketed).

 

[loren85022]

Very impressive. Since you flipped the kitchen pullout, you might consider hinging the backdoor on other side too. Easier to walk around back. I think a logical place for a fridge is up on the tongue where you show a storage box.

I like the roof lines, but with an RTT, the airstream is shot, so I might opt for a flat roof with sidebars that wrap around in a U-shape to allow more storage, and possibly an observation deck. Some might even like the option to add a 2nd RTT.

What do you estimate the height to be?

 

[The Swiss]

Here's a longer version of the Safari Overland Camper, this one's based on an 8' 8" long tub kit. I've moved the pull-out kitchen to the passenger side as suggested. This one's also got room for a small heater mounted below the bed platform in front of the kitchen. It uses the sloped front version of the side/end panels, and has a hatch on the front.

Wow! :bowdown: How is the chance these parts go to production? Do you have an idea regarding price-point? Stop teasing and start producing :violent-smiley-031: :elkgrin:

 

[jscherb]

Very impressive. Since you flipped the kitchen pullout, you might consider hinging the backdoor on other side too. Easier to walk around back. I think a logical place for a fridge is up on the tongue where you show a storage box.

Thanks!

The back door is hinged on the passenger side because it's a two-piece door that uses the Wrangler factory tailgate as its base. Here's a photo the upper half being removed from a Safari Cab hardtop on a Jeep:

I have done a design for a one-piece fiberglass door which does not use the Wrangler tailgate - that one could be hinged on either side, and it's also designed so that it could be molded as a pair of center-opening "ambulance doors".

Also, the same fiberglass upper that works with the Wrangler tailgate can be set up as a swing-up hatch to work with a CJ drop-down tailgate, so maybe some people would prefer that to a swinging door?

So there are lots of door options to decide about if this is going to go to production.

I like the roof lines, but with an RTT, the airstream is shot, so I might opt for a flat roof with sidebars that wrap around in a U-shape to allow more storage, and possibly an observation deck. Some might even like the option to add a 2nd RTT.

I did the sloped front design at the request of the company that's bringing the kit for the base trailer tubs to market, my original design has a more vertical front. Which design is better for a production version of the camper top is something I'm sure the company would appreciate everyone's input on.

What do you estimate the height to be?

The overall height will depend on tire size, spring height, roof racks, etc. but the camper top is about 3 1/2" taller than a standard Wrangler hardtop, so the height can be estimated from there.

 

[jscherb]

Wow! :bowdown: How is the chance these parts go to production? Do you have an idea regarding price-point? Stop teasing and start producing :violent-smiley-031: :elkgrin:

I'd say the chances are better than 50/50 that some version of the Safari Overland camper top will go into production. Yes, I do have an idea about what they might cost. No, I can't divulge that now, sorry.

And hey, I'm just the designer, I'm not going to be the one producing anything for production. I've licensed the tub kit to a company, and they'll be producing that, and the production of the camper tops is under discussion.

I'm just anxious to move on to my next project

 

[jscherb]

A plane flight yesterday gave me some time to do a bit of drawing, so I illustrated my ideas for the pop-up camper top.

For the basic camper configuration, the roof panel bolts to the side panels:

The modular design enables the insertion of the pop-up frame in between the roof and the side panels, with no changes to the roof or the side panels. The roof bolts to the frame, and the frame bolts to the side panels. This frame includes hinges to allow the roof to swing up, gas struts to hold it in the up position (not shown), and provides a place for the canvas sides to mount:

This would enable building a "stage 1" camper with a fixed roof, and then as budget allows, adding the pop-up feature.

The pop-up roof could probably support a roof rack for light loads (100 lbs perhaps), but would not be designed to support heavy weights on the rack. A roof-top tent could not be mounted on the pop-up roof.

For mounting heavy loads on the roof, including roof-top tents, another "staged" option could be building a fixed roof camper, and later adding an internal bracing kit which would allow a roof-top tent to be mounted on top of the camper. The bracing is not required if the roof won't be bearing weight - the bracing kit is only required for carrying loads on the roof. So again a stage 1 fixed roof camper could be upgraded to supporting a roof top tent as budget allows. This option would not be designed to work with the pop-up feature.

Question: which "second stage" option appeals most to people?

1. a pop-up roof to allow more more inside the camper

2. load-carrying ability on the roof, including roof racks and roof-top tents.

 

[RareSS]

I personally like the 'pop-up folding' roof design. From my little motorcycle camper, I know how valuable room and headroom is.
Now, if we can only get all of these good ideas of yours, into production.

 

[jscherb]

...Now, if we can only get all of these good ideas of yours, into production.

The ideas that will get into production are the ones the company/companies feel there will be the most market demand for, so if you guys see an idea you think should be on the market, then speak up .

 

[loren85022]

My wife's thinks I'm watching porn! Apparently I'm oohing and ahhing outloud.

I think standing in the back of a small trailer requires thought be given to balance. Obviously when attached to vehicle you're fine, and rear jack stands will be essential. But I still see it being tough to get stationary. You'd want a brake to keep the thing in one place but even still, she'd feel wobbly. This is why most a RTTs mount in front of the axle. The weight is now transferred to a third point. With enough weight up front, the issue would be lessened.

I like tailgates. They get used for everything. Barn doors would have to grow on me.

Curious what software you use?

 

[jscherb]

...
Curious what software you use?

All of my drawings are done with Microsoft Visio 2003.

 

[jscherb]

I was asked if the pop-top I posted yesterday could also be used on the tub alone, without the camper side panels. The answer is "yes, but". The "yes" part:

The "but" part:

Because the sides of the Safari Cab hardtop slope in about an inch on each side to match the angle of the door frames, the roof panel is an inch narrower than the tub (the drip rails add back 1/2" to each side of the roof). To use the camper roof pop-up frame directly on the tub, an "adapter ring" could be made that sits on the tub and provides a mounting surface for the frame. The adapter ring could easily be made from wood for a few dollars.

Using an adapter ring, you could build a base trailer with tub, and get a roof and pop-up frame, then you'd have a hard tonneau for the trailer. When budget permitted, you could add the canvas and have a small pop-up sleeper. And when budget permitted again, you could add the camper side panels and begin building a full-blown camper.

 

[RareSS]

The top of the tub kit is not flat, sooooo 'someone' would need to make a mold that would seal over this edge, and also have an inside area lip that the hard top could attach to.
I sure wish that I had all of these pieces to play with, layout, fit together, send you the sketches of what I think could work, let you build it, let you fit it all together, and then send your design out for fabrication.
Or ...... You could just resize the top to fit the tub. (I think this would be easier in the end. But .... if someone was going to combine the tub, the camper sides, and the tub, the 'adapter' would be a necessity.)
Just some thoughts......

 

[jscherb]

The top of the tub kit is not flat, sooooo 'someone' would need to make a mold that would seal over this edge, and also have an inside area lip that the hard top could attach to.

No need to make a fiberglass part for this, it's easy and cost-effective to do in wood. I'm doing a similar thing to mount the trailer-top tent to the base tub, when I post the design and details of that (in the trailer tub thread) you may see how something similar could be used to mount the pop-up. And doing it in "DIY wood" keeps costs down so more people could afford it.

I sure wish that I had all of these pieces to play with, layout, fit together, send you the sketches of what I think could work, let you build it, let you fit it all together, and then send your design out for fabrication.

Feel free to post sketches of your ideas here in the thread.

Or ...... You could just resize the top to fit the tub. (I think this would be easier in the end. But .... if someone was going to combine the tub, the camper sides, and the tub, the 'adapter' would be a necessity.)

The idea is to provide an upgrade path from base tub -> tub with hard tonneau -> tub with simple pop-up camper -> tub plus full hard camper top with pop-up. For that to work, the roof needs to be the same part for all. That's why the simple wood adapter ring would be used, and it's likely a throw-away piece when you upgrade to the full camper top anyway, so why make it expensive?

For a hard tonneau cover for shorter tubs, which wouldn't be used as a pop-up camper top, I'd do a different top, specifically sized to fit the tub as a tonneau (but that's a subject for the trailer tub thread, not this camper top thread ).