Show us your things that flip/fold/slide/pop or otherwise open out/up

shachagra

Adventurer
@shachagra, that is epic, really clever design. So I guess the bedroom folds down then slides in, then the main part folds on top of it. How do you block up the end (where your toes are)?

I gave to my friend with simply a piece of closed cell foam that fits in the opening, but he closed it with canvas and velcro, the foam can be used if it is cold out. The entire thing was done for well under 10K, most of that went into the solar power.
 

Haf-E

Expedition Leader
Shachagra - can you post more details on the build up method for your composite / sandwich panels - I haven't found it on the other build link. What adhesive? Would appreciate it! Thanks!
 

shachagra

Adventurer
Its pretty simple.
1- Cut 1/8" plywood to the size of the panel you want. 2 pieces for both sides. It would be ideal to use marine grade, but it is hard to find and pricey. You can use anything, even cheap floor underlayment since you will be coating all surfaces with epoxy. Make the wood slightly oversized, you can trim it down later. Don't try to be too perfect at this stage. If the panels are over 4X8 you can butt join the panels, they will be covered in glass closing that seam.
2- Lay one plywood side on the floor, cut the foam- the stuff you can get at Home Depot or Lowes like in the picture. I put wood support members about every 2 feet. I used poplar because it is light and I have lots of it, but you could use cut down 2X4s. Position the wood and foam like you want it, frame in widow opening if you want. If there will be anything attached to the panel put a wood structure in to back it. If there is a joint in the plywood make sure there is a wood member to glue the plywood to. Glue the top plywood piece to the wood frames. I use tight bond III and a brad gun to glue. it down.
3- When the glue dries carefully turn the panel over and remove the foam. Coat all the inside surfaces with epoxy, put the foam back in and glue the top plywood layer on. I would size it and make sure the panel was good before I applied fiberglass the outside. The panels are very light and rigid.

I'm sure this sounds much harder than it is. Wood/Epoxy is a very forgiving material to work with.
 

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Ford Prefect

Expedition Leader
How well did this work for you? IE specifically on insulative ability. Was it very good R-values, or pretty low? I recall that you said you only used ~16 gallons in your diesel fireplace during the year you lived in Shachagra, but I am not sure if you spent time in cold weather or not.

Thank you.
 

shachagra

Adventurer
How well did this work for you? IE specifically on insulative ability. Was it very good R-values, or pretty low? I recall that you said you only used ~16 gallons in your diesel fireplace during the year you lived in Shachagra, but I am not sure if you spent time in cold weather or not.

Thank you.

The van sides used only 3/4 inch of foam, so I'm not sure of how good they will be but with the 2" of foam in Shachagra and the double pane windows she was very snug. We spent about 2 months in the snow in Northern Scotland and the little diesel stove was more than enough to heat the cabin. I didn't get the fireplace running until after the snow started, and on freezing nights with no heat but what our bodies put out we would stay warm in the beds. The over cab was the place to go when it was cold before the heater was hooked up. On cold mornings you can see where the inner wood structure is below the skin by where the frost has melted. The extruded polystyrene panels are R-10.
 

grizzlyj

Tea pot tester
I'm sure this T-Rex has been seen here before, but...
 

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graynomad

Photographer, traveller
I've certainly see it around of late, and a couple of Landcruisers made but the same bloke in a similar design. My camper design is very similar as well, although I had done most of the design before someone pointed them out to me. It seems there are only so many ways to do the same thing :)
 

Haf-E

Expedition Leader
If that is what it takes to get her to travel along then I say a bathtub is justified...

They have a full website of the build and trips on it - but the link isn't on this computer - I'll see if I can find it. They had a rather large hot water heater that used engine heat if I remember correctly.

The top of the counters is the height of the roof when the top tent is folded down. They could climb into the camper from the cab's roof when it was opened
 

Haf-E

Expedition Leader
Here is the link to some more photos and a comment from one one about the camper:

Forget your grandparents' Winnebago, Dutch architects Dries Stevens and Nancy Neukermans have taken the ultimate German utility vehicle and outfitted it with flash amenities like a glowing duvet roof, aluminum skylights, and an over-sized bathtub, creating a contemporary mobile living unit in which they travel around Europe 6 months out of the year. The rest of the time it's parked in the couples' converted Antwerp warehouse and functions as a luxurious bathroom. But given the fact that fuel is sold by the litre in Europe, our guess is that this summer, they're taking in more baths than views.

Unfortunately the livingis.be website doesn't have any information or details. It is also quite old and hasn't been update for some time. The Unimog RV is an excellent work and maybe its creators should commercialize their work, from the photos it looks like they have enjoyed it through many journeys.

Their website is not working anymore - www.livingis.be

More good photos: http://robotpig.net/design-news/livingisbe---the-best-motorhome-in-the-world-_1665
 

graynomad

Photographer, traveller
Thanks for that, interesting rig alright. I wonder why their site is no more?

If that is what it takes to get her to travel along then I say a bathtub is justified...
Good point :)
 

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