Victorian
Approved Vendor : Total Composites
With the slide in campers we will have them come in to our warehouse in batches of 10-15 units. At this point we are trying to limit it to two different sizes. Please stay tuned.
Slide in Camper Survey
- Thread starter Victorian
- Start date
With the slide in campers we will have them come in to our warehouse in batches of 10-15 units. At this point we are trying to limit it to two different sizes. Please stay tuned.
I think this is a tough segment to satisfy.
There are many offerings already on the market it's just usually a couple of things that are deal breakers for people; 4 seasonability, weight, layout, construction materials, price, etc.
Already you can see in the responses to your questions the desire for lower cost, poptops, Tacoma sized units, units that extend past the tailgate, etc.
People who will be interested in this are going to be people with the skills to assemble the shell and build it out to suit their needs. Why not just sell the blank flat panels with corners and people can cut them to whatever suits their plans?
I know if I were to do mine over again I'd be interested in just the panels and corner extrusions. I have a poptop for a lower overall height, even though everything else on your unit suits my needs I'd not be interested on that fact alone.
Another bonus is that you wouldn't have to worry about the liability issues since what customers do with the base material is out of your control.
Just food for thought.
There are many offerings already on the market it's just usually a couple of things that are deal breakers for people; 4 seasonability, weight, layout, construction materials, price, etc.
Already you can see in the responses to your questions the desire for lower cost, poptops, Tacoma sized units, units that extend past the tailgate, etc.
People who will be interested in this are going to be people with the skills to assemble the shell and build it out to suit their needs. Why not just sell the blank flat panels with corners and people can cut them to whatever suits their plans?
I know if I were to do mine over again I'd be interested in just the panels and corner extrusions. I have a poptop for a lower overall height, even though everything else on your unit suits my needs I'd not be interested on that fact alone.
Another bonus is that you wouldn't have to worry about the liability issues since what customers do with the base material is out of your control.
Just food for thought.
VanIsle_Greg
I think I need a bigger truck!
Oh sure... NOW you add a slide in camper to your offerings. Now that I am 90% done building mine, heh. All kidding aside, I am looking at a full-sized full-size pickup (3/4 ton or one ton) in the near future to hold a BIG camper. So this, might be an option. I have seen the finished products, and anything you are selling will be a top notch kit.
So stoked to see this becoming a reality!
So stoked to see this becoming a reality!
2wheel-lee
New member
I'm preparing to buy a new 1-ton long bed soon, and this is something I'm interested in. I will continue to use the truck to tow our toy hauler, so I can't have anything sticking out too far in the back. The camper will also be used by itself as a camper (with folding beds), but it must also be able to haul 3 motorcycles, and ideally sheets of plywood. This will be built out for a family of five.
One thing I need, and there are very few options out there, is a LARGE rear door - or double doors. This is needed to load motorcycles or other large items. No small camper door. Before seeing this post, I've been primarily looking at a Mirandacap V-375. Yes, it's not insulated, but the ability to fit easily fit 3 motorcycles far outweighs having insulation. Fitting the motorcycles is an absolute must.
1. Size: For added security we like to keep the main body within the truck bed so you can close and lock the tailgate. At the same time you can use the gate as a “porch”. The downside is the reduced interior space. What is your thought?
- I like the idea of retaining the tailgate as a porch and work bench. I really like having a place to set my tools or work on things in camp (motorcycle stuff, RC cars, dinner, whatever).
- For my method of solo launching our boat, I step from the dock to the tailgate to unhook and hook the boat to the trailer (it would slide off if not tied)
- Yes, downside is that I wouldn't be able to fit sheets of plywood with the doors closed. This is not a common need, but it does come up. This is a want, not a must.
2 Cab over bed: Our current layout allows for a ~48” deep alcove . This means part of the bed will be a pull out design. Thoughts?
- Sounds good.
3 Width: We truly believe that the width should be kept as narrow as possible, following the vehicle outlines. This will allow you to go down narrow trails and also make it easier finding parking in confined spaces. This in return will compromise the interior space… Thoughts?
- I'd like the interior width to be no less than 72", so I can have the bed set up sideways. A couple inches more would be nice. My mirrors would still stick out further.
4 Interior height: We need a happy medium. 78” is the current measurement. Thoughts?
- 78" is more than I'd need, but it's OK. I might say 74". I might also want to keep it from being too high, so I can fit an AC unit on the roof.
5. Although we think we will hit the mark with smaller trucks like the Tacoma, Ranger, Colorado… We think the more sensible way would be a Gladiator, F150 or bigger to avoid being overloaded… Thoughts?
- I'm looking at a 1-ton long bed truck, so I don't care about these small trucks.
The tie-down method for this slide-in box would be my primary question. I've thought of doing a flat-bed setup, but that can be a bit tricky for a personal use truck in California, as I'm concerned that the flat bed would put it into a commercial-use category. That's why I'm leaning toward a slide-in. But...even with flat beds, I haven't seen a camper configuration that could be set up with a wide or double rear doors.
One thing I need, and there are very few options out there, is a LARGE rear door - or double doors. This is needed to load motorcycles or other large items. No small camper door. Before seeing this post, I've been primarily looking at a Mirandacap V-375. Yes, it's not insulated, but the ability to fit easily fit 3 motorcycles far outweighs having insulation. Fitting the motorcycles is an absolute must.
1. Size: For added security we like to keep the main body within the truck bed so you can close and lock the tailgate. At the same time you can use the gate as a “porch”. The downside is the reduced interior space. What is your thought?
- I like the idea of retaining the tailgate as a porch and work bench. I really like having a place to set my tools or work on things in camp (motorcycle stuff, RC cars, dinner, whatever).
- For my method of solo launching our boat, I step from the dock to the tailgate to unhook and hook the boat to the trailer (it would slide off if not tied)
- Yes, downside is that I wouldn't be able to fit sheets of plywood with the doors closed. This is not a common need, but it does come up. This is a want, not a must.
2 Cab over bed: Our current layout allows for a ~48” deep alcove . This means part of the bed will be a pull out design. Thoughts?
- Sounds good.
3 Width: We truly believe that the width should be kept as narrow as possible, following the vehicle outlines. This will allow you to go down narrow trails and also make it easier finding parking in confined spaces. This in return will compromise the interior space… Thoughts?
- I'd like the interior width to be no less than 72", so I can have the bed set up sideways. A couple inches more would be nice. My mirrors would still stick out further.
4 Interior height: We need a happy medium. 78” is the current measurement. Thoughts?
- 78" is more than I'd need, but it's OK. I might say 74". I might also want to keep it from being too high, so I can fit an AC unit on the roof.
5. Although we think we will hit the mark with smaller trucks like the Tacoma, Ranger, Colorado… We think the more sensible way would be a Gladiator, F150 or bigger to avoid being overloaded… Thoughts?
- I'm looking at a 1-ton long bed truck, so I don't care about these small trucks.
The tie-down method for this slide-in box would be my primary question. I've thought of doing a flat-bed setup, but that can be a bit tricky for a personal use truck in California, as I'm concerned that the flat bed would put it into a commercial-use category. That's why I'm leaning toward a slide-in. But...even with flat beds, I haven't seen a camper configuration that could be set up with a wide or double rear doors.
We have wanted an inexpensive, DIY-style full-size flatbed hardside camper for years. In fact, I spoke with you about this a few years ago - at that time, TC was doing custom only and the design fee alone was $2k. Being able to sell this kit for $8-12k shipped USD would be amazing.
coastalcop
Active member
NOT affiliated with TC at all! but looking at your requirement , it seems that the best option (provided the material supported it) would be load/unload via removing the tailgate (I know ford tailgates come off in under a minute ) and have the whole rear panel fold down giving you access to the entire inside of the shell and a "ramp" to assist loading the scoots. Reinforcing or covering the "normal: access door might be needed. kind of like most toyhaulers these days.
A couple of lightweight 1K less atv winches to assist in raising / lowering the panel and inset at all corners with a gasket seal.
Just letting my thoughts wander ( with no experience in the materials used)
grindmonkey
Member
I have been looking at getting the stuff to do a shell for a while. Our truck (Chevy 1500) is on the way out and we will be buying a new truck with the intent of putting the shell on it. Not having the truck in hand makes it questionable for me to have a custom shell designed. We need a shell that we can take camping in the CO mountains and use as a ski hut. We plan to do more winter camping than summer.Slide in Camper survey
TotalComposites is looking for your input! We love to engage with our customers and always appreciate feedback. No better place to ask a couple of questions than here on Expedition Portal
We are getting increased requests for slide in campers for all size pick up trucks. Our current panels system was not designed to serve that market. Therefore we have developed a brand new system that will hopefully solve the shortcomings of other brands. Like our bigger camper bodies, the new design will be sold as a kit without interior. This will allow you to outfit as you like! Warehoused and shipped from our HQ on Vancouver Island Canada. Turn around time should be less than 2 weeks.
We will only be offering fixed side walls. NO pop up. We truly believe that fabric/ plastic walls have just too many short comings (condensation, low insulation value, very poor sound proofing and possible weak point when it comes to wear and tear) . We can’t imagine it being fun having the bedding touch a wet fabric at night…
How will it be delivered:
Flat packed as freight FOB Victoria BC
In person pick up in Victoria BC is of course also an option!
How long to assemble the camper:
We will supply you with the adhesive, pre cut panels and extrusions. Everything is clearly labeled. We recommend two people for handling the components. Based on previous builds we are confident that you can successfully do this in a weekend.
Key Features:
True 4 season capabilities with 2” foam core panels all around
- Zero thermal transfer with our brand new super tough FRP extrusions
- Real glass awning style insulated windows (aluminum frame with thermal break)
- Panorama hatch (big opening in sidewall that is of course insulated and thermal transfer free)
- Zero wood inside the panels = No decay-ever!
- All outside corners/ jack mounts are stainless steel = No rust-ever!
- Also available with a full size bottom for flatbeds.
Now that we have the laid out the important technical details, we need your input:
- Size: For added security we like to keep the main body within the truck bed so you can close and lock the tailgate. At the same time you can use the gate as a “porch”. The downside is the reduced interior space. What is your thought?
- Cab over bed: Our current layout allows for a ~48” deep alcove . This means part of the bed will be a pull out design. Thoughts?
- Width: We truly believe that the width should be kept as narrow as possible, following the vehicle outlines. This will allow you to go down narrow trails and also make it easier finding parking in confined spaces. This in return will compromise the interior space… Thoughts?
- Interior height: We need a happy medium. 78” is the current measurement. Thoughts?
- Although we think we will hit the mark with smaller trucks like the Tacoma, Ranger, Colorado… We think the more sensible way would be a Gladiator, F150 or bigger to avoid being overloaded… Thoughts?
Pricing:
A very sensitive topic…
We understand the need for fairly priced quality products. Our campers will never be sold to dumping prices as the material choices do not allow for that… But we like to ask what you think a flat packed camper should cost.
Timeline:
First units should be in stock by end of September.
Thank you in advance for your highly valued feedback!
Drawings are NOT to scale!
View attachment 600224View attachment 600225
I would prefer the side door vs a rear door because I like the rear dinette design (with an overhead top bunk bed) so we can sleep a family of 5.
With that said, if you had a flatbed shell designed for a 3/4-1 ton with an 8 ft to 10 ft flatbed we would be pretty close to the front of the line. Price would need to be around the 10-12k with a max of 15k delivered.
IdaSHO
IDACAMPER
With regards to width,
I say go as narrow as possible as it provides huge benefits.
The only negative? It detracts from usable interior space.
For us though, our (narrow) camper is a game-changer. Ours is 82" wide as I recall with a 78" interior width.
Overall height is 10'4" We scrape under trees often, and trim as needed. But if it fits, it ships
We just finished a trip that involved 70+ miles off the pavement on little more than single track Jeep trails with nasty drop-offs, and any wider would have been a serious problem.
We came head-to-head with 2 vehicles on the trip, and each required one of us to reverse more than a 1/4 mile to find a pull-out large enough to pass....
Height will always be a concern for a hard side slide-in, but when the width is similar the width of the vehicle, is is considerably easier to manage.
And more power to ya if you can get this segment rolling.
There are loads of reasons why we decided upon a custom flatbed camper for our needs.
I hope more and more people realize the huge benefits of a flatbed camper on a sturdy, comfy full-size pickup.
I say go as narrow as possible as it provides huge benefits.
The only negative? It detracts from usable interior space.
For us though, our (narrow) camper is a game-changer. Ours is 82" wide as I recall with a 78" interior width.
Overall height is 10'4" We scrape under trees often, and trim as needed. But if it fits, it ships
We just finished a trip that involved 70+ miles off the pavement on little more than single track Jeep trails with nasty drop-offs, and any wider would have been a serious problem.
We came head-to-head with 2 vehicles on the trip, and each required one of us to reverse more than a 1/4 mile to find a pull-out large enough to pass....
Height will always be a concern for a hard side slide-in, but when the width is similar the width of the vehicle, is is considerably easier to manage.
And more power to ya if you can get this segment rolling.
There are loads of reasons why we decided upon a custom flatbed camper for our needs.
I hope more and more people realize the huge benefits of a flatbed camper on a sturdy, comfy full-size pickup.
@Victorian earlier you mentioned that you would never use an open flame heater such as the Dickinson Newport Marine heater. Are they that dangerous if professionally installed??
Victorian
Approved Vendor : Total Composites
It's not about the installation. This can certainly be done in a safe way. I personally can't see myself running an open flame heater that requires to burn your breathing air from inside the camper. They also need a fair bit of space around them to keep things from melting. Interior space is always at a premium in campers, therefore they are not really an option in my mind.
STREGA
Explorer
With regards to width,
I say go as narrow as possible as it provides huge benefits.
The only negative? It detracts from usable interior space.
For us though, our (narrow) camper is a game-changer. Ours is 82" wide as I recall with a 78" interior width.
Overall height is 10'4" We scrape under trees often, and trim as needed. But if it fits, it ships
We just finished a trip that involved 70+ miles off the pavement on little more than single track Jeep trails with nasty drop-offs, and any wider would have been a serious problem.
We came head-to-head with 2 vehicles on the trip, and each required one of us to reverse more than a 1/4 mile to find a pull-out large enough to pass....
Height will always be a concern for a hard side slide-in, but when the width is similar the width of the vehicle, is is considerably easier to manage.
And more power to ya if you can get this segment rolling.
There are loads of reasons why we decided upon a custom flatbed camper for our needs.
I hope more and more people realize the huge benefits of a flatbed camper on a sturdy, comfy full-size pickup.
Agree with your comments especially about flatbed campers. Over the last 30+ years I have had a few different slide in campers/truck combos and my current and first flatbed camper on a 3500 cab/chassis has been the best.
As to the original post of this thread I think there could be quite a bit of interest in a DIY camper build and the price point around 10 to 12K is probably a realistic number. Unfortunately for me it doesn’t work out due to having some physical health issues and also not having a place to do a camper build. Maybe if there was a business that could do the build at a fair/reasonable cost for those of us who cannot build it ourselves for whatever reason might help out.
Another thought I have is I really like the idea of using the modern materials available today for the outside shell of the camper but have the interior of old school 60’s campers. Don’t even know if that kind of wood veneer is available anymore but it is for me a warm comfy feeling that I prefer over most of the stuff a lot of today campers use. Can’t remember what Alaskan campers use but IIRC they kinda of do something like this.
RAM5500 CAMPERTHING
OG Portal Member #183
Agree 100%. Oddly, I’m seeing this more and more as a trend with smaller camper, which logically doesn’t make sense. They take up a lot of valuable real estate
I saw one in a Scout camper yesterday. It was so well done...perfect spot and they loved it. Super efficient too. I haven't ever used one but it seemed cool. For anyone doing some ski camping, it seems ideal.
Agreed. Much of these small wood-fired stoves come from the sailboat world which is also a space-constrained, fiberglass and composite constructed environment. I don't see the problem.