Slide in Camper Survey

[SootyCamper]

Excited for this as I've been looking on the market for a smaller camper to utilize on a SRW 3500/350 type pick up flatbed. I particularly like your flat pack idea because as we all know these campers can get expensive quick and would allow me to start basic and add components over the course of the build.

For the kit you've mentioned with glass windows/high quality hatches and door, I think a maximum of $20-$25k CAD for an unassembled flatpack would have some good results both here in Canada and abroad.

I sure do hope you follow through, as this is exactly what I want.

 

[givemethewillys]

First, I want to say that I'm really excited that a company is taking this step to make a composite shell kit. I think other people did a good job discussing the size considerations, and I agree with them.

I might be the only one, but I think that the prices that people are saying are way high. This isn't actually a camper y'all are selling, but rather a bunch of panels in a flat pack. It doesn't come with any systems at all. $10,000 sounds way high for what you would get with your kit. $5000 sounds more reasonable to me, and would be the max I'd be interested in spending.

 

[simple]

I like where you are going with this.

I would guess your cost on the panels and windows extrusions etc is around $3500. Add more cost to cut, hold inventory, keep the lights on, deal with customers, general overhead etc. Bear in mind that these are not going to be sold at any kind of volume, it all starts to add up. $7-8k for DIY would be a pretty good price in my mind although a person would have to really want this specific product because with little effort, a pretty decent used slide in camper can be purchased for $8-$12k.

This Canadian company offered a composite panel slide in camper for I think around $10k assembled for several years and it didn't get any traction.

RECREATIONAL VEHICLES - RV COMPOSITE PANELS - CPT Panels

CPT RV composite panels are ideal in the RV industry where lightweight, strong, and durable design is needed. Although more expensive than traditional construction, composite panels are used where traditional building materials are unable to provide the performance required. Typical applications...

www.cptpanels.com

This company tried to import those campers, rebrand them and bump the price and as far as I know they didn't go anywhere.

https://www.cavecampers.com/

If there was a design that suited my needs for a flat pack DIY composite camper for around $8k I would absolutely buy one. Sourcing and cutting panels is the hard part of this type of build in my opinion.

My wishful specs would be:
8' Flat bed style box to save pieces (material sqft or meters eh?), less weight, more easily assembled. Short bed guys could let it hang over or add an angled bottom corner for departure angle.
82" inside width to accommodate east west queen size mattress.
Nose over cab interior min length 60" for queen size mattress.
Passenger side entry door to allow for racks on the back.
Large horizontal rectangular door along bottom of one of the outer sides for storage. Corresponding compartment forms interior bench for sitting and additional sleeping space. A place to large enough for skis and surfboards etc.

HOW SOON CAN I GET ONE?

 

[gsea]

There have been several upstarts and attempts at this over the years. Here's to hoping this one follows through and sticks, because I love the concept and frankly there is not a commercially-produced truck camper that meets my needs that isn't a flimsy POS or outrageously expensive.

My problem is that I'm looking for something in between a typical RV-style camper and the smattering of overly-minimalist boutique designs out that that aren't much more than a glorified expensive tent. The trouble is, I'm trying to find a do-it-all solution that is rugged enough to take on my more adventurous overlanding trips with my buddies, but still comfortable enough that the Mrs and daughter can be pacified for long weekend camping trips or cross-country road trips. This means a bathroom and possibly some sort of a shower.

I want the truck camper because I can still tow a toy trailer when needed (ATV, race car, jet ski, snowmobile, etc), or when trying to go deeper in the hills, have a small footprint when not towing so I can get into places you couldn't normally take a camp trailer. I also don't want wood because it's too easy to ruin and rot and hate most of the interior finishing and components used in the typical RV-style camper which also make it heavier than it needs to be (and too heavy for my truck). I know I'm looking for a unicorn. The closest thing I found was were the earlier aluminum camplite models, now defunct, which would be amazing with a few adjustments.

I'm a designer by trade, so have a vision of what I wish would exist, but doesn't. I have thought about getting ambitious and building myself, but think the shell and structure is the hardest part to get right and is the engineering portion that may be outside my skillset. Everything else I can do.

If you guys do this right, and can target something around $10k or less (hopefully), I'd be a very likely buyer as I'd like to be under $20k to by the time it is all built out.

My $.02 below.

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 really like this idea. My trucks is a 6.5' bed F150. I use it as my primary off-road vehicle, not just a "tow vehicle" and so I'd like to be able to "drop off the camper" at basecamp and still use the truck for trails and exploring from there, or running into town as needed, etc. Retaining the use of the tailgate, camera, and having the porch is ideal. The commercially-produced aluminum camper I was considering is 6.8' so only a few inches too long to make this possible. It wouldn't be a deal breaker if it extended past the tailgate, but in my mind if you're going to do that, you may as well make it 7' or so to get some extra usable space out of the deal, but not all the way to 8' because then I start to lose of the biggest benefit of a shortbed camper, which is access to the tow hitch without having to use an extension.

1. 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?

Open to it, depending on the design. would prefer 60" or a NS sleeping arrangment, but could live with EW sleeping as long as you could get at least get 60" somehow.

1. 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 like narrower, extending flush to the side of the truck with only the jacks sticking past that plae. I find my truck gets "pinstriped" by branches and brush on the regular as it is.

1. Interior height: We need a happy medium. 78” is the current measurement. Thoughts?

Seems like a fine height. I love more interior height for cabinetry and a more roomy feeling, but clearnace is an issue in wooded areas, as is the CoG when travelling. I'd like to be able to get some things on the roof without too much trouble.

1. 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?

Half ton. There are already a lot of campers to choose from in the 3/4+ ton range, and I think the compact trucks are just too small anyway. If I went back to a ranger, I'd just do a popup rtt or something similar instead of trying to make a camper work and still be light enough.

 

[Victorian]

Thank you very much for all the input. We are going to analyze everything over the next weeks and let you know how we are going to proceed. In the mean time, let me answer a couple of your guy's requests:

1. Size:
We most likely will start with a camper design for full size pick ups. The low load rating on the 1/2 tons is a bit scary. We need to consult with our legal team about liability first.
2. Price:
Every sqft in material increases cost (and weight). Our materials are premium, warehousing, wages, shipping, handling.... this all needs to be accounted for. Therefore you will not see a kit for $5000 as some suggested. If our pricing is not in line with your budged or needs, that's totally fine. Nothing wrong with buying something else used and hit the trail for some fun. Our goal is to serve people that want something better and more unique. I see us landing somewhere between 10.000 and 13.000 (plus freight to where ever you are)
3. Comparison to others:
Tons of competition out there! We are not trying to do the same as everyone else.... Therefore please do not compare us to campers that are not as insulated, have a pop up or made of plywood and cardboard. With us you are getting something unique, high in quality and most flexibility when it comes to outfitting it to your taste and budged.

 

[workerdrone]

I've not read every word in reply here but would personally prefer a full size version that allows for a side entry door (flatbed?).

Maybe I'm the only one concerned about dust sealing on rear doors.

Would spring for the premium materials because I'd want a true 4 season / full time camper, so I'd want enough interior space and storage to make things comfortable and enjoyable inside if we hit days in a row of rain/cold.

 

[Buliwyf]

Would have to be the flat bed model for side entry. I've never seen that on a pickup.

My rear entry area would be a full width shower/bathroom. So dust/dirt entry there is no big deal. My work truck sees ten times more dust than a camper, and it's lame rubber door seals are working ok. I have to lube and clean them weekly.

 

[1000arms]

Would have to be the flat bed model for side entry. I've never seen that on a pickup. ...

A side entry door would be easy to do with a "basement" that fills the bed with the floor of the cabin above the bed rails. Too tall (and/or heavy) for many people, but, there are many full-basement slide-in truck-campers that are tall enough for a side entry over the pickup truck bed.

Also:

Custom Side-Entry Slide-Out Truck Camper

Mario Mercier has built a stunning custom side-entry, single-slide camper that challenges just about every RV manufacturing technique.

www.truckcampermagazine.com

https://www.eaglecapcampers.com/eagle-cap-1200

 

[mrghostwalker]

I would like to see a model which would fit on a flat-bed-
but I don't know if there would be enough demand to support adding it to your production line.

 

[workerdrone]

I've seen models (Lance?) that extend past the tailgate and have a side entry with some steps up. Could mess with departure angle. Yeah, much like that Mercier custom above

Also rear door models that have a stair that is essentially a 2nd door seal, they swing up as a single unit and cover the rear door completely (not american truck camper).

Cleaning and lubing rubber seals weekly doesn't sound like fun That's something I currently do yearly, if that much

But side entry also seems like it would make carrying stuff (bikes, motorcycle, spare tire...) easier to plan

 

[Alloy]

Thank you very much for all the input. We are going to analyze everything over the next weeks and let you know how we are going to proceed. In the mean time, let me answer a couple of your guy's requests:

1. Size:
We most likely will start with a camper design for full size pick ups. The low load rating on the 1/2 tons is a bit scary. We need to consult with our legal team about liability first.
2. Price:
Every sqft in material increases cost (and weight). Our materials are premium, warehousing, wages, shipping, handling.... this all needs to be accounted for. Therefore you will not see a kit for $5000 as some suggested. If our pricing is not in line with your budged or needs, that's totally fine. Nothing wrong with buying something else used and hit the trail for some fun. Our goal is to serve people that want something better and more unique. I see us landing somewhere between 10.000 and 13.000 (plus freight to where ever you are)
3. Comparison to others:
Tons of competition out there! We are not trying to do the same as everyone else.... Therefore please do not compare us to campers that are not as insulated, have a pop up or made of plywood and cardboard. With us you are getting something unique, high in quality and most flexibility when it comes to outfitting it to your taste and budged.

Could be an affordable Earthroamer camper kit. The hurdle will be ensuring the DIY finishing is done so it adds to the product.

 

[Victorian]

Could be an affordable Earthroamer camper kit. The hurdle will be ensuring the DIY finishing is done so it adds to the product.

We already have camper kits for bigger trucks. Our focus is strictly with slide in campers.

 

[simple]

I looked on your site but didn't see a kit description similar to the F350 in your post. Looking at the picture of the f350 camper it looks like some exoskeleton brackets were added under the nose. Was this necessary because of the location of the entry door? If so, would it be needed if the door were at the back?

 

[Buliwyf]

I think their normal stuff is mostly custom. Measure your flatbed for a box, tell them where you want the door.

I'm going to do some more research. If I build my own......I might prefer the flatbed model. I'm excited either way. The camper shell is the hard part for me to do well from scratch. Interior and roof top AC is cake.

 

[Alloy]

We already have camper kits for bigger trucks. Our focus is strictly with slide in campers.

Guess I'm a little confused. I was thinking several would be produced (enought to fill 1or 2 40' containers vs. what I've seen before is 1 model is produced and shipped it in a partially filled 20' or 40' container.