The Green Mountain Wanderer – A DIY Composite F-450 Build

[rickgibbs]

Over the last several years, my family and I have gone on many adventures in our well-built sprinter van but over time we found ourselves exploring more technical terrain and getting ourselves into places that you really shouldn’t take a sprinter. So last year, we decided to sell the van and build our own expedition camper on a 2022 F450 cab and chassis so our family of four and a 85lb husky could explore more terrain away from civilization.

After following several well thought out builds on these forums, I thought it would be fun to see what we could build. We decided to build our camper based on an aluminum exoskeleton with composite panels that we constructed in our garage (yikes, not sure I’ll do that again).

We are 6 months into our build, and I have a lot of catching up to do on this build thread but figured I would start with an initial post to introduce what we have been up to. We are scheduled to leave on a month-long trip later this summer to go back and explore Montana, so we are racing to finish it up.

Introducing the Green Mountain Wanderer – Made in Vermont ;-)



We ordered the truck last summer thinking it would take 6+ months to come in and we had it 2 months later, which was a pleasant surprise





These are the initial renderings of our design which we then turned into a full set of CAD drawings to ensure all these crazy angles would line up.

Thanks again to everyone that has shared their experiences, we would have been lost on this project without you. We’ll be posting more on the build process and what modifications that are being done to the F450

- Rick

 

[Jonnyo]

i m doing the same build technic but on a ford transit chassis. what kind of panel are you making? what material? technic? any details?

glue them to the aluminum frame or rivet them also?

 

[ben_j_c]

Looks great! If you want someone to review your CAD design that just did the same process let me know, I would be happy to help!

 

[rickgibbs]

i m doing the same build technic but on a ford transit chassis. what kind of panel are you making? what material? technic? any details?

glue them to the aluminum frame or rivet them also?

Later today I am going to post on how we built the panels but the short answer is, FRP+structural honeycomb+PVC foam+FRP. We then glued the panels to the inside of the aluminum frame with sika 252, used 3m tape for a spacer and used rivets to hold it in place while it cured. Came out bomber

 

[rickgibbs]

Looks great! If you want someone to review your CAD design that just did the same process let me know, I would be happy to help!

I wish I found your build earlier in the process, it probably could have saved me a ton of time but it was a great learning experience. I really like how your build is turning out.

 

[rickgibbs]

Most people on this forum advise that you shouldn't build your own panels for a number of reasons but I figured I would give it a shot, why not. After spending a month building panels, there were a lot of lessons learned and I probably wouldn't do it again.

We started off by contacting Carbon Core to get some honeycomb panels and some PVC foam. My plan was to have a 1/2" of honeycomb with 1" of PVC sandwiched between 2 layers of FRP. We figured that we would get the strength out of the honeycomb and some insulation value out of the PVC. In hindsight, I should have used just the PVC since we encountered some delamination issues due to the glue adhering to the the skins of the honeycomb its self (epoxy would have been a lot better)



Then we contacted Vetroresina and was able to order a monster roll of 1.6m FRP and had it delivered to the shop. I am glad we had so much extra, so that we could do some testing and handle some errors along the way



We also built a few 4x8 MDF tables for all the panel building and a nice roller system to work with the FRP. I think the roll weighed like 700lbs



We did a number of test panels and tried a few different gluing techniques and ended up settling on PL premium since I couldn't get my garage warm enough for epoxy and we were building these panels between thanksgiving and xmas. But our tests worked out great and we could jump up and down on these panels so we felt like we were good to go. We also estimated it would be about 2lbs per sq/ft for the panels which isn't the lightest but ok for our first tim building a camper. The real challenge was finding enough PL at the local box stores





So lots of gluing and more gluing and yes, more gluing. We even got my girls involved to help out, they had a blast. (we didn't trust the young one to stay clean, so we wrapped her in a garbage bag)





After we got the panels all glued up, we laid down a piece of MDS, applied clamps to the edges and a bunch of sandbags to help keep some pressure while the glue set. It actually worked out great except for a few spots that we were able to fix later



The larger side panels ended up being 8'x16' and were very cumbersome to work and move, but ended up being hard as a rock in the end. Some of the panels we added 1"x3" aluminum tube on the inside for future structural support for a number of things



It took us about a month working mainly on the weekends and a holiday week to build all the panels and get ready for the next phase which was learning to weld and build out the exoskeleton.

 

[cjoneill]

I'm really enjoying reading about your build. Looking forward to seeing how it turns out!

A couple of questions:
How much did the roll of FRP cost you? And how big was it?
Do you have any pics of the final structure, with the aluminum exo and panels attached?
What gauge aluminum did you use for your frame? What size are the frame members?
Are you planning to use sikaflex to attach interior structures (seats, cabinets) to the inner walls as well.

I just found your post a few days ago, and it's basically what I have been planning for the last year! Stoked!

 

[cjoneill]

Also, how was it dealing with Carbon-Core and Vetroresina?

 

[rickgibbs]

I'm really enjoying reading about your build. Looking forward to seeing how it turns out!

Thanks. We are cranking along and hoping to get more posted in the next day or so.

A couple of questions:
How much did the roll of FRP cost you? And how big was it?

I think it was around $2800 for a 200ft roll that was 96" wide, it weighed like 900lbs on the pallet.

Do you have any pics of the final structure, with the aluminum exo and panels attached?

My next post has the construction of the exo skeleton, then I'll post the glue up stage.

What gauge aluminum did you use for your frame? What size are the frame members?

We used 5052 and 3/16" for the frame which in hindsight made a bomber structure, but I would probably do 1/8" next time around. The profiles ended up being angled and we had a 3" overlap wherever we were gluing

Are you planning to use sikaflex to attach interior structures (seats, cabinets) to the inner walls as well.

I had installed some aluminum tube inside the walls of the panels. Our cabinets are secured via rivnuts to those in addition to angle glued to interior using the same technique we used on the frame: tape for spacer, sika and rivets to hold until try. I have to say, the glued supports are bomber.

I just found your post a few days ago, and it's basically what I have been planning for the last year! Stoked!

Nice, I'll get more information posted asap. I watched the @Everlanders youtube videos like a 100 times for inspiration.

 

[rickgibbs]

Also, how was it dealing with Carbon-Core and Vetroresina?

Both companies were amazing to work with especially since I was a newbie working with these materials. The shipping is what will kill you in the end, but it was worth it to secure the proper materials.

 

[ripperj]

Great build.. thank you for detailing the process. I too am day dreaming about a build. I have a Northstar Adventurer , which is a great camper, but it annoys me that I didn’t build it

Keep up the pics, I know it takes time!!


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[rickgibbs]

One of the more daunting aspects of the build was welding the aluminum exoskeleton for me since I have never welded before. Luckily, I was able to meet a local welding instructor that was willing to help with the frame and allow me to be an apprentice during the process. We had 3/16" aluminum profiles bent at a local shop since we didn't have a brake large enough to handle and after a few round trips and working around some crazy schedules, we were able to get the profiles bent to our specifications. Probably the most complex aspect of the process were the crazy angle cuts and aligning everything before we could tack it together





We started with each side of the camper and were able to stand it up for the first time with some 2x4s to finally see the scale and shape of the camper which was an exciting milestone



Slowly we then worked through the cross members trying to keep everything square as we went.



A lot of clamps and bracing with backing plates allowed us to weld more efficiently






After the frame was welded up, we scuffed the exterior for when it came time to prime.



Part of what made this project more enjoyable was getting my girls involved in the process, teaching them all aspects of the build and having a little fun while doing it.



I probably didn't need to go with 3/16" but the structure ended up being very stout and made the welding a bit easier to learn on. I was pleasantly surprised that everything came out within an 1/8" of our plan and every section but one was square which I took as a win.

Next up was the process of gluing the panels in which required some interesting bracing and a lot of hands to make work.

 

[cjoneill]

That's one of the best looking exo's I've seen! Glad your measurements came out perfect. And way to keep your kids in the process...I've always done the same with my projects, and my kiddos (college age) both still love getting their hands dirty!

Looking forward to your next post!

 

[pigsammy]

Awesome build!
I'm looking forward to updates.

 

[Ramdough]

Most people on this forum advise that you shouldn't build your own panels for a number of reasons but I figured I would give it a shot, why not. After spending a month building panels, there were a lot of lessons learned and I probably wouldn't do it again.

We started off by contacting Carbon Core to get some honeycomb panels and some PVC foam. My plan was to have a 1/2" of honeycomb with 1" of PVC sandwiched between 2 layers of FRP. We figured that we would get the strength out of the honeycomb and some insulation value out of the PVC. In hindsight, I should have used just the PVC since we encountered some delamination issues due to the glue adhering to the the skins of the honeycomb its self (epoxy would have been a lot better)

View attachment 718371

Then we contacted Vetroresina and was able to order a monster roll of 1.6m FRP and had it delivered to the shop. I am glad we had so much extra, so that we could do some testing and handle some errors along the way

View attachment 718372

We also built a few 4x8 MDF tables for all the panel building and a nice roller system to work with the FRP. I think the roll weighed like 700lbs

View attachment 718373

We did a number of test panels and tried a few different gluing techniques and ended up settling on PL premium since I couldn't get my garage warm enough for epoxy and we were building these panels between thanksgiving and xmas. But our tests worked out great and we could jump up and down on these panels so we felt like we were good to go. We also estimated it would be about 2lbs per sq/ft for the panels which isn't the lightest but ok for our first tim building a camper. The real challenge was finding enough PL at the local box stores

View attachment 718374

View attachment 718375

So lots of gluing and more gluing and yes, more gluing. We even got my girls involved to help out, they had a blast. (we didn't trust the young one to stay clean, so we wrapped her in a garbage bag)

View attachment 718376

View attachment 718378

After we got the panels all glued up, we laid down a piece of MDS, applied clamps to the edges and a bunch of sandbags to help keep some pressure while the glue set. It actually worked out great except for a few spots that we were able to fix later

View attachment 718379

The larger side panels ended up being 8'x16' and were very cumbersome to work and move, but ended up being hard as a rock in the end. Some of the panels we added 1"x3" aluminum tube on the inside for future structural support for a number of things

View attachment 718380

It took us about a month working mainly on the weekends and a holiday week to build all the panels and get ready for the next phase which was learning to weld and build out the exoskeleton.

Love the design and write up!

You mention 1.6m frp….. did you mean 1.6mm thick frp?

Any idea on how much glue per square foot you used (per blue joint)? I am trying to guesstimate how much I would need to copy you.

I may follow in your footsteps. I plan to skip the honeycomb part. I called my sales rep and he recommended 3mm skin in both sides, which would be around $5k plus shipping.

What prep did you do on the FRP gel coat to glue to your frame?

Thanks!


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