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[Alloy]

Wouldn't be too hard to cut (hot wire) a shape to fill the void. It comes down to how extreme the (60 degree North in winter) temperatures are.

I've seen sprayed/blown/expanded foam absorb water but I've not seen extruded foam ( buried outside a concrete foundation) absorb water.

Sealing the edges is good but how about fastening for awnings/racks/solar and cutouts for hatches/windows/doors?

 

[Victorian]

Wouldn't be too hard to cut (hot wire) a shape to fill the void. It comes down to how extreme the (60 degree North in winter) temperatures are.

I've seen sprayed/blown/expanded foam absorb water but I've not seen extruded foam ( buried outside a concrete foundation) absorb water.

Sealing the edges is good but how about fastening for awnings/racks/solar and cutouts for hatches/windows/doors?

I think the weak point in very cold climates will be the windows, door and hatches. After that, I would worry about filling the void in the extrusions.

1. Solar panels should only be glued. The goal is to prevent openings in the roof at all cost as these could and most likely will leak at some point.
2. Windows (arctic Tern are clamped in place, no glue or sealant needed) You could use a cheap kitchen and bath caulking to seal the foam before installing the window.
3. Hatches and entry doors are glued in place and therefore should not have any water intrusion.
4. Awnings and other accessories can be mounted to our internal structure. We place these to your specs.

 

[sg1]

I assume the foam you use is closed cell PU or similar foam. This foam doesn´t absorb water. In my composite camper I cut a 3 inch diameter hole in one of the panels to get access to the winch which lowers the spare wheel on the Transit. Because it was only a small panel to cover the rear of the frame under the cabin I never got around to seal the hole. !0 years later there still is no moisture in the panel.

 

[Victorian]

I assume the foam you use is closed cell PU or similar foam. This foam doesn´t absorb water. In my composite camper I cut a 3 inch diameter hole in one of the panels to get access to the winch which lowers the spare wheel on the Transit. Because it was only a small panel to cover the rear of the frame under the cabin I never got around to seal the hole. !0 years later there still is no moisture in the panel.

Correct. We use German made PU closed cell foam core that was specifically developed for the automotive industry. No comparison to the foam you can buy at Home Depot... In theory the foam should not absorb any moisture. The reality sometimes looks different... Although it hasn't happened to our panels as far as I know, I have personally drained tons of water out of expedition bodies in Germany. I think the water is still able to intrude through the fine channels needed through the vacuum pressing process. You can see those channels in the picture below.
In any case, if you seal the roof and openings proper you should never have an issue.

 

[Alloy]

I assume the foam you use is closed cell PU or similar foam. This foam doesn´t absorb water. In my composite camper I cut a 3 inch diameter hole in one of the panels to get access to the winch which lowers the spare wheel on the Transit. Because it was only a small panel to cover the rear of the frame under the cabin I never got around to seal the hole. !0 years later there still is no moisture in the panel.

From the mfg. tech doc I've read the best close cell foam is 95% close cell.

Trimming the skin off reduces the number of closed cells.

Differential in heat will draw the moisture through the foam.

A hole in a location subject to standing/running water will have a different result.

In home building they use 1lb foam so water from a leaky roof will pass through the foam.

 

[Joey G]

Very good question!

We are actually getting a lot of people calling us asking for "just" the panels as they are planing of welding up an exo skeleton.

That all sounds reasonable, thanks.

When using your FRP extrusions, how do you deal with angles? I saw this brief image from one of your videos; do you have any details on this process? It's not readily apparent to me how to smoothly integrate this into the extrusions.

 

[Victorian]

Have a look at this picture. I stole this from one of our customers albums.

In addition to the 45 degree corners, we can also do a radius.

 

[Joey G]

Have a look at this picture.

Very good. One more followup question please, are the pieces outlined in red available from you, or are they fabricated by the customer?

 

[Victorian]

Very good. One more followup question please, are the pieces outlined in red available from you, or are they fabricated by the customer?


View attachment 582972

These where made by the customer. We have stainless steel caps available

 

[Victorian]

New product announcement!
Custom water tanks (grey/black and fresh water)
Manufactured to your specs and shipped to your door.
Turn around time is ~2-3 weeks
These tanks are manufactured in Canada and will ship from Canada

Any shape or size is available to suit your application. Will come prepped with baffles, NPT Fittings in any location that you need.

Fabricated from High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE)
Extrusion Welded Seams
Pressure Tested
Food grade FDA approved materials ideal for Potable water and sewage tanks

We can also manufacture storage lockers, propane bottle enclosures, and battery boxes.

For quoting, please visit our online store, fill out the template and submit back to us. https://expeditionupfitter.com/coll...ustom-fabricated-fresh-grey-black-water-tanks

 

[Christian P.]

Andreas,

I have a few questions if you don't mind - posting here as perhaps other people are also curious.

Have-you seen/designed a camper built with a pop-top with your panels? I was looking at Greame's camper but it seems like he is using thinner panels that the ones you presented on here. I am also not clear why he is adding an aluminum skin glued on the top of it.


I am thinking a smaller box that would be installed behind a pickup truck with a pop-top to keep a lower profile.
I am starting to get very anxious for a trip back to West Africa and I am daydreaming about a camper build on a Tundra.

Also second question - what happens if a side panel gets damaged? Let's say you slide down a ditch and hit a tree and dent a panel and poke a hole, what is the consequence? Can you just cut and replace (glue?) that section?

Thank you very much for your info.

 

[Victorian]

Andreas,

I have a few questions if you don't mind - posting here as perhaps other people are also curious.

Have-you seen/designed a camper built with a pop-top with your panels? I was looking at Greame's camper but it seems like he is using thinner panels that the ones you presented on here. I am also not clear why he is adding an aluminum skin glued on the top of it.


I am thinking a smaller box that would be installed behind a pickup truck with a pop-top to keep a lower profile.
I am starting to get very anxious for a trip back to West Africa and I am daydreaming about a camper build on a Tundra.

Also second question - what happens if a side panel gets damaged? Let's say you slide down a ditch and hit a tree and dent a panel and poke a hole, what is the consequence? Can you just cut and replace (glue?) that section?

Thank you very much for your info.

View attachment 585992

The defender camper was truly a one off. They did the design and planing by themselves. although we did not have any materials available at the time that would have been ideal for this design, the Bell family still managed to create a house on wheels. They should be proud! . I have no idea why they applied a aluminum skin to the outside. I tried to talk them out of it as the expansion/ contraction between the frp skin is greatly different. But looking at current pictures, it seams fine.
disclosure: we supplied the Bell family with the panels, extrusions and adhesive.
I would also like to make clear that we do not promote this type of construction/ design. there are way better methods available. But at the time and at a very strict time frame, this is what we could do to help them make their dream come true. It gets me a smile every time I think how far they have travelled! Respect!


Now fast forward to 2020 ?
we are actually getting a lot of requests for smaller camper boxes in that style. Unfortunately, there are no extrusions/ components easily available in North America to create a pop up roof. The good thing is, that we are currently working on something very exciting that will fill that void in the overland do it yourself market. please stay tuned.


As for the durability of our composite panels:
we use a industry standard 1.5mm frp skin on the outside. We find this is the best compromise between durability and weight. If you manage to damage it, its a simple fibreglass patch that would get you back on the road. It’s pretty rare that composite panels are damaged to a degree where they loose structural integrity. Most times you can get away with vinyl sticker to cover up a simple puncture wound.

 

[Christian P.]

Thanks for the detailed reply. I can't wait to see what you are coming up with.

 

[Alloy]

New product announcement!
Custom water tanks (grey/black and fresh water)
Manufactured to your specs and shipped to your door.
Turn around time is ~2-3 weeks
These tanks are manufactured in Canada and will ship from Canada

Any shape or size is available to suit your application. Will come prepped with baffles, NPT Fittings in any location that you need.

Fabricated from High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE)
Extrusion Welded Seams
Pressure Tested
Food grade FDA approved materials ideal for Potable water and sewage tanks

We can also manufacture storage lockers, propane bottle enclosures, and battery boxes.

For quoting, please visit our online store, fill out the template and submit back to us. https://expeditionupfitter.com/coll...ustom-fabricated-fresh-grey-black-water-tanksView attachment 585909View attachment 585910

Very nice. Good detailing on the baffle venting. Like the black filler rod!

 

[Victorian]

Proud to be offering two very nice options for entry doors! Check them out in our online store ? www.totalcomposites.com