Great job Nick!!
Keep up the good work....it's coming out awesome!
Keep up the good work....it's coming out awesome!
Offroad popup camper build (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Atoyot1031
- Start date
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Nice Work, your post's have been helping us out with some of the questions/idea's 
I was pondering with our build. But we're still looking for something to start with 
, springs coming fast.
97, killer, I moved there in 91, we probably know/knew a lot of the same folks. I also can totally relate on how your "Camping Needs" have changed!!!
Can't wait to see more...
I was pondering with our build. But we're still looking for something to start with , springs coming fast.97, killer, I moved there in 91, we probably know/knew a lot of the same folks. I also can totally relate on how your "Camping Needs" have changed!!!
Can't wait to see more...
- Thread starter
- #43
I got the lower box walls stained and sealed. I squared up the DS wall and mounted it with (5) angle brackets as well as over a dozen 10x2" wood screws through the floor and into the base of the walls.
I measured the size of the door opening and cut the PS wall to accommodate. I secured that wall in a similar fashion.
Finally, I secured the upper front and rear walls to the side walls.
As it sits, it is more solid/secure/sturdy than the original camper was with the cabinets, bracketry, and the rest of the wall portions. This is hopefully a promising glimpse of the overall structural integrity that will be necessary to actually wheel thins thing...
Here's a view of the PS wall. Note: the grain feature in the wall will carry into the inside of the door. All of the corner brackets will be hidden by cabinets/dry storage.
Close up of the PS wall.
Close up of DS wall.
A view of the front upper wall.
Underside view of all of the screws (8x2") I used to secure the wall to the floor.
Lastly, an overhead view of the lower box with the sidewalls and upper front and rear walls in place.
This was the first time thus far, it somewhat resembled a camper (or at least it's silhouette did). Definitely the most gratifying/encouraging thing thus far!
I measured the size of the door opening and cut the PS wall to accommodate. I secured that wall in a similar fashion.
Finally, I secured the upper front and rear walls to the side walls.
As it sits, it is more solid/secure/sturdy than the original camper was with the cabinets, bracketry, and the rest of the wall portions. This is hopefully a promising glimpse of the overall structural integrity that will be necessary to actually wheel thins thing...
Here's a view of the PS wall. Note: the grain feature in the wall will carry into the inside of the door. All of the corner brackets will be hidden by cabinets/dry storage.
Close up of the PS wall.
Close up of DS wall.
A view of the front upper wall.
Underside view of all of the screws (8x2") I used to secure the wall to the floor.
Lastly, an overhead view of the lower box with the sidewalls and upper front and rear walls in place.
This was the first time thus far, it somewhat resembled a camper (or at least it's silhouette did). Definitely the most gratifying/encouraging thing thus far!
Sweet work keep it coming!
Nice job. I have a few questions. How high is the floor going to be above grade? It looks like it is at least a few (4-5) inches above the height of your 33". What are you going to do for door access? Maybe a triple tier folding step, or just a tall stool?
What are your plans for the hitch? Having towed a TenTrax over the Rubicon, I cannot emphasize enough the importance of an articulable hitch. Either a Lock n' Roll, pintle or the new design manufactured by Adventure Trailers.
I've used a pintle style before and they work well, biggest drawback is noise from it constantly banging into the carrier (Small draw back). The Lock n' Roll on my Adventure Trailer Chaser worked well for thousands of miles with no problems or complaints. The Treg on my current Kimberly Kamper is a very solid unit with great movement. It also seems to be the biggest of all the aforementioned units, though. The new hitch tested and manufactured by Adventure Trailers seems to be simple, compact and light. Knowing the owners personally and professionally I'd say without testing it, that it's probably a great unit or they wouldn't be associated with it.
Your building the trailer for severe duty, but your current hitch is going to limit you. I'm enjoying the build and it's one of the threads I look forward to each day.
From 04
What are your plans for the hitch? Having towed a TenTrax over the Rubicon, I cannot emphasize enough the importance of an articulable hitch. Either a Lock n' Roll, pintle or the new design manufactured by Adventure Trailers.
I've used a pintle style before and they work well, biggest drawback is noise from it constantly banging into the carrier (Small draw back). The Lock n' Roll on my Adventure Trailer Chaser worked well for thousands of miles with no problems or complaints. The Treg on my current Kimberly Kamper is a very solid unit with great movement. It also seems to be the biggest of all the aforementioned units, though. The new hitch tested and manufactured by Adventure Trailers seems to be simple, compact and light. Knowing the owners personally and professionally I'd say without testing it, that it's probably a great unit or they wouldn't be associated with it.
Your building the trailer for severe duty, but your current hitch is going to limit you. I'm enjoying the build and it's one of the threads I look forward to each day.
From 04
- Thread starter
- #46
As you know, it's a small world, and Aspen is much, much smaller. I can't seem to travel anywhere without running into Aspen folks.
Thanks for the kind words and thoughts.
Obviously great mimes think alike!
Here's what I've got for the entrance to the camper.
I'm going to cut the handle down, angle it in towards the camper and weld it in place. I'll also weld a couple hooks on the frame rail below the door to keep the ladder from going anywhere when it is in place.
As to the hitch, I'm partial to the Lock 'N Roll. It's cheaper than the Max Coupler from Adventure Trailer, and it's been around longer. I'd run a Treg, but due to shipping overseas, they are more expensive than either of the aforementioned. Not only is the Max more expensive, but I would have to add an additional 2" hitch tube to the front as well (read: another $20-$30).
So I installed the lower front and rear walls. I used ~50 (8x2") screws for each board from the sides top and bottom.
I also used three more angle brackets on the inside walls that will be hidden by the cabinets.
Lastly, I sealed every exterior seam and screw hole with 100% silicone.
Next up, skinning the lower box...
Last edited:
- Thread starter
- #47
Got going on skinning the trailer today. I used this product an aluminum trim coil (600"x24") product that I got at Lowe's. The front and rear were a real pain in the arse due to the angle. Since I don't have an 8' brake, I broke the aluminum over the edge of a table. This helped, but didn't have the overall desired result I was looking for. I (3/16" v-notch) troweled subfloor adhesive onto the wood, then used a flooring roller to adhere the metal to the wood. Longterm, I think I'll have a piece of aluminum diamond plate broken for the front and rear, but this will definitely due for now.
Front
Rear
Front
Rear
Awesome! Are you going to use the canvas from the original camper or redo that also?
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lookin good
That looks good. Is there any way you could have extended the front wrap past the sides, say an inch or so on each side? My thoughts are that you could then fold the excess back onto the side panels for a little added protection that would be covered up by your corner trim.
Just a thought. Keep up the nice work.
Just a thought. Keep up the nice work.
- Thread starter
- #51
Yup. I should get a few years out of it. It needs a couple small patches, but overall I would say it's 60%-70%. So basically, my $600 bought me canvas, a furnace, two burner stove, a sink, a table, 1/2 a roof, and a 3D template for building a camper. I think I came out on top considering the furnace new would be roughly $500.
Again, yer right on except I'm doing that with the sidewalls as the manufacturer did. In retrospect, yer prolly right that it would have made more sense to do with the front and rear. I'll also be extending the sides underneath slightly and securing them to the bottom via small staples.
Up next, wall skin and corner molding (and a few more LBs of silicone to seal up the "hull"
).
Box Rocket
SILVER Star
Cool project Nick! It's looking great. I noticed that I have the same wheels on my new Tacoma.
- Thread starter
- #53
That's funny! I wish I had the 6-bolt. I woulda been able to get away with a 3,500lb axle instead of a 7,000lb axle.
Hope yer doing well. I imagine you must have a full head of grey hair by now with the twins! Hope to see ya at CM10!
Hope yer doing well. I imagine you must have a full head of grey hair by now with the twins! Hope to see ya at CM10!
Box Rocket
SILVER Star
- Thread starter
- #55
So I skinned up the two sidewalls last night.
Here's the PS
Here's a shot of some of the skin template before I got jiggy with the nibbler.
Here's the product I'm using...
Finally, here's the driver's side
Onto trim pieces...
Here's the PS
Here's a shot of some of the skin template before I got jiggy with the nibbler.
Here's the product I'm using...
Finally, here's the driver's side
Onto trim pieces...
- Thread starter
- #56
Last night I mounted the top trim pieces on the box and sealed them all with (more) silicone. I ran into two small problems.
First, the thickness of my walls with 3/4" ply and aluminum skin is slighlty thinner than the OEM. So the channels that sit atop the walls had ~1/8" of slop. I thought about ripping some wood to shim them, but then got the idea to get some other materials from my sign shop neighbor. He had 1/8" thick sign material that has two outer layers of aluminum with plastic sandwiched in between. This material won't crush or degrade and can be cut with normal woodworking equipment. So I ripped up some old signs on the table saw and cut them to length. This worked like a charm.
Second, the trim pieces for the front and rear walls were a total of 1/4" too short (1/'8" on either side). So I had to hammer flat the end wrap around pieces and break them over a piece of steel to get the new overall desired width. This also worked out well, but these two things took up a bunch of extra time in addition to cleaning up the trim pieces after 30 years of use.
Anyways, I ran a fat bead of caulk down the inside of each trim piece prior to installation. Screwed them in place with the new shims installed. Had to pre-drill everything again to avoid splitting any plywood. The installation squeezed out the excess silicone, which I used to again seal every new seam and screw hole.
Here's the trim pieces/bunk guides as I was cleaning them up.
Here's a couple shots of them after installation.
First, the thickness of my walls with 3/4" ply and aluminum skin is slighlty thinner than the OEM. So the channels that sit atop the walls had ~1/8" of slop. I thought about ripping some wood to shim them, but then got the idea to get some other materials from my sign shop neighbor. He had 1/8" thick sign material that has two outer layers of aluminum with plastic sandwiched in between. This material won't crush or degrade and can be cut with normal woodworking equipment. So I ripped up some old signs on the table saw and cut them to length. This worked like a charm.
Second, the trim pieces for the front and rear walls were a total of 1/4" too short (1/'8" on either side). So I had to hammer flat the end wrap around pieces and break them over a piece of steel to get the new overall desired width. This also worked out well, but these two things took up a bunch of extra time in addition to cleaning up the trim pieces after 30 years of use.
Anyways, I ran a fat bead of caulk down the inside of each trim piece prior to installation. Screwed them in place with the new shims installed. Had to pre-drill everything again to avoid splitting any plywood. The installation squeezed out the excess silicone, which I used to again seal every new seam and screw hole.
Here's the trim pieces/bunk guides as I was cleaning them up.
Here's a couple shots of them after installation.
- Thread starter
- #57
I got my Palomino factory replacement corner molding installed on the lower box as well as some angle aluminum I used to trim out the bottom. I also installed the door jam (and frame to make sure the door opens and closes properly).
Corner molding
DS base trim out to the corner molding
Shot of the front
Lastly, here's the PS with the door frame. I'm still finishing up the wood and skin of the door insert.
Corner molding
DS base trim out to the corner molding
Shot of the front
Lastly, here's the PS with the door frame. I'm still finishing up the wood and skin of the door insert.
It's coming together. Nice job.
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- www.radelectricalservices.com
looks great
- Thread starter
- #60
Thanks guys.
I worked on the door last night. The door framing took 1/4" paneling, so unfortunately I couldn't utilize the 3/4" piece that had matching wood grain as the adjacent walls. Not a big deal though as most of that wall will be covered by a bench/storage anyways. I skinned the 1/4" piece of birch ply with the aluminum skin, siliconed up the channel, and it was a tight fit, but with a little pounding, it went into the channel and I finished the door.
I also pulled the final pieces off of the old camper box. These were the roof retaining pieces which I installed on the new camper.
I mounted up my new tail lights and sealed up every thing with yet more silicone. By the time this thing is complete my guess it will be comprised of about 50lb. of silicone, 80lb of screws, and 40lb. of subfloor adhesive.
Lastly, I started running the trailer light wiring and sealed every interior seam with silicone.
Now for some pics...
Here's the outside of the door
The inside of the door
and the front roof retaining hooks
I worked on the door last night. The door framing took 1/4" paneling, so unfortunately I couldn't utilize the 3/4" piece that had matching wood grain as the adjacent walls. Not a big deal though as most of that wall will be covered by a bench/storage anyways. I skinned the 1/4" piece of birch ply with the aluminum skin, siliconed up the channel, and it was a tight fit, but with a little pounding, it went into the channel and I finished the door.
I also pulled the final pieces off of the old camper box. These were the roof retaining pieces which I installed on the new camper.
I mounted up my new tail lights and sealed up every thing with yet more silicone. By the time this thing is complete my guess it will be comprised of about 50lb. of silicone, 80lb of screws, and 40lb. of subfloor adhesive.
Lastly, I started running the trailer light wiring and sealed every interior seam with silicone.
Now for some pics...
Here's the outside of the door
The inside of the door
and the front roof retaining hooks
