Small camper thoughts.

[matzell]

The one as shown was 160k - you almost had me buying the wrong one, how dare you!

I suppose a certain type of people start shopping for an RV then migrate toward “what are my off road options” and they’ve already decided to spend the money.
They obviously really aren’t going off the road.

I wish we could have seen how it raised.

“Money can’t buy you happiness but it can buy you a boat big enough to pull right up alongside it”
-Abraham Lincoln on Reddit, probably

I keep going back to the TC Teardrop Terrain that starts at 17k then build it out to about 26k, then realize that I tow my 40 most places and not sure I would want to tow it with my 80 over the mountains. I have two nice tents that work well and I can throw them in any of my vehicles.

 

[ntsqd]

Maybe check out these guys, they seem to have been doing it for a while...

Hard-Sided Pop-Up Truck Campers | Alaskan Campers

Our hard-sided pop-up campers are built to last. Sturdy and dependable, they're perfect for adventurous travelers. Experience efficient and comfortable camping anywhere.

www.alaskancampers.com

I'm surprised that it took 32 posts to reach this. I'd have expected it in the first several posts because they've been doing this design for a long time. At one time or another they used a Pirelli rubber seal with band of shag carpet(!) captured in the overlap. The purpose of the carpet was to keep wind gusts from being able to blow past the rubber seat. I suspect that it also aided in the raising and lowering of the top. AND it should be noted that these campers are very tough and have always been framed in wood. How the wood is fastened together is what makes or breaks a wood frame construction, not the fact that it is wood.
Dig into how they guide the upper part up and down. For the record they used hydraulics to raise & lower for decades, don't know if they still do or not.

Be careful mixing steel and aluminum on the same structure, particularly in a wet environment. Without a dielectric barrier between them a little moisture in the crevices sets up a galvanic corrosion battery. I've seen the results of this, I'm not well versed in how to avoid it.

Something else to consider with metal framing is cold path. If the inner skin and the outer skin are both fastened to frame member then you have no insulation there. One camper that we had would show the 'footprint' of the roof framing in condensation. If the frame member is wood then it's less of an issue, but not cured. Campers designed for truly cold weather have the frame members offset and half thickness so that there can be at least some insulation at all points between the inner and outer skins.

You're going to need/want something better than a typical trailer leaf spring. Not that a leaf spring isn't a viable option, but that trailer springs are way too short. They get away with no dampers by having really stiff springs. Plan on dampers and soft springs. Or if going with a Torflex, still plan on dampers. Maybe even ESPECIALLY if going with Torflex to plan on dampers. Some folks get wound around the axle over independent suspension. I fail to see the need for that complexity. Keep it simple, keep it parts that you can source in BFE.

 

[sogncab]

Without a dielectric barrier between them a little moisture in the crevices sets up a galvanic corrosion battery. I've seen the results of this, I'm not well versed in how to avoid it.

Anode, cathode, and an electrolyte. You've got electrolysis. Battled it a lot with sailboats where you had stainless fittings and rivets going into aluminum bits.

Depends on the scenario as to what the path is to limit the problems.



All good thoughts.

 

[ntsqd]

Look up a galvanic table to see why SS should never be put in contact with bare aluminum. Sounds like you already know why first-hand. , well hopefully that's not a Plated steel is a better idea, except for that pesky general corrosion problem....
Bronze fasteners!

 

[PAToyota]

I saw a video on this one last night. Starting price 124k...... You may get some idea on how to do yours but very similar to what you are talking about.

I'd go for the Patriot Campers one: