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Custom camper project part 1: spec and design


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#1 DirtyDog

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Posted 07 January 2011 - 02:29 AM

So I'm going to be designing a custom camper for a flatbed. As mentioned over in my FWC for sale thread, I feel that a camper built for a flatbed solves a lot of problems with the traditional slide-in truck camper. My main goal is to maximize and optimize storage space, so that I can carry gear, wood, bikes, and whatever else I need for a week or two on the road without piling everything up right in the middle of the camper.

I have a lot of ideas but just drawing them on paper left me with a lot of doubts as to whether it would all work. So I decided to build a mockup and play around with some layouts. Advantage #1 to a flatbed camper - lots of floor space! Just over 50 square feet for a shortbed truck:

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#2 Overland Hadley

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Posted 07 January 2011 - 03:01 AM

This is going to be good!
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#3 pods8

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Posted 07 January 2011 - 03:10 AM

Good times. Yeah I'm starting in CAD to iron out some ideas but will likely mock some stuff up with cardboard to verify a few spacial things.
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#4 ski3pin

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Posted 07 January 2011 - 03:40 AM

This is going to be good!


We're watching too! :)
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#5 chnlisle

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Posted 07 January 2011 - 02:30 PM

In plywood!!! Y'gotta love this guy.
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#6 Ted

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Posted 07 January 2011 - 03:44 PM

I like what you have done so far. It looks very open and has good visibility for looking outside. :D

Not sure how easy it would be to get custom rotomold work done, but this idea from Livin Lite shows potential:

The dinette bases in the QUICKSILVER are constructed of roto-cast ABS which is both lightweight and waterproof - allowing the bases to be easily removed from the unit - or to serve as coolers! The seat cushions are constructed out of marine-grade vinyl, making them both durable and weather-proof.

Otherwise, would it be possible to make lightweight cabinets like those in the XP camper and put them in yours?
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#7 jmodge

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Posted 07 January 2011 - 04:49 PM

DD,

I had thought about something similar. Also taking a plasma cutter to the back of a cab and opening it up. Then using a gasket such as they use when attaching a van body to a box truck bed for fleet vehicles. Thus having a walk through pop up camper. My thought were to do this to a Suburban with a pop up and keeping the rear seat because they fold down to floor level.
At that point I did not know four wheel pop ups existed, much less a Blazer model. I found my Blazer while looking for campers. It is pretty cramped, but I am am 52 and my body has less energy than my mind, so it is a good thing I found the Blazer because I would probably be overwhelmed with such a project.
I like your Idea and wish you the best of luck. What chassis do you plan on using?
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#8 craig333

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Posted 07 January 2011 - 06:43 PM

I'm daunted at the prospect of installing my new refer and building a cabinet for the microwave and simple projects like that. I can't imagine building a camper from scratch. Wow. Sure hope it all comes together.
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#9 DirtyDog

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Posted 07 January 2011 - 06:54 PM

I'm daunted at the prospect of installing my new refer and building a cabinet for the microwave and simple projects like that. I can't imagine building a camper from scratch. Wow. Sure hope it all comes together.


Never said I was building it :D

Another advantage of the flatbed platform is that the door doesn't need to go in the back of the camper. Putting the door on the side has many advantages: the door can be under the awning, the back of the camper is open to store all the gear you want (like hanging bikes off the back), and the door can be wider.

I thought about using a wider door but in my drawings I was losing a fair amount of cabinet space with the 34 inch door I had planned to use. I looked again at the FWC and concluded that the 28 inch FWC door feels a lot smaller than it is because the bench seat protrudes so far into the entrance. I think that if the door were unobstructed it would be plenty big at 28 inches.

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#10 marc

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Posted 07 January 2011 - 08:37 PM

If your wood working skills are as good as your fire making skills, we should be in for a treat. :P

marc

PS looking forward to seeing what U come up with.
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