5 replies to this topic

[Bos_Trok]

Most seem to put boxes along the outside of the camper for more outside accessible storage, which is a brilliant idea, but have you ever considered making the floorpack wider so your new storage area is accessible from the inside of the camper? Possible combination of both?

 

Thanks for any input. Just pondering some possibilities here.

[dastrom]

It would almost be easier to build a new bottom for the camper since you would have to replace the sides along with the front and back of the bottom and rebuild the structure of the cabinets to accommodate the new footprint.  You would only be keeping the cabinets and the floor but probably would want to replace that too so it didn't have so many pieces.   In my '75 C/O, the vertical pieces in the bottom half are 3/4" plywood as is the floor and the "wings" are 1/2" plywood which you would be eliminating.  Much of the strength in the bottom is in the framing of the cabinets screwed from the outside and from the end walls.  You would have more space from the inside and could have baggage doors from the outside along with a bigger area for a toilet/wet bath area.  More options for a refrigerator too since it wouldn't need to sit up higher and could eliminate the higher cabinet on that side.  It would be cool!  Keep us posted if you do this!

Edited by dastrom, 06 July 2023 - 07:06 PM.

[Bos_Trok]

Thank you dastrom, You bring up so much I did not consider. If you could make the whole bottom half as wide as the wings, you now have a 8' X 6" floor plan to reconfigure if wanted. Cabinets can now extend all the way to the floor, and I would think this could be a stronger and simpler design as well. 

 

Might be fun to try and do a version without so much cabinetry, maybe a bigger, van-like open floor plan so you can pack as little or as much as you like inside. Dinette could be eliminated as well. Hmm, might be time to break out the sketchup and do some 3D modeling.

 

Would be a lot of work, and I need a camper first, and a flatbed on my pickup, but there are many possibilities. 

[dastrom]

There are many possibilities! Just keep in mind that there needs to be some internal structure, either cabinets or some kind of walls screwed to the floor and the sidewalls that give it dimensional strength so it doesn't rack.  I rebuilt my 8' 1975 cabover and shortened it to 7', added an induction cooktop, microwave, 12v refrigerator, 400ah lithium battery and 3000w inverter along with a propane locker like the newer ones have, a base with a 10gal gray tank and hatches in the floor for extra storage and to fit my newer truck.  I had to remove my cabinets, rebuild them and shorten the dinette.  Mine is still a slide in though - you would have much more to work with on a flat bed.  Solar and composting toilet and maybe a 12v air conditioner are next for me.  Would have probably been easier to just build it from scratch but it was a help to see how they did it.

Edited by dastrom, 07 July 2023 - 01:04 AM.

[Bos_Trok]

I have come to a conclusion for my storage needs. Instead of the flatbed, I picked up a low-profile service bed. The inside walls are only about 19" tall, so I can keep the camper all the way down on the bed floor. Of course, I will mount the bed as low on the frame of the pickup as well. Camper will only hang over the sides by a couple inches, so the fit will look nice all around. This is going on a 2002 Dodge 24V single cab 

 

 

[Mighty Dodge Ram]

I'm a big fan of the service bed. Great storage exactly where you need it.