Small Mini Camper Concept - Need idea/feedback

Yay!Gurrr

Yay!Gurrr

Better Faster Stronger
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Mar 17, 2005
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N. N. Raleigh, NC
Been kicking aorund some ideas with Harper about various downsized camping ideas.. With the main goal being warm/cool dry sleeping with some room to stow some supplies..

Everythign from the sleeper cab idea, home built sleeper box, normal pickup box w/ standard cap, etc..

With the work body a normal cap won't fit and my body has the tops that open up. It was a plumbing truck so the bins are only 4" deep perfect for camping supplies, pots pans etc.. Anyway, I still need to open them..

So i penciled out a very rough idea of what it might look like.. Ive found a few small rv style doors on ebay so i know they do make them relitivly short. I like the idea of an actual door, w/ window and a lock on it.. etc..

The 'box' would be made so each of the panels comes apart so I can store it when i need a normal truck, but the box would be sturdy enough to be left on the truck full time if needed.

I'm thinking light guage (16ga) 1" box for the basic frame work, one edge would be cut open so the plywood could be 'inserted'. The panels would be made so that the seems had overlaps covering any 'gaps' and a standard foam sealing tape used.

Thinking if the front panel went in first, then the sides into some notches, with the frame work sort of interlocking it would hold it self in position, then the rear would be cliped on and fastened, followed by the roof having an overlapping type edge that fit over the side panels.

The plywood would have an exterior coating applied.. Some windows, shelf inside...

See rough hack picture...
 

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I like the creativity. I think that I would make it just like a truck topper. One piece that you can leave on or put in place. Let the front, sides, and top be a one piece so that it is nice and strong. 1/4 plywood with nailers and then coat with fiberglass. Build a lip that will seal with the existing tool box and maybe a clamping system. Then have the back door secion bolt in place using a few wing nuts or something to keep it easy to remove. I have the 2 piece door off a tent camper if you need on to play with. You could remove the back and have a dry place to move stuff. Remove the whole thing to get the truck back. With 1/4 ply and fiberglass it would be light. Leave the whole thing in and camp.
 
No pic of the back now, i can snap one later.. Its 48.5" wide in the opening. And is 38" tall from floor of bed to roof line..

Ya Harper had mentioned the Fiberglass route and like that alot, the only problem is I see is as one large box, it would be harder to get on/off by myself. As seperate pieces I can also put it under my house vs setting outside..

Also the painted plywood would be a proof of concept, rather than waste my time/effort/money on somthing that wont work out.. If it pans out i can move forward from there..

Also by using seperate pieces the plywood would actually cover the sides and front of the metal box, making it a little nicer inside. With the 'bed' being up a few inches, any water wouldn't be an issue..

Also I just realized that as individual pieces, I could probably set it up at camp for longer trips.

Thanks for the input...
 
kinda but not really :) not as tall and only as wide as the 'bed' area (48.5") ill still be able to open the top lids etc.. When i take a rear picture it will better show how the top lids are on there and what I have to work with..
 
what if you just make some holes where you could put up a metal conduit frame and then stretch a tarp over it? Then you have a dry place to sleep, easily packs and unpacks for loading large items, and you can put it up yourself.

Once I get a camper style place to sleep I don't ever see setting up something at camp. I built a hard toneau cover for my wrangler with the 1/4 ply and ribs. I was able to curve the top to help with drainage. If I were building something to fill your needs I would make sure to add a gutter system to the top. This will reduce the water that could come inside. You don't need a full gutter, but even just a small lip to force the water to the front or back. I probably still wouldn't run the sides all the way to the bottem. You could easily build the top, and two sides as one piece, and connect them with a piano hinge. This lets it foldup and go under your house. With 1/4 and ribs you also have room for insulation to help keep it warm and cool depending on the weather. Then you fasten the front and back inplace on the truck and you have a camper. I actually have the piano hinges too. I was getting ready to start a camper project and things went another direction.
 
Somthing like this. Sorry I don't have time to add the ribs,hinges, or ends since I am at work. Plus I am new to solidworks so it takes a while for me to learn what I am doing. I actually have a sample piece that I have built for another project that I am going to throw away if you want that, the hinges, and the door you are welcome to them. I am moving and none of that is going with me.
 

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Down&Dirty- do you have any pics (or still have) the hard cover for the wrangler, i was planning something similer to go with my 1/2 cab top.

I'd rather not have tarps.. I did think about a canvas type solution but Id rather prove out the box idea first..

The gutter idea is fine but with the full length sides/front any water getting down the sides will hit the floor and drain out.

I figured the plywood would be enough of an enclsure for a small heater or A/C unit to work for the 3 season stuff i do.. They work fine in pop ups and tents etc.. Just didnt want to be on the metal sides... That and i do use the truck washing it before every trip would suck.
 
I'd still consider glassing the top and sides w/ reinforcments, etc.. Harper has pointed me to a few boat constuction sites, I just have never jumped into a full on project.. Painted wood seemed like a easier/cheeper way to see it the idea works for me..

Also seperate components it's easier for me to handle (I have bad hips and am soposed to watch what i lift/carry etc)

I'm glad to hear different ideas and views, it helps me work things out in my head..
 
I actually still have a hard cover for a TJ. This one isn't completely finished but it is really close. I sold the first one and built a second for my TJ, but sold the TJ before I finished. I don't have my camera right now, but if you want it you are more than welcome to it. It was built for use with a half cab top and the center is setup to be hinged and open for access to the trunk.

The reason I suggest the 1/4 with fiberglass is the weight. It is amazing how strong it can be. I have a RC sail car that I built using HD foam, plywood and fiberglass. I have run into multiple light poles at 20+mph and it is still going strong. You could do the same with a camper top and end up with a light, strong, and insulated camper. The plywood version would take a little less time to build, but if you do the 1/4, ribs, and foam you could paint it and see if it worked. Then do the glass work later if you want.
 
i would also extend it over the cab for more storage maybe even find u a pipe rack for the truck and then just box it in
 
here are some i found
 

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So you think just plywood with glass over it ? How would you sandwhich the plywood and insulation together? I understand what your saying just have no clue how to execute it with out never having seen it done..
 
what if u used some 16gauge with some sheet metal screwes or some rivits on the oustide and some 1/4 plywood on the inside with insulation in between
 
go to a junkyard and get a old sliding glass window from a truck with the gasket and use that for the window
 
basically you just sandwich the wood and foam together. Typically I cut several curved(can be straight) ribs out of a piece of 1x lumber. I cut these ribs the same thickness as the foam so I get a smooth surface on both sides. Typically for me the ribs are curved to help reduce puddling or it is just a complex shape I am going for. Then I glue these to the 1/4 or 1/8 depending on the type of ply I get. Better plywood you don't need it as thick. This gives a light rigid structure. Then I cut HD(blue) foam to fit between the ribs. Glue this to the wood. At this point the structure is fairly rigid and strong. You could just put on a coat of paint or four and not worry about it.

Then you can wrap the whole thing in glass. Typically you glass one side then glass the other bringing the two sheets of fabric together near the edge. You don't want the seam on the edge though. Once piece need to wrap around a little. Then once everything cures you can do another coat of fabric for additional strength or just clean it up and give everything a light coat of filler. this will give you a stong smooth finish while staying light weight. I typically use a fine fabric for the glass so that final finishing is easier.
 
Ok...what about this, buy a "normal" top for a pickup bed, metal or fiberglass...

Sit it on top of the plumbing box, make "bolt downs" to hold it on....

Step 2: The tailgate end of that will already have a flip up gate, so build a DOOR onto the plumbing bed to cover that part of the hole and it can be lockable as well. (camper top/truck topper should be lockable)

Step 3...on the front part of the plumbers bed, fill in that hole with something solid, but removable so it wont block view out rear glass the rest of the time. Mostly just going for windproof at this point.

Final step...the actual bed to sleep on...basically make a bed where the piece over the "pickup bed" flips up when you want to stand in the bed area for dressing, etc in the morning/evening. And flips down at night for sleeping on.
Hardest part of getting onto the bed will be climbing up from the bottom into bed, might actually be easier to fold it down, and then climb in via the rear hatch on the topper. Basically it flips up when not sleeping to allow room to move...possibly on one side/above the plumbing box you put in shelfs.


The topper will stick out overtop the roof of the cab, probably 12" or so, maybe more. On that section, where the sliding glass normally goes, might would replace it with board/mount my a/c / heater unit...dripping onto the cab top.
Does this explanation make sense at all, basically just adding a normal truck topper, adding a piece from box to box to sleep on, but folds out of way, and adding front/rear sections on the plumbing box to seal it up.

A real hatchet job on the photochop, but basically your plumbers box is as wide as the rails on pickup bed, just buy a normal topper and stick on there, and build ya doors in the lower section on rear, and add flooring from side to side on top of the boxes.

Sam
 

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Topper, rear view

basically add lower door, upper door is normal for the camper and lockable.
 

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I am thinking a lot of what you are trying to do is incorporate the top storage, and keep it useful. If you waved the use of those it would be a lot easier to design something. Bear in mind the top of the utility box is taller than that of regular pickup bed sides. So this leaves a lot more head room. You could do it similar to what I did with the van, and make a bed platform and have storage under it. A hinged lid in the back for easier access.
 
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