TRUCK:2003 2.7l 4x4 reg cab Tacoma.
Project: step 1-Make a flat bed
step 2-Make a cell thinkin 5x7 to 6.5x8 max that can be removed when I don t need it. would like a pop up roof

Goals: fit 2 dirt bikes and good amount of tools, sleep 2, need to be strong enough for off roading. nothing crazy keeping susp stock on 30x9.5 bfg at's

Will be used for camping, hunting and weekends at the track. short trip say one week max. No shower, water tank, toilet....keeping it Plain and simple(besides the pop up roof) well maybe solar panels for a small lcd tv.

Question: What materials should I use to make this as light as possible, Besides carbon fiber. Aluminum, fiber glass...? and keeping it affordable.

Should I could I maybe modify an existing structure or start from scratch? I find the chinook kind of cool.

Hope you have enough info and can guide me in my winter project.

Thanks

You can only pick one of the two. It will either be light, or affordable.. probably not both if you want the truck to be capable of carrying things.

Well everything is relative I suppose. Thinking the empty cell weight would be around 500lbs and budget would be under 5K.

Found a fibrobec cap I could use for the basic structure... figure I can cut the roof to make it a pop up remove doors and turn into a ramp to get in. seems to have no floor so finish the cap off like a ''cube'' to fit on my flat bed.

http://ottawa.kijiji.ca/c-autos-et-vehicules-autres-boite-fibrobec-avec-porte-arriere-W0QQAdIdZ317279357

Would like to turn it into this:

http://innovation-campers.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=36&Itemid=78&lang=en


Am I dreaming, is this too complicated?

If so how should I go about getting my project done.

Thanks

Fiberglass all the way, and if you do it right, it's certainly possible to make something lightweight and relatively inexpensive. Know that my Tacoma (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12505074) doesn't look like any type of traditional long-haul camper, but it was designed specifically to do a lot of the things you are talking about (haul two dirtbikes, camping gear, etc.). Just wasn't trying to build any type of integrated or modular camper into it. Mine is a rig to be camped out of, not camped in, but one thing to think about is compartmentalizing storage space. Taking advantage of dead space, was able to build enough storage space into the bed of that truck that even though it's much smaller than a stock bed, I can carry more of the type of stuff I built it to haul.

as

You need to PM backwoods about this. He is our local resident expert in all things truck topper/camper related.


TRUCK:2003 2.7l 4x4 reg cab Tacoma.
Project: step 1-Make a flat bed
step 2-Make a cell thinkin 5x7 to 6.5x8 max that can be removed when I don t need it. would like a pop up roof

Goals: fit 2 dirt bikes and good amount of tools, sleep 2, need to be strong enough for off roading. nothing crazy keeping susp stock on 30x9.5 bfg at's

Will be used for camping, hunting and weekends at the track. short trip say one week max. No shower, water tank, toilet....keeping it Plain and simple(besides the pop up roof) well maybe solar panels for a small lcd tv.

Question: What materials should I use to make this as light as possible, Besides carbon fiber. Aluminum, fiber glass...? and keeping it affordable.

Should I could I maybe modify an existing structure or start from scratch? I find the chinook kind of cool.

Hope you have enough info and can guide me in my winter project.

Thanks

One vote for fiberglass...

Forgot to mention I have a good friend of mine who is a welder by trade and has a shop. If aluminum is the way to go I know I wont pay full price for the cell and will be able to be his ''helper'' on the project.

thin sheets of aluminum over 2" rigid foam (like an oreo cookie) and use those for panels. You will have to bond or screw them together, as welding heat will melt the foam inside.

Fiberglass could work too, but its a stinky mess IMO... Sheets of aluminum or sheet metal and foam are easy, clean, simple and light. Bond them together with a spray adhesive and you will have a very rigid "sandwich" panel.

You could also build a wall with small square metal tubing and fill the gaps with foam and the insides of the tubes with spray can foam. This will give you a place to bolt cabinets, etc and a place to run wires or plumbing if desired (inside the tubing), where the sandwich sheets have no inner structure and get their strength from being a bonded/glued solid piece (upon completion)

What' you're talking about is basically what I want to do to this trailer (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=900104). Started looking into building lightweight structures to support weight (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=916722) back when I was first started thinking about fabricating an enclosure for this trailer. It's primarily going to be used for storage and as a mobile workshop, so am not as concerned about insulation as I would be if I was building something more like what you're talking about. Have come to the conclusion that I'm probably going to do something like what 85blue5runner is suggesting (lightweight steel support structure, foam board insulation, bonded panels of some sort). Much easier method of construction than building a whole custom fiberglass enclosure.

Getting good info from you guys. I'm liking that tacoma flat bed.... So far thinking aluminum structure with foam sandwich would be the way to go. Just need to find suppliers and figure out the cost

Seems like I did set myself realistic goals (5x8 500lbs for under 5k)

Why not get a regular truck shell and a nice small enclosed trailer for your bikes?

there was a guy on expeditino portal that did something similar with an F250 (I think) and a uhaul box. He cut it to fit the bed, it fit his dirtbike and was a camper.

there was a guy on expeditino portal that did something similar with an F250 (I think) and a uhaul box. He cut it to fit the bed, it fit his dirtbike and was a camper.

That was my original idea, buy a small fibre glass cube truck and cut cut cut cut till I shape my camper how I want it. But feedback I got from my ''friends''
was that I was a nut.... but then again the perfect weekend to them includes 18 holes of golf.

I'm still trying to figure out the best way to do this. I'm leaning towards: start from scratch aluminum skelton foam sandwich.

A Toyota-sized uhaul box would not be a bad way to go. Built the first trailer for may deuce out of a bigger uhaul box.

I just bought one like this:

http://stonerradiator.com/images/dsc00667.jpg

and I'm making it into a camper. The box is solid! FRP that is 5/8" thick. The floor is aluminum channels, kinda like wood flooring. I have no clue where you'd find one of these boxes in a salvage yard...but Google probably does!

Good find. I spent several months looking for one of those (up/down the whole west coast on craigslist).