I am thinking about building my own camper this summer, more of a base camp setup than an expo rig but it will see some rough roads getting into camp so it has to be durable. The camper would be about 15' long plus a bedroom over the trailer tounge and would be built on the front half of a gooseneck trailer that I would also be building. I thought I would have better luck with my questions here than the tow rig section.

I am thinking about building a frame for the camper out of angle iron and using 1/2-3/4 plywood for the sides with aluminum on the outside and either plastic, melamine, or a stained finish on sanded plywood for the interior. It seems like this would be an easy and strong construction method but what would the downsides be?

Things that I concidered are.

Negatives?
#1-Insulation, I am sure plywood would not be as good as a sandwiched foam construction but the lowest temp I am likely to see is around 15deg and that would be rare, usually it would be 30-40. On the high side It might see 100 but again, that would be rare. I just spent a week in an uninsulated truck camper with no heater and night time lows of under 20. I am still alive and I am thinking that a plywood box with a heater would feel like the four seasons compared to what I have now.

#2-weight, I assume plywood is heavier than sandwiched foam but it would need less metal framework. does anyone know an average weight per foot for a steel frame/sandwiched foam camper shell?

Positives
#1-cheap/easy to source

#2-simple to build, Weld up a frame, screw the plywood to it, and sheet it

#3-seems like it would be very strong

#4-easy to mount things like cabinets

camper shell or camper? by camper shell i would imagine you mean what some people call a "topper". your description sounds like an actual camper though. plywood is too heavy imo, especially 3/4".
on my trailer i found a camper shell that was trashed but had i good 1"x1" square tube frame and i have 2 sheets of 3/4 ply for the rtt and that plywood is heavy, i wouldn't want it to be fully enclosed by it. i would like to make my own camper out of that square tubing but i don't know what to do about siding either. i don't like wood or aluminum so that kind of limits my options but theres a guy on here building one for a f700 that seems to be using some plastic stuff. he seems to know what he's doing so that might just be the ticket.

ive been thinking about this too, but I'd want it to be light, waterproof, and strong. a sheet of 3/4 plywood is damn near 80lbs and susceptible to weathering. plus plywood would make it look like a landscapers truck or something. :flipoff2:

Id probably build a pretty solid framework out of 1x2 or 1x1 tube(maybe channel?) then sheet it with 1/4" plastic or 18 gauge aluminum. attached with self tappers or rivets with sealer. fill the cavities of the framework with spray foam, the open spaces with rigid foam, and skin the inside with say 1/4" finish grade plywood.

Why not use some thinner Uv resistant plastic sheeting and use foam insulation boards between it and the frame? you will loose a couple inches of room, but the foam board will keep the plastic from vibrating against the frame when wind hits it and if something ever pierces the plastic the foam won't be badly damaged and you won't have a huge gapping hole with fiberglass insulation flying out.

Bumping this up. I'm in the planning stages myself, of making a small truck camper, for my F150 supercrew. Something of a minimalist/mini camper, really designed for myself, or myself & my young son. Maybe a twin bed above the cab and another twin bed in the typical spot where the seating switches into a bed.

I'm thinking to build a frame out of 1x1 steel, with a few spots of 1x1.5 or 1x2 where needed. Build some triangulated truss beams to hold up the cabover part (the thought is to try to make a pop up setup. ).

So my plan would be to do the steel frame, fill the spaces inside the frame with rigid foam board, cut 1/4" small on all sides, then fill that gap with expanding foam that will serve to bond the foam to the steel frame. Sand the outsides smooth and skin with aluminum. Inside walls probably just 1/8" luan, and then various thickness plywood for the floors, bed areas, etc.

No permanent appliances, just a fold down counter, small electric heater & camp stoves or electric hot plate or griddle.

PRobably won't start until the fall, kicking ideas around now. So jumped in here for ideas about the framing.

God damn it!!


angle iron and plywood camper shell-Why not?:laughing:

Bumping this up. I'm in the planning stages myself, of making a small truck camper, for my F150 supercrew. Something of a minimalist/mini camper, really designed for myself, or myself & my young son. Maybe a twin bed above the cab and another twin bed in the typical spot where the seating switches into a bed.

I'm thinking to build a frame out of 1x1 steel, with a few spots of 1x1.5 or 1x2 where needed. Build some triangulated truss beams to hold up the cabover part (the thought is to try to make a pop up setup. ).

So my plan would be to do the steel frame, fill the spaces inside the frame with rigid foam board, cut 1/4" small on all sides, then fill that gap with expanding foam that will serve to bond the foam to the steel frame. Sand the outsides smooth and skin with aluminum. Inside walls probably just 1/8" luan, and then various thickness plywood for the floors, bed areas, etc.

No permanent appliances, just a fold down counter, small electric heater & camp stoves or electric hot plate or griddle.

PRobably won't start until the fall, kicking ideas around now. So jumped in here for ideas about the framing.


Get at it, I'd like to see it.

i don't think you'll have any problem making it weatherproof; some folks do build boats out of plywood, i believe it's coated with resin (suggest searching for boat building forum for ideas/products). a friend of mine built a plywood sailboat at one of the classes offered by this company in washington: http://www.clcboats.com/shop/

however weight is a big issue. your frame may be so strong that you don't need the strength of thick wood, so you could get away with very thin plywood or perhaps plastic with foam sandwiched between.

i would recommend calculating the total weight before you begin, perhaps for a few alternatives.

also, aluminum square tubing may be worth considering. it'll be a bit more expensive, but what will your gas savings be?

lastly, perhaps you could find a camper insert that is a little worn, but the frame is still good. it may be easier and cheaper to start from there?

good luck! looking forward to updates (pics!).

just for fun/discussion sake, i'll throw in these links:

http://www.livinlite.com/truck-campers.php
http://www.rqriley.com/phx.html

lightweight canvas/nylon walls when the truck folds out into a much larger volume than a fixed camper. for mild climates of course.

i don't mean to hijack your thread, but if you're brainstorming then a few off the wall ideas won't hurt. :)