Beating Myself Senseless With This Project....

[chnlisle]

What a bout a Wildernest?

http://wildernest.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=sale

 

[Sportsman Matt]

Looked at that, the flip pac, and a few other cap ideas like that. Sticking with the initial truck camper idea, one other thought was with the camper idea was to make a couple hatches in the floor to allow use while Ice Fishing up in the far north. Still working on the plans, possibly a cabover camper design in the works, as I'm still toying around with a few ideas.

 

[chnlisle]

Ok this conversation is over Ice and Fishing are mutually exclusive terms. Ice in drinks sure. On TV watching hockey no problem. Me on it freezing I think not that's why I live in AZ.

 

[Sportsman Matt]

Ice in drinks are quite wonderful at times, but I'd rather be outside than inside, especially in winter. But the only things to do up here in wintertime are work, shovel snow, and go ice fishing (some hunting with sporadic seasons and some lame skiing due to lack of good mountains also) Plus being in a shelter of some sort on the ice makes it much more pleasant to be out there.

I've been toying with the design, looking like I might go with a U shaped dinette front, split kitchen, and the porta potty.

I've been looking into new, used, and fixer upper truck campers lately, but I have yet to find anything I like, or is constructed to last more than a couple years, or rotted out beyond repair, or just plain junk.

I've looked at the Glen L plans also, but I've read a few blogs and articles that also point out that the "dry" weight in the plans is off by up to 1000 lbs, and the idea of building a 1400 lb camper which when done is actually 2400 lbs, sort of puts me in a predicament as I'm trying to stay under 2000 lbs wet weight.

Now I need to get a larger drawing area, as the more I start calculating and drawing, the more I start looking at the plans and jotting notes, getting measurements, and going through more paper.

 

[Sportsman Matt]

Well I went and bought a set of plans from Glen L, the Alcapulco 8 foot truck camper plans.

Problem I'm having is with the Popular Mechanic plans call for a steel angle iron frame. I had my father, who works in a steel fab shop, do a rough estimate of the steel needed and weight of it. The steel ended up being about 430 lbs, that's before adding any wood to the framework to screw into. Aluminum was much lighter, but the cost was far more than what I was willing to part with, rough cost was close to $1800 for the frame with the materials and welded to shape. The steel was about $700, including the welding to shape, but unfinished, so I would still have to grit blast, grind and paint the steel. These quotes were priced for my father, if I went in it as an outside customer I would be paying far more than that, probably close to $3000 for the aluminum frame and $1800 for the steel frame.

So metal framing is out, now I'm waiting for the plans, probably do a merge of the Glen L plans with the Popular Mechanics plans to create a non cabover 8 foot truck camper.

So here's another question, I've seen some new style windows from Seitz in Germany, they hinge at the top and fold outward, and have a cassette system containing a shade and screen on the inside. Anyone have any experience with them? I've seen the Heir windows, which are common in most campers, but the idea of having a streamlined window frame with the screen and shade up or down without it blowing around or having a set of strings hanging down is kind of neat.

Also anyone recommend a door dealer? I've looked at RVSurplus, they can get one custom built, but nothing readily in stock when I called about windows and doors. (Of course it sounded like I was calling a telephone support center with a room full of telemarketers in the background)

 

[Sportsman Matt]

The plans from Glen L arrived today!

And I have a sink/stove combo unit on the way, so that covers the kitchen, minus the refrigerator right now, although the Nova Kool 3100 is looking like the next refrigerator.

Now I'm looking at doors, plans from Glen L call for a 24" wide door opening, the PM plans call for 22"-23" wide opening. Current door was 22" opening, real tight to get the replacement refrigerator in and out, so opting for the 24" door would probably be better.

I'm starting to realize why the manufacturers spend so little to install chipboard in their units, I was looking at the blueprints I received today, and except for the floor, the roof, and the lower sidewall exteriors, there is no exterior plywood called for at all, just aluminum siding and paneling for the interior walls. And the lower walls and floor are sandwich plywood exterior,2x2 framework with insulation, and a skin of paneling on the interior. Not much has changed from the designs of 1960's to today 50 years later.

Still, I'm seeing a layout I can work with, and one thing my girlfriend liked was the plans call for a toilet room, too bad she doesn't realize that I'm opting for a curtain instead of a door on this one to separate the toilet area from the rest of the camper. (Trying to keep weight down, plus I can use the window in the bathroom for ventilation, just secure the curtain to one side)

Looks like a few more purchases and the building will start this winter.