Building Our New Camper

[marty]

Glidden exterior paint. Buy it out of California if you legally can (not a California Business) It is seal Grey flat finish.

 

[longhorn1]

The same paint can be found at Sherwin Williams. It is 7075. In the fall I sent Terry Budd at FWC an e-mail and this is what he shared with me. jd

 

[takesiteasy]

Got mine at Home Depot.

 

[Happyjax]

I have enjoyed all of the great info in this thread. Thanks!

 

[mtnflyer]

Ski3pins

Finally got my Ocelot and was looking at your Wave 3 set up. How easy was it to remove the back? I see 2 screws on the back and a couple on the side, do you remember how you took it apart?

thanks,
Don

 

[ski3pin]

Ski3pins

Finally got my Ocelot and was looking at your Wave 3 set up. How easy was it to remove the back? I see 2 screws on the back and a couple on the side, do you remember how you took it apart?

thanks,
Don

Hi Don, as I recall it took a bit more disassembly but was not difficult. I took a look through my files but could not find any photos, sorry.

 

[rtpvibes]

Hi Ski was wondering how you still like your truck fridge ? And any issues since owning it . Great build


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[ski3pin]

Hi Ski was wondering how you still like your truck fridge ? And any issues since owning it . Great build


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rtpvibes - quite the timely question. We have just returned from a summer break adventure and we did have problems with the fridge that I'm currently tracking down. Spoke with truckfridge this morning and found them very helpful and happy to take the time to help.

 

[rtpvibes]

Hope it's easy fix I did by the 51 and the slide mount which is real nice . And also wanted to say I have looked threw your build many time awesome . And your build is one of the reasons I wanted a popup years ago .they seem like a great company I called before ordering to talk about fridge . Need to finish putting face frame together . Happy camping I


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[ski3pin]

It turns out both issues we had were unrelated and both have been solved. No problem with the fridge. Everything is working fine. I post something about this as a separate topic as I get the time.

 

[bj40]

Ski,

I can't believe that I finally found this build documentation. Been lurking more than anything for nearly a year. Great work!!. Thanks for all the posting you do on so many topics and your blog posts as well. I just recently took possession of a new ATC Ocelot Shell. Hope to begin a buildout in mid August. Yes, I too, am very happy with the work that Marty and Jeff and their crew do at ATC. I will probably borrow on a few of your construction details. I am sure it will be a challenging and rewarding process.

 

[ski3pin]

Ski,

I can't believe that I finally found this build documentation. Been lurking more than anything for nearly a year. Great work!!. Thanks for all the posting you do on so many topics and your blog posts as well. I just recently took possession of a new ATC Ocelot Shell. Hope to begin a buildout in mid August. Yes, I too, am very happy with the work that Marty and Jeff and their crew do at ATC. I will probably borrow on a few of your construction details. I am sure it will be a challenging and rewarding process.

Thanks for the very kind comment.

 

[carld]

Ski,

Great build documentation, its very helpful. I'm still analyzing it. Hope it's more fun using it than making it. Working on my build and it's a nightmare. Every time I cut into the shell it hurts. Hopefully I don't mess it up too much. Yours looks great, very clean.

Carl.

 

[ski3pin]

Ski,

Great build documentation, its very helpful. I'm still analyzing it. Hope it's more fun using it than making it. Working on my build and it's a nightmare. Every time I cut into the shell it hurts. Hopefully I don't mess it up too much. Yours looks great, very clean.

Carl.

Carl, thank you! So many trips to so many places, well over 380 nights in it thus far. It just keeps doing its job and we love it.

 

[goinoregon]

Excellent documentation.
When you had the camper built, did you ever think to not have the interior walls on the sides installed? in that way you could connect your cabinetry directly to the aluminum structures.
I am looking for a used atc/fwc, and am wondering how i am going to find the aluminum to attach things to. i am thinking i may go with some 80/20 to make internal structures, as i don't quite have the cabinet making skills you have !! would u happen to know of anyone who has used 80/20 in a pop up? I see it all over the van conversions.
thx for your excellent reporting, and i enjoy your trip reports
thx
greg

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

Maybe you could use a "stud finder" like in wood construction.
Just a thought.
Frank

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

Greg, I believe a lot of the ATC campers, especially the shells, were built with the interior walls screwed in, so you can get behind them for running wire, etc..

 

[billharr]

I unscrewed the top of the side panels and pulled them back. Small pencil mark to let me know where the alum tube was. I then ran a 1x4 on the side to attach the cabinets to.

 

[Taku]

I did not attach my cabinets to the walls at all. Built the cabinet shell from 1/2" plywood attached to the floor and the icebox cabinet. Have had no issues in seven years and 100K miles. I like the idea that the shelves can flex with any movement and temperature changes.

 

[ski3pin]

Excellent documentation.
When you had the camper built, did you ever think to not have the interior walls on the sides installed? in that way you could connect your cabinetry directly to the aluminum structures.
I am looking for a used atc/fwc, and am wondering how i am going to find the aluminum to attach things to. i am thinking i may go with some 80/20 to make internal structures, as i don't quite have the cabinet making skills you have !! would u happen to know of anyone who has used 80/20 in a pop up? I see it all over the van conversions.
thx for your excellent reporting, and i enjoy your trip reports
thx
greg

When ATC built our camper, prior to the interior paneling going in, Marty supplied photos of the inside walls with tape measurements showing all framing and wiring.

As Bill said, the top edge is screwed on allowing opening up a bit of a gap to see down inside.

Alley-Kat here on WTW asked that his paneling be installed with screws instead of staples.

Good luck with your project.