2020 Ram 5500 DIY Composite Panel Camper Build Thread

[Victorian]

Here is phase one of the build to keep ya'll panties on:

Kevin, this is turning out super nice! Thanks for the nice words, it means a lot to us.

 

[RAM5500 CAMPERTHING]

Kevin, this is turning out super nice! Thanks for the nice words, it means a lot to us.

Thanks for everything

 

[msiminoff]

Here is phase one of the build...

Lookin' amazing ! ! !
Our Total Composites box is going together this week too. It's really nice that you're a couple of days ahead so we can see the process before we do it
Any major "gotcha's" in the panel assembly process that you think we need to be aware of?
-Mark

 

[RAM5500 CAMPERTHING]

Any major "gotcha's" in the panel assembly process that you think we need to be aware of?

OR EXTRA EXTRA ADHESIVE BEFORE YOUR START!!!!!!!

My kit came with only 2 cases. I've had to place 2 separate orders for more that each took over a week to get to me, causing frustrating annoying delays! The stuff goes way quicker than you'd think!

OR EXTRA EXTRA ADHESIVE BEFORE YOUR START!!!!!!!

Now that the box is done and assembled, i will be using 3M 4000UV for all the other portions of it and inside.

3M 4000UV is readily available locally, specs appear very similar, its much easier to work with, it gets rave reviews in the marine world

 

[rruff]

i will be using 3M 4000UV for all the other portions of it and inside.

Wouldn't 5200 be better? 3M says it's stronger.

 

[RAM5500 CAMPERTHING]

Wouldn't 5200 be better? 3M says it's stronger.

I am not using it for weight bearing stuff or anything strength related. Sealing only

 

[motorman]

GREAT JOB!

this is exactly what i would have gone for if i had not found a 4x4 MD ambulance
the TC product is TOPS in my book
i still may come back to this solution depending on how mine turns out

the TC cab over is a game changer for the footprint and livability aspect

 

[RAM5500 CAMPERTHING]

And here is another video:

 

[RAM5500 CAMPERTHING]

GREAT JOB!

this is exactly what i would have gone for if i had not found a 4x4 MD ambulance
the TC product is TOPS in my book
i still may come back to this solution depending on how mine turns out

the TC cab over is a game changer for the footprint and livability aspect

Thanks and i agree 110%

Seeing small tiny non-cabover boxes on huge gigantic trucks, just dont seem to make a lick of sense to me, but for each is own of course.

I feel this is the ideal setup for keeping the footprint small, and maximizing interior/living space

 

[RAM5500 CAMPERTHING]

And since i am sure this is going to be the #1 question for the peanut gallery and the "that wont go where i go" types, here is the Air Conditioner i am using:

RV Air Conditioner Low Profile 13.5K Quiet AC Unit with Heat Pump, Remote, Non-Ducted

Are you tired of sweating in your RV during hot summer days? Say goodbye to discomfort and hello to the RecPro RV Air Conditioner! Our product is here to keep you cool and comfortable.

www.recpro.com

Houghton Bel-Air HB3400 (rebranded by RecPro, but one that arrived to me came in a Houghton box and is labeled Houghton)
Made in Austrailia
Built in Soft Start
Low Profile, only 9" High

It does have a huge footprint on the roof though, so roof layout needs to be planned accordingly

An often overlooked, but key feature for me was the shallow plenum/controls inside of the camper, it sticks down a little less than 2". I can walk under it with an inch to spare and no crouching

Yes, i am going to have a giant silly battery bank, as almost everything in this build will be run off of it.

NOTE: Still undecided on exactly what batteries and looking at lots of various options

 

[Victorian]

OR EXTRA EXTRA ADHESIVE BEFORE YOUR START!!!!!!!

My kit came with only 2 cases. I've had to place 2 separate orders for more that each took over a week to get to me, causing frustrating annoying delays! The stuff goes way quicker than you'd think!

OR EXTRA EXTRA ADHESIVE BEFORE YOUR START!!!!!!!

Now that the box is done and assembled, i will be using 3M 4000UV for all the other portions of it and inside.

3M 4000UV is readily available locally, specs appear very similar, its much easier to work with, it gets rave reviews in the marine world

Please allow me to chip in.
I agree with the adhesive statement. Although being the supplier, I still believe we are sending out enough of the Koemmerling 225 glue. We supply as much as our engineers have calculated. Our commercial builders are getting the same amount and never complained or requested more. This doesn't mean that you don't need more at all! I think it comes down to the fact that 99% of our customers have never worked with our system or adhesive in general. Therefore it is VERY easy to apply too much and therefore run out of it way ahead before the box is done. For us it's a fine line of supplying too much or just enough... That stuff is absolutely amazing but hugely expensive for us to ship out extra for "just in case". After reading your post this morning I went to the shop and created a new sample about the glue application. Please have a look and see if this helps.
On a side note: We usually have the Koemmerling 225 in stock and ship out orders within 2 business days. But because it's going across the border to the USA it can take up to a week to arrive... In Kevins case, one package was seriously mis guided by UPS and ended up in a box of an order from Target at someone else's house.... It's a long funny story to be told at a campfire LOL
In any case, we never let people "hang" and always listen to concerns and ideas for improvements.
Here are the pictures for visualization.

 

[RAM5500 CAMPERTHING]

Please allow me to chip in.
I agree with the adhesive statement. Although being the supplier, I still believe we are sending out enough of the Koemmerling 225 glue. We supply as much as our engineers have calculated. Our commercial builders are getting the same amount and never complained or requested more. This doesn't mean that you don't need more at all! I think it comes down to the fact that 99% of our customers have never worked with our system or adhesive in general. Therefore it is VERY easy to apply too much and therefore run out of it way ahead before the box is done. For us it's a fine line of supplying too much or just enough... That stuff is absolutely amazing but hugely expensive for us to ship out extra for "just in case". After reading your post this morning I went to the shop and created a new sample about the glue application. Please have a look and see if this helps.
On a side note: We usually have the Koemmerling 225 in stock and ship out orders within 2 business days. But because it's going across the border to the USA it can take up to a week to arrive... In Kevins case, one package was seriously mis guided by UPS and ended up in a box of an order from Target at someone else's house.... It's a long funny story to be told at a campfire LOL
In any case, we never let people "hang" and always listen to concerns and ideas for improvements.
Here are the pictures for visualization.
View attachment 615557

Great photos!

Yes, to clarify, @Victorian has been amazingly helpful through the entire thing.

I used “perfect amount” for most of the box, other than the roof, I went heavy on the roof for obvious reason, didn’t want leaks, etc...

Yea, Stuff is amazing IN COOLER WEATHER!

The bulk of this was built during our freaking heatwave and it was 100F+ each day and it setup crazy fast and hindered progress.

Once we realized this, we did most of the assembly at night once it cooled down and it went a lot smoother.

Seems 85F is the magic point where this stuff goes from amazing to a royal pain in the ass ?

 

[Victorian]

Great photos!

Yes, to clarify, @Victorian has been amazingly helpful through the entire thing.

I used “perfect amount” for most of the box, other than the roof, I went heavy on the roof for obvious reason, didn’t want leaks, etc...

Yea, Stuff is amazing IN COOLER WEATHER!

The bulk of this was built during our freaking heatwave and it was 100F+ each day and it setup crazy fast and hindered progress.

Once we realized this, we did most of the assembly at night once it cooled down and it went a lot smoother.

Seems 85F is the magic point where this stuff goes from amazing to a royal pain in the ass ?

Yep, hot and humid is killer. It's a PU adhesive that cured with moisture and warmth. On the opposite side: I assembled our last one close to freezing temperatures. Took almost a week to cure!

 

[RAM5500 CAMPERTHING]

Here are some photos during the process.

You can see where i installed RivNuts into the extrusion for the cab over support. The drivers side cab over support will stay permently, and the spare tire is going to be mounted there.

The passenger side support will eventually be removed once i get the aluminum storage box built for the passenger side and it will be modified to be installed inside the box

 

[RAM5500 CAMPERTHING]

I spent a couple WEEKS laying out the roof and doing all the wiring thinking it would be easier before installing it. At the end of the day, it really didnt make a difference.

I had grand plans to run all of the wires through the back, drill a hole in the back wall extrusion and run all the wires through all the extrusions and enter at the bottom of the floor so theyd be invisible.

After spending a week or more laying this all out, i determined although it would look super slick and clean, it would create a nightmare later down the road if i had to service any wiring or do any trouble shooting.

I used Armacost Puck LED Dimmable lights. All the lights you see here are on one dimmable circuit.

Lights: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01IY81GGG/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_7CHDFbTXDYVP3

The lights for the dinette area and sink/stove will be on separate circuits.









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