3D printing camper components

[tanuki.himself]

Anyone done any 3D printing of camper components and have any lessons learnt or tips to share? I'm thinking of things like switch mountings, swivel fasteners/restraints. even up to roof fan ducts, extendable towing mirrors, fold down washbasin and custom window frames. Given the price of so many simple camper components, especially if you want stuff shipped internationally, I'm thinking an investment in a 3D printer might be worth while. I've always been a bit sceptical over the strength and finish of the thermoplastic that most of them use, although II figure that you could always reinforce shapes with fine fibreglass to add strength, maybe between layers of printed material.

Thoughts please....

 

[Hillbilly Heaven]

There is an opportunity to produce one offs. In my situation I am surrounded with CNC machines and able to produce just about anything in metal. I am interested in getting into 3D printing for prototype purposes. It would be cheaper for me to print a several iterations of a prototype for testing, before making the final part out of metal.

 

[tanuki.himself]

Lots of skins to that onion. You would probably be better off by putting your energy into learning to design to maximise the benifits of "additive manufacturing" and jobbing it out to the "pro's".

Might be a case of prototype the designs on a cheap printer then outsource the final version to something with more choice of materials....

 

[Rando]

I use 3d printed parts extensively, both professionally and personally. The biggest issue with the 'hobby' grade FDM machines in an automotive environment is that the parts have an inherently low melting point. Components made out of PLA (the most common filament) will become soft and deform if left in a vehicle in the sun. That said, for non-structural use inside a camper and not in the window PLA and ABS parts can work well. On the professional side, laser sintered nylon (and even aluminium) can make production quality parts, but at a cost. It is still far cheaper and more versatile than machining though.

 

[tanuki.himself]

ok, given the material limitations on cheap DIY printers it sounds like i'll be better off sticking with traditional things like cast resin/fibreglass/linen and maybe invest in a cheap cross-feed table on the pillar drill to allow me to trim things down and occasionally work with aluminium/brass billet - slow but i'm time rich, cash poor.....

 

[Fender]

I do not think it is necessary to buy a 3d printer unless you are going to be printing for other people as well. I have printed over 50 items for my camper build. I just order all my prints through 3dhubs.com. That way you can choose from several different plastics and metals and different vendors compete to offer you the best price. This book provides basic design guidelines for the different printing technologies:

https://www.amazon.com/3D-Printing-...ndbook:+Technologies,+design+and+applications

 

[MyNameIsMud]

The viability of a 3d printer for you, hinges on your CAD skills. For anyone who knows any CAD, a 3d printer is just too much fun to even consider not having. Something like a Creality Ender 3 is ~200 euros shipped, and way better than you'd expect from China.

I find that 3d printing doesn't really compare with traditional machining. FDM printing at home is something like 1/50 of the price and faster than ordering from a machining or even professional printing shop. But you kind of get what you pay for, as the current FDM-printable materials are not a match for modern engineering plastics, let alone metal.

But is FDM good enough for making a lot of stuff in a camper? 100% yes. For any of the ideas in the original post, I'd say it's fine. I recommend PET-G. It's cheap, food safe, no voc, and can handle some heat. Also does not burn, only melts away. Nicer to print than ABS, which it's replacing fast.

I'm only planning my camper still, but I'm already looking forward to printing a ton of stuff for it. Compared to other ways of manufacturing, it borders on free, if you already have the skills. Operating a printer is pretty simple, cad is the hard part for most people.

This is my 2c, which might not even be worth that. I'm highly biased as I work with, and love the little machines.

 

[demagxc]

Even without any CAD knowledge a 3D printer is crazy fun and becomes more and more useful the more you get familiar with it. sites like thingiverse have such a huge collection of pre-designed parts and pieces. Some obscure things you wouldn't expect someone else to have designed can be found free online. Plus the barrier to entry on learning 3d modeling is essentially non existent now that you can download programs like Fusion 360 for free under a hobbyist licence and have the exact same functionality as the paid program. My printer only prints PLA but for items that dont have to stand up to any heat and would otherwise be cost prohibitive to machine I wouldn't hesitate to print it at home. With the right shell thickness and infill even PLA parts are surprisingly strong.

 

[MyNameIsMud]

With the right shell thickness and infill even PLA parts are surprisingly strong.

Agreed. Regular PLA is still one of the stronger materials, and annealing increases strength and temperature resistance a lot. The cost is reduced dimensional accuracy in the form of shrinkage.

But yeah, printing shelf brackets, hinges and other medium-duty stuff with PLA works fine. You just have to design the part to be chunky.