The plans I purchased through GlenL RV are for a cab over (link in post 1). I just modified them to suit what I wanted to build. I'm thinking of building a cab over for my next truck.
Building Camper for Small Pickups
- Thread starter Goober
- Start date
The plans I purchased through GlenL RV are for a cab over (link in post 1). I just modified them to suit what I wanted to build. I'm thinking of building a cab over for my next truck.
Kiln dried 1x2s glued and screwed to the plywood. I cut the plywood to size then attached the 1x2s making panels that were then put together. I predrilled all the screw holes to avoid splitting the 1x2s. Used 1x3s and 1x4s where needed.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/1-in-x-2...-Square-Edge-Whitewood-Board-418532/203450502
http://www.homedepot.com/p/1-in-x-2...-Square-Edge-Whitewood-Board-418532/203450502
mr_ed
Toolbag
When I was a kid I got a free Glen-L boat design catalog and leafed through it over and over for hours. It inspired me to go out and find my first sailboat at 15 years old (we couldn't afford to build one, so I rebuilt one). Always loved their boats...never realized they made camper designs too!
Outstanding job man! The quality shows, and it looks head and shoulders above the "house wine" big-brand campers!
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Outstanding job man! The quality shows, and it looks head and shoulders above the "house wine" big-brand campers!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Goober,
Very nice build, and I especially liked your attention to weight! Thanks for the accurate weight measurements. A big deterrent to me putting a camper on my truck is that they almost all weigh too much. Even the "ultra light" aluminum campers start around 700. It's also very telling that getting an honest weight number from most manufacturers is very hard to do. You get this: "well I figger they go around 500 pounds". Me: "have you actually weighed one?", them: "Hmmmm, nobody has ever asked for that, what kind of truck ya got??" :ugh:
Enjoy you days afield! :sombrero:
Very nice build, and I especially liked your attention to weight! Thanks for the accurate weight measurements. A big deterrent to me putting a camper on my truck is that they almost all weigh too much. Even the "ultra light" aluminum campers start around 700. It's also very telling that getting an honest weight number from most manufacturers is very hard to do. You get this: "well I figger they go around 500 pounds". Me: "have you actually weighed one?", them: "Hmmmm, nobody has ever asked for that, what kind of truck ya got??" :ugh:
Enjoy you days afield! :sombrero:
Right...every slide in I have seen, even pop up campers exceed the capacity of a Tacoma once gear and people are added. I think the total of everything is around 1,600#, but that gets eaten up pretty quickly. Just my bumpers and sliders weigh around 400#, people are 300, basic tools and everyday gear another 100#. That's #800 pounds gone from the budget with an empty truck! You can replace the suspension, but you still just have an 8" ring and pinion, and other small components.
Bumpers are "non-essential" gear? We don't operate in the same world I'm afraid.
A 200# bumper is non-essential to the operation of the vehicle as engineered. If you want to operate the vehicle outside the design parameters, modifications must be made. You mentioned suspension , the next step is regearing.
I do not have A #200 pound bumper. I have two bumpers that total 200 pounds. I have also re-geared to 4:56. Re-gearing and suspension do not increase the GVW of any vehicle. All they do is make the GVW more manageable.
You're splitting hairs. You said you had 400# of bumpersliderskidhilift12vfridgewhateverthe**** and I said if you want to haul it all and the kitchen toilet too you need to upgrade beyond the design parameters.
And gears are about 30% of what determines your GVWR, suspension another 20%, brakes weigh in at 40%, and "small parts" as you call them about 10%
Of course you'll never "officially" make the GVWR rating higher. What you're trying to do is replace the parts that determine that rating with more robust ones.
I said I had "400 pounds of bumpers and sliders", not fridges and all the other crap. The GVW is designed into the vehicle from the ground up. You cannot increase that without upgrading the entire drivetrain, from clutch to the axles. The frame would require extensive strengthening. Unless you replace every single weight dependent component, all you are doing is moving the failure down to the first one you neglected. Even things like wheel bearings are engineered to a specified load rating. By the time you add all that weight, you would need an engine transplant to move it all around. The only way to get more GVW is to get a bigger truck.
The whole point of this conversation is that the excessive weight of most campers make them unfit for use on smaller trucks. That's why Goober put effort into keeping his as light as possible. The other point that I was trying to make is that just minimal off road prep like bumpers, sliders, and a few tools puts you half way to whatever GVW comes with the truck.
Splitting hairs again. Forgive me for not memorizing your post by rote.
we're not trying to
that's a bit over the top for a camper, looking to run an Alaskan on your '85 Hardbody?
I forgive you for not reading my post. You know, there where I said you'll never boost the GVWR, only make the components that determine the GVWR more robust. I.E. less prone to failure when overloaded (because we all do it)
At this point, there really is no point, since you won't read what I post anyhow.
Sparse Gray Hackle
Geezer
:lurk: