DIY Composite Camper T100 Expedition Vehicle Build

[Traveling 2gether Journal]

I have finally started my new build!

This truck will be THE BEST... at nothing!

My build platform is a 1995 Toyota T100, extended cab, 4x4, 3.4L V6, 5 speed manual trans. My wife, dog, and I have already lived out of this truck with a very basic DIY camper while traveling through Mexico and Central America for 1.5 years.

We learned a lot during that trip and have decided that we want to improve our foul weather living conditions. The goals for the new build are a fixed queen size bed, indoor composting toilet, indoor kitchen, insulation, maintain enough storage for all our toys, and maintain the vehicle's on and off-road driving performance relative to our previous camper set up.
The plan is to build a hard-sided popup camper out of DIY composite panels.


The panels will be constructed of 5mm plywood, .75" XPS foam board, 1x2 dimensional lumber, 6oz fiberglass, and epoxy resin. All wood will be soaked in epoxy and all exposed surfaces will be laminated with fiberglass inside and out and all joints will be reinforced with additional fiberglass tape. The camper will be mounted on the truck via a steel subframe. The subframe will be constructed of 1x2 rectangular tubing and bolt to the 6 stock bed mount locations on the truck frame.

This little video may better illustrate the idea:


I've removed the old truck bed and rear bumper and cleaned up the truck frame to start work on the sub frame.

I'm new to welding, but the mig and self dimming helmet have me feeling way more comfortable than when I briefly tried stick welding 15 years ago. I'm excited to get started!


People either love the T100 or think I'm an idiot for driving one. So, to help folks on the internet criticize me more accurately I'm going to share some relevant info here:

Price= $2,500 usd	length = 209.1"	width = 75.2"	height = 70.1"
max payload = 1960 lbs	curb weight = 4040 lbs	turning circle = 43.3 feet	Torque = 220 lbs-ft
Estimated fuel efficiency = 15/18 mpg	Ave. fuel efficiency with old camper = 15.5mpg	fuel capacity = 24 gal	Horse power = 190

 

[rruff]

Love it!

Only comment I have is that 5mm ply is probably overkill. I used 2.7mm luan on mine with fiberglass on the outside and nothing on the inside, and it was very stout.

 

[plh]

love it!

 

[Traveling 2gether Journal]

Love it!

Only comment I have is that 5mm ply is probably overkill. I used 2.7mm luan on mine with fiberglass on the outside and nothing on the inside, and it was very stout.

Thanks for the input. What weight fiberglass did you use? and E glass or S glass?
I'll have to have another look at what's available in the local lumberyards.

 

[rruff]

I used some kind of matt, and I don't know the weight... don't recommend that though. Cloth is better. E glass is fine.

One thing I've found is that it's a good idea to use a light tight weave cloth as the final layer. It takes hardly any epoxy and it makes it much easier to get a smoothish finish. A course weave will need lots of filling and sanding. The downside is that tight weaves won't do compound curves... but it doesn't look like you have any. I'm using this: https://thayercraft.com/volan-finish.html

Thayercraft is a good place to get cloth from. I've also bought flat-stitched 45/45 and 0/90 biax from FiberglassSupply... that's mostly what I'm using in the current camper (FG/Carbon and PVC foam core). I buy epoxy from Ebond. 1285 resin and 1289 (slow) hardener. Costs ~$35/gal plus ~$15/gal to ship from FL to NM.

I don't know if you considered just FG skins + XPS cores, but I think I finally figured out a way to get a decent "union" between the FG and XPS... if you are interested.

 

[Traveling 2gether Journal]

I used some kind of matt, and I don't know the weight... don't recommend that though. Cloth is better. E glass is fine.

One thing I've found is that it's a good idea to use a light tight weave cloth as the final layer. It takes hardly any epoxy and it makes it much easier to get a smoothish finish. A course weave will need lots of filling and sanding. The downside is that tight weaves won't do compound curves... but it doesn't look like you have any. I'm using this: https://thayercraft.com/volan-finish.html

Thayercraft is a good place to get cloth from. I've also bought flat-stitched 45/45 and 0/90 biax from FiberglassSupply... that's mostly what I'm using in the current camper (FG/Carbon and PVC foam core). I buy epoxy from Ebond. 1285 resin and 1289 (slow) hardener. Costs ~$35/gal plus ~$15/gal to ship from FL to NM.

I don't know if you considered just FG skins + XPS cores, but I think I finally figured out a way to get a decent "union" between the FG and XPS... if you are interested.

Thanks for the info. I'm assuming you'r mat glass was a lot thicker than the 6oz. woven cloth e-glass I plan to use and would have easily made up for the relatively thin wood. I think I will stick with the thicker wood and thinner glass. It's what I used on my last build and it held up well. I will check out your recommended suppliers. I was about to order a bunch of resin from Raka. It's a well regarded manufacturer on wood boat forums, but there's works out to $60/gallon shipped.

 

[rruff]

I was about to order a bunch of resin from Raka. It's a well regarded manufacturer on wood boat forums, but there's works out to $60/gallon shipped.

Their prices include shipping? Not bad at all if that's the case. http://www.raka.com/epoxy_kits.html

I think it was 3/4 oz/sqft, or 6.75 oz/sq yd... but it could have been more. It was 20 years ago, which is why I don't recall. Built it on a '84 Toyota.

The 1/8" ply alone is quite robust when you have a foam core behind it, but 1/4 will be even better and not a lot heavier overall. The FG made the exterior super durable; I could knock branches out of the way with impunity. A declining hardness and strength (FG, ply, foam) is the most weight efficient use of materials. FG protects and spreads the load on the ply and the ply spreads the load on the foam. Impact resistance is what you want.

 

[WanderingBison]

I’m interested - can’t wait to see more.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Traveling 2gether Journal]

Their prices include shipping? Not bad at all if that's the case. http://www.raka.com/epoxy_kits.html

I think it was 3/4 oz/sqft, or 6.75 oz/sq yd... but it could have been more. It was 20 years ago, which is why I don't recall. Built it on a '84 Toyota.

The 1/8" ply alone is quite robust when you have a foam core behind it, but 1/4 will be even better and not a lot heavier overall. The FG made the exterior super durable; I could knock branches out of the way with impunity. A declining hardness and strength (FG, ply, foam) is the most weight efficient use of materials. FG protects and spreads the load on the ply and the ply spreads the load on the foam. Impact resistance is what you want.

our last camper (the one in the 1st pic of my original post) was just a single sheet of 5mm ply with 6oz glass inside and out and it pushed it's way through many jungle trails. It even held up fine to a bit of stone throwing in Guatemala with nothing more than scuffed paint. As the "looks don't matter" rig, we were often the 1st down the trail to help test the waters and push out some branches for the fancy vans and rooftop tents ?

With a quick look online I'm not finding any thinner plywood than the 5mm stuff locally. Guess I'll have to call around to some of the smaller lumber yards.

 

[highwest]

You may save a few bucks with TotalBoat epoxy, if it’s slow enough for you. I know Raka is used when it’s hot or when you need a super slow cure time though...

 

[shortbus4x4]

All I can say as a T100 fan is watch your weight. It will be easy to overload it. Love your video series and am a subscriber. Keep the the good work.

 

[Traveling 2gether Journal]

You may save a few bucks with TotalBoat epoxy, if it’s slow enough for you. I know Raka is used when it’s hot or when you need a super slow cure time though...

Thanks, but the Raka 6 gallon kit comes out to $63 per gallon shipped and that's with the 305 non-blushing hardener. I'm not finding Totalboat any cheaper. Let me know if you have a cheaper dealer you use. I've never used Raka, but it has good reviews on the wooden boat building forums and if anyone knows about glass and ply construction it seems like they would.

 

[highwest]

Thanks, but the Raka 6 gallon kit comes out to $63 per gallon shipped and that's with the 305 non-blushing hardener. I'm not finding Totalboat any cheaper. Let me know if you have a cheaper dealer you use. I've never used Raka, but it has good reviews on the wooden boat building forums and if anyone knows about glass and ply construction it seems like they would.

I thought I picked up TotalBoat a while back as it was the budget option, but I went back and checked and it was $125! I don’t know what I was thinking... carry on.

 

[Beavervalley802]

Look forward to watching this build! I love all toyotas equally, but really never understood the t100 hate. The 3.4 is an awesome engine!

Will you be doing anything to help support the extra load? I wonder if the FROR full float kit will fit that axle.

 

[rruff]

Will you be doing anything to help support the extra load? I wonder if the FROR full float kit will fit that axle.

His payload should be sufficient. It's way higher than my Tundra's anyway!