DIY EarthRoamer (sorta)... newbie questions
- Thread starter ReluctantTraveler
- Start date
ReluctantTraveler
Active member
indeed! I was only thinking left/right to encourage water to roll off.
I think it could like quite sharp!... You might consider using "pirate ship" concept inside your camper (as well as possibly on the outside too).
You might enjoy looking over the following link:
This Handmade Truck Camper Will Make You Feel Like You're Living In A Yacht
Called the House of Seven Rivers, you'll be left wondering what isn't included in this remarkable handmade truck camper made from the finest of materials.www.doityourselfrv.com
...
Just design and build it like the (upside-down) pirate-ship you wanted, after all, many boats keep water out and float quite well.
Build a big box, with a boxy addition (cabover), and use a flat roof to maximize the interior for a family of 4. (You might want to angle the front of the cabover as long as the front of the cabover won't cut in to the driver's visibility.)
Although sloped roofs are quite useful for shedding rain/snow/ice on (non-moving) houses, your camper needs to fit within height, width, and length restrictions. You will also be using some materials to seal your camper that aren't usually used for a static house.
Please pardon my warped sense of humor.
I edited one of my earlier posts to better allow my warped sense of humor to show though while hopefully being quite clear that a flat camper roof is a good idea for your needs.
ReluctantTraveler
Active member
Build a big box, with a boxy addition (cabover), and use a flat roof to maximize the interior for a family of 4. (You might want to angle the front of the cabover as long as the front of the cabover won't cut in to the driver's visibility.)
Although sloped roofs are quite useful for shedding rain/snow/ice on (non-moving) houses, your camper needs to fit within height, width, and length restrictions. You will also be using some materials to seal your camper that aren't usually used for a static house.
Please pardon my warped sense of humor.
???
thanks for clarifying!
IdaSHO
IDACAMPER
My ears are ringin’
Lets hit a few key points that have been mentioned…
*glass over plywood… while recommended, if you go with a legit marine rated ply it is not needed. Which is why I did glass on just the joints. And it works great, though it is harder to hide joints. Under the right lighting, you can still seen the seams on my camper.
*Monstaliner over wood/ply… Prepped correctly and assuming the base material doesnt fail in some way, Monstaliner will adhere to anything. For my build I did a wet layup of prime and base paint layers. Not sure what its actually called, but I call it a wet layup…. its the application of paint/coating over a layer of whatever before it is fully cured. This provides a chemical bond, instead of a traditional mechanical bond, that needs sanding. The original paint job was done in an alkyd enamel primer and industrial topcoat. Once I verified everything was compatible… the prime coat was applied to the final coat of epoxy before it was fully cured. Then the multiple layers of topcoat was applied over the primer before it was fully cured. Even with a good deal of hardener in the mix, it took the better part of a month to harden, but it gave me the seamless candy coating shell I wanted. Recently I went over it all with monstaliner for a color change, and textured in hoped of hiding some of those visible seams. The original paint was in perfect shape with zero problems, so it served a fine base for the monstaliner. It also served a perfect base for the Gacoroof. Both coatings are massive overkill, as the original paint was perfectly. fine. But overkill to thwart mother nature is never a bad thing
*Angles, drainage, etc… My camper was built with multiple roof angles for a few reasons. Primarily for drainage and strength. The angles add a ton of strength. And with roof mounted drip rails, 90%+ of all rain and melting snow drains off the rear. Secondary was to shave a few pounds. with a shorter rear wall there is simply less wall. So less weight.
Lets hit a few key points that have been mentioned…
*glass over plywood… while recommended, if you go with a legit marine rated ply it is not needed. Which is why I did glass on just the joints. And it works great, though it is harder to hide joints. Under the right lighting, you can still seen the seams on my camper.
*Monstaliner over wood/ply… Prepped correctly and assuming the base material doesnt fail in some way, Monstaliner will adhere to anything. For my build I did a wet layup of prime and base paint layers. Not sure what its actually called, but I call it a wet layup…. its the application of paint/coating over a layer of whatever before it is fully cured. This provides a chemical bond, instead of a traditional mechanical bond, that needs sanding. The original paint job was done in an alkyd enamel primer and industrial topcoat. Once I verified everything was compatible… the prime coat was applied to the final coat of epoxy before it was fully cured. Then the multiple layers of topcoat was applied over the primer before it was fully cured. Even with a good deal of hardener in the mix, it took the better part of a month to harden, but it gave me the seamless candy coating shell I wanted. Recently I went over it all with monstaliner for a color change, and textured in hoped of hiding some of those visible seams. The original paint was in perfect shape with zero problems, so it served a fine base for the monstaliner. It also served a perfect base for the Gacoroof. Both coatings are massive overkill, as the original paint was perfectly. fine. But overkill to thwart mother nature is never a bad thing
*Angles, drainage, etc… My camper was built with multiple roof angles for a few reasons. Primarily for drainage and strength. The angles add a ton of strength. And with roof mounted drip rails, 90%+ of all rain and melting snow drains off the rear. Secondary was to shave a few pounds. with a shorter rear wall there is simply less wall. So less weight.
Peter_n_Margaret
Adventurer
The roof on my DIY vehicle is deliberately flat with an edge that stops most water running off so it can be caught in one corner and redirected into one of the water tanks. It is amasing how much water can be collected in a light shower.
Water is valuable. You don't want to loose it.
This roof design also accomodates maximum solar.
The fitting in the roof corner is a QC for the hose. The hose takes the water straight to a tank.
If the rainfall exceeds the ability to take it away, it simply runs over the edge, but a syphon established in the hose drains a lot of water.
Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 motorhome
Water is valuable. You don't want to loose it.
This roof design also accomodates maximum solar.
The fitting in the roof corner is a QC for the hose. The hose takes the water straight to a tank.
If the rainfall exceeds the ability to take it away, it simply runs over the edge, but a syphon established in the hose drains a lot of water.
Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 motorhome
ReluctantTraveler
Active member
That's genius, Peter! What do you use the rain water for? I'd be hesitant to put that into my drinking system, but I could see using it for showers and such.
ReluctantTraveler
Active member
Now that I'm working on floor layouts and have a sense of how I want to move forward, what's the best section in which to start a build thread?
ReluctantTraveler
Active member
My ears are ringin’
Sorry dude! Your build is so gorgeous! Inspiring AF!
What was the original paint? Just a normal outdoor paint, or some kind of marine-grade thing?
Related, but how on earth do you do those gorgeous graphics? I'm in awe!
rruff
Explorer
Other Custom Expedition Camper
Custom and other enclosed expedition campers, Pinz, Turtle Expedition Vehicles, etc.
expeditionportal.com
ReluctantTraveler
Active member
Cheers!
In case you are looking for other "similar-truck-size custom-build threads" to read, there are some other custom 550/5500 builds in:Other Custom Expedition Camper
Custom and other enclosed expedition campers, Pinz, Turtle Expedition Vehicles, etc.
Domestic: Full Size
Discussions specific to the modification and service of Hummers, GM and Ford large vehicles for Expedition Travel.Sponsored by Warn Industries
expeditionportal.com
ReluctantTraveler
Active member
Y’all aRe truly the best!
Peter_n_Margaret
Adventurer
We chlorinate all our water then filter it with an 0.5um carbon block, so we are happy to use it for any purpose, including drinking.
Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 motorhome