DIY Truck Camper - If you did it again

[jmnielsen]

In the process of planning a pop up truck camper similar to FWC and others. I'm on the fence about a few things and figured I would see what the people here think.

If you have previously built a camper, particularly a pop up for a truck:

What would you do differently this time around?

What would you do the same?

Any "Must haves"?

 

[plh]

I'd have the sleeping area at least 55 x 75 (mine is going to be 49 x 75).

One piece mattress.

Don't think I'd use 8020 for the main rooftop "walls" again.

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[Darwin]

Don't think I'd use 8020 for the main rooftop "walls" again.

Why not the 80/20? I was planning on using for the interior build out instead of plywoood.

 

[plh]

interior is fine. I will also do my interior cabinets in 8020 framing,

For the exterior thou the joints (corners) might be difficult to water proof, will see, I have a pretty good plan

 

[dbhost]

In the process of planning a pop up truck camper similar to FWC and others. I'm on the fence about a few things and figured I would see what the people here think.

If you have previously built a camper, particularly a pop up for a truck:

What would you do differently this time around?

What would you do the same?

Any "Must haves"?

I am in the process now, but have had campers in the past, VW Westfalia vans, hard side and pop up truck campers, and a pop up trailer.

Must haves for ME, not necessarily you, but for ME.

1. MINIMUM bed size is a standard queen 60x80. My wife and I are both big, we are camping / overlanding for our health, and a lousy nights sleep doen't help that...
2. Good comfy mattress for same reason. We are using a memory foam regular queen futon mattress that my brother in law and his wife used when they had a donated place after Hurricane Harvey wiped them out. They got back into their house and gave us the futon. It's COMFY.
3. NO dinette. Again we are big, Dinettes don't work. We are using TV tray type tables and the bed is to be set up as a futon accross the truck bed.
4. Space for a portable toilet IN the camper. This doesn't have to be a formal bathroom, but should you pull into camp and the weather be so lousy you don't want to set up a privy tent outside, you have room to do your thing should you need to.
5. Space for a stove and food prep.
6. Storage. This is always critically low in Truck campers. Make sure you design in ample storage.
7. HVAC. It doesn't have to be complex, A 5K BTU window unit in the back wall of the camper does the trick, a Coleman catalytic heater provides enough heat for me.
8. VENTILATION. I mentioned cooking and a heater right? Breathing is a good thing... Make sure you have more than enough make up air.
9. Insulation. This is why I don't just go out and buy a used pop up slide in since they are frequently cheap around here. If I could figure out how to insulate the canvas / tent part to even a vaguely reasonable point, mostly to reduce heat gain, I wouldn't even consider building a camper.

With the above parts mentioned, and something you might consider. Depending on where in the country you are, and I am NOT in prime territory for used Slide in campers, but older Palomino and similar slide in pop ups can and often are had near me for less than $2,000.00 in very good, no leaks shape. Just be careful picking the unit and inspect it carefully.

So with that, my must haves are...

1. Either a Palomino or Starcraft pop up (highest weight rating of the overcab sleeper at 1K and 1.1K lbs respectively). Plus plenty of room to change out the factory mattress with a truly comfortable one. Pick a unit with an AC. Oh, and these units typically are light enough to not be a drag on my half ton truck...
2. Remove the heater. Still going with a catalytic, the furnaces are just too much of a power draw in a small camper.
3. Still need the provision for the toilet.
4. Insulate the canvas, somehow. Dunno, reflectix? Something... Suggestions needed...
5. Steps for INSIDE the camper. My wife is short at 5' 0" and would have trouble getting to the overcab without steps.
6. Rework the dinette if it has one, so the table is on a slide mechanism to allow for room.
7. Awnings on both sides to provide living space OUTSIDE of the camper.

The point of the camper is this. I personally want a comfortable place to sleep and then get up, get dressed and go out and do things. BUT, should the weather get lousy on a trip, which often happens and drives us indoors for a day out of the 5 or so we are out there, we can be comfortable maybe working on the laptop or something while we wait for the storm to blow over...

Our last tenting trip to Garner State Park was a 6 day 5 night spring break jaunt where on night 3 a VERY strong storm blew in and dumped so much rain so quickly that it drove us out of the tent and we had to sleep in the cab of the truck...

 

[Pntyrmvr]

Derek at Colorado Camper Vans offers as an option a multiple layer modern canvas on his gorgeous pop tops.

I believe one option is a layer of something like Thinsulate.

Reviews have been good. Then again 3 layers instead of one is always better for keeping the heat in. Or out.

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[jmnielsen]

@dbhost thanks for your input! I’ve considered a used one and remodeling, but all the ones I have come across are too long for what I want- I have a 6.5’ bed and don’t want to have to leave the tailgate down with a camper on.

As far as insulating canvas, I plan on drawing something up and having custom insulated one made, shouldn’t be more than $400 or so from what I gather. I would think you could take the factory canvas off something and take it to a shop and ask them to either modify it or replicate it but add insulation.


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[sg1]

Overland Explorers CampX is a fully insulated (including canvas) pop up slide in for 6.5ft bed.

 

[jmnielsen]

Overland Explorers CampX is a fully insulated (including canvas) pop up slide in for 6.5ft bed.

Those look very nice, but not even close to being in my budget.

 

[bxjhon]

Now I'm dealing with a common small bed area obstacle. I would like to change the bed area kind of 60 x 80. Also a little more space for the food processing area as well.

 

[IdaSHO]

Honestly, not a thing.

My only advice for those that venture down this road...

Make a plan, scrutinize the hell out of it, toss it in the garbage, rinse-repeat.
Focus not on features but floor plan/layout/flow.
If you continue to come up with the same plan, you might very well know what you want.

Then realize just how much time/effort/pain goes into such a venture.
Done right, you will have something that you will enjoy and will last the test of time.
Done not-so-right, you will struggle to finish, rush to finish, or abandon it all together.

I started my build Dec 2012. It was a weekend/evening project, that was back-burnered a few times.
It was finally drug out of the shop June 2014, and has been on the road since, with countless nights in it, and 75k+ miles of travel.
Best i can tell, its no worse for wear.

I have updated a few systems in that time, mainly electrical, and fancy electric jacks, but that's it.

And most recently, we upgraded trucks.

Beyond happy with it, and it is a big part of our end-game.
Within the next 5-8 years we will cut the cord and hit the road full time, and this will be what we call home.

 

[jmnielsen]

Honestly, not a thing.

My only advice for those that venture down this road...

Make a plan, scrutinize the hell out of it, toss it in the garbage, rinse-repeat.
Focus not on features but floor plan/layout/flow.
If you continue to come up with the same plan, you might very well know what you want.

Then realize just how much time/effort/pain goes into such a venture.
Done right, you will have something that you will enjoy and will last the test of time.
Done not-so-right, you will struggle to finish, rush to finish, or abandon it all together.

I started my build Dec 2012. It was a weekend/evening project, that was back-burnered a few times.
It was finally drug out of the shop June 2014, and has been on the road since, with countless nights in it, and 75k+ miles of travel.
Best i can tell, its no worse for wear.

I have updated a few systems in that time, mainly electrical, and fancy electric jacks, but that's it.

And most recently, we upgraded trucks.

Beyond happy with it, and it is a big part of our end-game.
Within the next 5-8 years we will cut the cord and hit the road full time, and this will be what we call home.

Thanks for your input!

I have put a lot of thought in to it and we have done enough camping/traveling to know what we want.

I plan on welding a steel frame for mine so have designed it in CAD and have been doing some FEA simulations on it to see about cutting weight where I can.


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[javajoe79]

Maybe not a hardsided pop up and probably composite panels. I’m closing in on having a usable shell and it keeps getting better looking but I could go for less complexity next time.

 

[The Artisan]

Not using a 14ga cage. I think 18 would be fine. I was happy with the panels
Kevin

 

[rruff]

I plan on welding a steel frame for mine so have designed it in CAD and have been doing some FEA simulations on it to see about cutting weight where I can.

Stresses on the camper will be no big deal if it's isolated from the frame, and can be very problematic if it isn't.

Sounds like you're plannning a slide-in? Care about insulation?