Pop-Up Camper - Custom Build (scratch built) Oasis-Si

VanIsle_Greg

I think I need a bigger truck!
After a lot of work and a long delay (about 4 months), I have decided to post up my custom pop-up camper build thread. This has been a lot of planning, a lot of layout effort and a lot of Amazon shipments. Oh and of course a lot of building. My inspiration for this camper is the 4WC Four Wheel Campers lightweight units, which I guess in a lot of ways is similar to the mass market campers out there from Palomino, Starcraft and others. The difference with the 4WC campers is they seem to be more "built for purpose", that purpose being a lighter and leaner camper for backcountry exploration. In my case, this is a slightly stripped down version in that it is missing the furnace and a few other options. I should also add that many of you here on ExPo who have done home builds also inspired me.

My camper platform vehicle is a 2014 Ram 1500 Sport 4x4. This is a stock un-modified fairly pedestrian rig at this point, but is well up to the task of hauling this lightweight camper. The truck has the 5.7L Hemi V8 and a full tow package along with 3.92 gears making it a very capable towing/hauling rig. It is however only a 1500 1/2 ton, and not really designed to be a "camper hauler". With that in mind my camper design and build was to be lighter weight to fit well within the capabilities of this truck, but still be useable and well built. I had already added AirLift air bags to the rear suspension, these are the coil insert type not the full lift bags. They are good for up to 1000# load (tongue weight or bed weight) so we will see if they are good enough or if I will need to add in full airbags in the rear? TBD.

The build really came about after months of looking for a used (new to me) 4WC camper online. I met the guys from AT Overland last year (2017) at the BC Overland Rally, and talked a lot with Mario about the campers they had on display. After much drooling, I came to the realization that I wanted one, but was short about...well, short about all of the funds to buy one. #SadFace I was at the event with my custom built Jeep XJ and CDN M101 trailer with an RTT and kitchen and so on, but had already picked up the Ram as a daily driver and tow rig for our family RV. I had the truck and the plan, I just needed the funding. Much searching later, I realized that I was not going to find what I wanted for the budget I had in mind, and if I did, it was probably going to be a much older unit and probably 3000 miles away from me. So much for that idea... plus any good ones sell in like 4.5 seconds.

My friend Mike said over tea one day..."lets build one". Mike is a builder/fabricator/designer of custom off road stuff for himself and a host of others. He builds bumpers, racks, trailers, campers, boats and is a master in the woodshop. His last 4 or 5 projects have all been custom off road Teardrop Trailers. He is capable, and was apparently motivated to do the job too. "Ok" I say. The trailer went up for sale... and sold to the first person to look at it for full asking (I knew I was asking too little for it). Funding in place... the parts buying started and so did the build.

Design:

- Light weight and fitted to my Ram 1500 short box Crew Cab (5.7' bed)
- Pop-Top with fabric/Canvas sides
- Queen bed and a second bunk in an east/west config
- Decent storage
- LED lighting, battery for a 12v system
- Needed to include on board water with on demand HOT!
- 20LB propane storage (11LB in a pinch)
- Cool (had to be cool)

Build Materials:

- Steel frame (skeleton) made up from .120 wall for the main supports and .100 wall for the spreaders and less structural supports
- Wood skins in and out with a combination of 1/2 for floors and structural locations and 3/8 for non-load bearing and finished walls
- Natural brushed aluminum (raw) outer skins
- Decent amount of windows BIG windows, all from Vintage Technologies
- Aluminium trim and bits all from Vintage Technologies as well (black to offset the raw aluminum)
- Boxes and boxes of Sika Construction adhesive!!
- 3/4" foam insulation

Frame build:

Frame is 1x1 steel. Lots of pics of the cutting, welding and test fitting process. Mike built this all in Autocad to try to build it light enough to be manageable but strong enough to be a tough build and last forever.

Propane bottle in pic is only a 5 LB.
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Tank in approx location.
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Bench and corner braces for lift points. Soooo much better than those mass produced units with wood framing...heh
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Lots of steel bits.
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Additional crossbar in the floor where the water and battery sit. Battery is a group 24 AGM sealed unit and the water tank is a locally sourced (Trotac Marine) marine 13 gal unit.
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Test fit with only tack welds in place... a case of measure 12 times weld hopefully once. I should note that Mike welded and fabbed the frame. I am no welder. lol
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I managed to get a pic of the elusive Mike in this one. Though he won't be happy about that! Shhh
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VanIsle_Greg

I think I need a bigger truck!
Once the frame was completed, we started attaching the plywood for the bottom (ok Mike did while I was at work). This is all attached with Sika Construction Adhesive and a boatload of self tapping screws. The Sika alone is an amazing bond once fully cured... you cannot get the plywood off the steel to save your life. The mill scale is ground off, the surface is washed with methyl hydrate and then the Sika is liberally applied. The wood is then positioned and the screws driven home. After that the self tappers are filled with Bondo, and then sanded smooth. The bottom of the "Tub" is fiberglassed with epoxy resin and 1 layer of cloth. This goes about 2" up the sides and is intended to ensure that no water could penetrate the floor. The entire bottom of the camper up to the aluminum will be primed and then coated with epoxy.

1/2 inch finish grade birch plywood
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Cubby for propane storage being formed
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Primed, backing blocks (to nail and glue to) installed, insulation started. My son loafing around...
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These are the start of the holes for the hatches to access the tie down system and turnbuckles. I decided on marine deck hatches (available locally or on Amazon) for a couple of reasons. They look great, they are watertight (rubber seal) and they function really well. Plus it saves a TON of time fabricating 4 tiny doors.
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Reasonably cheap and they work really well!
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Floor insulated and top layer of 1/2" ply installed. Every wall, roof, floor etc is insulated with foam board. It worked out fantastic... adhered with PL 300 for foam board, so no squeaks!
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First bench seat and shelf in.
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Foundation insulation, so the foam is skinned on both sides. It resists moisture and reflects heat back in...or so they say? We will see.
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Hole finish cut, interior paneling backing cut and insulation cut. The edge of the foam and interior ply is covered by a poplar trim piece that Mike milled out of some solid stock. Every piece of trim is being hand machined to size from solid rough stock. Even all the backing (with the exception of some of the plywood bits we used up) is being milled out of Hemlock 2x4 stock. Super cheap and easy to work with. Any visible trim is Poplar and is getting a clear finish.
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VanIsle_Greg

I think I need a bigger truck!
The next few trips to work on the camper shell were spent priming, insulating, making and installing backing blocking and then rinse and repeat. Not too exciting, and eats up a surprising amount of time. Mike left me to do the bulk of all of this work. It is not too technical (I am a bit of a hack but know my way around the shop...he is an expert) so it is right in my wheelhouse so to speak. There is something very satisfying about a DIY project like this. People, friends and acquaintances alike ask me why build one when I can just go buy one? Well... because I can. I get a HUGE amount of satisfaction using something I built or made. I am not making this alone, this is a team effort, but it is still my vision, and in the end will be exactly what I want to use with the kids.

This is the nearly finished product for the hatches. Both installed, backing paneling installed and then the tub inner wall installed. The trim is going on much later so we don't bang it up getting the raised floor in. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that there is a raised floor under the dining table with a drawer. This will get your feet at the correct height to sit comfortably and gets me some additional storage space for "stuff".
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Opposite side (kitchen side) with the seat/bed base in place and the front wall insulated ready for inner skin.
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More insulation, backing and yeah... I missed a piece I would put in later (I was tired). I actually ended up putting a LOT more backing in this corner for the cabinets to attach to. There is a 4 drawer cabinet on the window wall and a hanging locker at the back door facing the kitchen (more pics of that soon).
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First exterior wall skin attached!! That was a great feeling. These are attached with Sika adhesive only and no mechanical fasteners. There is no need as the adhesive is more than enough...you cannot get that stuff to let go. The wood splinters before the adhesive gives up. Amazing stuff and well worth the $. Plus it has an added benefit, it is waterproof. Every compartment in these walls is sealed 100% air and water tight. There is no way for the water or air to get in, so it should also help with colder weather. I havent decided on a heating system yet, but we have some ideas... and for now I will use a catalytic buddy heater (already purchased a C02 monitor) to take the chill off in the mornings. Plus I have a roof vent that can remain open.
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Front wall attached. Another big step. Oh and before this we had already installed the underside of the sleeping loft area, more 1/2" birch with self tappers and mucho adhesive! The window is offset to allow for it to align with the truck slider. Can listen to tunes that way. All windows have bug screens too... those Tear Drop folks at Vintage Technologies really make some nice kit! They manufacture all of this parts you need to build a camper or tear drop trailer. The parts like the aluminum edge mouldings with the rubber insert screw covers, the windows, they sell pre-fab doors you name it!
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Progress.
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Upper bunk area frame details. Those steel supports and 45* braces are all .120 wall steel and the layout was all done in Autocad to reduce stress on the frame. The upper and lower steel tubes run from one end of the camper to the other, so they are contiguous and MAN is that thing rigid.
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More skinning!
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Inner skins going in. Man, it is starting to look like something now. This side has a HUGE window with a slider and screens. There are a total of 3 windows in this unit in the tub section.
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While I was at work Mike started working on the cabinets. Again this is all Poplar that has been custom milled to size. Even the 1/4 round trim you will see in later pics was made... Mike is a skilled guy and plans for little waste and maximum use from each piece. I like where this is going.
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VanIsle_Greg

I think I need a bigger truck!
So many more pics to share. This is coming along nicely, both this thread and the build itself. lol I have been working with Mike on this for the past few months and have amassed a number of pics, this is just a few that help show how we designed and built this unit. So far I think it is working out really well! There is a long way to go yet, but the details are starting to shape up and the interior space is coming together really well, even better than I had planned actually.

I like to go into stuff like this with a plan, but not a 100% concrete plan. I like it to be flexible, and Mike is the same way. There have been many cups of tea and discussions on this and that. On how we could lay out this cabinet or that locker or where the battery, electrical and water stuff should sit. The fun part is all the planning and building and then seeing it all come together in some useful and creative way! One of the areas we discussed a lot was of course the kitchen. I had a chest style fridge already (Dometic CF-35) so that was a no brainer. We built it into the space just above the outside LPG locker. This is a BIG box that is sealed from the outside to keep any possible LPG gasses outside of the sleeping area. I should mention that there is no LPG plumbed into this unit. The HW heater is an Eccotemp L5 that mounts outside, and there is no interior cooktop. I use a Coleman 2 burner outside so no need for any LPG inside. I do have a sink and hot and cold running water, that was critical for washing up, brushing teeth etc, even though I usually do all that outside too. heh I can get a nice glass of water before bed at least.

The sink, well that is a funny one. It is a $4.00 stainless mixing bowl from Canadian Tire. heh Works awesome but it is tricky to use a holesaw on these... so beware.

Dometic fridge will be enclosed behind a door on full extension sliders. Benefit of having it here, can grab a cold beer from outside or inside! The handles come off of the unit and it will get mounted to the slide/shelf. The space under the sink is food storage or for misc dish stuff.
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More detail and work done to the hanging locker. This is a really amazing use of space and a really useful use of space. Who doesn't want to hang up a jacket or a hoodie when camping. Room for shoes in the bottom too. Oh and there is that milled up trim I was mentioning earlier. I like the colour combination of the paneling and the Poplar...will look even better when it is completed and finished. Clear semi-gloss urethane on pretty much the entire interior!
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4 drawers go in here. That is an amazing amount of useable drawers for a pop up camper.
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Fridge hole. Nuff said there.
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Kitchen sink and cheapo taps from CDN Tire again. All in less than $30 for the kitchen so far! heh
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My favorite spot in the camper...my bed. Full queen sized bed, and I have a 5" memory foam mattress in a bag from Ikea ready to go in there. All insulated and ready for another 1/2" skin.
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Skinned the bed floor, insulated the remaining walls (almost done), backing blocks and ready for final inner skin! Need to fill, prime and paint the bed floor ASAP. Not leaving it clear, going to paint it.
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Drawer boxes all fabbed up and glued up. The drawer fronts and the doors will all be made from the same paneling we used for the interior walls. We will laminate 3 layers together to give it strength and it uses up all the scraps we have laying around too! Win Win.
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Here is a shot of the outside LPG storage cubby. A 20 LB LPG tank will fit in there believe it or not. I was pleased we were able to get a 20LB in there as I use a LPG fire ring a LOT and this will enable a few nights with fire, cooking and hot water. I picked up a stainless marine louver for this to keep it well vented.
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Cubby is getting a custom door, coming soon! The back access door and this door are both custom units. All of the manufactured doors big enough for the LPG cubby were too expen$ive and or just plain ugly. The rear door we decided to make rather than to buy so I can get the largest opening for easy access. I am 6'1" so while not a giant, some of the manufactured doors were either too short or too pricey. All in for the windows I already have they were not cheap, but the quality is very good and Mike has used dozens of these in his own builds, so they are trusted and tested.
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VanIsle_Greg

I think I need a bigger truck!
And more...

I love reading the build threads on this forum, always have. I guess I am almost more interested in the build part of the journey than I am with using the thing I am building!? lol Oh well, that is all part of the overall journey I guess? I wanted to share this build as my CDN M101 thread seemed to help a lot of people with their builds or at least answered some questions along the way. Not too many people building something like this camper we are making from scratch...so maybe this will inspire someone else to do the same? I have read some pretty cool camper builds on here that certainly got me going down this path.

I mention "Mike" a lot on here. He is a very skilled tradesman and a very good friend. He has inspired me to take this on, when the easier path would have been to buy a wreck and rebuild it or to just buy a newer unit and suck it up. This is a big undertaking, and without his masterful fabrication and welding skills I would be still burning holes in expensive steel. :ROFLMAO:

All kidding aside, here is a spy photo of his own personal trailer he is just now finishing (not that they are ever really finished). I will try to talk him into a build thread, it is truly an amazing thing. My camper is being built using most of the same techniques this went together with. With the exception of the frame. His sits on his frame whereas mine is internal...heh. Oh and his is a trailer too so. Yeah.

Beauty in function and form. Those are custom moulded solid fiberglass fenders he made with carbon fiber reinforcements!
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One thing I forgot to show earlier is the corner detail up front. Much debate was had on the corners. On how we would do them and or how they should look? I like the rounded corners, but it is a LOT of work to make them round. A hard chined corner is easier in many ways, but this is the look I was going for so here we are...rounded corners. Mike showed me a new thing... bendy plywood. Oh man this stuff is fun to use. We shaped the upper bed floor to the radius we wanted and then glued and clamped the bendy ply on. We had one helluva time finding someone with dies to do 1" tubing in town...well for a price that was not completely outrageous that is. So the metal frame is chined but the skin will be rounded. There will be a cap made for these corners out of aluminum and it will reinforce the corner and make it look more finished. The whole corner is sealed with more Sika than I care to think about... I am not worried about leaks and it is well insulated now too. With the .040 aluminum skin bonded to it, it should be more than strong enough!
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Water tank/battery box going in! That is a 13 gal tank and beside it is an on demand water pump.
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Battery charger plug and the plug that attaches the camper to the truck for power (charge) and running lights. The camper will have proper clearance lights all around the roof and will be charged by the truck when it is running. I also have a 100 Watt Renogy solar panel to be fixed to the roof and charge controller to be installed. I also have a 40 watt portable that will be able to be plugged in to the solar circuit to be able to chase the sun if parked in a shady spot. Thats a Group 24 AGM in there. It is fully sealed, but I will still be isolating it and venting it to the outside.
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On demand water pump. Small little sucker but apparently they work amazingly well. Mike has put these in the past 3 trailers he has built.
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Now for some KOOL stuff. The upper kitchen cabinet is now installed. It is not finished, but it is in. There is enough storage in there for all my plates and cups etc, and it is a great place to hide the wiring too! lol That 4 switch panel also has 2 x USB chargers in it as well as a lighter plug for um...stuff? Might swap that out for another dual USB. This looks so amazing now... really stoked on how well this is turning out.
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Closeup of the plug/switch panel. Amazon special!
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This end of the cabinet gets an LCD panel that shows the status of the charging system, the input power and battery state. It will show charging efficiency and is easy to read at a glance. Piece of mind.
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Easy access to the switches from the door when climbing in. These switches are for the interior lights, exterior lights, the under counter lights and the water pump.
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Overview. Upper cabinets coming along nicely!
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VanIsle_Greg

I think I need a bigger truck!
look forward to see your build. cheers

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk

Thanks Battleborn, sorting through a TON of pics right now. Will add them as time permits. Apologies for the placeholder posts, I want to keep the first parts in order for this thread.

:sneaky:
 
look forward to see your build. cheers

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk

Thanks Battleborn, sorting through a TON of pics right now. Will add them as time permits. Apologies for the placeholder posts, I want to keep the first parts in order for this thread.

:sneaky:
no apologies needed. you are furthering the community by sharing your experience with us. please include hindsight as you outline your build. thanks again. cheers

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk
 

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