My Camper

[wallaby]

HI Steve : great drawings etc. I have built myself a camper trailer using plywood. Can I make some suggestions? Well, I will anyway. If you use a frame you can use thinner ply like 7 mm but probably the best compromise is 12 mm. Put the frame every 200 mm and have it support a runner that is attached to the roof. This way your roof will be strong enough to be able to be used as a roof rack. Glue and screw everything to the cut to size ply panels and then fabricate it together. Much easier. Framing the ply creates a torsion box construction which makes it extremely strong. The ply on its own without a frame is not strong enough Think of hollow fill doors or aeroplane wing constrction - the same concept.
You will need an escape hatch. It is very difficult to build the lift up tailgate and a pain in the arse to seal. I suggest left and right barn doors. Much easier all round. Windows - try a caravan repair place they usually have stacks I bought 4 Camec wind-outs for $100 total. Thinner ply means less weight and considerable costy savings. Bunnings has it on special sometimes and occasionally you can get it from building demolition places. You want structural ply becasue the glue is waterproof and it is this that gives the ply the strength.The timber will fail before the glue does.Thicker ply means less framing but you will need the framing if you want to use roof as a rack. It's a good idea to have access to a snack drawer/bar without having to get out at night which can be bloody cold.When building the sides, I screwed the ply panels together and cut them with saw/jigsaw at the same time and made the doors and window holes at the same time. This way everything matched up. I bullet nosed the front of mine but it is much easier with your design.I suggest that you slope the front more (about 20 degrees down to the mid line height of the tow vehicle) to maximise wind resistance reduction.Its a bugger lugging water containers. Why not put one on the roof. It won't affect COG very much. That's all for now

[Steve F]

Just to comment on the above, I've posted this all before but it's all through the thread so here it is all together

Walls are planned to be 7mm outer skin on 1"x2" framing, same with the roof with 3mm internal walls. All the ply will be structural, CD with A glue except the internal walls which will be AC Luan.

There will be no 'escape' hatch as there will be a door on both sides.

Anyway, I think that's everything

Cheers
Steve

Windows are on the way 2 Camec for $30 each

There will be access from kitchen to sleeping are just for snacks and breakfat in bed.

I wont be sloping the front anymore, it already has a lower roofline than the jeep so no advantages making it steeper and just loose headroom

[smorison]

latest pic's aren't working



edit: nevermind the server is now back online that's hosting them

[Steve F]

Floor is all painted underneath along with the frame and bolted down with 16 3/8" bolts. I need to take a few out and counter sink them though so the wall frame is easier to fit. Wall frames and walls will hopefully get done this coming weekend, so it'll start looking like a camper then



Cheers
Steve

[Steve F]

Got the profile cut today, both sides, did one and used the first as a template for the second. Here it is proped up with a TJ flare for the mudguard. The door is where the join in the ply is so there will be minimal join to hide. The hatch is part of the wall at the moment and a cut will be made with a router using the framing as a guide.



The flare will be used as a template to cut the wheel arch out and thin ply will be laminated in a curve to form the inner arch.

Cheers
Steve

[kyro]

looking good mate

[Steve F]

Got some more done today. I'm having real problems getting 19mm insulation, cant seem to find it anywhere. I did luck on to a window for the front though. Its a Camec tinted perspex window (the bubble type, got it cheap as it had been ordered as a replacement but never picked up. It's 1140mm wide and 410 high, perfect really

Anyway, I put up a wall to confirm where the interior cupboard framing should go. Here's some pics before I added it. The rear bulkhead slots in between two uprights and takes a whack to get it in so it's nice and tight and even without the framing on the bulkhead it's all freestanding at this point.

Also cut the door with a jigsaw using the framing as a guide.







Cheers
Steve