4'x8' Wooden Truck Camper plans

[Escape]

Hi everyone, I'm glad to be a part of this community, this is going to be awesome. Ok so I wanted a real lightweight minimalist camper, here's what I've got sketched up so far. Materials: 2x4's, 2x2 copper treated for the trusses and door, and 3/8 plywood. Tell me what you think, I don't really know what I'm doing at all. This will be going on a 2.2l longbed diesel minitruck.

Few questions, are the green trusses necessary or overkill?
Are the 2x4's on the floor oriented correctly? For some reason it seems to me this way would work better but maybe I'm wrong.
Do I need to have an X truss on the biggest wall, or would just one do the job?

http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=744fe09fc6d57716ec1b7995ac257940&prevstart=0

 

[VanLifeCrisis]

I don't know but i think if i was building my own, it would have acabover and standing height

 

[Donedirtcheap]

You may choose to go with studs on the walls so you have more support points if you build things inside. The cross bracing will be replace by gluing/screwing/nailing the side panels on. The side panel will prevent racking. Liquid nail/glue everything.

Also check out Kreg screws. Fantastic invention. You don't need the whole kit, just the guide and special drill bit.

I assume you will be putting pieces from side to side to form the roof trusses?Make them slightly radius so the water will run off. It doesn't need to be much, just enough to prevent pooling. Especially if you put some sort of roof vent in.

Are you then using with plywood for the roof? If so use an RV roof membrane material to cap it off. Run it over the edge and then secure it with strips run horizontally all the way around. HD sells white plastic lumber that can be ripped into thin strips. Dont use primer and roof sealer on it. Just take the hit and do it right from the start. I suppose aluminum may be an even better choice. I have never worked with alum.

As you draw your plans try to imagine all the places that you will need nailing structure or areas that you may hang/fasten stuff inside so you have "meat in the wall to fasten to.

If you are going to have exposed wood, ROT Doctor epoxy works very well.

Dang this stuff is fun. Wish I was helping you.

 

[Escape]

Hey, that roof membrane is a great idea.

As far as a cabover, that would add weight, reduce simplicity, increase cost, increase drag, just not gonna happen on this camper. I'll eventually make it pop up and have storage under the floor and I can thrive in a real small space anyway, don't have many things.

I heard about using gorilla glue on the screws, would it make it any stronger in my situation?

For the roof, just a flat piece of plywood with a tarp over it for now. Doing this as cheap, lightweight and simple as possible. Not quite sure how I would bend the roof, I suppose I could put a few small curved pieces of thick plywood under it. As far as studs, eh I won't really be mounting stuff on the wall I think. Rather save the weight this way. Trucks slow enough as it is =]

Thanks for the help!

 

[Donedirtcheap]

Use loctite extreme advesive from HD or the liquid nails equivalent. The sticky gooey traditional liq nails not the creamy thin one. I think the thin one is called "projects". Gorilla glue is too runny for most of what you are doing.

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Correction: Loctite "Premium" xl

 

[PastTense]

Why don't you simply get a used camper shell from Craigslist or a junkyard?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camper_shell

 

[Willy]

This might provide some inspiration http://www.glen-l.com/glen-l-rv-plans/ ..Willy.

 

[Escape]

I tried a used camper. They're all too rotten, too heavy, or too fragile, or not wide enough [i hate slide in style], or too expensive. Could someone explain to me why to use glue on the screws?

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And a camper shell, well that would make a nice roof although way heavier than what I would make and also much more expensive. A camper shell is just not enough room for me, this thing is gonna pop up so I can stand up in it and I'll build another crate then attach it so the thing is wider when I have more cash.

 

[WheelEstate USA]

If you use Loctite/Liquid Nails, as above, you shouldn't need glue on the screws.
Glue on screws would be used on a project that doesn't have panels glued to studs/braces.

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To keep screws from backing out.

 

[Donedirtcheap]

Sorry if I worded that wrong. When i said"glue/screw/nail I mean as you assemble, glue the boards and then use screws to hold it together OR nail or staple it. I didnt mean you need to put glue on the screws themselves. If you are constructing the wall sections say out of plywood and 2x2's the glue will make it one solid panel. Glue the 2x2's to the plywood and screw through the plywood into the 2x2's. I have used 1/4 plywood and used an air staple gun. Not a hand squeeze staple gun but the air powered type made by porter cable etc. The small U shaped staples work good on thin materials so they don't pull through. Adjust the gun so they don't go too deep. My god this is scary, I hope I have spelled everything correctly.