A.R.E. type door for back of cap

[G0ldengirl68]

For sure get that topper back.  Yes the other one is lifted and you could do the same.  Highdesertranger

Yes, I can still get it I believe, although I haven't spoken straight to Dan that removed it when he painted my truck.  I'm hoping now that I know what it can be used as, and, the cost of a new, even used one, geesh, the things you learn hey   Sometimes too dang late!

 

[G0ldengirl68]

Yes, the white part is plywood and raises the topper about 6 inches. I basically made a plywood C and clamped it with topper clamps, and then clamped the topper to it with another set of clamps. I can take pictures tomorrow if you'd like.

It's super neat how you've done it, looks good.  I'd love any pics you want to share of your job on it   Do I see a screen on that door?  If not, I wonder how easy it would be to have a screen-door as well?  Thanks KK, I'm trying to draw some plans so if I get the help I need building it, I can show them something I would like, find out cost of materials, etc

 

[highdesertranger]

Yep, hind sight is always 20-20. It happens to all of us. Highdesertranger

 

[G0ldengirl68]

I'm really hopeful that things will work out for me, and put a thread up on a board for camping this Summer, meetups maybe with some of you   Be good to meet in person with folks, and do some real, person to persons education on all this.  Plus, I'm chompin at the bit to fly the coop here!  At least for a week or two.  For me, the closer to home the better, but inland definitely, more heat and Oregon is my home-State so would love going up there, more southern camping areas.  California is ok, but not as familiar with campgrounds around here.  Anyway, another topic

 

[kklowell]

I love the little step too!  That looks really good and I wish I'd taken shop instead of home-ec in high-school ;(

Youtube is your friend... you can learn a whole lot watching those videos!

 

[kklowell]

I would replace those clamps with bolts.  I really can't believe they even allow those clamps.  Highdesertranger

Guess what one of the things I did today was....
Here's a hint....

It turned out that there are six holes in the bedliner, each one with a removable cover, so I drilled holes through the riser, the bedliner and the top of the bed for 3/8's bolts. The clamps will not be part of the build when this goes back together.

 

[kklowell]

28521[/ATTACH]G0ldengirl68 pid='536464' dateline='1621003723']It's super neat how you've done it, looks good.  I'd love any pics you want to share of your job on it   Do I see a screen on that door?  If not, I wonder how easy it would be to have a screen-door as well?  Thanks KK, I'm trying to draw some plans so if I get the help I need building it, I can show them something I would like, find out cost of materials, etc

I think you'll find there's no door at all in the pic...I hadn't even started building the actual door until this morning. There will not be a screen door... and the window in the door won't open. I just don't have the time to spend to make it do that...my road trip starts on Thursday and I still need to build the interior, run the wire to charge the battery...build the battery box, paint the thing, and put it all back together. I think I'm going to skip coating it with PMF and just paint it due to the time factor. Anyway, here's what the skeleton of the door looked like this morning. It has an outside skin now, but it's all in clamps until tomorrow, so no real picture of it yet.

 

[kklowell]

[font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]Thought I'd post a picture of the riser construction.[/font]

It's just two strips of plywood, screwed and glued to the actual riser piece. I put those little blocks of 2x3 in there for more resistance to twisting. The blocks are also screwed and glued to all three pieces of plywood. I'm going to fill all the holes on the outside of the risers with Bondo before I paint them.

 

[highdesertranger]

Dang where is that like button. Good job. Highdesertranger

 

[kklowell]

Dang where is that like button.  Good job.  Highdesertranger

Pat yourself on the back for convincing me of the need for bolts.

 

[bullfrog]

Good job!

 

[G0ldengirl68]

I think you'll find there's no door at all in the pic...I hadn't even started building the actual door until this morning. There will not be a screen door... and the window in the door won't open. I just don't have the time to spend to make it do that...my road trip starts on Thursday and I still need to build the interior, run the wire to charge the battery...build the battery box, paint the thing, and put it all back together. I think I'm going to skip coating it with PMF and just paint it due to the time factor. Anyway, here's what the skeleton of the door looked like this morning. It has an outside skin now, but it's all in clamps until tomorrow, so no real picture of it yet.

I'm just amazed at what people are able to with DIYs.  One beauty of that is that you know every part of the build yourself, instead of something someone else made at a factory etc.   I did put a bicycle together for the most part I ordered from Amazon, and I actually felt pretty secure going out on it because I knew all the screws were right, and the brakes were set properly.  It's a beaut for sure KK

 

[kklowell]

Today's update
I made the door today, but if the plexiglass window ever breaks I'll be remaking the door. I didn't want to take the time to figure out how to build the door such that changing the window would be easy, so it's trapped in there. I figure the odds that the window will get broken are quite slim...I hope. Amazingly, the door opens and closes quite well.
I filled all the screw holes and gaps in the back assembly and s[font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]anded it all this evening. Had to move the project inside because it's now rather dark out there. After I got it inside I grabbed a can of primer and the last thing I did on it today was put a coat of primer on. If it needs it, I'll sand it a bit in the morning and then it gets painted black. I'll also finish the smaller things like the door and the risers, so it will all be shiny (hopefully) black tomorrow. If I get that done early enough, it will all get put back on the truck tomorrow evening. I need to get a boatload of stuff done tomorrow![/font]

 

[kklowell]

Well, I managed to make a six-foot truck topper into a good-looking 50 foot RV today! It looks good if you stand 50 feet away. LOL
I've decided that I don't like the all-black door...but I don't know what other color to paint it.
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[kklowell]

This one didn't post


The effort today, or rather this evening, will be the interior. I need to cut the plywood for the bed and the countertop, build the frame for the countertop and the closet, wire the battery and build the box for that, hook up the plumbing (I'm using 2.5-gallon water jugs for both fresh and gray water) and maybe face the cabinet and closet with Luan plywood if time allows.

 

[G0ldengirl68]

This is really exciting seeing you put this all together!  You're even going to have fresh, water (gray water) system!!   Does that mean you'll have a toitie in there too?  I just can't see me digging a hole with a shovel and burying it every day, sometimes twice :s For me, being a 68 year old woman, I am realizing I need a heck of a lot more money to be able to do this (cost of materials), and I don't have the skills to build something like yours   But that's all ok, since I came to this website to see if it was doable for me.

 

[kklowell]

Original plan was to put  a portable camping toilet in it, but, for now I'm going with the $12 Walmart seat for a 5-gallon bucket. I also had to abandon my closet idea because I realized tonight that I would not be able to open or close one window...and the topper only has two that open.

 

[kklowell]

I didn't make the headway I wanted to tonight, but I made some progress. I got a late start because after work I went to the post office to mail some stuff to my wife (visiting parents) then to my brother's house to see if I could make his boat motor pump water through it. Spent a LOT longer there than I planned. Then the supermarket, and finally home. I had to cook some supper and eat though as I hadn't eaten anything all day except a small bag of popcorn about 9 am.
Anyway, I cut the countertop and the top of the bed. That should be one rugged bed as it's made from 2x4's and 3/4" plywood! Wasn't intentional to build it that heavy, it's just what I had for materials. I made the frame for the countertop too. Oh, and this morning before work I cut the bowl and put the sink drain in.
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[kklowell]

The sink. I think I might have seen the idea of using a stainless steel mixing bowl here somewhere, but wherever I saw it, I thought it was genius...so I stole the idea and made my own. It's about 10 inches in diameter I think.

 

[tradesman]

You could paint the door the same red as your truck. Places like oreillys auto parts sell spray paint in colors that match the original.