Building a cabin on a flatbed truck?

[skyl4rk]

This is just a thought experiment, I am not going to do this. 

If one were to get a flatbed 1 ton truck with the intention of adding a living space on the bed, what construction methods would be a good way to do this?

For example this truck

http://swmi.craigslist.org/for/5563861751.html

Are there any advantages to this type of vehicle that would make it more useful than the other options? (camper van, pickup camper, etc.)

Any problems with this type of vehicle that you can see?

I have seen rigs where old army trucks are used with a box on the back which is built as a living space.  Has anyone seen any flatbed camper builds?

 

[squatting dog2]

This is just a thought experiment, I am not going to do this. 

If one were to get a flatbed 1 ton truck with the intention of adding a living space on the bed, what construction methods would be a good way to do this?

For example this truck

http://swmi.craigslist.org/for/5563861751.html

Are there any advantages to this type of vehicle that would make it more useful than the other options? (camper van, pickup camper, etc.)

Any problems with this type of vehicle that you can see?

I have seen rigs where old army trucks are used with a box on the back which is built as a living space.  Has anyone seen any flatbed camper builds?

Anything can be done. Myself, I would think they would tend to be top heavy and therefore a bit risky off road. That said, there are many examples out there I quick internet search showed a bunch like this. While this particular one doesn't appear all that top heavy, I think it is the exception rather than the rule.
Link to his blog

 
http://www.doityourselfrv.com/diy-t...eclaimed-materials-used-as-mobile-ski-chalet/

 

[squatting dog2]

another link to some images.

https://www.google.com/search?q=hom...hUKEwil3b74tLfMAhXGeCYKHUT1BNEQsAQIHQ#imgrc=_

 

[highdesertranger]

I think if you think you could handle the job, go for it. I would look for a 1 ton or better, with 4x4. and get rid of the flat bed. wasted weight, then build your own light weight flour. cab pass thru? doable but a lot more work. keep heavy stuff down as low as possible. highdesertranger

 

[BradKW]

There's a fair number of DIY boxes on the Expedition portal forum...look under Fuzo and Izuzu...

 

[KMAG YOYO]

I think it's the best way to build a larger 4x4 camper. The biggest floor you can get with a slide-in truck camper is about 4x10. A flatbed could be up to 8x10 or more depending on the chassis. That's double the square footage. Put your water tanks and batteries below the flatbed and keep the center of gravity down. Boxes below the bed and fore/aft of the wheels give lots of easily accessible storage.

 

[IGBT]

One member here, me!, has done exactly that.

It does have an additional garage/workshop pod in addition to the living pod you describe, but they both go on the flatbed.

Materials were steel and aluminum.

 

[skyl4rk]

That is really nice. I think that is the direction the tiny house movement should go. Living pods that can be set on a truck bed or trailer.

 

[Dust-In-the-Wind]

And if you're interested, there are actually truck campers designed to be mounted on flatbeds so the floor is full width, not narrow as in the pickup versions.

 

[DannyB1954]

I have been working on plans for a flat bed camper. My truck is only 1/2 ton, so I am trying to go as light as possible. The outside skins on these may be thin plywood stitch and glue like a boat, covered in canvas / glue / paint.

 

[bullfrog]

I built an 80" x 86" x 72" high box with a sloped half front out of doweled interior doors.  Covered the entire box including the plywood floor with canvas  (harbor freight drop cloths) and glue coated with latex house paint inside and out.  Canvas shrunk and made an extremely strong structure, that would fit on my tacoma or utility trailer.  If any mounting points were needed I just used a 1" hole saw on the inside wall, sprayed insulating foam and inserted a 1" hard wood dowel.  Works great but not as light as insulation foam used in teardrops.

 

[DimondColorCloud]

I built an 80" x 86" x 72" high box with a sloped half front out of doweled interior doors.  Covered the entire box including the plywood floor with canvas  (harbor freight drop cloths) and glue coated with latex house paint inside and out.  Canvas shrunk and made an extremely strong structure, that would fit on my tacoma or utility trailer.  If any mounting points were needed I just used a 1" hole saw on the inside wall, sprayed insulating foam and inserted a 1" hard wood dowel.  Works great but not as light as insulation foam used in teardrops.

Your post led me to some research that led here,
http://www.instructables.com/id/Poor-Mans-Fiberglass-make-nearly-anything-weatherp/?ALLSTEPS#intro

Thanks.

 

[DannyB1954]

Your post led me to some research that led here,
http://www.instructables.com/id/Poor-Mans-Fiberglass-make-nearly-anything-weatherp/?ALLSTEPS#intro

Thanks.

This is another great site for construction ideas http://tnttt.com/

 

[skyl4rk]

I like the foamies at the teardrops forum. They have it figured out how to make trailers out of construction foam, polyurethane glue, titebond glue, canvas and latex paint. The resulting trailers are extremely light, cheap and durable. Maintenance means paint it with latex house paint. With 2" foam that is enough insulation to live in winter weather. I am designing a 6'x10' living unit out of foam that can be put on a trailer or the back of a flatbed.

 

[highdesertranger]

just don't plan on off roading the foamies. desert pin stripping would tear them up. especially the larger stuff that takes the paint off right to the metal. then you get into the even bigger stuff that will tear a hole in aluminum siding. I have actually broken a side window on a branch. highdesertranger

 

[bullfrog]

The reason I used hollow interior doors was for more strudy structure even though I was worried about moisture condensation problems at least in the southwest dry climate it hasn't been a problem. I backed into a 3" diameter limb that had been squared off from trimming broke off the limb and dented the cloth and foam but did not penetrate the door. While constructing the shell I dropped a 90 lb. piece of steel 1" square one eight inch tubing on end from 6 feet and cut and punctured the outside layer of masonite but fixed by drilling a small hole on the inside, pushed back in place outside layer and filled with spray foam, plugged hole with dowell and put extra layer of cloth and glue on outside, covered with semi-gloss latex on both sides. You can cut the cloth and dent the structure but foam filled areas of door covered with cloth I cann't punch through. This is much easier to repair than aluminum and I use screened vents rather than windows. This sock construction method doesn't flex much after being dried.

 

[DannyB1954]

Using interior doors is an interesting idea. I suppose you could drill a hole in them and shoot in expanding foam or even cellulose.

 

[rvpopeye]

I went to the instructables link and went over the poor man's fiberglass 12 steps----
I'm sold , I like it ! This could work for a lot of things.

I'm thinking about trying a kayak to get a feel for this .....

 

[bullfrog]

You can spray foam into the voids but you need to look inside one of the doors to see their pattern of cardboard stiffners, also you need a vent hole for excess expansion or pannels can bulge. Plug holes with wooden dowels and paint. The box is air tight and vents must be cut or you won't be able to shut the door never the less breath. With a 14" x 14" and 4 - 6" x 6" vents as well as a circulating fan no additional insulation a little buddy on low will run you out in 30 degree weather, a ceramic electric 1500 watt heater on low is just about right, the air spaces are pretty good insulators and by using wooden dowels instead of metal screws there is little to conduct cold to the interior box. By gluing a sheet of quarter inch plywood on the top side of a flat door a 200 lb. person can stand on it without flexing, people use them like this all the time for crafts table tops. Build an ice chest using the foam and canvas method and it will last for ever.

 

[Artist]

This home came to mind when you mentioned a cabin on a flat bed truck ...
So sweet, they attach the cabin to legs, roll the flat bed out, then lower the cabin.