HOWA truck topper conversion

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You definitely can build one from scratch, but lumber is high and you can pick up a decent topper for many times under $100.
A decent topper would really have little wind resistance as they don’t really sit much higher then the cab. The insulating job in the videos looked pretty well done. I’ve had a few toppers in my life and they worked out very well. Yeah, not perfectly ideal, but a great way to get started. Best one I had you took the tailgate off and it had a short man door or I could open up the whole back. Building one you might end up with something a tad heavy. But the best part about all this is you can try this or that out and if you don’t like it you can change it up.
 
Building one you might end up with something a tad heavy.
Not if you do it right. Lighter than an uninsulated fiberglass shell of the same size, and well insulated.

I lived in a cap on a '84 Toyota for a few years. It was good enough, but having enough height to sit up and more storage was so much nicer.
 
^Bob had a self-built camper for a while, I believe. Made from plywood tho and probably pretty heavy but I think he had it on an F250. I like the PMF option.

With the price of cargo trailers so high now, a version built on a utility trailer would be a good option.
 
Made from plywood tho and probably pretty heavy.
Decent plywood has a strength/weight ratio that is in the same ballpark as aluminum and steel, and it's better in stiffness/weight. The main thing is that you need to keep it dry. You can make a viable and lighter insulated shell out of plywood (and foam) than any other material. Don't know what Bob did... lots of people tend to overbuild... plus they build it like a house rather than using sandwich construction.

PMF is a good heavy duty coating (like paint). It isn't good for structure though (strength and stiffness/weight are inferior), and it creeps.
 

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