HOWA truck topper conversion

[NctryBen]

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.

 

[rruff]

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.

 

[user 423]

^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.

 

[rruff]

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.