Truck camper roof

[Free Man]

<br>&nbsp;<FONT size=4>I'm about to build a homemade truck camper out of plywood. What do you think would be the right thickness of plywood to use on the roof ? Also, what is the right type of seal or seals to use on the roof and how many coats of it?</FONT><br><br>

 

[gadgetMe]

One thing to consider is the weight of the plywood you are using, although 3/4 inch marine would be my choice if you are going to be attaching heavy things to it or walking on it.<br><br>&nbsp;otherwise I think 3/8" would work just fine. <br><br>Many RV's now days use EPDM rubber for roofing material.<br>From a RV place I would think this would be pretty costly.<br><br>But, check with local roofing companies, or a roofing supply company and usually you can pick EPDM rubber for about 3-4 cents per sq ft.,<br><br>for a pickup size&nbsp; a little larger than 4x8) ask them if they have any scrap pieces they would like to get rid of.<br>This rubber is much like the old truck inter-tube rubber somewhat heavy and very ply-able<br><br>I usually comes in 2 thickness either 20 mil. or 45 mil. 45 mil will last the longest.<br>They also have glue that will adhere the rubber to the wood<br><br>Putz<br>

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[Les H]

The edpm is great stuff, and defiantly would be my first choice, though 3-4 cents a sq ft seems awfully low. After that , I have played with the idea of the metal roofing like is sold at home depot or lowe's . It has some flexibility, guaranteed for 50 yrs ( on a stationary house at least) comes in colors to repel the heat , silver or light grey.( a black rubber roof easily gets 150 deg plus in full sun here
in upstate Ny) after that , Grace mfg. co. makes a self stick ice and water shield that should work fine too. It is a bit priced, but very user friendly as no special tools are needed. One guy around here built his cap boat style- varnished wood only. Looks awesome, but much more maintenance.

 

[akrvbob]

The story on the site is my camper. The plywood I put on the roof was slightly more than 1/2 inch (17/32?). More important is the spacing of the joists. Since I wasn't sure what was strong enough I put in 2X6 laying on their face about a foot apart. I have been walking on that roof for over three years without any problems. I use it to set up my tripod and take pictures. <br><br>As to covering it I just tried to be very thourough. I used silicone caulk on all the joints. Then I painted the roof with paint. Then I used Henrys wet roof patch to slather on all the joints. Finally I painted the roof with the Snow Seal white, elostometric covering. After 5 years I never had a leak through the roof. Bob<br><br>