Foamie truck camper build!

Canvas covered foamies (Thrifty Alternatives...)

Moderator: eaglesdare

Re: Foamie truck camper build!

Postby dbhosttexas » Wed Aug 28, 2019 9:15 am

John61CT wrote:Yes many "no CO" devices are fine,

until they aren't


All heaters have risk. CO, Flamability etc... Life is not without risk. It is a cost / benefit analysis, with mitigations as possible to reduce or eliminate the risk. Improper mainteinance, abuse, etc... can quickly turn a perfectly safe, docile appliance into an instrument of death absolutely!

Electric heaters, can, and often do overdraw underrated power cords and start electrical fires, vented heaters get clogged, and end up pouring CO inside instead of out, a passing 727 could lose a piece of landing gear overhead at just the right spot and crush us all to death, a Polar Bear can wander down to the Sonoran Desert and decide it wants to eat you since there are no seals handy.

How much risk is there really, and how do we mitigate the risks?

Given a properly maintained heater, and used safely, provided sufficient make up air, and keeping flamable things away from the element, the odds of you getting CO poisoning are approaching those of being eaten by a Polar Bear in the Sonoran Desert. Not impossible sure, but not at all likely.

We all accept risk, including risk of CO poisoning. You could potentially have an exhaust leak in your car sucking CO into the cabin as you drive, CO poisoning you, making you sleepy and you die in a horrible crash, before the CO kills you. Again proper maintenance, use, and awareness of risk are all key elements here.

Honestly, about the safest heaters I can think of, are also badly inappropriate for camper usage, are those 1500w oil filled radiators. I have one in my garage workshop that I use to keep the pipes from freezing in the 1 week / year we get reliably below freezing here for more than 8hrs night. They take forever to heat up, and suck up a ton of juice getting hot, but once there, really don't use much keeping hot. Super low fire risk beyond electrical, and barring the oil leaking out and combusting, Zero CO risk. However in an off grid situation, getting the thing up to temp would murder any solar system I can think of, and would require either hook ups, or a generator, which introduces CO risk...

Given the risks, mitigations, and benefits, I am willing to take the risk of using a catalytic heater. They are a safer option than others I am aware of, and can / do operate off grid no worries. They have a long history of safe operation when used correctly and maintained properly. Just like your car, safe operations when used and maintained properly, disasterous results when not.

Oh for what it's worth, I ran across this Hunker article, and I have seen several like it that explain how catalytic heaters work.

https://www.hunker.com/13409397/how-do- ... aters-work

Basically in operation, they produce no CO due to the way the catalytic process works, HOWEVER, they DO consume oxygen, hence the need for fresh air makeup. This is boiled down to soup and nuts, the basic message as I understand it from the various catalytic heater owners guides I have read over the years.
Last edited by dbhosttexas on Wed Aug 28, 2019 11:28 am, edited 1 time in total.
dbhosttexas
The 300 Club
 
Posts: 473
Images: 29
Joined: Fri Aug 16, 2019 3:52 am

Re: Foamie truck camper build!

Postby dbhosttexas » Wed Aug 28, 2019 10:14 am

Okay back on subject. @seanc I noted you had the skylight that you built. Did you design / build in any way for it to open to allow fresh air in / heat out in the summer?

Like I mentioned, I am working a similar project, designing right now. Not going so much the tapered rear though. Sloped overcab "sleeper" for storage and aerodynmaics, planning on using foam pipe insulation between the camper and cab roof as an air diverter to improve aerodynaics and mileage.

Something that should be noted, both my wife and I are heavy, so any structure that will support our weight must be designed properly for that task. The overcab inside is where I am planning on storing lightweight / soft stuff like clothing, extra blankets / sleeping bags etc...

I am not 100% certain I am going with PMF or actual fiberglass over foam. I am not filthy rich, but PMF makes me a little nervous from a strength perspective, and I plan on using my camper off road. Not wild rock crawling per se, but logging roads, washed out beaches type stuff here in Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Arkansas etc.... further out should time, and budget allow.

Also, I want the final paint color to PTM the truck, Ford Arizona Beige. Right, or wrong, I figure PTM looks better than plain white. However the roof I am planning on doing with Henry Tropicool coating (I Have about 3/4 of a can left in my garage from a friends truck camper job, should be enough to do 3 coats on my rig.).

Now that you have been in it for a while, sounds like you are full timing in it, what do you like about it, what do you dislike? If you could, what would you do different about the build?
dbhosttexas
The 300 Club
 
Posts: 473
Images: 29
Joined: Fri Aug 16, 2019 3:52 am

Re: Foamie truck camper build!

Postby AeroNautiCal » Sun May 02, 2021 3:27 pm

I saw this build mentioned on Expedition Portal and just had to check it out, and I have to say that it exceeded my expectations in every respect!

Your meticulously precise, very high standard of workmanship is great to see and your build has proven itself to be more than capable for full-time liveability and travel.

Not having a base was an inspired decision, why carry extra weight around when it's not necessary!

Thank you for sharing your beautiful build, it's exceptional.
AeroNautiCal
Teardrop Inspector
 
Posts: 19
Joined: Fri Jul 11, 2008 7:45 pm
Location: Stoke Newington, London, UK.
Top

Re: Foamie truck camper build!

Postby ArtCFartC » Thu Jul 13, 2023 1:14 pm

I love it! I was wondering how to support an overhang above the cab. Thank you for sharing.
ArtCFartC
Teardrop Inspector
 
Posts: 1
Joined: Thu Jul 13, 2023 12:52 pm
Top

Previous

Return to Foamies

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 7 guests