I might be "done" in a few days. Then I'll probably post once or twice a year as I do little things to the camper. I'll be sure to post my final weight too.
Thanks for the support, for the ideas, for stopping me from covering the camper in oil paint, for the positive vibes. Thanks for building things out of foam, so I could see the idea and use it as my own. I have a wooden interior but this camper is still a foam camper. Structural foam panels. Very strong. Very light. I am thinking about building some foam kayaks to strap to the top of the Highlander. Maybe next year.
To any thinking about building their own camper:
This build has been a manic ride. I cut calories in my diet at the beginning of this build and purposefully made every cut 120 feet away from the camper (shed to wood shop distance), I've lost over 30 pounds since beginning this project. I'm still fat but less so, I have about 20 lbs to go. I miss my family. For almost 3 months my wife has felt increasingly neglected as have my children. We are a good family and they are excited about the camper but they are also tired of me always working on the camper. We like to do lots of fun things together. We haven't done anything together since I began this build. I have literally taken one 2 day weekend off (the last snow in April, it was depressing) and we have had one bonfire night where I still put in a half day on the camper. Please understand I only work two twelve hour days a week, so I've been on this camper 4-5 days a week. With a few exceptions this build was solo. There was sacrifice in this build. I am going to be done less than 7 days before we leave for our first trip with it, so I really had no choice if this plan was going to work. This was a hell of a lot of work (and I'm someone who knows work). It took twice as long and twice as much money as I predicted. Once you're into it you have to finish, otherwise it is all for naught. Out of pocket I'm into it 4500-5000 (that is counting the profit on the purchase of the donor camper by selling parts I wasn't going to use), I thought 2500 would be the max possible I would spend, I was way off the mark. Windows, doors, paint, butyl tape, canvas, screws, cushion fabric, glue, etc.... it all adds up. I didn't plan anything out, just dove in and went for it. I'm really glad it worked out as well as it did. I had an idea for the bunks but I really never even drew a picture of this, I usually at least draw a picture. I do love this camper now though, it is way better than anything in its class we could have purchased anywhere, really, I don't think there is anything like it, it is in a class of it own with 4 bunks, a kitchen and a table, I think under 2000lbs but I don't know for sure yet. We are going to have it for decades and will make many memories in it. I feel this was worth it, I would do it again, I'm sure I'll feel even more so the same a year from now when the memory of this build has faded and the camper remains. The only thing I would do different would be to allow myself a much longer and relaxed build timeline. Really this was crazy, I'm glad it will be "done" in a few days.
LOL Just last week on craigslist I saw a 900lb 13ft scamp on craigslist, reasonable condition, early 90s, $4990. I could have just paid that and had a lighter camper in a day. BUT... The beds are tiny, the couch/bunks are very small, adults cannot sleep on them and the dinette bed is so short that at 5'11" my head would touch one wall when my feet touched the other and it is not as wide as a real full size bed, so two people sharing it are going to be bugging each other, at home my wife and I sleep in different rooms, and it is also your table, so you are constantly setting it up and taking it down, especially if you are a family of four. It also has much less storage than the camper I built. Still.... It wouldn't have taken three months of all my spare time to build. And it would be about half the weight. And shorter and aerodynamic. LOL Who knows whats better? have your fun and go your own way, otherwise its not worth it. If you don't try, you never know, and it never happens.
Thanks again. I'm calling this entire experience a success.
Stumpy, Lefty and One Eye all agree: experience is the best teacher.