Hi from NC

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Hi from NC

Postby nik1093 » Wed Jan 24, 2018 2:54 pm

Hi all,
My name is Nik. I have the same story as most in that I have been silently browsing your forum for months. I am finally ready to start designing and building a tiny camper. I am currently a senior at Appalachian State studying Industrial Design. For my final senior project I have decided to develop and build a tiny camper. My plan is to build on an old pop up frame. I am fairly familiar with metal and woodwork, and will have access to the shops at school, my internship, and a few tools and a garage of my own. I have 4 months to design and build my camper.

A few specs:
-6x8 floor plan
-sleeps 2 adults and a dog
-interior kitchen
-6 foot ceilings
-toilet? leaning towards composting
-4 seasons camping
-resourceful build (i am still college here, but my budget is around $2000-$2500)
-i would like it to weigh under 1500 lbs. because that is the axle max. of the pop up I tore down

Thanks in advance, I know I will find a lot of answers here.
Nik Montagna
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nik1093
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Re: Hi from NC

Postby drgrumpus » Sun Jan 28, 2018 9:46 am

Nik, welcome to the wonderful world of TNTTT. I like that you are repurposing an older pop-up frame. Nothing like fast forwarding on the frame issues. I have some comments:
1. Six foot headroom on a 6X8 platform will be a bit "blunt". You will need a strong tow vehicle to overcome the air drag. I made a % X 10 with 5 foot ceiling and I have trouble driving east against the prevailing winds with my Honda Fit.
2. Getting a galley kitchen inside the 8 foot length and still providing a sleeping area will be a challenge. Also, with a composting toilet? Seems like a lot of stuff in a small space. However, since you are a designer, you can figure out how to do it.
3. All-season is surely a challenge. Insulating the floor is straight forward, but getting some meaningful insulation in the walls is the tough part. A friend built a beautiful woody a few years ago and installed 3/4 foam insulation in the walls where she could remove unneeded material. But, remember, it is only 3/4 thick and she only got 50-60% of the ply removed. She does have an electric heater but needs shore power to carry the load.

With any luck, I will be coming down the Blue Ridge in early May, headed for Asheville. I'd love to stop in Boone on the way down and see your progress and let me treat you to lunch.

Mike French
Five cords of wood in, snow tires on, 5 X 8 NT frame on order. Gonna build a TD this winter.
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Re: Hi from NC

Postby nik1093 » Sun Jan 28, 2018 2:20 pm

Hi Mike,
Thanks for input. I'll have to post some pics of the layout I was imagining. I will be pulling the camper with a Toyota pick up but I am also worried about it being too sail much of a "sail". I just really want to be able to stand up in the camper in order to use the stove, but I'm not sure I need to. I might be fine with crouching, I'm just not sure. I'll have to figure that out with some models for scale.
Since I am using propane for the stove I was hoping to utilize it and less power for a heat source. I'm imagining I will be building a skeleton like your friend. Do you know the R-Value or the insulation she used?
By May I hope to be wrapping the project up. You are more than welcome to stop by and see it. My senior show is May 4th, so I hope to have it finished by then. I'm staying optimistic.
Nik
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