butler pickup camper

[dwgriff1]

Has anyone built from these plans?

http://www.butlerprojects.com/other/tru ... /index.htm

dave

[PresTx82]

Very interesting!

[dwgriff1]

If I am going to pull my little tear with a pickup, I might put a camper on the pickup to hold the jacuzzi.

Shucks if I were doing it again, I might build a 3 bedroom tear with a sauna.

This camper and topper has some real interesting design ideas. I really like the weight. Seems like it might work on a tow rig, somehow.

dave

[cracker39]

Roomy topper? I'd think so. Camper? It doesn't look like there is room inside to do much camping...maybe sleeping on the floor. I'd rather build a version of the Compact as a pick up camper if I were going that route.

[dwgriff1]

You miss the point.

Those nice round corners are not going to work on a tear, or would they?

Could you build a tiny trailer, from wood (or alum for that matter) something like an old airstream?

I borrowed a freind's 28' Avion a while back. It pulled a LOT easier than my 22 square box. Those round corners had to have something to do with that advantage.

dave

[cracker39]

You miss the point.

Those nice round corners are not going to work on a tear, or would they?

Could you build a tiny trailer, from wood (or alum for that matter) something like an old airstream?

dave

Probably not from those materials. Shaping hi-density foam and applying fiberglass over it might work. If I were to build another TTT, I'd shape the front end and roof like the Award trailers.

[BrandonWhite]

I know this post is really old, BUT...

Can someone please explain how the builder created the rounded front corners on this camper? I think this would look cool on a small travel trailer. Something similar to an Airstream.

http://www.butlerprojects.com/other/tru ... r/more.htm

http://www.butlerprojects.com/other/tru ... ex_001.jpg

[Larry C]

It looks like it was done with strips over station forms, but I don't understand the wavy lines? I would think carved foam would work too.

[S. Heisley]

I like it and those rounded corners would be perfect on a homemade raindrop-style teardrop.
Maybe those wavy lines are where cracks that were filled with epoxy filler?
I'd be tempted to do this one as a part foamie-style, to make it even lighter and easier to lift on and off.

There are advantages to trailers and advantages to truck campers.
A trailer may have a few more advantages than a truck camper; but, the eye is in the beholder and his needs.

[cracker39]

There are advantages to trailers and advantages to truck campers.
A trailer may have a few more advantages than a truck camper; but, the eye is in the beholder and his needs.

I had a 10’ slide-in truck camper back in the 1970s and 1980s. It was a deluxe model that slept 6, had a toilet room with hand-held shower, gas/electric fridge, gas stove with oven, furnace and 6 gallon hot water heater. It had nearly all the conveniences anyone would want. But, compared to my PopTop, which doesn’t have most of those features, I think I prefer the PopTop since I have no kids traveling with me now. With the bed folded away into the couch, it has as much floor space as the pickup camper did. I listed two related pros and cons for the two different types of campers based on my experiences.

Pickup Camper over Tiny Travel Trailer

Passengers can safely ride inside the pickup camper. My wife and kids rode in the camper most of the time where they could move around or take naps if they wanted to. My wife could even prepare sandwiches for lunch and hand mine to me in the cab of the truck through the connecting windows.

Ii is illegal in many states for passengers to ride inside a travel trailer while moving and darned unsafe in any state.

Tiny Travel Trailer over Pickup Camper

It is Easy to unhook and leave trailer in the camp site while using the tow vehicle to travel around shopping or sight seeing.

It is a lot of work to remove camper from the truck bed (and I’ve done it) to travel around (assuming the camper has jack stands attached and mine did) and inconvenient to prepare camper for driving around if left on the truck (disconnecting water and electric lines, putting away dishes utensils, etc.).

And I’d sure like to know how those compound curves were achieved too.

[Laredo]

I know this post is really old, BUT...

Can someone please explain how the builder created the rounded front corners on this camper? I think this would look cool on a small travel trailer. Something similar to an Airstream.

http://www.butlerprojects.com/other/tru ... r/more.htm

http://www.butlerprojects.com/other/tru ... ex_001.jpg

Have you got access to one of their books? I lent my copy of the book about building the camper to one of the boys ...
I believe the directions for that camper are in one of the "One Sheet of Plywood" or similar books by Butler.
In metalwork the easy way to do that is with a series of thin pieces stacked atop one another, and as they rise they're counterbalanced
(think a stack of dominoes or pennies going up at an angle). Might be able to do something similar with layers of ply cut so there's an
arc on the edge; have to experiment with whether you'd do better running the arc vertically / horizontally.

Get hold of some corrugated cardboard and cut some pieces for a mockup, and see if it works in your hands.

[hugh]

I had at one time built a 2 person kayak using wood and foam. The pieces of wood that needed to be bent were done with the aid of steam from a kettle. Once they were thoroughly steamed if I recall I used brass screws and waterproof glue to keep the shape

[angib]

Can someone please explain how the builder created the rounded front corners on this camper?

Well, it took them less than 500 hours of work to get them rounded and smooth, but not much less.

Do you still want to know how it's done?

[DrCrash]

Actually I would like to know as I am leaning towards doing the same 16 inch curve on a new trailer I have been drawing up.
I purchased butlers plans for this hoping to get insight on how it was done but be warned he got 45 bucks from me and they are not plans. He advertises 33 pages of drawings, pictures, and detailed how to. I received 12 pages and there is no how to.
It's just some pictures and how you could possible make a camper or topper .
And nothing on the curve at all.
Do not waste your money buying these plans. And yes I did email Mr. butler " Paul" and he was about as helpful as feathers on a rhino.

any hints or tips would be appreciated..

Thinking thin strips nad fiber glass

[pchast]

Perhaps an exercise ball for a form? Read somewhere about landscape balls
being used and cut into quarters. I think here on a metal motorcycle trailer...

Several possible methods.