A folding wooden camper

[Paintsalot]

I’ve been tossing around this idea for a long time. This camper will fold down/up one side at a time. I have the floor started, and a metal trailer put together. I am a landscape painter and will use this camper to travel to landscape painting destinations. I live in Tennessee where it’s hot - so cooling will be important.
This camper will fold down enough that I can see over it when I’m driving. It’s tall enough to stand in.
I am probably going to need lots of input as I go! I don’t know much about electrical systems. I want to have a roof fan.

Construction:
I’m planning to use 1/4 inch ACX plywood for walls with painted exterior. Cork and XPS insulation. Fabric interior liner. Cedar trim outside. No galley, maybe pull out kitchen drawer or just a shelf. Budget: $3-5k.

 

[Paintsalot]

Here’s a few more design images:
One of them is a full scale mock up I tried last winter. I got cold feet at that point because there are so many joints. But it keeps coming back around so I guess I’m going to have to build it!! Another one shows how I will have a post at each end to lift the roof -maybe with a boat winch. Unless the roof is light enough to lift by hand, but my wife might be using it too, so I want to make it user-friendly for her.

 

[TimC-TNT]

That looks awesome. I'll be following along on your build.

 

[Paintsalot]

That looks awesome. I'll be following along on your build.

Thanks Tim. I need all the encouragement I can get. I’m not 100% sure how all of this is going to work.

 

[foxontherun]

Looks like a really neat idea! Look forward to following your build.

I can identify with the TN heat; I live just below Nashville.
Harry

 

[S. Heisley]

Very nice! How will you lift it?

 

[Paintsalot]

Very nice! How will you lift it?

Maybe like this.

With a winch at one end, the line goes up a post to a pulley, down to the roof and across to another pulley, then up to fixed point. Posts store in camper. About 7 ft long.

 

[Paintsalot]

Looks like a really neat idea! Look forward to following your build.

I can identify with the TN heat; I live just below Nashville.
Harry

Thanks Harry. I’ve sketched Ideas on campers for years and tried another 20 different concepts, lol! I’m one of those creative types. So committing to an idea was a challenge for me. What I really like about this idea is that it folds down below my rear windshield, so I can see completely over it. It will be very aerodynamic and has a Low center of gravity. It might take a little work to set up each time but that’s OK with me. I need to stay under 1000 pounds cause that’s all my little Subaru can pull. There’s a whole lot of joints, hinge, corner and roof.

 

[foxontherun]

Thanks Harry. I’ve sketched Ideas on campers for years and tried another 20 different concepts, lol! I’m one of those creative types. So committing to an idea was a challenge for me. What I really like about this idea is that it folds down below my rear windshield, so I can see completely over it. It will be very aerodynamic and has a Low center of gravity. It might take a little work to set up each time but that’s OK with me. I need to stay under 1000 pounds cause that’s all my little Subaru can pull. There’s a whole lot of joints, hinge, corner and roof.

I can identify with that; I started my project in 2018, still not finished, ha! I think I spend more time coming up with the concepts than it takes to do it; my problem is that I "think" it to death, ha! I tend to think if I have to get to something behind this or next to it, what am I gonna have to take out or remove to get to it, ha!!! It is fun but can be frustrating at times too. But your build looks like it will be a lot of fun and I can tell you are creative!

Low profile will be good for your Subie. When I bought my wife her outback i ordered it with tow package as she likes to go camping a lot; she would rather tent camp, ha!! I have tried to coax her into getting a little trailer but she is content cramming everything in her car and not having to deal with towing. She gets a lot in there.

Harry

 

[Paintsalot]

[album]173779[/I got the foam put in last night. I’m getting ready to glue 1/8th Baltic to the top. I have some quarter inch marine for the bottom. I plan to seal the bottom with spar varnish.

 

[KCStudly]

I'm thinking it will be just as important to consider how it seals up when fold, as it is when stood up. I bought some EPDM rubber strip to use over my piano style hinge, thinking it will be flexible and can be left long to overlap the sides. EPDM is what they use for pond liners because it is UV resistant.

 

[Paintsalot]

I’m working on sketchup drawings of the camper. Trying to work out sill heights. The sill heights stagger to accommodate the folding upper panels. I’m trying to decide whether to use quarter inch pine for the exterior trim or three-quarter inch cedar. I’m also debating whether to build my own windows or to purchase. I don’t want the typical black RV windows, I’m going for more of a 1920s look.
I put a little cardboard mock up at the end of my trailer to see how the height will work when it’s folded down. I will post later.

 

[TimC-TNT]

Check out Wiley windows. They are inexpensive to build. Some interesting shapes can be designed. If you use tempered plate glass they handle road vibration well.

That's a Wiley window on my woodie pictured in my signature. Round windows, oval windows, any shape you can cut in the door/window frame makes for a unique look on the outside.

 

[Paintsalot]

Check out Wiley windows. They are inexpensive to build. Some interesting shapes can be designed. If you use tempered plate glass they handle road vibration well.

That's a Wiley window on my woodie pictured in my signature. Round windows, oval windows, any shape you can cut in the door/window frame makes for a unique look on the outside.

Will do. I don’t see them right at first online. What is their website?

 

[QueticoBill]

not a brand, but a design concept that can only be diy. Google it and scroll past the ads. number of YouTubes as well.

 

[TimC-TNT]

...

Will do. I don’t see them right at first online. What is their website?

Search "Wiley window" on tnttt and you'll get some hits. I'll admit there are better built examples out there but mine worked well.

 

[TimC-TNT]

...
Maybe like this.

With a winch at one end, the line goes up a post to a pulley, down to the roof and across to another pulley, then up to fixed point. Posts store in camper. About 7 ft long.

I think the raising mechanism is clever. I'm no engineer, so maybe some engineer types can chime in here...

I am wondering if you will need a simple cross brace to go from the top of one lifting pole to the other? Something simple that is notched to fit between the top of those poles to make the pole more secure. Looking at your drawing you note a 2x2 lifting pole. That seems light for that purpose but adding a brace at the top could make it work smoothly. A brace might also help keep material weight down by allowing the 2x2 instead of something beefier. Also, consider a foam/PMF roof structure. That'd keep you dry and make the roof very light. Maybe secure the roof to the walls with something like this semi hood latch...

The floor plan looks very similar to a trailer I have contemplated building for years. The Compact III, and its older design, the Compact II by Andrew Gibbens. Those drawings used to be in the tnttt Design Library. They can be found on the "way back machine" or I have PDFs of the drawings by Andrew saved on my PC. The roof lifting design is different but the floor plans are very similar to your drawings. I just finished salvaging another pop-up chassis to build on, but I don't know right now if I'll use that chassis or sell it. Depends on if I get a crazy price for it on my wife's FB Marketplace. If there is no interest at my crazy price I'll think about creating something similar to your or Andrew's Compact III. Maybe I just exposed the real reason for asking so much for this chassis. Maybe, just maybe I really don't want to sell it

Said chassis all cleaned up, rust treated and epoxy painted. She's a beaut!...

 

[Paintsalot]

Here’s a video update on the folding camper build. I had all kinds of trouble getting the insulated plywood floor to line up with the metal trailer holes. Somehow my measurements were a little bit off and I couldn’t get the bolts to go through. So I had to drill at an angle, and then the carriage bolts started spinning. Anyhow, I think I’ve got it to work now.
I have the 1/4” ACX plywood walls cut and primed.
[youtube] https://youtube.com/shorts/nFK_w0INJho? ... h2oiDcNLL4[/youtube]

 

[Paintsalot]

...
Maybe like this.

With a winch at one end, the line goes up a post to a pulley, down to the roof and across to another pulley, then up to fixed point. Posts store in camper. About 7 ft long.

I think the raising mechanism is clever. I'm no engineer, so maybe some engineer types can chime in here...

I am wondering if you will need a simple cross brace to go from the top of one lifting pole to the other? Something simple that is notched to fit between the top of those poles to make the pole more secure. Looking at your drawing you note a 2x2 lifting pole. That seems light for that purpose but adding a brace at the top could make it work smoothly. A brace might also help keep material weight down by allowing the 2x2 instead of something beefier. Also, consider a foam/PMF roof structure. That'd keep you dry and make the roof very light. Maybe secure the roof to the walls with something like this semi hood latch...

The floor plan looks very similar to a trailer I have contemplated building for years. The Compact III, and its older design, the Compact II by Andrew Gibbens. Those drawings used to be in the tnttt Design Library. They can be found on the "way back machine" or I have PDFs of the drawings by Andrew saved on my PC. The roof lifting design is different but the floor plans are very similar to your drawings. I just finished salvaging another pop-up chassis to build on, but I don't know right now if I'll use that chassis or sell it. Depends on if I get a crazy price for it on my wife's FB Marketplace. If there is no interest at my crazy price I'll think about creating something similar to your or Andrew's Compact III. Maybe I just exposed the real reason for asking so much for this chassis. Maybe, just maybe I really don't want to sell it

Said chassis all cleaned up, rust treated and epoxy painted. She's a beaut!...

Thanks Tim. I just saw your comment.
I appreciate the feedback because I’m doing something that hasn’t been done before… lots of self-doubt creeping in. I keep wondering if I should do something simpler, but I’m plowing ahead.

My sense about the 2 x 2 posts to support the roof lifting mechanism is that they will be OK because they are primarily in compression and not in bending. The load goes straight down to the pulley on the roof. But a brace across could help for sure- worth considering.
I’m hoping the roof will be less than 60 pounds, so only 30 pounds to lift at each end. Chances are I will not need a lift at all- maybe just something temporary to hold up one end- but the lift might be helpful if there’s wind.

Roof construction- I’m planning to use 1/8th inch plywood for the roof, cork underlayment insulation, maybe a fabric headliner and laminated cedar arches, around 3/4” deep and 1.5” wide. I’m thinking of taking a cedar 2 x 6 and ripping quarter inch strips off of it, then gluing them together on a curved jig.

I’m not sure how to waterproof the roof. There are lots of options. Fiberglass, PMF, waterproof PVC fabric, sheet metal. Open to suggestions.


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[Paintsalot]

Here are some ideas on the roof construction.
I have some cork underlayment that I plan to use to line most of the camper walls and roof.
If I try to put the cork underneath the plywood could separate eventually. It seems better to put the cork on top of the plywood, I just need a way to have a roofing material over the top of the cork.
Purlins are laminated, cedar, or pine.