My offroad Camper

[Cliffmeister2000]

Looks great, especially surrounded by all those tents!

[bhoogeboom]

The diamond plat trim and tongue box finished it up nicely.
What did the tenters think about your living quarters?

[KyKamper]

From one XJ fan to another!! Its Simply Awesome!!

[gomikie]

I have been thinking about a teardrop, and about a trailer to pull behind my 4cyl. Jeep YJ. I think yours is the best design I have seen. I think I will give it a try soon. Good work!

[mikeschn]

Been a while but it's had some updates with diamond plate etc. Also got a large tool box, waterproofed it, taped some bolt holes in the frame and now have a very useful tongue box Cost was around $3000AUD for the total build. I also found the front window seal is not real waterproof at speed, it will be replaced and I'll also make a sealed protection shutter to go over the top of it and double as a sun shade.



Cheers
Steve

What kind of temps were you camping in, and how was the humidity?

Mike...

[Steve F]

Camped in 46c In January, the TD was the coolest spot and with the 100AH battery and solar we could run the fan pretty much all the time we were in it. Easter wasn't as hot but it was wet, not sure on the humidity either time but had no issues with damp in there or heat really with the big window, side windows and roof hatch

Cheers
Steve

[mikeschn]

Ouch 46C. (114.8 Fahrenheit)... that's hot!

Here we would need an a/c due to the humidity. Apparently that wasn't an issue with you.

Mike...

[Steve F]

Ouch 46C. (114.8 Fahrenheit)... that's hot!

Here we would need an a/c due to the humidity. Apparently that wasn't an issue with you.

Mike...

Sydney is a dry heat, further up the coast in Northern NSW and QLD it gets very humid, where I was at Easter (7hrs North of Sydney) also gets humid and has tropical rain forest. It does get hot there at Easter but we were lucky this year

That 46c is the worst it's been for a long time, it was only a week later when we had all the bush fires down in Victoria, no doubt it was on the news there. It was hot everywhere for those couple of weeks.

And a pic from that weekend



Cheers
Steve

[dreadcptflint]

Ouch 46C. (114.8 Fahrenheit)... that's hot!

Here we would need an a/c due to the humidity. Apparently that wasn't an issue with you.

Mike...

You are a tougher man than I. My wife looks at me wierd when I want to go camping and it's in the 90s. I think past 110 that she would beat me with sticks.



Matt

[Steve F]

Ouch 46C. (114.8 Fahrenheit)... that's hot!

Here we would need an a/c due to the humidity. Apparently that wasn't an issue with you.

Mike...

Should add that A/C is no good here as most places we camp don't have power, I can think of only one that I've been to in the last 5 years or more.

Cheers
Steve

[Prem]

Steve,

REALLY nice job.

Prem

[Steve F]

Been a long time since I've been on here, my now 15 month old daughter and some other projects have taken up all my time. Anyway, it's off to Coffs harbour again this Easter for a big Jeep meet up so the camper is getting a freshen up. I've ordered a 1.8m x 2.0m waterproof canvas awning with rope sown in one side to mount it to a sail track. I'll run sail track down either side of the roof and one along the end of the tailgate. This should give us some welcome shade (or if it's like last year some welcome dry area). I also plan to get some sides made up for it to allow for am external change room. I also have another smaller canvas tarp that I will get some plastic sail track runners for that mount to the eyelets which will mount over the second door, or wherever the main canvas isn't.

Also repainting some of the camper, sun and rain have taken its toll but the wood skin is still perfect thanks to the sealant on it under the paint. A little of the paint has lifted, I think it doesn't stick so well to the wood sealant.

I also took the screws out for the front window and refitted with counter sunk flat head screws as the round head was stopping it from sealing properly when the window shut and my last trip home at speed on the freeway allowed a fair amount of water in around the seal.

Anyway, some pics with the awning when it arrives

Cheers
Steve

[Steve F]

So I mounted some trail trak on the side of the camper today and did a test fit of the awning, it's hard to get it nice and tight in the garage with limited things to tie the ropes to, in this case two are too my motobike and one to a large paint can

Anyway, I'm very happy with it, it's light, water proof and easily moved to either side or the tailgate since it mounts on the sail track. The large silver tarp in the pic is the start of a custom "storm" cover. I took a standard UV resistant heavy duty water proof tarp and marked and cut it and then sewed it to shape and taped the seams. It still needs some more trimming to fit but it will be for travelling in our tropical storms. I got caught in one last year and doing 100kmh in rain that is coming sideways is enough for some of it to get driven under the seal on the front window and end up with a wet mattress. Luckily I was on my way home but now I'll have the fitted cover on the front which covers the front window and doors and shouldn't let a drop in no matter how much it rains or the angle it comes from. When parked it can rain as much as it likes and I get no leaks just at speed if the rain is really really bad.

So the pics.

The awning mounted to the sail track.



A wider shot



More on the storm cover when I finish it this weekend.

Cheers
Steve

[iOpine]

Nice, elegant solution to the need for an awning. And a great trailer all around! Glad to hear you're ready to get back out there in it again.

[MateoDiego]

What an awesome trailer and job building it. You should be very proud of what you have created.

Just discovered this site and your postings today while researching building our own off-road camping trailer and you have given me loads of ideas. We do a lot of off-road exploring here in Arizona. We seldom camp where there is an established campground. This requires us to bring and everything we could possibly need. We have outgrown piling all the gear on top or inside the truck and have been discussing other options. Nothing available on the market will meet our needs and desires so building something is looking more like the way to go.

I do have a few questions.

I understand the desire to keep the weight down, but is there a reason that you did not build a metal frame instead of wood above the base?

Did you use or consider using the same size tires and wheels as the truck so you could use the spare off the truck or trailer universally? Obviously the trailer does not need the same size tires.

What type of fan(s) are using in it? I recently purchased two low amp 12 volt computer fans that run at variable speeds depending on temperature.

I do not see a permanent mounted water tank, propane tank compartment or stove. Did you just not need\ want these?

Thanks for all the documentation.

Mateo