ideas to build the most inexpensive camper! ideas? for fun!

[Podunkfla]

I've been thingking about this for a while... Ever since I helped a friend build a cargo trailer to move to Oregon with. On his we framed it with 2 x 2 pine, then skinned it with 3/4" foamboard with an aluminum foil on both sides, taped the seams with alum. 2" tape. He said it held up well for years.

So, I have thought about using the same foamboard/foil to construct a tear with. Laminate the inside with 1/8" paneling before construction. Build it without a frame, just glue it together with PL urethane. You would need a little wood around the doors & windows. Then foil tape the seams and fiberglas the outside with a couple layers of 6oz cloth and epoxy. Sand, fill and smooth it with body filler and paint it. It should be very light and strong enough... me thinks.

[GPW]

If you can "find" a "new" porta potty(those moulded plastic things that sit out in the sun all the time ) , lay it on it's side and bolt to an old recycled boat trailer..Nice long door/access,pre-vented and the perfect place to store all your C**P... How Crazy is that ...????

[Outlaw]

I've been thingking about this for a while... Ever since I helped a friend build a cargo trailer to move to Oregon with. On his we framed it with 2 x 2 pine, then skinned it with 3/4" foamboard with an aluminum foil on both sides, taped the seams with alum. 2" tape. He said it held up well for years.

So, I have thought about using the same foamboard/foil to construct a tear with. Laminate the inside with 1/8" paneling before construction. Build it without a frame, just glue it together with PL urethane. You would need a little wood around the doors & windows. Then foil tape the seams and fiberglas the outside with a couple layers of 6oz cloth and epoxy. Sand, fill and smooth it with body filler and paint it. It should be very light and strong enough... me thinks.

I'd love to see something like this. This topic is something I've been thinking about for a long time. I'll even share a never done before idea. Build the tear/trailer as above, except "Rhinoline" the outside. I even have a name for the tear . . . "The Armadillo". Just food for thought . . .

[Thunderknight]

1) Go to Lowes
2) Buy Royal YardMate vinyl shed kit
3) Obtain/buy/build trailer frame
4) Assemble shed per instructions, reducing panels as needed to fit frame.
5) Add a heck of a lot more screws than directed.

Done

Seriously though, I do have one of those sheds (as a shed) and it's rock solid and I haven't had a single drop of water leak in. One I built my floor, the shed walls and roof went together in a couple of hours.

Uh-oh, I'm almost starting to think that some type of shed kit is worth a shot (someone slap me now).

[madprinter]

Found a site where you can print and cut one out of paper, even a car or van to pull it. http://www.papercars.net/tearDrop.html
Seriously I hope you have good luck with your project and post some pics for us. William

[starleen2]

How about either one of these? Simple and easy to build – plus built on a budget with all new materials for around $600.00 – $800.00 respectively including the trailer

[Wos]

Here's my idea I may try for my motorcycle cargo tear. Make a skeleton made from 1/4" strips of wood, cross ribbing and laticeing where required for regidity. Take some of the cheapest cloth I can find at the local fabric centre discount bin. Staple the cloth tightly over the skeleton, tucking and folding as I go. Work paint into the weave of the cloth (called doping in the aircraft industry). A few external wood streips to cover the cloth joints and final paint colour to make it pretty. My father built a Kayak with this technique which I currently own. It has survived many hours strapped to the roof at highway speeds and is completely waterproof even after a decade of use. Hiding behind a tow vehicle it may only need extra rock proofing on the lower leading edge about a foot high.

[Thunderknight]

Starleen2: Thanks for the pics and your website. I like your Weekender. In looking at your pictures, a couple of questions:

Do you have any detail pics of how you constructed the door in the back?

Do you know how much it weighs finished?

[starleen2]

No I do not have any detailed build photos of the door, however this is a rendering of the door. I used a standard exterior locking doorknob and three stainless hinges. The faming is pretty simple – 2x3 construction (laying flat) skinned on the outside with 3/8 ply – foam core insulation, 1/8 plywood for the inside – all glued and screwed together. I then use 2x3’s to frame the uprights which also serve as the casing, installed a stop strip and weather stripping and voila, done! Used the same type of door on both models. Haven’t had a chance to weight the trailer yet but by my estimations, about 900 lbs loaded – I can move it easily by myself.

[ARKPAT]

Podunkfla
ol' noodle haid


Joined: 04 Aug 2006
Posts: 2273
Location: North Florida near the Suwannee River
Posted: Sat Sep 15, 2007 1:10 am Post subject:

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I've been thingking about this for a while... Ever since I helped a friend build a cargo trailer to move to Oregon with. On his we framed it with 2 x 2 pine, then skinned it with 3/4" foamboard with an aluminum foil on both sides, taped the seams with alum. 2" tape. He said it held up well for years.

So, I have thought about using the same foamboard/foil to construct a tear with. Laminate the inside with 1/8" paneling before construction. Build it without a frame, just glue it together with PL urethane. You would need a little wood around the doors & windows. Then foil tape the seams and fiberglas the outside with a couple layers of 6oz cloth and epoxy. Sand, fill and smooth it with body filler and paint it. It should be very light and strong enough... me thinks.
_________________

That is nearly what I'm doing; except 1 5/8" thick Polyfoam board.





Pat

PS
The small trailer with ( 24 ) Panels,5# of sheet metal self tapping screws,two big bottles of "Gorilla Glue", LED interior ligh and marker lights, metal DUCT Tape ( for rain-proof seal ) and hinges and door locks~$200 ( FREE Windows from a Overhead Camper salvaged ).
Oh Yes and add a new HF circular saw with blade on sale add $29.95 plus tax.

[jay]

[quote="NightCap"]Hummm. Just a thought...but how big does shrinkwrap come in? Could be a possibility eh?[/quote]


they use it to winter over boats. clear panels & zippered openings can be cut in, too.

[sitnievasnie]

Hat's off to he who penned the slogan “I’ve bin doin so much with so little for so long I can do just about anything with nothing.

He recons he be the godfather of shnoep. But here in SA, things be a little different… Beat this!

I need to start the “build” waaay elsewhere, I beg your indulgance an forgive my cynisim.

Some years ago, in the village (Makolokwe) near to where my other standie is sited, one-or-other Swedish charity organisation decided it would be a good place to make themselves feel good.

So along they came, did the local thing with the headman and elders of the village, and set up chicken farming.

Seriously, they cleared a large piece of bushveldt took out the trees, boulders, ploughed it, fenced it, dug a borehole, put in a borehole pump, cabled it some 500m, put up a water tower with a tank, planted the first chicken feed crop an issued the “participating” villagers X number of chickens each as “seed chickens”. Da whole shebang!

(The Idea being that thereafter the locals would be empowered to breed & sell chickens and do the whole ”self-empowerment” thingie).

An off da Sweeds went with a nice warm fuzzy feeling……. “We done reeaall good.”

Well dearies, this be Africa.

Within a coupla weeks, da borehole pump & cable be sold for scrap, then the fence be stolen, the chickens they be ate.(probably not in that order).

Years later, the thorn bush is now growing in the fields and the water tank’s been hanging half off the tower after a wee wind storm for the last 2 years EISH!

OK, so where’s this going, an how does it fit in here

An economy build, A’ LA’ South Africa style.





Thar be a A frame there......Somewhere!

“Take” (with or without permission, who cares?) 1x donor chassis (It’s bin there since 1997)

Scrounge the tailboard (which includes the lights, chevron, licence plate & roadworthy certificate) from your other / buddies trailer & transfer the vehicle details onto the A frame at the front. Your chassis is now instantly registered, roadworthy & insured.

(At this point you could prang it, do the insurance thing,, get a new one an start all over with a brand new donor chassis and still have 2 licensed vehicles on the road for the price of one ….)

My SA buddies unnerstand this, our taxies do this all the time…
Cost R0.00 Time 30 Min



“Take” 1 unused & abandoned water tank (Da photo shows a smaller version of the one I’m on about), and attach it horizontally to the chassis (use rope / chain making sure that the inspection porthole is at the top, it gonna be yr window
Cost R0.00 time 30 Min

On one of the sides mark out and cut a doorway, attach some thin strips of 3mm hardboard so that the cut line is covered (the door will lie on the strips of hardboard) Use the scrounged pop- rivets from the next step.
Cost R0.00 Time 60 Min

Scrounge from work / your buddy a length of piano hinge & some pop rivets attach the door to the tank at the top
Cost R0.00 (or a frosty if you no be an expert moocher)

Inside
Go to the local municipal dump an pick up some of the cardboard collected for re-cycling and pack it under the mattress until the mattress lies flat lengthwise in the bottom of the tank.

Some years ago some clown made and sold furniture from cardboard….. Emulate to your needs (have fun!)
Cost R0.00 Time 3 – 4 Hours

It may be real ugly butt, ugly, but its waterproof, will last forever and is licensed, roadworthy, insured & since you are “sharing the licence” you are only paying half the annual road tax!

Some 6Houres later and at a total cost R0.00 / 7 (exchange rate) = (minus) 7.00 Dollars! Ya’s got a TT

Have a good laugh, (we do)

Warren

[moreforles]

you can usually find and old high top van in most junk yards, if your lucky, one of the ones for handicap accessability, few hundred at most,

junk pop ups at a lot of camp grounds cheap for the getting, dispose of old canvas and top, and slide out beds, keep anything worth reusing.

four sturdy poles or posts, some cargo straps to keep cap on trailer while transporting...


cheaper yet.... pop up frame, good tent on it..... cover with large tarp for transport and when in use for shade.....

[stbuch]

Our first build was about $500 and we have gotten a lot of compliments on it. See album.

Sherrie

[birddog1148]

Shrink wrap comes on widths up to 40', I know cause I have a mobile shrinkwrap service. Starts out as 6 or 7 mill and will shrink down to 10-12 mill, it has UV inhibitors and is guarenteed for a year.

Located in central Ohio if needed

I liked that one that went in a utility trailer.