My take-apart standup build #2
Posted: Sun Dec 06, 2015 5:05 pmWell I built a second camper because the first one was too much work to set up at camp, and breakdown was equally time-consuming and unpleasant.
My new one is 6'4X11', carried by a HF 1740 capacity trailer. When set up internal height is 6'4".
So far I've taken it to Valley of Fire State Park (NV), Canyonlands National Park (Horseshoe Canyon), Moab, Escalante/Grand Staircase National Monument, Grand Canyon South Rim, Great Basin National Park, and Death Valley National Park. And Burning Man.
Similar to the previous camper, it unbolts and 'flat' packs; I store it against a wall of my 2-car garage, which holds the camper, 2 cars, the trailer (folded), a Shopsmith, and a Honda Shadow.
I tow with either my Audi A4, or Jeep Grand Cherokee. The Jeep's suspension is old and tired, so towing with the Audi is far more comforable and it gets better fuel economy, too.
Anyhow, the roof section ended up being a bit too heavy for me to single-handedly raise, so I put together some lever arms and pulleys to help out. Motive force is supplied by an ATV winch.
Construction was accomplished with the cheapest, most awful wood Lowe's or Home Depot could supply me. 2x2 furring strips. 5mm underlayment. a few trimmed-down 2x3's for 'strength'. Ha!
Walls are insulated with 1.5" of polyiso insulation, the ceiling has 2". I spent a few extra dollars on paint; I sealed with Pettit Old Salem, and for exterior paint used Pettit Easypoxy.
The floor was and still is a disaster... I had tested 1" blue foam insulation sandwiched between 2 sheets of the 5mm underlayment, and whether I used Gorilla Glue or TiteBond III, the result was a very stiff bit of 2'x4' test composite. Unfortunately, the laws of physics, combined with an inability to understand the concept of scale, resulted in a very mushy and decidedly noodly floor. Trying to vacuum bag a 6'x11' floor was not working. nor did I have enough weight to pile on floor to ensure a good bond. Even if I had the weight, there is no place in my garage that is flat, except maybe a couple of 2'x3' spots. At any rate, I'm currently scoping out materials for a new floor. With the overhang of a 6x11 footprint on a 4x8 support, I need it to be quite a bit stiffer than it is now... especially when I've got it fully loaded.
set up for a camping trip, it weighs in at 1760 lbs or so. Weight for the empty camper is 1090 lbs. Things that are added for camping: batteries, inverter, lights, solar panel, carpet, mattress/bedding/pillows, tables, chairs, 2 spare tires, sink, kitchen stuff, 2 stoves, green propane bottles, little buddy heater, fan, 'zero-gravity' recliner camp chairs, ez-up shade.
My new one is 6'4X11', carried by a HF 1740 capacity trailer. When set up internal height is 6'4".
So far I've taken it to Valley of Fire State Park (NV), Canyonlands National Park (Horseshoe Canyon), Moab, Escalante/Grand Staircase National Monument, Grand Canyon South Rim, Great Basin National Park, and Death Valley National Park. And Burning Man.
Similar to the previous camper, it unbolts and 'flat' packs; I store it against a wall of my 2-car garage, which holds the camper, 2 cars, the trailer (folded), a Shopsmith, and a Honda Shadow.
I tow with either my Audi A4, or Jeep Grand Cherokee. The Jeep's suspension is old and tired, so towing with the Audi is far more comforable and it gets better fuel economy, too.
Anyhow, the roof section ended up being a bit too heavy for me to single-handedly raise, so I put together some lever arms and pulleys to help out. Motive force is supplied by an ATV winch.
Construction was accomplished with the cheapest, most awful wood Lowe's or Home Depot could supply me. 2x2 furring strips. 5mm underlayment. a few trimmed-down 2x3's for 'strength'. Ha!
Walls are insulated with 1.5" of polyiso insulation, the ceiling has 2". I spent a few extra dollars on paint; I sealed with Pettit Old Salem, and for exterior paint used Pettit Easypoxy.
The floor was and still is a disaster... I had tested 1" blue foam insulation sandwiched between 2 sheets of the 5mm underlayment, and whether I used Gorilla Glue or TiteBond III, the result was a very stiff bit of 2'x4' test composite. Unfortunately, the laws of physics, combined with an inability to understand the concept of scale, resulted in a very mushy and decidedly noodly floor. Trying to vacuum bag a 6'x11' floor was not working. nor did I have enough weight to pile on floor to ensure a good bond. Even if I had the weight, there is no place in my garage that is flat, except maybe a couple of 2'x3' spots. At any rate, I'm currently scoping out materials for a new floor. With the overhang of a 6x11 footprint on a 4x8 support, I need it to be quite a bit stiffer than it is now... especially when I've got it fully loaded.
set up for a camping trip, it weighs in at 1760 lbs or so. Weight for the empty camper is 1090 lbs. Things that are added for camping: batteries, inverter, lights, solar panel, carpet, mattress/bedding/pillows, tables, chairs, 2 spare tires, sink, kitchen stuff, 2 stoves, green propane bottles, little buddy heater, fan, 'zero-gravity' recliner camp chairs, ez-up shade.
