Not sure it gets any simpler than this...

[TJinPgh]

So, I was looking around the web at various styles of campers. Basically trying to come up with a simple to build, light weight design when I came across this. They call it "The Bunker."









Seems about as basic as it gets. It's a box. No cabinets. No galley. Just a couple of doors and a window.

Similar to Steve's Microcamper in concept, I suppose. Only, without the box underneath, which would be simple enough to add.

The real down side, if any, that I can see to this would be the drag that one might get due to the square design. Is this something that would be a huge issue when towed behind a TV that's as big as it is?

If so, could that be offset by, say, an angled enclosure in the front (exterior storage) or perhaps something as simple as a wind deflector?

This particular unit is done with a full 2" frame construction, with 1/4" ply on the outside and wood paneling on the inside. Skinned with FRP.

3/4" ply for the floor and 1/2" ply for the roof.

While it doesnt' say it I have to think there is a frame in roof or else, even with 1/2" ply, it would sag.

All that said, I would have to think that this would be about as easy a design to build with foam as you're likely to find.

That said, not withstanding whatever you might add to the front to help the aerodynamics, IF you were going to build something like this, would you go 5x8 or 6x8.

[TJinPgh]

So, here is kind of where I was going with this...



Start off with the basic design from the Bunker above. Lift it up with a 1' box. Gives storage space and room to drop the floor in front for inside seating.

Then add the full front box on the front. Hopefully to improve aerodynamics and to add outdoor storage capacity.



Then, rather than take up interior cabin space with a rear galley, do a simple one as a slide-out.





Once the galley is slid out that opens up additional space under the cabin to store the rest of your gear.

[GPW]

Looks GOOD to me !!!! Plenty of possibilities ...

[TJinPgh]

LOL, after I posted that I went through and read your Low-Wider post and realized that there were quite a few similarities between them as far as general design.

Yours, if I understand your schematics correctly, as a rounded V-nose that's open on the inside? Whereas mine is more a simple box shape with the angled tongue box sorta thing on the front.

I thought about a regular rear galley. But, I figured the more doors and such I put on it the more I have to deal with seals and such.

A slide-out is more complicated (going in contrast to the simple idea I was going for) but the cool thing about this design is that the main cabin area can be built and the rest of it could be done after the fact.

Add on the tongue box. Add on the galley. It's campable from the point where the main box is built. Could go with a simple camp kitchen after that and eliminate the whole slide-out all together.

Given that there's a stainless steel one locally on craigslist with the sink for cheap, would certainly be the simpler and more economical way to go.

I was debating whether to do a 4x8 under box and a 5x8 cabin, or build out the box to 5x8 and go 6x8 with the cabin.

I suppose, in the grand scheme of things, there's not a whole lot more material that would go into the 6x8 other than more coverings.

[GPW]

Wider always sounds better to me ... sleeping sideways opens up a lot of floorspace in an otherwise small trailer ... Seems the magic number is ~ 50 sq. ft. for comfort ... 6X8 would do and not be too big ... 6X10 would be like a Luxury Yacht

[TJinPgh]

True, but then I'm not giving up about 12 sf in the galley area, either.

What do you plan to put in the nose of yours? Was I right that it's open from the inside?

[GPW]

Yes it is just open on the inside for more space ... Me , being “Large Frame” , and the wife being claustrophobic, I try to eek out as much space as possible in a small design , every little thing adds up ... I don’t need the space for a galley , because of my food circumstances ( Old and dieting) ... However I do need space inside for an ice chest , coffee machine , and a food storage crate , all accounted for in my Mini Galley , which is nothing more than a few shelves , thoughtfully placed for maximum storage and minimum space ... The thing is to make a list of what you really Need , and then design around that ... All that storage business is Great , but I find that sometimes we haul extra things that never get used ...

[aggie79]

You may want to think how you're going to get in and out of the trailer. With the deck height of the trailer plus storage height plus mattress height you're about 30-36" off the ground at the door. The tall end of this range is counter height which will work for the slide out galley but will be a heck of first step exiting the trailer.

[GPW]

Lately I’ve taken to marking off the rug in my Studio with bits of blue masking tape to the size of a trailer floor (proposed) , then load Everything within that area and see how it fits/feels ... and see if there’s room left for me ... For even more floor space , a trundle bed sideways would only take up about 18 sq. ft. of floor ... Open floor is the key to making a trailer feel roomy or claustrophobic... and it’s no fun spending all day in bed... well , not at my age anyway ...

[TJinPgh]

I don’t need the space for a galley , because of my food circumstances ( Old and dieting) ... However I do need space inside for an ice chest , coffee machine , and a food storage crate , all accounted for in my Mini Galley , which is nothing more than a few shelves , thoughtfully placed for maximum storage and minimum space ...

I've been looking at that nose area over the last day and thinking that, instead of using it for storage, which this design already provides for fairly well, to possibly make it accessible from both the inside and outside and build a large ice chest into it.

You may want to think how you're going to get in and out of the trailer. With the deck height of the trailer plus storage height plus mattress height you're about 30-36" off the ground at the door. The tall end of this range is counter height which will work for the slide out galley but will be a heck of first step exiting the trailer.

All good points.

I figure that the bed will be at the rear of the camper so the entrance height will only be to the floor, not to the mattress.

Not really sure what the deck height of a standard HF trailer is but, I figure that the basic design here is more or less the same as Steve's Microcampers.

Doesn't seem that this would be any different than building a cabin on top of a steel box frame, as others have done.

Like I said, I don't have an actual measurement. Just figured it would be acceptable. If not would probably need to add some kind of step.

[TJinPgh]

A little bit of a variation.

Do away with the raised box. Expand it to 6' wide and tweak the tongue box area a bit to offer both interior and exterior storage...





From there, add a pop-top to make it a standy and maximize the usability of the floor space...



Raise the bed to provide for seating space with the top up, as well as some additional under-bed storage.



I've been looking at the Compact and the pop-top seems doable with this design. Would probably just go with canvas sides on the lift to keep the weight down.

With the bed raised it could also open up the possibility of having the bed be a dinette/bed combination.

[KCStudly]

I love to see the design wheels in motion, .... but I can't help but chuckle at,

Seems about as basic as it gets.

Keep planning and studying this forum and soon you will be sucked in like the rest of us.
Welcome to the fold!

[GPW]

Looks nice and roomy , but the pop top does add a level of complexity , and maybe some sealing problems ... But I’m sure that can all be worked out ...

[TJinPgh]

KC,
LOL, probably too late for that. Building my own was something I'd been thinking about long before I came to this forum. Probably how I came to be here in the first place.

Turns out it's probably in my blood. A friend of mine does genealogy work and found a pic of a relative of mine (several generations back) that built his own camper.

I'll have to post it at some point. Should probably replicate that build, who knows.

And, for the record, I was referring to "The Bunker" camper, as it was originally produced when I said basic, lol.

GPW,
certainly anything beyond the basic box adds some degree of complexity to it, for sure.

In looking at the Compact diagrams, though, a couple of things occurred to me. The first is that the roof, itself, is pretty much just hinged on. If you look at the Squidget Pop Top, it's not even connected except when traveling by a couple of latches. So, the basic mechanism, itself, shouldn't be that hard. Just a hinge and a prop of some sort. keeping it light weight seems to be the real key there.

The second is that, the way you showed doing the walls, it already lends itself to a setup to provide not only a good seal but a place to connect the canvas where it shouldn't leak, simply by extending the inner wall.

Here is the basic idea...



Basically creating a box for the roof, with 1.5" foam (instead of the .75" used every where else) on the sides of the box for strength.

Using a 1x4 instead of a 1x2 at the top of the interior wall to create a solid interior lip. The canvas/Marine Vinyl sides of the pop top can attached to the outside of this board and the inside of the roof box with snaps or Velcro (to make it removable later).

Rubber seals at the two contact points.

Doesn't SEEM like it would be that difficult?

[aggie79]

I like this plan! And I think it is very "do-able." When do we expect to see sawdust (foam dust) fly?