Bluebird

[Don L.]

Thanks y'all!
I'm going to go out and measure it just to be sure I'm remembering correctly, be back shortly.

[Don L.]

It measures 14'-6" hitch to bumper, 90" tall and 78" wide.

It also would not exist if were not for this forum and all the foamie pioneers here. Many thanks!!

I have had it out about 6 times this year, a few with my wife and son, the first time was only primer and bare bones finished inside. It's still not finished. We dearly love it though. I have to say I find myself daydreaming just wanting to go somewhere to camp and hear the sounds and feel the breeze that is special to each place.

[dancam]

That looks great! What type of foam did you use? I have never seen blue and green stuff like that


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[Don L.]

You know what I think it is is the blue foam is from Dow and on some of the panels I put a thin coat of TBII, thinking it was a good idea, not sure why really. But the TBII is yellow and on top of the blue it made a sort of green.

[dancam]

Ok, interesting. Did the thin coat of tb2 beforehand have any positive or negative effects that you noticed?
If you get time to post photos it would be neat to see how you finished the inside!


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[Don L.]

I'm not sure that sizing the wall first with TBII did much.

I did notice that tape wouldn't stick to it at all! I was expecting it to stick so that I could hold the foam wall down while I was G-gluing it to the rail/floor part.

I glued all the pieces together that formed the side of the camper with G-glue and used packing tape to hold the pieces together. That tape really stuck to the un-sized foam.

[Don L.]

More pics of the build;

[Don L.]

Some work on the inside.

[Don L.]

More

[Don L.]

Some pics of the awning windows I made. I couldn't find any small affordable ones so I figured out a way.

I put one at each end of the bunk. There were plenty of windows in the camper but not any up high to let the heat out. These work well!

I used 1/4" polycarbonate and got the screen from Lowes, one of those 2-piece adjustable screens that I took apart and then got 2.

You'll see in the next set of pics the mechanism that opens the window was an extendable flexible picking up device with a magnet on the end. I removed the magnet (cut it off with a dremel cutoff wheel) and the attached the window to where the magnet was on the end of the flexible arm using a screw.
During construction I just used a piece of wire to push open the window which worked okay too.

[Don L.]

The magnetic picker upper has a thing at the end of the stick that you turn to loosen and tight the stick's grip on the flexible arm that hols up the window.
It's a 2 handed operation, not as easy as the crank out windows but it has been working pretty good.

The awning type was a requirement so that I could leave the windows open when it rains and if I am away. Part of staying cool camping is to not let the heat build up in there in the first place.

One nice thing I have found out about my foamie is that even in the full sun it doesn't build up heat like my full sized van used to. Boy when that thing got in the sun for a while it was an oven, and it was insulated too. I think with the foamie there just isn't enough density there to hold and radiate heat.

[Don L.]

window

[OP827]

I like your simple design home made awning windows.
Could you please show more pictures of how the polycarbonate sheet is attached to wooden frame and being locked for transportation?
How did they perform during camping in rain and the on the road, was there any water getting inside while driving in the rain?
I am also considering similar idea homemade windows for my build.
Thanks!

[Don L.]

When the window is closed and the flexible metal arn is bent close to the frame and the handle is resting in the hook it keeps the window closed. The flexible arm is 5/16ths or 3/8ths inch diameter so it is stiff enough to not slide and let the window loosen. It has to be flexible and stiff which also helps hold up the window panel.
The higher the window is raised the more the flexible arm wants to buckle so I think it is close to it's limit. I think the flexible arm would work without the handle that it slides into as long as you have a way to secure it. It will make a tight bend where it comes through the window frame so as long as the bend is held in place (either by the handle or maybe another hook) it won't let the window loosen.

I'll get some more pics tomorrow.

[OP827]

Thanks Don, will be waiting for pictures. How did the window performed in the rain and on the road with rain?