Trek Freedom Camper- only 485 lbs

[Gold5one]

Update- Its DONE- I allowed 25lbs for the tongue weight- I will post the add-ons as I get to them. This was a fun project. MPG numbers at the end







A year ago I bought the Harbor Freight 4x8 for $251.. put it together and bolted the plywood floor down. Then I had two jobs out of town and then a 10ft+ ladder accident at home on Aug 24th with 11 days in the hospital.
I had a lot of time to think about things , flat on my back, and I am going the minimalist route this time.
Not a build that is 82" tall, but one that is only 64" high and drafts behind my 2020 Dodge Journey. A check of mpg going to Home Depot showed an easy 26mpg at 55. Getting 22 should not be problem when finished. I had no idea when I was in the planning stage that gasoline would be pushing the- $4/gal mark= smaller is better. EDIT: now pushing $5-6/gal
The weather has been perfect this week in Cape Coral- almost too hot at 86 today.
I let the discount rack at Home Depot determine the colors- a 75% off mismatch deal, but perfect for me and probably OK for Bob Henry, too!
All the wall framing is 2x2s that I ripped from free 2x4's I rescued from a remodel dumpster last spring. Front 1/2" plywood was a free cut off piece from a roofing job. Camper skin and roof plywood is 5.5 mil exterior glue hardwood luan, purchased in New Bedford MA, back in May. ( my job was in New Bedford) They don't sell that stuff in FL- As I recall it was just over $16 a sheet- BUT NOT NOW!
I purchased 6 sheets, cut in 40, 36 and 32" widths so it would fit in my SUV.
The camper width is 51-1/2", floor to roof height is 42"- and 96" floor length.
Any questions ask-

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[Gold5one]

This is my last build.
The prices are out of sight now. I bought my first Harbor Freight 4x8 folding trailer for about $220 in 2014, after the 20% coupon, 3/8" plywood was about $16 a sheet back then-.
This 4x8 trailer was purchased a year ago for $251. I had to take out the Harbor Freight credit card to get the 20% off and they let me use the 10% off coupon. Now the trailers have gone up to $499!
I think the 20% of coupons have been replaced with 10% ones.
I have one more week of nice weather, before it might rain, so I have to buy materials as I need them= no scrounging the neighborhood and 70% off pile at the big box stores for deals. My windows will be here in another week or so. I'm getting ready to build my door.
I just couldn't get excited about a home built trailer again-
I will be storing this one under a portable carport cover- it's too valuable to leave out in the weather.

[Gold5one]

I was wrong, I still have time to find free materials. I saw a piece of plywood in a construction dumpster down the street and quickly rigged up a way to get it home on the rack of my Dodge Journey. It was almost 1/2 a sheet of 5/8" cdx. I will set this aside, in case I build a tongue box.

[Gold5one]

The front and back windows were delivered today- about 5 days early!
Will start installing the 5.5mm Luan roof panels tomorrow. No rain now until a week from Friday and the temps will be in the mid 80's every day now.
The door header board is attached to the roof end 2x2 board. The rear step will be reinforced later.
This board is eerily quiet-

[Pmullen503]

Interesting wall to floor construction. Can you post a drawing or more photos?

[Gold5one]

Yes that part is different- not a copy of anything I have seen -
A 2x4 , 8 ft long is screwed & glued to the plywood floor and carriage bolts, drilled at and angle attach the 2x4 to the frame rail, to stiffen it up a bit. - I build 40" x 96" wall panels and using C-Clamps, clamped it to the side of the 2x4 and drilled/ bolted it with carriage bolts to the 2x4. More work, but I have a bit more width inside and I can disassemble the whole camper - it's all bolted and screwed together. The roof will be hinged at the front- Probably with gas shocks to make it easy to raise- I'll have stand up height in the back by the door- close off the sides and end w/detachable screens. Since the door top header raises with the roof, you don't have to stoop down to use the door when set up for camping. I am hoping to find a good used ( low priced ) SUV style tent to attach at the end.
click to enlarge

[Gold5one]

You can see the stubby 2x4 that uses the HF frame brackets= the 2x2 wall sill board is lag bolted to the 2x4- I'll bolt the 2x4 through the bracket to the frame , ASAP. haha
click to enlarge

[Gold5one]

I managed to get most of the roof plywood stapled down today- just a wide, overlapping strip down the middle is left to install.
The 5.5mm Luan I am using only weights 13lbs per sheet- very stiff stuff, too.
Arrived this week- 2 windows and the Reese tongue jack. In about a week, I should have most of the camper shell done and I can hook up for a trip to the scales to find out what my empty weight is.
Here is the label on my plywood, that I bought last year at a Massachusetts Home Depot.
click to enlarge
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[Tom&Shelly]

Sure makes you glad you don't live in California, doesn't it! Thank goodness it won't cause us cancer in Massachusetts, Florida, or New Mexico!

Tom

[Gold5one]

Good catch-- But, after working at Chrysler foundry for 11 years, making cast iron engine blocks, I am not the least bit scared of wood dust. They closed it in 2005 and transferred me to their Transmission plant. That was no better! They had some cancer causing airborne vapors from metal working fluids in the air. Not all of it was filtered out, either. I decided after 15 years to take they 4th early retirement offer and get outta, Dodge and move to Florida. A couple years of Fl sun and my health was back to 99% . On my job last job, a year ago, in training class, I told everyone that I retired from Chrysler and I learned every way that there was to build a bad car! lots of laughs-

added- Tom, I see you are from upstate NY
I did an union electrician job near Oswego, NY in 1983- nuclear plant construction- it was in mid November when me and my sidekick arrived. The first weekend we were driving around, scouting out the area- I turned to my buddy who was driving and said, Eddy, it sure looks like we are in for a bad winter here. "So why do you say that, Smitty?"
Well, Eddy, it's just a hunch, but we just drove by a snowmobile junkyard!!
I left the end of March- over 40" of snow by then-

[Gold5one]

I should be able to put the roof coating on tomorrow-
One more week and it might be closed up- with windows and door finished.
The 12" wide Laun strip is to strengthen the roof and to minimize any standing water in the center.
Rust-olem coating was in stock at my Walmart- $28.
After the two coats is dry, I will use a bathroom scale to check the lifting weight, so I can shop for a couple of gas lift struts.
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[Tom&Shelly]

Tom, I see you are from upstate NY
I did an union electrician job near Oswego, NY in 1983- nuclear plant construction- it was in mid November when me and my sidekick arrived. The first weekend we were driving around, scouting out the area- I turned to my buddy who was driving and said, Eddy, it sure looks like we are in for a bad winter here. "So why do you say that, Smitty?"
Well, Eddy, it's just a hunch, but we just drove by a snowmobile junkyard!!
I left the end of March- over 40" of snow by then-

Yep. That's the "snow belt". They get lake effect snow off of Erie and Ontario.

I'm from the Binghamton area, so a little further south and not as bad. We'd often get the storms coming up from the mid-west. We'd watch the Steeler's games Sunday afternoon to see if schools would be canceled on Monday. (Well, and because a lot of us liked the Steelers.)

My brother moved up near Utica to work at the Air Force facility near there. We're planning to head up in early June, so we'll dig him out if necessary.

Tom

[friz]

Don't have too much fun with your budget camper or you will piss off the glamping set in their Airstreams. I love this. I thought breaking in under 4k with my camper was a coup. Can't wait to see your progress!

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

[Gold5one]

I should have my door done and the front window installed in a few more days- weather permitting.
-roof coating x2 is done.
Some of the parts I used 7 years ago, I can't seem to locate this time around. So I will just work around it.
Oh, and I got the Reese front tongue jack installed today.
I already have door hinges- I picked a pair up several years ago for a few bucks, from the Lowes 70% off markdown table
I wonder, if the weight scale ticket will be under 500 lbs?

ADDED- the front window is now done- both windows cost me $87 off eBay.

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[Gold5one]

The roof/hatch has a lifting weight of 35lbs, so I will most likely add a couple of gas struts to make that job easier.
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