The ROAM Camper Build

[titanpat57]

Here's the pix


[img][img]http://i328.photobucket.com/albums/l358/titanpat57/photo-47.jpg[/img]

A little pricey...but it should give me 5 full days generator usage...4-5 hours a day if need be.

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[BC Dave]

WAOW!

Amazing; creativity; inginuity and great set of skills to exicute and to dream up with the ideas! (your obsessed? it is addictive)



how long did you work on that design?



have you weighed it?

I am truely impressed! Fancy bit of framing too; I havent read the full post but will.



best regards BC Dave

[4123]

WOW!

[huntinhick]

how big is the inside? I just read the whole post again and did not see it any where. any progress on the inside yet?

thanks
carl.

[titanpat57]

:?

WAOW!

Amazing; creativity; inginuity and great set of skills to exicute and to dream up with the ideas! (your obsessed? it is addictive?)

Thank you, this is my second, so it was easier to see the shortcomings of the first. Obsessed? Addicted? I think I'm the posterboy....lol



how long did you work on that design?

I actually worked on it over the winter, and fine tuned it in March, and started in April



have you weighed it?

Not fully loaded...but my best guess is dressed out for bear...about 2600 #'s

I am truely impressed! Fancy bit of framing too; I havent read the full post but will.

Thank you again, I hope folks enjoy it and I also hope it inspires some newcomers to the lightweight, smaller trailer community. I was inspired by many Austrailian designs myself.



best regards BC Dave

[titanpat57]

Thank You 4123..much appreciated!

how big is the inside? I just read the whole post again and did not see it any where. any progress on the inside yet?

thanks
carl.

Hi Carl

The inside is about 50" wide and 96" long to where the nose box starts.

The inside has a built up platform that houses two 6v golf cart batteries and a 21 gallon water tank, including the pump. Over the platform are some 2 x 6's and 1/2 plywood that make up a nice size pull out bed. Once the wood is in place, there is a Coleman Queen inflatable mattress that fits perfect. Once the inside plan is finalized, the bed will actually fold up into a couch, as opposed to laying flat.

I'm still up in the air about the color, but I'm pretty sure I'll be using a 1/4 birch ply with a med brown stain. The walls will get insulated with foam, and thats here in the basement.....just waiting on time, because any vacation I can manage to squeeze out, I want to be using it!

Thanks for looking again, and I'll be sure to post the interior once it begins.

I'm headed out Sunday to Worlds End State Park in NorthCentral PA...if anybody wants to stop out for coffee, I'll be there til' Wends.

[BC Dave]

:?

WAOW!

Amazing; creativity; inginuity and great set of skills to exicute and to dream up with the ideas! (your obsessed? it is addictive?)

Thank you, this is my second, so it was easier to see the shortcomings of the first. Obsessed? Addicted? I think I'm the posterboy....lol



how long did you work on that design?

I actually worked on it over the winter, and fine tuned it in March, and started in April



have you weighed it?

Not fully loaded...but my best guess is dressed out for bear...about 2600 #'s

I am truely impressed! Fancy bit of framing too; I havent read the full post but will.

Thank you again, I hope folks enjoy it and I also hope it inspires some newcomers to the lightweight, smaller trailer community. I was inspired by many Austrailian designs myself.



best regards BC Dave

ROAM isnt a light weight at 2600 lbs; but that probably comes from the heavy duty ex-military trailer; my 6X10 CT overheight 6' interior wieights in at 1600 dry weight; but I was really trying to keep the weight down to save on tow capacity and fuel.

Have you completed the interior? Interior pics?

Cheers BC Dave

[titanpat57]

Howdy BC Dave,

Yea...the ROAM could use a diet, but I just can't part with any gear....lol

I had a great weekend get away planned until the plans got ruined by a nasty Nor'easter ...10" of snow, not at all funny

It weighed #1400 with just the finished box on the frame. It took it down to the local dump with a certified scale.

No interior fish as of yet, foams sitting in the basement, then I just have to figure what I want to use, and prefinish it.

Thanks for asking though!

[BC Dave]

Howdy BC Dave,

Yea...the ROAM could use a diet, but I just can't part with any gear....lol

I had a great weekend get away planned until the plans got ruined by a nasty Nor'easter ...10" of snow, not at all funny

It weighed #1400 with just the finished box on the frame. It took it down to the local dump with a certified scale.

No interior fish as of yet, foams sitting in the basement, then I just have to figure what I want to use, and prefinish it.

Thanks for asking though!

"git dat foam in da wall and you could brave yer noresters ..."

I've camped in the snow at 10F (with a propane heater)

[huntinhick]

ok another question. I see that you put a receiver hitch on the back, do you think it would be possible to use a basket with the 500lb rating and fill it up with out making it difficult to tow? I plan using mine as a hunting trailer so I need room to put game (I am optimistic) be it boned out in a cooler or two or just quartered in canvas bags. plus it would be nice to haul fire wood on the hitch on the way out instead of in the camper. I am liking you design more and more for my needs. With the roof top tent can you still use the roof rack to carry other stuff like kayaks?

thanks
carl

[titanpat57]

ok another question. I see that you put a receiver hitch on the back, do you think it would be possible to use a basket with the 500lb rating and fill it up with out making it difficult to tow? I plan using mine as a hunting trailer so I need room to put game (I am optimistic) be it boned out in a cooler or two or just quartered in canvas bags. plus it would be nice to haul fire wood on the hitch on the way out instead of in the camper. I am liking you design more and more for my needs. With the roof top tent can you still use the roof rack to carry other stuff like kayaks?

thanks
carl

Hi Carl,

I wouldn't recommend putting that much weight behind the rear wheels....something that off balance could be disasterous, at best, and really squirrelly towing at the very least.

I think a better solution would be to put some of the gear from the inside, on the roof rack of the trailer(mine needs some additional work to accommodate that) or on the roof of the tow vehicle. That would open up the inside, centered on the wheels, to add the weight.

It would be much safer....Pat

[titanpat57]

Hi All,

I haven't updated in awhile, and I thought it might be time.

I've been using the ROAM for trips to VA, PA, NY, VT.

The biggest change was the elimination of the roof top tent (with no fault of ARB, fabulous unit and very well made) after a fishing trip upstate last year. The wind blew for 3 days non stop, at times so hard I couldn't keep the stove lit! There was no way you could've stayed in a RTT with that wind blowing, and it actually almost toppled the canopy if I hadn't anchored it down with two ropes on each corner....it was crazy

So I got rid of the RTT and the pop up canopy (it was the first time I stayed for 4 nights on the inside of the trailer), and picked a military tent called a "Command Post" tent. It's super well made, substantial in wind and bad weather,and albeit a bit heavy (about 275 lbs), is a spectacular addition to the rear of the trailer. No single pc. weighs more than 75lbs. It measures out to 11' x 11' and 7' high at the end wall, the peak is about 9' high. It has interchangeable sidewalls, and boots right up to rear of the trailer...and also has a stove jack built into the roof.

I did manage to get the inside foamed and finished with lightweight pine planking from the Depot...then hit it with a few coats of poly....all in all it looks good, but still needs some corner trim to hide some wires. I'm just always anxious to get out and go camping, and relax. I'm sure it'll get done this summer (right after the central air, basement renovation, and picture window replacement... )..lol.

Here's a few pics of the tent and trailer at various camping outings. The last one was the same spot as last year, and this year I was ready for the howling winds and sideways rain at 34 degrees...the woodstove was the star of the show!..

Thanks everyone for looking.

now some pics...

[KCStudly]

Camping with bacon in the skillet. It doesn't get any better than that!

[scotty_pac]

Nice set up. How long does it take to set up the tent? Do you need two people?

[titanpat57]

Thanks Scotty,....the tent weighs about 275 lbs....but no one piece weighs more than 75. It really is a marvel of engineering, manufactured by Camel, and it's really nice to have a sturdy, well made structure behind the trailer.

I've put it and up and taken it down by myself probably four or five times...and it's definitely nicer with a hand...but for a 4-5 day trip worth the effort.