Steves Camper

[Steve F]

So the teardrop camper I finished in 2008 is too small for us now (youngest is six and needs some more room) and my aversion to canvas has not changed, after putting up the tent in the rain at Camp Coffs I was desperate to get back to a hard walled camper but that meant building a new one :) The design brief was it had to be fairly light, have a full size double and single bed, have internal seating, be able to stand up to get dressed etc and have a few niceties like a pull out kitchen, water tank and 12v electrical.

Below is what I have come up with after a week full of nights and 8 different designs, the height was the hardest bit,it has to fit in the garage and I still wanted a reasonable sized door, so it has a drop at the door and you step up into the camper. I figured this was the least likely place to drag on the ground. Wheels are stock XJ/TJ wheels with a 28" tyre. Pop top is canvas sided and lifts 40cm to give an internal headroom of just under 2m. Singe bed converts into two chairs and table and both beds have the occupants heads under the pop top to avoid any feeling of claustrophobia when sleeping.

Still need to mock up the frame etc, hoping to keep it under 900kg, my last one was 480kg so should be possible as the frame wont weigh much more and the walls will be a different construction with a foam core and thin inner and outer skin (marine ply most likely)

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc200/steveff/Camper%202015/CamperWallsV8_Closed_zpswcxtcspx.jpg

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc200/steveff/Camper%202015/CamperWallsV8_Open_zpsrigzaa14.jpg

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc200/steveff/Camper%202015/CamperWallsV8_Closing4_zpsfd95jkx4.jpg
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc200/steveff/Camper%202015/CamperWallsV8_Closing1_zpshtwmlhu0.jpg



http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc200/steveff/Camper%202015/CamperWallsV8_Open_Interior1_zpsexofd0y7.jpg

Cheers
Steve

[Dave]

Beautiful Steve! Looking forward to seeing it go up the Old Telegraph Track next year :) !

I think I remember that you did not take the chicken track through Gunshot Creek last time...

Dave

[glend]

That's right Dave, i saw it, roof top tent and all, down the drop and no 'stick in the mud'. Imagine it's totally different now after the cyclones.

[Dieselcon]

Hmm cape trip 2016..:)

[Steve F]

That's right Dave, i saw it, roof top tent and all, down the drop and no 'stick in the mud'. Imagine it's totally different now after the cyclones.

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc200/steveff/Cape%20York/DSCF0247.jpg

Wont be doing that with a camper :)

Cheers
Steve

[Steve F]

Looking at fitting this coil spring setup to it to help cope with those corrugations.

http://i1179.photobucket.com/albums/x391/trublu-123/independent.jpg

Cheers
Steve

[Steve F]

The shell will be a fiberglass sandwich, easy to do and I can get the fiberglass in a premade gel coated sheet, a little dearer than the ply but should be easier to maintain. The frame will be steel as I have no experience or skills welding aluminium. I looked at running JK wheels but hubs are next to impossible to get, Ford hubs make it easy to get bearings or replacements anywhere and I won't be running a tyre as big as on the JK so no real advantage running the same wheels as they wont be interchangeable, ford parts are available everywhere as well :)

Picked up my FREE wheels and tyres this morning, 4 of them :) Now I can get the suspension sorted as I have the wheel offset.

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc200/steveff/Camper%202015/20150419_094313_zpsj0olei2j.jpg~original

Cheers
Steve

[EasylyConfused]

I guess the bigger the tire, the more it would cut into your camper's space. This is an awesome project. I am looking forward to future updates.

[Dieselcon]

Interested as well.. Wish I had the guts to do something like this .. Awesome stuff Steve :)

[Steve F]

Interested as well.. Wish I had the guts to do something like this .. Awesome stuff Steve :)

It's not hard really just takes time, so far I have built a camper, cafe'd my CX500, made all the barwork etc on the XJ, stuck a P76 V8 in a Kombi and painted a few cars and bikes :) All because I couldn't bring myself to pay someone to do it and wanted to give it a go :)

Cheers
Steve

[Steve F]

Design is finished, tweaked the interior and put in detailed shelving etc, now everything has a place. Also looked at flexible stick on solar panels to go on the roof to keep the height down. I'll be ordering the suspension in a week or so and then the build can begin :)

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc200/steveff/Camper%202015/Camper_V8_zpsn2gqcqr8.jpg

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc200/steveff/Camper%202015/CamperWallsV8_Closed_zpsl2xi2cjj.jpg

Cheers
Steve

[floody]

I would try to get that tyre on the back so you can put some sort of storage box on the front. you can never have enough storage.


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[Steve F]

I'm hoping to put it underneath but need to wait until i have the suspension and start on the frame

Cheers
Steve

[Steven.Boyd]

Whats the old one look Like?

[Steve F]

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc200/steveff/Camper/IMG_3596_zpsyol4tifm.jpg

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc200/steveff/Camper/IMG_4583_zpsycorsmal.jpg

Sleeps 6 like this, two in the Queen bed inside (has drop down DVD, LED lighting, drawers and storage), two in the roof top and two in the annex :)

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc200/steveff/Camper/IMG_4625_zpssywzng3w.jpg

Needs a paint though, little bit of work and it's 100% again :)

[Steve F]

Will be ordering the suspension in the next week or so, just waiting on Chris to get his wheels as we are ordering two sets to save some money :) In the meantime I have been adding some details, working on the frame layout etc. The water tank is now raised up into the floor between wheels and doubles as a step to get in to the bed, I've also added a rearbar/tow hitch for some protection at the back and for my bike rack.

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc200/steveff/Camper%202015/CamperWallsV8_WithFrameandBike_zps543atidx.jpg

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc200/steveff/Camper%202015/CamperV8%20with%20JK%20side%20profile_zpsremknt2j. jpg

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc200/steveff/Camper%202015/CamperV8%20with%20JK_zpsik7fqtah.jpg

Cheers
Steve

[redrubi]

That last picture should be on a Jambo T-Shirt!! LOL

[AV8]

http://i1118.photobucket.com/albums/k610/joyschtik/7cfeed1b555c10cefa24abefd3615991.jpg

Meanwhile, on the other side of the world...

[Steve F]

http://i1118.photobucket.com/albums/k610/joyschtik/7cfeed1b555c10cefa24abefd3615991.jpg

Meanwhile, on the other side of the world...

I thought you must have caught a pic of me on my way to camp coffs, JK loaded up with stuff for 3 for 5 days including a massive tent etc. Can't wait to be camper based again :)

Put some people in it after tweaking the dimensions, internal width is now 2m instead of external so I can have a little wiggle room in the double bed (length ways)

The guy is a touch taller than me, all fit nicely at the table with room for one more if the guy wasn't so relaxed in his seating. The woman doesn't seem to like camping, that's fairly typical though ;)

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc200/steveff/Camper%202015/Camper%20BuildUp%20_with%20People_zpstbamhnpb.jpg

Cheers
Steve

[Steve F]

Picked up the first part today, needed it for Jambo anyway. This will mount on the slide out kitchen, wanted it big enough for a Wok and frypan. Just gave it a test and 5 minutes to a rapid boil is pretty good :)

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc200/steveff/Camper%202015/20150509_121723_zpsapqukbvs.jpg

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc200/steveff/Camper%202015/Slide%20Out_zpsgbromn2a.jpg

Cheers
Steve

[Steve F]

Added the suspension mockup to my sketches so I could ensure there were no issues with the drop door step and water tank location etc, also added the outriggers and can start calculating the frame weight a bit better

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc200/steveff/Camper%202015/Suspension%20Mocked%20Up_zpsdlqpbgai.jpg

Cheers
Steve

[Steve F]

Made some changes, need to make all the decisions before I start building. After pricing a few things in regad to the pop top I've decided to go with a clam shell top, cheaper, stronger (piano hinge down one side means no alignment issues, and it can use two gas struts for the lift. Also decided to skin in aluminium composite but a single sheet that does the whole side is too expensive, so went with two sheets (one white, one green) with the join hidden with a black aluminium strip to make it a feature :) Decided to adjust the rear bar to tie it into this strip as well. Going back to a beam axle too, much cheap than the independent and the simplicity of a well setup beam axle out weighs the cost and complexity of the independent for what I want it for.

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc200/steveff/Camper%202015/Camper%20BuildUp%20_Two%20Tone_ClamShell_zpsmb4w2r n7.jpg

Cheers
Steve

[glend]

Steve that's a roof design very similiar to my camper. One issue that you will need to address is weather sealing while underway. Mine doesn't leak when stationary but if its raining heavily while being towed, water can force its way past my thick weather strip seals - essentially around the front leading edge where the air pressure will be greatest. In mine I have a storage shelf that extends across the inside front panel which catches water comng in past that seal. Looks good.

[Steve F]

Yep weather sealing is always tricky, I was planning on having a raised lip behind the seal that goes up into the roof cavity with a second seal on it so any water would have to go past the first seal, up and past the second seal. Hopefully that would be enough to stop it. There's also be the soft top tent material to get past, maybe even a wind deflector mounted on the body that the roof leading edge drops down behind, lots of options :)

Cheers
Steve

[chips]

Steve wheels need to come back more
Cheers Danny