Coast Resorts Open Roads Forum: Our custom true flatbed truck camper build thread

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Topic: Our custom true flatbed truck camper build thread

Posted By: Jfet on 04/17/13 04:46pm

Update on the tiedown brackets. I bought a $5 piece of cutoff 1/4" hot rolled steel angle (3"x5" angle) and after introducing it to my cnc bedmill I now have four fairly beefy tiedown brackets. I ended up going with two 3/4" holes with a 1/2" breakout all around the holes. The edge with the holes will hang down below the camper about 1-3/4". I figured the 2nd hole might be usefull for a safety chain or even a hammock tie point :-)

edit: So I mean these will hook around the 2x1 base frame of the camper as suggested by Bedlam (thanks) and be fully welded on the sides and top.

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Posted By: sabconsulting on 04/18/13 04:17am

The 2nd hole is an excellent idea - you can never have too many places to tie stuff too.

Nice brackets

Steve.

'07 Ford Ranger XLT Supercab diesel + '91 Shadow Cruiser - Sky Cruiser 1
'98 Jeep TJ 4.0
'15 Ford Fiesta ST
'09 Fiat Panda 1.2

Posted By: kohldad on 04/18/13 07:36am

Remember, if adjusted properly per Torklift instructions, there is only about 300# of force on the tie down.

On my light 815, I run much less, probably only about 100# of force. When adjusted per Torklift, I was bowing the bottom in the area of the anchor point. The 815 only has a 1.5 x 1 piece of wood they pull against. At least though it is a metal bracket that catches the top.

I would not be worried about damaging the tubing, but would be concerned with fatigueing the welds at the joints next to the tie down bracket.

2015 Ram 3500 4x4 Crew Cab SRW 6.4 Hemi LB 3.73 (12.4 hand calc avg mpg after 92,000 miles with camper)
2004 Lance 815 (prev: 2004 FW 35'; 1994 TT 30'; Tents)

Posted By: Jfet on 04/18/13 05:39pm

Here are some pictures showing our progress so far. I welded three of the four tiedown brackets but the fourth one is a head scratcher. I sort of situated the water heater right where I would put the bracket for it to be symmetrical with the other brackets. Maybe it can still fit under the water heater or I can perhaps not have this one bracket wrap around the frame 2x1 or not have this bracket symmetrical with the other three. The third picture shows the completely welded frame, along with part of the 1/2 inch marine plywood subroof that has been sikaflex 252 glued and screwed to the roof rafters. It is pretty strong and probably walk-on-able but if I were to do this again I think I would go with 2x1 instead of 1x1 for the roof rafters. 2x1 doesn't flex nearly as much. My thoughts with the 1x1 were lighter weight up high and also I could have more of a thermal barrier between the steel and the interior (2 inches of foam in the roof with 1 inch of foam between the steel and the interior ceiling. Oh well...maybe I will just step lightly when walking on it :-)

The next picture is a test frame we made a few weeks ago for the aluminum siding (0.062 aluminum sikaflex 252 glued to the steel frame with 1/16" nylon spacers to ensure we don't squeeze out the sikaflex too much and also that there is galvanic isolation. We then rattle can painted the aluminum and damn if it doesn't actualy look pretty good. Very strong bond.

The last shot is the full supply of 0.062 5052-H32 aluminum for the siding and bellywrap, all cut to size by a local sheet metal shop.

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Posted By: kohldad on 04/18/13 06:02pm

Looking at the front edge of the floor, do you think it would be beneficial to add a tab in the center to provide additional support to the floor? The angle braces may narrow the gap enough, just hard to tell.

I would probably add one along the sides between each floor joist too. Easy to do and could stop a potential squeak. (Maybe I'm even more of a over-killer than you?)

For the tie downs, seeing a pic of the material on the truck, gives me an idea. Why don't you just have a way to run a spring loaded bolt up through a couple of stake pockets? Would leave clean sides and would solve the truck anchor points.

Posted By: Jfet on 04/18/13 06:13pm

kohldad wrote:

The floor boards are not in final place right now, I just put them there while I was working on the roof so I could have a ladder on them. There is a center beam supporting the floor in addition to the joists, and I have included extra beams under the doorway, bathroom, in the corners and under where the water and gray water tanks will be. It already feels solid walking on the boards even when they are not screwed or glued down.

The camper hangs over the flatbed, so the stake pockets actually are some distance under the belly of the camper. Also, having the tiedowns external like I do means it is probably easier to switch to other flatbed vehicles if I should ever need to do that.

Posted By: AnEv942 on 04/18/13 09:31pm

-Think id cut out the tube above WH and just move it up. Is the heater getting screwed to structure members? If so adding a blank piece of tube to screw WH bottom knotching for mount, moving upper header up that much ? Also looking at it if under heater, how is wall getting skinned and still have a uniform surface, actaully at all of the mounts?
On the cieling though with nothing up there not much reason to be climbing but for insulation and spread loads running 1 or 2 1x1s under & tacking to rafters. Could space the rest with wood (not knowing what interior surfacing is going to be) give you another 1" of ins.
Nothing on perimeter of floor at walls?

01 Ford F250 4x4 DRW Diesel, 01 Elkhorn 9U
Our camper projects page

Posted By: recycler on 04/19/13 06:41am

nice progress on the camper... 1/2 inch ply on 1 inch steel tube for the roof I would say walking on it should not be a problem... was going to suggest notching the frame under the WH, but that would make it different height from others may have to move frame member over it up

1999 F550 truck conversion

Posted By: Jfet on 04/19/13 07:15am

Yeah, the correct thing to do is to cut out the couple of members around the water heater and move it up such that it clears the tiedown bracket and leaves enough meat for the aluminum skin to go around the perimeter. I know it has to be done and will do it, but bummer...I thought I was through welding and grinding :-(

I think the roof is ok too. I tend to worry about things that don't need worrying.

Posted By: Jfet on 04/23/13 07:43am

This past weekend we worked on the curve part of the roof installing the first layer of 5mm marine plywood. Things were going great until the third piece, then CRACK! right in the middle of the third sheet as we were bending and clamping it in place. Bummer...I spent 2 hours monday scraping off sikaflex (I let it dry a bit overnight).

I am going to do some experiments with kerfing for the third sheet to see if I can get a safer bend. If that works I will kerf the second layer of 5mm and use Titebond 3 waterproof woodglue to bond it to the first layer. I would use epoxy but I don't think the pot life would be long enough for a 4'x8' sheet. Since we are also using sheet metal screws into the steel frame, I think the Titebond 3 will work ok.

The last couple of pictures are showing the start of the 1/16" aluminum siding install on the front pony wall of the camper. We are using Sikaflex 252 after a cleaner/primer of Sikaflex 205 and 210. The 210 is ungodly expensive and doesn't last long after opening...not real happy about that but what can you do? We are using 1"x1"x.5" rare earth magnets in some places to hold the aluminum to the steel frame (magnets have a 60 pound pull and yes I have a blood blister from letting two of them get too close to each other). We cut up 1/16" thick nylon tie wraps into little chunks and are using that embedded in the Sikaflex to keep the spacing between the steel and aluminum uniform. It is actually very quick to install a panel since there are no screws...much faster than the roof stuff.

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