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 07/01/13 07:16pm

Thanks Nick. I am well familiar with the led strip lighting you can cut, as I used a roll of it to prototype some modular panels. I eventually designed and hand soldered (a pain!) several of these boards using the same 5050 smt leds (my wife wrote all of the microcontroller code). This is a short video of those boards :-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8oh7jHdjBc&feature=youtu.be

One of the main problems with led lighting is heat sinking. Some of the RV modules do not handle heatsinking at all..they just glob a few dozen leds on a terminal and call it a light. This Sylvania fixture has a nice amount of heat sink, which means the leds will last longer than the camper.

I will give you a call if I see some things we need at your store.

Posted By: Jfet on 07/13/13 08:11am

Problem with our roof idea. The Rhino Eco coat is just too expensive to be a viable solution ($3500 to $4000 and the installer is a 5 hour drive).

So now we are back to square one on our roof. The roof is made of 1/2 inch thick marine plywood over our steel frame, held on with Sikaflex 252 and countersunk sheet metal type screws. We have zero openings in the roof. I have made and installed 3/8" captive nut mounting holes on the sides of the RV in three places per side (two nuts per place) to attach a future roof rail system for solar panels without having to drill into the roof. These are drilled through the 1x2 steel frame on the side near the roof.

Ok. Fall back plan? Dicor BriteTEK Roof Membrane? It comes in 9'6" x 25 foot rolls with an installation kit. We would need to use strips on the sides to hold down the edges of the fabric. I am unsure how it would look on the edges on the front curved section.

Posted By: camperpaul on 07/13/13 09:59am

The edges of the fabric will 'bunch-up' on the curve.

You can alleviate this by cutting "V" notches in the fabric.

Take apart a brown paper grocery bag and use it to make a template for making the notches. You'll have to experiment a little to get the notches in the right places and at the right angle.

Paul
Extra Class Ham Radio operator - K9ERG (since 1956)
Retired Electronics Engineer and Antenna Designer
Was a campground host at IBSP (2006-2010) - now retired.
Single - Full-timer
2005 Four Winds 29Q
2011 2500HD 6.0L GMC Denali (Gasser)

Posted By: snowdance on 07/13/13 11:35am

You might also take a close look at a Newer Lazy Daze Class C. Roof made with things you know how to work.. Cost??

Snowdance

We spent most of our money traveling... Just wasted the rest..

Chevy 7.4 Vortex
2000 Jamboree 23b Rear Kitchen

http://www.flickr.com/photos/snowdance38

Posted By: Jfet on 07/14/13 07:40am

snowdance wrote:

You might also take a close look at a Newer Lazy Daze Class C. Roof made with things you know how to work.. Cost??

I looked on the site and LazyDaze seems to be using a one piece aluminum roof that is then painted. We had considered this as an option but I was not sure how easy it would be to obtain a continuous piece of aluminum sheet that is 8'6" wide and 21 feet long. The only thing I could find was really thin (0.024 or something). Perhaps I could find out the thickness of roof LazyDaze uses.

I am also unsure what to do with the edges of the aluminum especially in the corners and around the curve. It looks like LazyDaze uses some very large trim...not sure where we would obtain something similar.

Posted By: snowdance on 07/14/13 10:37am

I have seen a few where they just pulled the aluminum down about 4 inches and did a cut and fit on the forward curve edges. None I have seen have the trim you saw.. Look for older but not real old as they have a trim right on the top and it leaked as always..

Posted By: woodhog on 07/14/13 10:47am

Semi-Trailer roofing

Maybe look at some semi trailer roofings, they come in wide widths.

2004.5 Dodge 4x4 SRW Diesel, 245/70R19.5 Michelin XDS2, Bilstein Shocks
Torklift Stable loads, BD Steering Stabilizer Bar, Superchips "TOW" Programed,Rickson 19.5 wheels

2006 8.5 Northstar Arrow, 3 Batteries 200 Watts Solar,
12 Volt DC Fridge.

Posted By: sabconsulting on 07/14/13 11:49am

Whatever material you use it would be nice if you could curve it down over the sides as it avoids a seam at the immediate roof edge that could leak.

I thought about this. I wanted something I could stand on so in the end bought aluminum daimond plate sheets, had them folded at the edges so they overlapped the side of the camper by about an inch and welded them together.

I didn't have any curves to contend with though.

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: recycler on 07/14/13 12:56pm

the semi trailer roofing we buy comes in 103in width.. it is expensive for what it is..stuff we got was .050in thick and does not really like compound curves to well...is worth a try though if you have the patience to shrink the corners..

1999 F550 truck conversion

Posted By: noteven on 07/15/13 05:42am

A company like Pelland could be a source of trim parts.

Pelland RV Parts

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