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 01/18/15 08:40pm

We are going to try the G-Floor parking pad garage floor cover. It is about 1/16 inch thick (plus 1/16" ribs) and comes in a 9 foot wide by 20 foot long roll. Pretty heavy at about 105 pounds for this roll. I think they make it a bit thicker but this size was available quite cheap from walmart.com with free shipping.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Parking-Pad/19416222

We will see how it works. I like that it is continuous with no seams.

Posted By: BoonHauler on 01/18/15 09:22pm

Jfet wrote:

Wow, that's exactly what I was looking for, thanks for the link Jfet!

05 RAM 3500 CTD 4x4 Q/C Laramie DRW/NV5600/3.73, B&W Gooseneck, MaxBrake, PacBrake PRXB, Brite Box Fogster, BD steering Box Brace
2014 BoonHauler 3614

Posted By: Mello Mike on 01/19/15 06:42am

Impressive work on the camper and pod. It would be great to see your rig in person someday. Perhaps one day on the road.

2016 Northstar Laredo SC/240w Solar/2-6v Lifeline AGMs/Dometic CR110 DC Compressor Fridge
2013 Ram 3500 4x4/6.7L Cummins TD/3.42/Buckstop Bumper with Warn 16.5ti Winch/Big Wig Rear Sway Bar/Talons w/SS Fastguns
My Rig
1998 Jeep Wrangler
US Navy Ret.

Posted By: bka0721 on 01/19/15 10:23am

I am always waiting for your latest posts. Of course I would never be satisfied unless I was actually standing in your shop watching and helping. Thanks always for bringing us along with your build.

While my thought is just that, my own, you have been willing to field comments from me and others. Much different than many that will post here on their own projects.

With racing for 20+ years, one issue that developed with ramp doors and moving equipment and heavy race cars in and out of our "Pods" is the racking of the door due to the camber differences of the ground. One of the solutions I was shown by the various Trailer Sponsors we raced with, Pace, Haulmark, Featherlight, was the attachment to the Pod' and ramp door. They minimize the number of hinges on the attachment end to reduce binding and racking of the ramp as it is lowered and raised. Over time, the memory of these uneven surfaces is reflected in changes of the door. It was their comments of minimizing the "pick up points" that minimizes the binding of the ramp.

So my question to you is; Should you have as many hinges as you have, or just go with 3 or less?

b

Posted By: Jfet on 01/19/15 09:05pm

bka, I don't know the answer to your question but I suppose we will find out. We looked at a few cargo trailers (I think a featherlite, wells cargo, and some other) and they either had full length piano hinges or several hinges (more than 2) for the ramp doors. I don't know that we looked at any meant for hauling cars....more along the lines of snowmobiles or motorcycles.

Our door may be a little bit stronger than your average. We built everything strong. That being said, it would be easy enough to drop 2 hinges and go with 3 or even 2 but I am inclined to stick with the five right now.

Posted By: noteven on 01/20/15 05:36am

Hi Jfet - following your great build with interest

our cargo style bike trailer uses a spring assy above the door and drawbridge cables to assist the door. Advantange - assy is out of the road salt and adjustable. Disadvantage - cables down to the ramp door when it is open. Pulleys and cables what not. Our toyhauler uses torsion springs incorporated in the hinges. Advantage: Out of the way. Light to open and close. Disadvantage - don't appear to be adjustable. Our door flies a bit so we have to weigh it down.
You could incorporate a vertical lift gate in your design to do away with those annoying ramps all together [emoticon]

Fancy...Maxon column lift Not sure if one would double as a rear stand to off load the pod from the truck...

Posted By: Jfet on 01/20/15 06:08am

Fargo: Interesting.

We were thinking about spring loading the ramp door and still may do something along that line but I think it will be a later addition as I don't want to get bogged down with that.

We are making aluminum receivers for the top of the ramp door which will function as both a standoff and a attachment point for our plug in jack system. As a standoff, it will raise the edge of the door about 6 inches off the ground, decreasing the ramp angle somewhat. We may add a little flip ramp to bridge this distance. When two of the camper jacks are inserted into the standoffs, it will allow the ramp door to be leveled and used as a porch or stable work area.

It should be a little bit more stable than a wire or chain holding the ramp door level and also you don't have the wire or chain in your way.

Posted By: Jfet on 02/04/15 04:36pm

A little update. No good snow in the Northwest so we have worked a bit on the garage pod instead of going snowmobiling [emoticon]

We skinned the garage pod ramp door with the same 1/16" aluminum as the sides, drilled out all of the holes for the various hardware, then installed 1/8" aluminum diamond plate trim around the edges. This also acts as a flange for a gasket. I think it is starting to look halfway decent.

We also cut out the teardrop trailer size side door opening and test fit that part. Not going to be elegant going in and out that way but it is nice to be able to quickly get into the pod without pulling down the ramp. I think it was a reasonable addition (a full size door would have hindered our built in shelf system). We installed two of the floor panels and most of the 2 inch polyiso floor insulation. The floor will have 6 flush mount tie downs for various toys.

Getting close to the painting/truck bed liner step but we need consistent temps of 55 degrees.

[image]

Posted By: Bedlam on 02/04/15 04:54pm

Consider laying down e-track rails between your tie down points. I ran three lengths of it in my 20' enclosed trailer and liked it so much that I added four strips vertically on each side wall to tie items down.

I carry so many combinations of different toys, that being restricted to fixed mounting points would have been too much of a compromise.

Chevy Sonic 1.8-Honda Passport C70B-Host Mammoth 11.5-Interstate Car Carrier 20-Joyner SandViper 250-Kawasaki Concours ZG1000-Paros 8' flatbed-Pelican Decker DLX 8.75-Ram 5500 HD

Posted By: Jfet on 02/05/15 08:20am

Bedlam wrote:

That is good advice. I don't think we would want any e-track rails on the floor since we will be using the garage also as a workshop and might trip on it, but e-track on the walls we have considered and may add.

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