HMS Beagle
Napa, California
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Joined: 08/22/2003
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The Total Composites probably makes a decent camper, but boxy. I've drawn my camper in a number of variations, and slightly bowing the side and roof, and radiusing the corners, make it look a LOT better. Even the Bigfoot benefits from the slope of the sides. If you are going to all the trouble, you might as well have nice aesthetics.
On the right, square corners, middle rounded corners, left rounded corners and curved walls. The curvature is the same for walls and roof, so making a simple curved ply surface you could layup a composite sandwich for all of them on one mold. A second mold would add the corner radius, again laying up lengths used for all the edges. The corners would need to be individual molds, or the lost foam process. It would not be as fast as Total Composites build for sure, but also (for sure) would look a lot better. You could achieve the middle look with the TC panels, and just make the corner radii.
![[image]](https://i.imgur.com/hwi5nh4.jpg)
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edited 02/13/21 02:26pm by an administrator/moderator *
Bigfoot 10.4E, 2015 F350 6.7L DRW 2WD, Autoflex Ultra Air Ride rear suspension, Hellwig Bigwig sway bars front and rear
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noteven
Turtle Island
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Joined: 02/13/2011
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HMS - yes Total Composites main business is temperature controlled commercial truck bodies which achieve total thermal break insulation at the lowest weight possible. Square corners = maximized volume and ease of fitting out the inside. The 9 ft floor plus queen bed cabover kit I’m looking at is estimated at 1200lbs. R20 walls, R30 roof and floor.
Anyways right now I’m running a Cirrus camper. Aluminum frame, styro insulation, azdel plastic inside and out, fibreglass skin, aluminum roof. When it leaks nothing in the shell or floor would rot, and the water can run out the bottom. There are disadvantages to aluminum frames lack of thermal bridging in snowing outside conditions.
I’ve had a “conventional” framed and rubber roof camper, $5000 damage from one screw on a roof rack leaking. I’ve had a fibreglass shell camper Kustom Koach / Kodiak- when it leaked before I owned it the water pooled in the tub of the camper and rotted a jack reinforcement area...
So, yes, it is all the holes that make trouble ...
It’s why I’m toying with a self build composite project. Normal outside stuff like solar panel brackets are glued to the body, no need for any holes in the roof, no mechanical fastening of any seams, doors and windows easy to seal in a rigid structure yada yada yada...
There are other considerations with composite bodies - the rigidity has to be designed for to let the truck chassis rack and flex independently of the body etc.
Like an old truck camper veteran told me one time, if you cannot put your camper upside down in the lake, and sail it to the far shore, it is going to leak every time it gets a chance over the years you own it...
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HMS Beagle
Napa, California
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Joined: 08/22/2003
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1200 lbs for a 9' floor isn't bad - I think a custom built layup might be 900 lbs. Total Composites don't have much info on their website about their kits, out of curiosity what sort of ballpark cost was quoted for that unit, if you don't mind telling?
One of the problems with production RVs is that the cheap sealants they use are just good enough to keep the leaks at bay for the warrantee period, and that is all they care about.
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noteven
Turtle Island
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Joined: 02/13/2011
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HMS Beagle wrote:1200 lbs for a 9' floor isn't bad - I think a custom built layup might be 900 lbs. Total Composites don't have much info on their website about their kits, out of curiosity what sort of ballpark cost was quoted for that unit, if you don't mind telling?
One of the problems with production RVs is that the cheap sealants they use are just good enough to keep the leaks at bay for the warrantee period, and that is all they care about.
It was around US $13,000 inc Cdn import duty & fees plus container freight of US$3500 to me located inland 900 miles from the port.
My quote was subject to the final amount of steel I would want in the floor panel for attachments and jack points etc.
The bodies are made to order so all dimensions are custom within their parameters.
Mine was a flatbed model. They are doing slide in pickup kits now too.
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HMS Beagle
Napa, California
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Joined: 08/22/2003
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That's not a bad price. A Bahn molded shell is around $35K - 40K. I'm pretty sure I can have my boat builder custom build one for less than that. But probably not less than $20K.
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noteven
Turtle Island
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Joined: 02/13/2011
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HMS Beagle wrote:That's not a bad price. A Bahn molded shell is around $35K - 40K. I'm pretty sure I can have my boat builder custom build one for less than that. But probably not less than $20K.
Yes and the Total kit is insulated and fully finished inside. If you don't want the clinical white fiberglass inside you can add some materials - everyone I've seen on line installs some flooring, most leave the walls and ceilings and build out with nice wood furniture.
My Cirrus has a "one step lower than Arctic Tern" "Euro" windows -maybe made by Dometic? I forget. They are great windows except they are acrylic so I clean with Plexus and they will scratch if you run them in the bush. Apparently you can wet sand scratches out of them.
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Bert the Welder
Van. Island
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Joined: 03/11/2009
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Don't worry about coming to Canada. Our poosy gov't doesn't have the walnuts to actually close the boarder like they should.
I'm on Van. Isl and I've seen, Texas, Florida, Utah, Mass., Arizona, Cal., New York, etc, etc, etc..... license plates. And there's no way they are all new residents that just haven't changed their registration and they can't have 'accidentally' come to the Isl. going from Wash State to AK.
I'm in Victoria so I'll have to check out T.C. Though I've not the need for one, always nice to see what's going on locally.
One thing I never figured out is given how quick and cheap it would be, why don't manufacturers prime and paint the wood components. It's not the be all, end all. But would certainly help.
Also, since you guys seem to know about fiberglass, something I wondered about was the holes for the windows, vents, etc. Why are they not built into the mould? Not like they custom move windows around for each order. Rather then hacking in a hole with a flat edge, a small curb could be moulded in. Just a 1/2" would do the trick. Would work for both roof and wall penetrations I'd think. But I'd be please to hear if you think this is not possible.
"> 1998 GMC 2500, 10.5 Okanagan, My better/smarter half, George and Finnegan(APBT), all I need.
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Bert the Welder
Van. Island
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Just hit T.C. site. More stuff coming in Mar.
They look pretty neat. But looks like their targeting the tent campers that just want a step up to something more secure and dryer. Which is a smart market to fill. I'd be in that market. Maybe they'll eventually make bigger units.
Just think they'd be smarter with their leg brackets by having tab's that go under the corners to help with load bearing.
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adamis
Northern California
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Joined: 06/09/2016
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You know, with all of the knowledge from the community in these forums, if we all put our heads together we could build a really awesome fibreglass truck camper. Taking all of these issues discussed and fixing them to make the best truck camper possible without compromises.
Just need a few people from the community with some deep pockets looking for the next challenge and we could storm the market!
1999 F350 Dually with 7.3 Diesel
2000 Bigfoot 10.6 Camper
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Kayteg1
California > Nevada
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Joined: 06/18/2015
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adamis wrote:You know, with all of the knowledge from the community in these forums, if we all put our heads together we could build a really awesome fibreglass truck camper. Taking all of these issues discussed and fixing them to make the best truck camper possible without compromises.
Just need a few people from the community with some deep pockets looking for the next challenge and we could storm the market!
I see 2 major problem with this idea:
1 the forum is overwhelmed with trolls, where each technical discussion is flooded with personal, or smart-ass comments
2. TC are too small market for any manufacturer to spend time listening to feedback. They sell whatever they manufacture, so why waste time?
Best sample how manufacturers listen to market is fact that we don't have "camper special" trucks for over 40 years.
Make long WB 3/4 tons truck, who can have 4500 lb TC on it, with 200 HP, 4-cylinder engine delivering 25 mpg empty for less than $50k and I bet lot of forum members will stand in the line.
Still too small market for the manufactures.
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