DIY Truck Camper

sub'd for final view

 

Can't wait to see it completed!

 

Bed truck campers cost arm and a leg so I can see why you wanted to make one yourself. Thing is... they do not cost arm and a leg because they are inherently expensive. It is all the cabinetry and plumbing and other things. If you swing by camping supply stores or even better RV junkyards, you can scoop up some goodies very cheap.

Only change I would suggest is to get rid of gable roof and put an arch on it. It will give you more head room.

I drove around for a while with my teardrop camper and headroom was an issue. Taller = better.

 

Good work but was thinking the same thing! Better get some airbags!

 

It's a "Tiny Tiny" house! Always fun seeing what people come up with!

 

Today's improvements

 

You better get a Tundra.. the Taco won't handle that....!!
Nice job though...!! I did something like that in 1974... my Chevy took it not too bad...

 

Holyshitbalztacomaworld...

 

Me too

 

@tomassullivan Looks like a fun project. I'll bring up something that hasn't come up yet.

Airbags or leaf packs are great for handling the load, but if you happen to get in a collision with that beast in the bed insurance is going to fuck you in the bum. With weight restrictions, I've never worried about being sidelined by a vehicle inspection - I've been worried about being held civilly liable for millions of dollars if I'm in an accident that could, arguably, have been avoided if I wasn't loaded up way over limit (which you will be), and the insurance company tells me they're no longer my best friends.

Something to ponder as you're swilling your whiskey tonight.

 

sub'd

 

I put the camper in the truck today to weigh it. 700lbs on the dot.

 

How does it mount to the bed? Never used a camper or anything so not even sure how store bought campers work.

 

Looks like a spaceship. Cool

 

Makes me want to build one!

 

Looks like a giant wind break. Does that front lip not catch air?

 

I'm not sure about store bought tie downs so I'm just going to use a lot of straps to all the hooks in my bed

 

That's dangerous. Extremely dangerous. Those D rings aren't rated to hold that kind or weight. That need to be bolted down and I would recommend bolted through the bed and into the frame. I'd had to see you, your wife, or another other person injured or killed because that wasn't secured properly. 700lbs is A lot of weight, imaging doing 65 mph and getting into a bad accident. That will become a missle and it will damage or destroy whatever is in its path

 

Not just that the aerodynamics?
with that type of roof I wonder if that will cause issues with wind. not just normal camper issues MAJOR issues.

It does say somewhere in the owners manual about those tie downs.
If I remember right its only supposed to be 70lbs per tie down.