1 Bored Clerk's Garage Built Camper

Looking awesome!

I have no experience in this, but I'd try and find a window for a production RV or camper shell that fits your needs. Custom seems expensive, and that wait time sucks.

 

Yeah, I’ve considered that. I haven’t found any in the configuration and condition (new-ish) that I want. The sizes have been tough to find too. I like the custom route because they will be built specifically to my wall thickness (no shimming out) and dimensions. Everything will fit just how I want. That being said, I continue my searches...mostly eBay. Non egress windows aren’t too expensive. The largest window in a half slide configuration in the exact size I want is $350ish. Not bad. An egress window would be 4x that much.

 

Well, I cut a big old hole in the camper tonight.


I started with four smaller holes.


Using this tool...which was not fun.


Fiberglass is grabby as well as weak against a drill bit. This conspires to make a giant hole saw even less fun to use with a hand drill than usual. I got it done though.


Then I went to the tool I love to hate. The tool I always seem to have to use when I want to make a straight line. You know, the tool that HATES to make a straight line.


Fiberglass is extremely hard on cutting tools. Check out this blade after cutting the door opening! All of the teeth were in the same condition as the teeth you can still see on the tip when I started cutting. Unreal! I’ve had blades last much longer cutting through 1/8” steel. Oh well, it did the job.


The camper seems MUCH bigger inside than I expected. Though I haven’t crawled in there yet. It was so cool to see the inside! I’m also really glad we decided to raise the portion of the roof over the bed by 6”. It would have been a little cavelike with a flat roof.

All in all, a successful bit of work for the evening. Didn’t take long but I had a long day at work and sort of had to force myself to get started on the camper. Didn’t want to push my luck and screw something up!

 

Sweet! Sub'd for sure.

 

They make a jigsaw blade that has the teeth pointed in the other direction. In my experience it helps make the cuts a bit more accurate. You may want to pick on up and try it.

 

SO AWESOME!



I have had great luck with the following blades for my jig saws, not sure how much more you have to cut but it may be worth getting a couple. http://www.fibreglast.com/product/Perma-Grit_Jig_Saw_Blades/Supplies_Tools_Laminate_Cutting

 

That is a down cut blade usually used for cutting Formica counter tops or laminate, the jig saw blade is supposed to be as you described where the teeth pull the material towards the foot of the saw to brace and make the cutting easier.

 

I knew I was using a questionable blade. But, if we’re being honest here, it was the blade that was in the saw and I was too excited to change it. I’ve only got about 3 dozen different blades ready for use! I’ll see if I have something more appropriate (or buy some) before I cut the windows and roof vent.

 

Thanks for the links!

I’ll try to get a photo of me in the camper for some scale. Your meme is what came to me first as soon as I looked in the camper.

 

That site over all is great for anything glass related, been using them for a decade.

 

There’s a fiberglast store about 30 minutes away. Used to be about 15 minutes away...miss that. It was convenient and they were always helpful. Not friendly...but helpful. Haha.

 

Damn, that blade

Looking good though!

 

Looking great!

Diamond grit blades make cutting fiberglass a breeze and last 10x longer.


https://www.homedepot.com/p/Bosch-3...gclsrc=aw.ds&dclid=CIfGq-GnodcCFcZ3wQodTJwGFg

 

I bet I even have these.

 

Don’t feel bad I burned up three .750” HSS 4 flute end mills the other day before It dawned on me I was milling AR 500. My internal monologue was like “Dummy you got carbide end mills in the next drawer down!”

 

X2 on the diamond blades. I've had great success with the rigid fibre cement saws as well. You can put a fibre cement blade in a regular circ saw, but the dust is tremendous.


If you have to use the jig saw, clamping a straight edge helps. For hole saw work, you can basically forget about the centre bit - make a vee block or saddle that supports it on the outside. It'll bind a lot less and if you use a thicker material for the v (eg. 2x4) it helps keep the bit aligned horizontally for a straighter hole.

 

Nice tip on the hole saw! Those things suck in my experience. Probably because I wasn’t v blocking that bad boy!

I would have loved to clamp a straight edge for the jigsaw but there was nothing to clamp to. A large, fully enclosed, odd-shaped box is hard to clamp to! I thought, just for a minute, that I could get it done with enough blue tape. We all know I’m a huge believer in the power of blue tape!

 

I’m in the camper! Sanding...


I also got the floor seam glassed up.

I’ll post more updates as the day progresses. I’m at Pro-Tech waiting for my guy to show up so we can talk boxes.


Also, check out how much light comes through these panels! That will all go away once I get the panel faired and painted but I thought it was interesting.

 

That looks super itchy!

 

On the contrary! This is what KEEPS it from being itchy. I’m mostly sanding cured epoxy and gel coat so it isn’t bad anyway.