Otis24's Otisbound Outdoors Bodonkadonk Supercharged Twin Locked Micro Camper Build (OOBSTLMC)

I've made some progress on sewing the tent.

My plan for a while was to use either 2.2oz Ripstop Nylon or 18oz Vinyl Coated Polyester. Those are the only options that are available wide enough to span the camper lid opening. Any shorter and I'd have to sew panels to span that distance.

I bought 10 yards of the ripstop for $72 a couple months ago. It took forever for delivery. It's super light but it's thin and lets sunlight through and I don't think it's particularly UV stable but that doesn't actually matter all that much.

I double sided taped 1" aluminum tube 3" from the inside edge of the lid and gorilla taped the ripstop to that. For the bottom edge I didn't trim the fabric. The excess is tucked under the mattress on the front facing end of the camper and at the other end above the stairs. It's held in place by clamps that I put on at camp. I had a night in Death Valley that was so windy it would rock the whole truck. It actually works pretty well.

But, when I close up the camper it's kind of a pain in the ass to get the fabric to tuck in below the lid. Any air trapped between the lid and the mattress and bedding gets forced out the sides and the fabric billows out. I attached a length of paracord to an adhesive cable tie I have that secures the solar cables and ran it back across the outside of the tent. I give the string a gentle pull as I lower the camper and it pulls the fabric under the lid. It's a giant pain in the ass. I think a heavier fabric would be easier to tuck in. Also, I'm planning on putting in a maxxair fan at some point. I can set it to exhaust on high, close all the doors and create negative pressure that will pull the fabric in and under the lid.
It's a good temporary solution.
This the temporary tent that is on it now.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CKKRQVcHJe8/
https://www.instagram.com/p/CKlY-gmAnF6/

I've also been looking at 18oz vinyl coated polyester. It doesn't let any light through, it's waterproof and it's UV stable. This is the same one used to make the Vagabond Drifter. One thing I've learned from building my own camper is that the Drifter is so smartly over built it's crazy. I bet you could leave that thing in the ocean for a really long time and it would be relatively okay(I scuba dive w/ about 150 dives in Monterey so I know what the ocean does). Anyway...it super heavy duty fabric. So, I'd need a legit heavy duty sewing machine with a walking foot which is expensive. That kind of machine is limited to only straight and zig zag stitches which I can live with. Sailrite makes an excellent one that would be around $1200 with a bunch of accessories.

So -
Do I go lightweight, but so thin it lets in light but I can get a capable machine for like $200?
Or Do I go heavy and spend $1200 on a beast of a sewing machine (but can only do straight and zig zag stitches)?

Another option is move the location of the gas strut lift things and change the angle of the roof. But that's not something I'm all that interested in doing. I like the roof angle as it is.

I've been pondering this next step for a really long time.

And then while I was at camp a couple weeks ago I measured the opening at the back of the camper to see how tall the tent will be at the opening. it It turns out it's actually 51", not 61". I was off by 10" inches. That opens up a lot of options.

Now I'm thinking 10oz Vinyl Coated Polyester. It's the best of both fabrics. It's light enough I don't need an expensive machine, it's waterproof, doesn't let in sunlight, heavier so it'll be easier to tuck into the camper lid, and comes in a color I like. Perfect.

The 2.2oz Ripstop will be used in another project.

So, I finally have a direction I can go with the tent. I can get started.
First step...buy a sewing machine and learn to sew.
I found this on OfferUp for $225. I decide if it was still around the next week I'd buy it. Two days later it dropped to $175. So I bought it.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CK-PQg-n0U0/

 

I followed another excellent Timmy the Toolman video.
Now my doors work as they should.

I’ve been wedging a block of wood made of a pair of 2x4’s glued together to keep the doors open.
I’m going to toss them into a campfire the next time I have one.

https://youtu.be/u2LCa9WRYe0

 

I completed my 1st sewing project today.

I bought this jacket in 1997. The zipper has been broken for the last 5 years. I replaced the zipper today.

It works so much better with zipper.

 

Now onto to getting rid of that cum stain and it will be perfect again.

 

I reapply daily. Lol.

It’s 3M marine 5200. Thats never coming off.

 

Fixed my cracked coil bucket with @eimkeith coil bucket plates.

https://eimkeith.com/buystuff/stk/

I would say even if your coil buckets are okay these are well worth getting. They’re only $36.50, they fit perfect, shipping was quick and they were easy to weld in.

I wire wheeled the whole area and chamfered the crack.




The. Welded the plate in place, forgot to take pictures and painted it. My welds look like shit but 1st time using a stick welder.


Finally added the eimkeith sticker to my fridge.

 

Good call on chamfering the crack like that

 

That was @theed idea.
Also his welder and driveway.
Thanks Ed!

 

Didn't find many (any really) pics of your stock tank fuel filler - have you modified that between the gas cap and the tank? Been thinking about shortening mine since the bedsides are gone.

 

You have good timing.

It was shortened but I was able to put it all back to stock today.

I’ll take pics tomorrow.

 

My spare tire is a pain in the ass. It's in a better location than it was before but it still takes up a lot of space that I'd love to have as storage. And it's ugly.

It's not the worst looking tire, but it's in the middle of my camper. All the time.


So, I made a cover for it. With big ass pockets.

Now the camper looks better and it'll be slightly more organized. It could look a lot better. This is more of a prototype.

 

Cool idea.

 

The pockets were a last minute add on.

The next one will have hidden seams.

 

Possibilities are endless. Shit, you could make it like a trash-a-roo to one side (straps around the other) and have it be your spice rack, or tool rack, etc.

 

Spice rack is a good idea.

A replacement trash a-roo is a project I'd like to work on but I need to get much better at sewing.

I'm really looking forward to that project.

 

I mean that style with straps, giving that most the tire is inaccessible, you wouldn't need to have material all the way around. Straps would be easier to take off before removing the tire and easier to keep the spices in when taking off. Kind of like an apron.

 

Ooooh...I see what you're saying.
Yeah this one just lifts off, the back side only comes down about 1/4. And there are two ratchets straps under it that hold the tire in place. I hadn't thought of taking advantage of it's easy removability like that. Not only storage but easily transferable accessible storage.

 

Perhaps some custom molle webbing depending on what you want to store. Looked up sewing molle and think it is doable.

 

With a wheel spacer (possibly) and / or some plywood you could make a cover for the dish side of the wheel and keep stuff in there - been thinking about how to make use of that space for my spare as well. In for fuel neck mods!

 

That's a good idea. I was using a magnetic parts tray to keep some metal things attached to the wheel.

I have plenty of storage space. I have loads of it and everything pretty much has its place and its in its place (I'm a chef. In cooking we call this mise en place)

The only problem is that on bumpy roads everything moves around and vibrates together and gets damaged.
For example the pic below is the shelf and cubby hole thing behind my driver's seat. I keep a dead blow, a pry bar, breaker bar, multi meter, impact gun and a few other tools in there. Everything moves around.
I'm going to makes some padded fabric cases for

$124 milwaukee m18 cordless lithium-ion 6-1/2" circular saw - 2630-20 - ( MILWAUKEE ) - BARE TOOL

milwaukee m18 tools. One tall sleeve divided into three partisions that will velcro to the side of the carpeted cubby hole for the dead blow, pry bar and breaker bar to slide into.
I might replace the beer box above the cubby hole with a rigid sided padded fabric box for the items in there....usually a milwaukee m18 spot light for finding campsites in the dark, some more tools, sun screen, wireless winch controller and the repair manual between the beer box and the fire extinguisher. It'll be a large box with sleeves for each item.