How to: DIY Wedge Camper

Bassshreddin · Nov 2, 2021

nanserb said: ↑

I still have to bolt the tops down, and vinyl plank flooring to finish install, but here's a photo from the other day.

So far the total price is ~$450.

Click to expand...

Did you do a similar floor to goosegear? I had mine built out before when I had a different topper and used plywood with the angled countersunk screws, can never remember that method.

yorkshiredoughboy · Nov 3, 2021

davzx said: ↑

I didn't make a tent-only (did the full build), but you'll need:

All items under 'wedge frame' (I didn't use line #9 wiper seals - this application doesn't really make sense, especially if you use silicone at all joints as many of us have.)

All items under 'Tent canvas DIY'

Line #14 (of column C, NOT spreadsheet row) which is (2) 36" gas struts

(4) of line #15

Line #18

Line #19

Line #20

Line #23

Line #26

Line #39

Line #40

You may want to consider adding a few lateral supports underneath the tent floor since you won't have the spaceframe to support it, or look into a honeycomb panel. A 3mm panel with that clear span is definitely not rigid enough on its own - it'll deflect like crazy. If you use some 1.5" 8020 and some brackets that'll help, although you'll lose that interior height. If you have a prinsu or frontrunner rack then might be fine without the supports (looks like that's how @DeanJ did his).
Click to expand...

thanks so much. That’s very helpful

Taco Camper · Nov 3, 2021

davzx said: ↑

If anyone is looking for an inexpensive latch alternative, I used these:

6Pack Black Adjustable Latch Clamp, 4002 Latch-Style Toggle Clamp, Heavy Duty Pull Action Latch with Catch Plate, 550lbs Capacity Metal Quick Release Draw Latch for Jig Smoker Door Tool Boxes Trunk

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B098MSJLM4?ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

They’re the same style draw latches that the Vagabond drifter and AT Summit use. I used some #8-32 flathead bolts with them, got some quarter-turn drop-in nuts from TNutz. They don’t require any modifying, and are really nice to dial in the tension. Snug but not crazy tight.

I initially used the jeep latches, but I was having a really hard time getting them to fit well - they were either really tight and hard to open (couldn’t open from the ground with the leverage) or not latching well at all.

Click to expand...

I like those and agree. Been wanting to swap my Jeep latches out. They are ok, but took a lot of hand-trimming to fit right. With the loose part of the latch up on the top of the wedge, it can turn into a wind chime which is annoying if it happens in the middle of the night. These look like a score.

nanserb · Nov 4, 2021

Bassshreddin said: ↑

Did you do a similar floor to goosegear? I had mine built out before when I had a different topper and used plywood with the angled countersunk screws, can never remember that method.
Click to expand...

Sort of similar. Goose uses 1/2" ply, I used 1/4" and painted both sides with an oil based paint to waterproof it. 1/4-20 T Nuts attach the aluminum to the board.

I didn't bolt mine to the bed, as my truck doesn't have any factory bolts and I'm not willing to drill into it.

I sprayed the tops of the drawer and cabinets with bedliner by krylon.

YamaDirtrider · Nov 4, 2021

Anyone in the grater Denver co area interested in getting some of the maxi panels? I’m gonna order mine here and the larger quantity the less each one costs.
Uncut sheets

Niftynate · Nov 7, 2021

If anyone in the salt lake area is interested, I've got this welding jig available that I'm done with.

barrsurf · Nov 7, 2021

I got silnylon for the tent portion but my wife is really not enjoying sewing it at all. It's very slippery and tough to keep straight. She sews complicated dance costumes, so she's quite proficient on the machine. Other than the cationic on Ripcord's list, what fabrics have y'all been happy with?

nanserb · Nov 7, 2021

barrsurf said: ↑

I got silnylon for the tent portion but my wife is really not enjoying sewing it at all. It's very slippery and tough to keep straight. She sews complicated dance costumes, so she's quite proficient on the machine. Other than the cationic on Ripcord's list, what fabrics have y'all been happy with?
Click to expand...

Ottertex
https://www.fabricwholesaledirect.c...-outdoor-canvas-fabric?variant=39460371366003

nanserb · Nov 7, 2021

I'm getting a significant amount of drips coming in through the corners over/under the seals. I installed as @PNW_Sparks and others described cutting them.

Anyone have any suggestions on how to seal the corners?

joeink · Nov 9, 2021

Anybody looking to buy a truck with a camper built on it already?

Rucas · Nov 10, 2021

Just added a 50w solar panel/wind fairing to mine. I still wanted to be able to park in the garage so this seemed like the best option.

Bassshreddin · Nov 11, 2021

If anyone in the Socal area is interested I still have my wedge for sale. Only thing not finished now is the side windows on canvas. Back door is done besides the screen. Will throw in everything, all the extra aluminum extrusion, aluminum paneling 6mm, 3mm sides already built if you want to change out, extra struts, sewing machine and anything else I have for the camper.

Ended up tearing my right pectoral tendon and had surgery so I will be out of commission for next 4+ months and won't be able to finish. This camper is 95% complete.

Also have the rear brake light as well. And extra latches. Lots of extras. Make me an offer, only thing is, you'll have to come pick it all up and remove with some friends, as I am not capable lol

azdrock · Nov 14, 2021

Leaking Bolts.

Anyone experiencing water coming through the bolts between the frame and wedge camper near the cab wall? It’s like water is getting inside that tube somehow but the inside of the tent above those is dry?

TwinTaco31719 · Nov 14, 2021

nanserb said: ↑

Finished my build recently, and wanted to share some changes and experiences.

I went with 1.5" 0.125" wall aluminum tubing. This was not only to save weight, but also to save money as currently where I live (WA) aluminum is a lot cheaper than steel. This was possible since I had an AC/DC TIG welder, but one could get a spool gun for their MIG welder with great results. A lot of places use spool guns building truck boxes and bumpers, and they come out very strong.

I also elected to go with the flip up bed like @jjnicolas and others, but I took it a step further and made a second flip up platform that can be used as a standing desk inside the tent for cooking or anything else when weather is bad. It also sections off the top area of the tent from the bed of the truck.

The piano hinge route is also a huge plus. The hinges are stainless 72" long pieces from Home Depot, and the fabric was excess strips I cut to 2" wide. This is how @Taco Camper did his, and while they ultimately will require the replacement of the fabric, it won't be for years to come. The fabric ends up getting silicone on both sides.

I ended up having access to a mill and end mill bits, so instead of stacking the smaller corner pieces I have single pieces. When you order the raw stock from 80/20, get 19" instead of the 18" as listed in @Ripcord material list. This lets you use a chop saw with a metal cutting blade to cut it super straight, and the extra inch will mostly be absorbed by the kerf of the blade taking away material when you make your cut.

I used the same 3mm paneling as most people did, getting it from @howied who is a local PNW member. It was also great to meet another guy who had completed his build and bounce an obsessive amount of questions off of. I do wish I went with 6mm for the floor, but the roof is fine with 3mm. I made a jig that holds my router along a straight piece of aluminum tubing, and clamped it to the ACM.

I did the upside down method as well, and yes it is a pain. It's even more of a pain when you strip out a few of the economy T-nuts. Next time I would order something that is spring loaded for when you bolt the extrusions to the frame. Going this route would prevent them from moving out of alignment and would ensure that the bolts don't start crooked and get stripped.

Once you get everything bolted together, it gets really exciting as the project finally takes shape and your hours of hard work seem like they are coming to an end.

For the doors, I didn't do much differently outside of one big mistake. Since I don't have a Tacoma (gasp) I didn't purchase all the files and therefore didn't realize that the bottom alumimum piece is where the seal for the top of the tailgate goes. I ended up buying a roll of rubber trim seal with top bulb on it to seal off the tailgate.

I mentioned a few weeks prior that I also 3D printed a cap and plug for the different corner pieces. The 1.5" corner pieces are 1.313" tall, so there is a gap that will appear between the roof and floors, and other places if you stack the corner pieces. I'm happy to say these have worked extremely well.

When you seal the corners, use more silicone than you think you'll need. I went nuts. The extrusions just need a thin line that is continous to make sure it's water tight. I had 2 of the tnutz economy nuts strip out here, luckily they were both at the ends. This is another good place to use the spring loaded nuts for a little more cost.

The sewing definitely is daunting at first, but after a few lines there's no sweat. There isn't a wrong way to do this, and there are already great posts that helped my by @NotTaco and others. I went with the PVC backed Ottertex from farbricwholesaledirect. The thread is the same as what is listed in the material list, just in orange. I would also get a roll of black to sew the zippers and and velcro if you chose to do so. A machine with a walking foot is a big advantage, especially when the rubberized zippers stacked on each other and multiple layers of fabric come into play. I used a 80/20 sized quilting needle. You'll end up cleaning adhesive off regularly if you use basting tape. The DIY binding that @NotTaco uses is also a must, and really cleans up the appearance.

Practice, practice, and practice with the scraps you have leftover from cutting the material. Watch youtube videos on sewing, as well as the sailrite videos for zipper layouts. I haven't used a sewing machine prior to this project, and after learning that you simply line the edge of the fabric up with a landmark on the foot your lines will come out very straight. Any exposed edge of the fabric needs to be hemmed (rolled over), so basting tape helps tremendously. I used 2 rolls. Go backwards over your sewing at the beginning and end of your lines to ensure they don't pull out later on.

I also elected to use triangle shape zippers, with 4 pieces of zipper material for each window. If you go this route, purchase zipper stops to ensure your zippers don't come all the way off the end when you zip the windows and zippers shut. The triangle pieces are there to cover the little gaps where the zipper ends meet.

The ACM paneling used on these builds is extremely condensation prone, and with the already large cost of all the materials I was hesistant to buy the mat discussed here off Amazon for another $100. Instead, @howied suggested bug mesh, and I can tell you it absolutely works. Get the thickest stuff available at home depot/lowes. It was ~$20 for a 4x8' roll. It's also WAY lighter and flexible for the lifting platform.

Another pro-tip is to get elastic nets off of amazon. https://amzn.to/3DSdK7h These are held onto the lifting platform, or your frame, by little eyelets that are riveted on. The nets are then clipped onto the eyelets. These little nets are great for blankets, sleeping bags, coats, pillows, etc. Pelican case lid organizers also fit nicely on the smaller lifting floor, but there are smaller nets that would work there instead.

This brings me to wiring. I love lights while I'm camping, and running the wires on the outside for scene lights was an area not covered. I saw in the walkaround video that Jim drilled through his extrusion and ran the wires on the inside. I wasn't willing to do this, so I purchased the plastic filler strips from 80/20 and ran the wires underneath that. It hides all the wires very nicely. Just make sure you solder and use adhesive lined heat shrink to really seal off the connections from any water that may stay behind the plastic filler strips.

I wanted levels that were a little more subtle too. I bought bubble levels and holders from McMaster (2148A69 and 2148A77). After a bit of filing, they fit nice and tight into the extrusions. You could skip the holders and just a bit of silicone instead to keep them from bouncing out.

Lighting on the inside is also a must. I bought a set of four LED light strips with individual switches off amazon. They are from Mictuning and were $10 for the set. They put out just the right amount of light. One will be installed up top on the inside of the roof for lighting in the sleeping area. https://amzn.to/30E1V6u

Solar was also up on my list, and after a quick bracket design and three 53" pieces of 1.5" extrusion, a rack was made. I drilled the ends of the panels and used 1/2" bolts and t-nuts to attach the panels to the extrusions. This keeps the panels somewhat protected by the extrusions.

Thanks to everyone who has posted their experiences and suggestions. I've taken as many as I could into account.

Now, I'm onto building a DIY cabinet/drawer system for the back.

Click to expand...

Dang that’s beautiful man! Good work!!

Dubiousveracity · Nov 14, 2021

Fat taco said: ↑

Did anyone make the frame with less angles( no inward angle) or just square? Any pics of how this looks and any issues it could cause? Seems like it would make the fabrication so much easier.
Click to expand...

I made mine with just the angle from the bottom forward to upper middle.

Seems to be plenty strong, mostly to support the back edge of the sleeping platform to keep things trammed

Dubiousveracity · Nov 14, 2021

azdrock said: ↑

Leaking Bolts.

Anyone experiencing water coming through the bolts between the frame and wedge camper near the cab wall? It’s like water is getting inside that tube somehow but the inside of the tent above those is dry?
Click to expand...

Pull the bolts use/spray rubbing alcohol in all the bolt holes liberally then let it dry out, then spray LPS3 inside everywhere you can in the tubes. Leaky bolts or condensation from Heating and cooling day/night will form in there. The LPS will keep it from rusting.

Then use silicon, sikaflex or 5200 (quick cure is fine) to seal the top of frame and bolts. You want it to be able to drain from the bottom else water can build up...freeze and expand your frame.

Labbi85 · Nov 14, 2021

azdrock said: ↑

Leaking Bolts.

Anyone experiencing water coming through the bolts between the frame and wedge camper near the cab wall? It’s like water is getting inside that tube somehow but the inside of the tent above those is dry?

Click to expand...

yes it comes in mine too. Thought about drilling in some drain holes. Also I might put some bigger holes in which ich can put some fluid film through.
That’s probably going to be a winter project for me

NotTaco · Nov 15, 2021

azdrock said: ↑

Leaking Bolts.

Anyone experiencing water coming through the bolts between the frame and wedge camper near the cab wall? It’s like water is getting inside that tube somehow but the inside of the tent above those is dry?

Click to expand...

Happened to me after I got to Montana, after some torrential rains this summer. (TLDR: I just drilled some small holes in the corners to let the water Drain)
Ultimately I think water is getting into the frame from the bottom slot in the extrusion, It hasn't been such a big deal that i've tried hard to remedy it. I did silicone the outside corner brackets in place in the front, and will do the ones in the rear eventually. My primary concern was not to leave water sitting inside the steel frame, leaving it to rust out from the inside. I have considered getting some sheet gasket from the auto parts store and cutting custom fit gasket to be applied with silicone in all the corners, but so far I just chock it up to a design flaw. Nothing gets so wet that its a major problem, most of the gear in the back is in plano cases, etc.

NotTaco · Nov 15, 2021

Here are a few cherry pics from a two-month wander about Montana this summer, for anybody needing a little winter motivation.

2ski4life7 · Nov 15, 2021

nanserb said: ↑

I still have to bolt the tops down, and vinyl plank flooring to finish install, but here's a photo from the other day.

So far the total price is ~$450.

Click to expand...

got any dimensions of your setup?

Log in or Sign up

Welcome to Tacoma World!

How to: DIY Wedge Camper

#2361
Bassshreddin Well-Known Member

#2362
yorkshiredoughboy Well-Known Member

#2363
Taco Camper Well-Known Member

#2364
nanserb Well-Known Member

#2365
YamaDirtrider Custom bumpers @FORT-ifyRigs

#2366
Niftynate New Member

#2367
barrsurf Member

#2368
nanserb Well-Known Member

#2369
nanserb Well-Known Member

#2370
joeink Active Member

#2371
Rucas 1st gen

#2372
Bassshreddin Well-Known Member

#2373
azdrock New Member

#2374
TwinTaco31719 Well-Known Member

#2375
Dubiousveracity Well-Known Member

#2376
Dubiousveracity Well-Known Member

#2377
Labbi85 Well-Known Member

#2378
NotTaco Active Member

#2379
NotTaco Active Member

#2380
2ski4life7 Well-Known Member

Products Discussed in

Log in or Sign up

Useful Searches

Welcome to Tacoma World!

How to: DIY Wedge Camper

#2361 Bassshreddin Well-Known Member

#2362 yorkshiredoughboy Well-Known Member

#2363 Taco Camper Well-Known Member

#2364 nanserb Well-Known Member

#2365 YamaDirtrider Custom bumpers @FORT-ifyRigs

#2366 Niftynate New Member

#2367 barrsurf Member

#2368 nanserb Well-Known Member

#2369 nanserb Well-Known Member

#2370 joeink Active Member

#2371 Rucas 1st gen

#2372 Bassshreddin Well-Known Member

#2373 azdrock New Member

#2374 TwinTaco31719 Well-Known Member

#2375 Dubiousveracity Well-Known Member

#2376 Dubiousveracity Well-Known Member

#2377 Labbi85 Well-Known Member

#2378 NotTaco Active Member

#2379 NotTaco Active Member

#2380 2ski4life7 Well-Known Member

Products Discussed in Entire Site Forum: Tonneau Covers, Caps and Shells Thread: How to: DIY Wedge Camper

#2361
Bassshreddin Well-Known Member

#2362
yorkshiredoughboy Well-Known Member

#2363
Taco Camper Well-Known Member

#2364
nanserb Well-Known Member

#2365
YamaDirtrider Custom bumpers @FORT-ifyRigs

#2366
Niftynate New Member

#2367
barrsurf Member

#2368
nanserb Well-Known Member

#2369
nanserb Well-Known Member

#2370
joeink Active Member

#2371
Rucas 1st gen

#2372
Bassshreddin Well-Known Member

#2373
azdrock New Member

#2374
TwinTaco31719 Well-Known Member

#2375
Dubiousveracity Well-Known Member

#2376
Dubiousveracity Well-Known Member

#2377
Labbi85 Well-Known Member

#2378
NotTaco Active Member

#2379
NotTaco Active Member

#2380
2ski4life7 Well-Known Member

Products Discussed in