A.R.E. DCU 29” Camper build

Little late response, super useful for both camping and my job

 

Been a little while since I updated, but the camper has done two trips so far this year up to Vermont and New York. Stayed super comfy and the cap stayed well insulated and comfy (no less than 68 degrees all night on ~52 degree nights). Enough room for me my girlfriend and dog to sleep comfortably. Not spread eagle by any means but I wasn’t cramped at all, even with the toolbox.

Wired up all the electrical things and purchased a deep cycle 107ah battery. No solar or anything yet but I can do a few days trips on a fully charged battery.

Added a fan, fire extinguisher, and an iPad mount.

 

Nice job man! I just bought a used one for my truck but it has tool boxes on both sides, might end up cutting one out but I do use it for work so it’s been really nice in that regard

 

Mine occasionally houses tools, I find we fit just comfortably enough me + my girlfriend and dog. Not exactly sardines but I have enough room to stretch my arms and legs a bit, depending on where the dog is between us lol. Enjoy the build

 

While I’m here, VT again a couple weeks ago, didn’t camp in the back (wedding) but we sure as shit had a nice time hanging out at the lake in the back of this thing.

Looking to do a solid few more things to this camper before I’m totally done. The HDF paneling I used absorbed water around the edges in some spots and looks horrible. I was thinking of using 1/8” sheets of plywood finished with some sort of waterproofing. Oh and to seal up the leaks that got me here in the first place..

Also wouldn’t mind a second vent, maybe just a pop up one with no fan so that the exhaust fan has somewhere to pull. Would also like to work on a small folding table/shelf type deal on the inside for any cold mornings we don’t exactly want to get out of the camper for to make some coffee or tea.

 

Some serious stuff in the works. I’ve gone ahead and ordered all new D shaped seals for the windoors. Seems to be holding up well. Passenger window leaks in the shell, I’m thinking some silicone will do the trick. Also a front rail seal, and butyl tape/silicone for where the cap meets the bed.

I’ve removed the water damaged panels (just the 3 doors) and intend on replacing with some 5mm plywood I bought which will be sealed with an all natural low VOC sealant. Each panel is going to be put in with a bead of silicone behind it. Made some reflectix curtains that stick to the windows with Velcro.

Also going to be adding a locking folding shelf to the passenger windoor, as well as pop out aluminum vents on both windoors (for cross ventilation and help exhaust fan). Toggle latches for the inside door so we can lock ourselves inside.

But what I’m most excited for is 100w of solar + 40a MPPT controller from Renogy to recharge my 107aH deep cycle battery. Panel should fit perfectly on my roof rack between the supports.

All of this is going to power my electronics and fans, but also ordered up a diesel heater. Still figuring the exact routing of this, but the toolbox seems a good candidate for where I’ll mount it. Routing the exhaust is going to be the biggest challenge, but I’m stoked nonetheless.

 

I just found this build. Very nice! We are thinking of upgrading from a leer 180 to one of these. Maybe I missed it, but how did you secure the panels? Are those rivets?

 

Thank you, I purchased some black self tapping screws off Amazon and used those. Believe they are 7/8” cause the frame tubing is 1”.

 

Went up to Vermont again this weekend. Dropped to 32 at night but stayed 52 in the camper. Still, there was condensation on the single pane windows and a tiny bit on the ceiling. This is with 2 humans and a medium sized dog breathing in it without the exhaust fan running, just popped open. Fairly impressed how little there was.

Got me motivated to install the aluminum pop out vents today anyway. One on each side, driver side vent is low so that I can access it from that cubby cutout in the toolbox. Hopefully the lid is pretty waterproof (it has a neoprene gasket behind it).

Also added a folding shelf and remounted my fire extinguisher. The diesel heater is in the works, I still have to cut the hole out the cap for the exhaust, mount the tank and run the wiring. The hot air vent for the heat exchanger is right above the fire extinguisher. Solar controller was mounted inside but I haven’t put the panel on the roof yet. More to come in the next couple weeks.

 

What's the distance between the wheel wells and ceiling on that shell?

 

Roughly 3 feet. It’s ~29” from the bedrails and I believe the wheel well to bedrails is about 8”. I’ll get some better measurements

 

Few things have changed with the camper. We actually painted the whole thing with bedliner. Leaking was an issue and I couldn’t pinpoint it to one source. I caulked every gap/crack/joint on the outside of the cap, as well as the roof rack, and then sprayed it all down with Flex Seal. After that we bed lined it. Currently the passenger window still leaks a drop, but I’m considering taking it off and resealing or just tightening the screws holding it in.

Where the cap meets the bed rails also got sealed. Used 1” wide butyl tape under the cap with a bead of silicone, and then put 2 more beads of silicone on the inside and outside along the gaps where it sits. I purchased a front rail seal, cut that at a 45 to taper where it meets the side rails, and used silicone on top of that where it meets the cap.

Lower shelf got cut out for more space for me, girlfriend and dog. I could either cram more useless stuff into that shelf or stick my dog over there. Chose the extra space. The folding shelf was put back into place after the photo was taken. Still unsure on where the fire extinguisher will go.

The diesel heater idea is getting ditched for now. Between the extra fuel source and likely the excessive heat it would put out, it’s not worth it currently. 2 humans + a dog and a 0 degree bag should be just fine for most of where we’ll be. My 5lb propane tank will take its place on the shelf. The hole where the vent is will be where I pass thru my 6’ propane hose adapter to work with the stove and a small buddy heater on the shelf when needed. I know the controversy about buddy heaters and CO, but it will only be used at night to warm up the camper & in the mornings getting dressed. Also will be properly ventilated.

On top of all this, I’m in the middle of moving! I’ll be headed out west from Jersey to Vegas for an indefinite period of time. Saved up cash working for a year and now plan on taking a work hiatus to relax/travel the west. Won’t be sleeping in the back on the way there as it’ll be loaded with our crap. Excited to be on the side of the country with public lands to explore.

 

Random thoughts...

I can't remember if you said you'd made insulated curtains or not and I'm too lazy to read through the thread at the moment but they'll definitely help since single pain glass sucks. I'd also figure a way to hang some blankets (like a kid's blanket fort) just to help cut any drafts and provide extra insulation. Toyota's bed design really does suck for installing a shell on, I'd much rather them go back to the old style that was easier to seal up. Put some sort of insulation over the bed material as well.

I hate mummy bags, they're all designed for skinny people who apparently never lifted weights and sleep like mummies on their backs without moving (I roll around a lot in my sleep) so I use rectangular bags when weight isn't an issue and I carry blankets. My ex had a really nice down comforter that I loved to use but she loved it too and I haven't been able to bring myself to buy another nice one since I have lots of wool blankets. They're great for stuffing in cracks and areas where you get leaks too. With that in mind, when I travel out west in the spring or fall and expect weather from AZ desert to ski weather I'll put the Yakima box on top and load up the lightweight stuff like extra bedding and clothes that will be needed for the colder areas. Yep, another hit on the gas mileage but it frees up space inside.

We used to toss the old Zippo handwarmers in our sleeping bags in Boy Scouts, that or a Nalgene bottle filled with hot water (ensures you have drinking water in the morning too- make sure your piss bottle has a different tactile feel so you don't mix up bottles in the dark). Those Thermacare heat things have really gotten better and last a lot longer than they used to. Put one of the back care ones on and it'll warm the blood going through your kidneys and really help keep you warm. I keep a couple for back emergencies (they last longer than ibuprofen) or when it gets really cold.

The vents ought to help air out the back while driving so you don't get moisture build up from the night before. One of the reasons I got longer Yakima bars on my rack was so that I could hang things like my sleeping bags on them to air out.

 

Really like your build. Makes me want to do the same. I enjoy these kinds of projects. The diesel heater is a great addition. BUT....before you mount it permanently...use it for a few nights to see if you can sleep with the continuous thumping sound of the fuel pump so close. I keep mine as far from my tent as possible. I bought extra ducting, and made a small, folding sound barrier to help block the noise. It may not sound loud when you're running it in your driveway, but when you get out to where it's so quiet....you'll hear it no matter how far away it is. Great setup....

 

From what I've read on some other forums, folks seem to prefer the all in one style that they can set away from the camper/tent and use a flexible hose to route the heat in. I've read a couple of threads where folks were looking for a quiet replacement fuel pump but I don't recall if anyone ever found a better pump.

That and I've seen several people recommend getting the lower wattage version as the larger version wasn't needed for the small camper space and just used more fuel.

No personal experience with the knock-offs so do your own research.

 

I have the "all in one"chinese knockoff from Amazon. I've used quite often, and it will heat things up REAL quick like. I use it to preheat the tent before bed, and in the morning before getting up. usually about 30 minutes each time. occasionally will crank i up during the night to get the chill off. I bring an additional battery, and have enough extra ducting to get it about 6ft away. There is no magic fuel pump for these as it's the pulsating of the pump that controls operation. They are very effecient on fuel and battery life, and have few moving parts. The smallest unit is more than enough for a tent or camper. another benefit is that it's dry air, so no condensation to worry about, unlike propane heaters. if you're just using it like i do, the fuel (1 gal) will easily last about a week or so. i use it with my RTT and i have to open windows because it gets so hot.

 

That's how I use my small heaters (I've got a couple that I've tried over the years), just to take the edge off before bed and again in the morning. I only have experience with the real Eberspachers from when I messed with VWs (and they were typically finicky back then), but I know a lot of folks over on expo were experimenting with the Chinese versions. I haven't bothered with expo in a while so not sure what's been happening with the heaters but the digital remote control aspect of the newer heaters is a big improvement over the old style.

 

it was $150.....i had to try it out. good luck with that build....it's looking great.

 

Damn you, now I'm looking at those things on Amazon.

 

Thanks! I have reflectix curtains that are velcroed to the windows. Completely scrapped the diesel heater idea for now, even left it in storage over in NJ. I put my 5lb propane tank in its place and the hole I cut for the vent will be the pass thru for my propane adapter hose.

That being said, I’m living in Vegas now indefinitely. We did the 2600 mile ride from NJ to here in 3 days. All driving done by me since my girlfriend can’t drive stick and I’m not too keen on teaching her on my baby

Gave the camper a good shakedown test on a 45 mile dirt road with some technical spots. Definitely got the truck shaking and rolling in some spots, as it was my first real offroad experience. Read a member here once saying their ARE DCU welds cracked after minor offroading, I already had a few cracked welds to begin with and everything else is covered so who knows. I do know that the paneling + insulation board I added must add some rigidity to it. Might have to tear her down one day and rivet some 90 degree brackets in some spots. Not too concerned as there’s lots holding this thing together, and she did 80mph on the highway just fine on the way home. What a relief because I really did a number on the whole truck today lol. Tacoma handled it all like a champ..

Now to change the oil and clean out the aFe dry filter