How to: DIY Wedge Camper

You can easily just increase the height you make your spaceframe for as much room as you feel like you need to clear a rack!

 

State your source to accusation?

 

After seeing your finished V2 camper starting a copy of this has jumped to the top of my priority list for this spring/summer.

I’ve been digging deeper into your build spreadsheet and details (holy crap mad props on the level of detail in the BOM!) and was wondering your thoughts on switching from 1.5” light to standard 80-20 for the top portion of the wedge to help mitigate the bowing you experienced when closed? Surely the extra 0.040” thickness would help stiffen it up but do you think this would be worth the weight penalty if you did it again?

 

your only option to reduce the bowing in the top extrusion and avoid that extra latch is to go to a taller extrusion profile, such as the 1.5x3 that I used on the V1 camper.

Though I will say that with that extra latch in place, its eliminated that issue. Really holds everything in place.

 

I made my frame out of 2x2x.125” steel. I went with .125” wall so I can use thru inserts in the honey comb and tap the steel for the NAS screws To the frame.

 

Very nice, making progress!

 

This is awesome, looks great.

 

Anyone else used a lumber rack for the frame of their wedge? Found one for $250 and figured it might save me some time welding.. thoughts?

 

Those and the aluminium contractor caps would make pretty good bases to build off of, IF they can be found cheap like what you found!

You will probably just have to adjust the dimensions of the wedge you build as that looks a tad wider. Which is no big deal!

 

Good to hear! Think I might go this route then, hopefully doesn’t make my design too much heavier than yours. Oh well, my pig only gets 200/tank , can’t get much worse.. what're you getting on 35’s?

 

Also, if someone in Northern California needs a shell to start from, found this contractor one for $20! I’d be all over this if it wasn’t a 10 hr round trip

 

How do you have the elastic cord secured and mounted ?

 

Its just a loop, wraps around the front of the canvas underneath the hinges.

 

Hey @Ripcord , first, I have to echo what everyone else is saying: AMAZING. I'm inspired, and I'm going to make just the wedge so I can also move this to another truck if I want.

For the floor, do you think I'd need to reinforce it with some "slats" since I won't have the spaceframe to support it? I'd like to mount it directly to rails running front to back, ideally without crossbars. Let me know your thoughts if you can, thanks!

 

The floor would absolutely need some reinforcement of some kind.

Your best move would be to substitute the alupanel floor for something stiffer like a honeycomb panel. Then it would be strong enough without needing reinforcement. I thought I had mentioned that somewhere but looking back through page 1, I hadn't. So I will make a comment about that.

 

Thanks for the fast reply! Looks like that honeycomb panel can be a lot more expensive... might be cheaper to come up with some sort of crossbar idea instead.

 

@davibela, give theyardstore.com a call they sell aluminum honey comb. It’s super expensive, but they do sell some that they can not sell to the aviation world and sell it for scrap price.

 

Seriously awesome build, and you're right in my backyard too.

What's your thoughts on making "just" the topper portion? Or making it modular, with a topper and then adding on the wedge?

 

That would be very doable! Just needs a different roof of course, all else about the lower section would be the same.