How to: DIY Wedge Camper

I'm wondering how easy it is to replace the roof panel, I am going to be purchasing one second hand and there's slight damage. I may just leave it be.

Also can anyone link me to the spring poles for the front window?

 

2 year build anniversary for me camping and daily driving with no cracks or other issues. Happy I used gussets instead of side diagonal braces for the extra room. Need to add sealant and drains but overall a great way to camp with a view off the ground!

Flagstaff AZ



https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/composite-80-20-wedge-camper-build.681480/page-4

 

I would say it would be pretty easy. Maybe whoever built it put silicone but other than that it should be pretty straight forward. I would remove it from the truck for easier installation. You can probably use the old one as a pattern to get the bolt holes right. The material is very easy to cut.

 

Drains? Where did you add drains?

 

So somehow I got water inside the spaceframe, probably from the thru-holes at the top holding the 80/20 down onto the frame. I pulled a bolt out a while ago and it was a bit wet and rusty so I think I am gonna drill a bit out at the back in case water gets in there it can drain out. Probably should pull all those bolts out and seal them.

Also noticed that water accumulates at the cab-over part of the lower panel in the corners after washing the truck and that too can probably be solved by adding sealant everywhere but holes in the corner would let it drip out just in case. When I built it (about 120 pages ago) there were few comments about keeping water out so need to rework it for weatherproofing. I live in the desert so not that big a deal.

 

Where can I source the material?

 

Sadly the sun wasn’t out when I setup. Pics are from at night, and then early morning.

 

Signage stores can have it. It’s called alupanel. Home Depot sells it but in smaller pieces…

 

Finally got to take my camper out this weekend for the first time. It isn't 100% done but it was complete enough to bring out. Took my fiance and son out to the Easter Sierra's during heavy monsoon which most certainly put the tent through the gauntlet. Needless to say, I found a handful of leaks that I need to deal with.

1. I had a small leak on the fan which can be remedied by siliconing the exterior edge.
2. Water was leaking through the bulb at the front corners where the front bulb joins the side bulbs.
3. Water was also leaking under the skirt to the Keder rail. I will likely need to put silicone sealant along the keder rail as well.

I would say this project was easy/fun with the exception of the tent. I had screwed up my first attempt at the tent, and this was my second attempt which is still far from perfect.

 

Sort of forgot about this thread...Once I got the camper on the truck to be used just as a topper, I tabled all the final pieces until a couple weeks ago.

heat-welding the fabric was simple and efficient. I took maybe 90 minutes to mark everything with a chalk line, then cut it all with an extra 2" clearance in case of an error. Welded one side with 5" OD tubing in it, test fit that side into the wedge, marked the other and then welded it. Whole process took maybe 5 hours spread across a couple nights, mostly done with the TV one. I haven't tested it in any serious wind, but also we tend to use our truck for trailhead camping anyway so if there's a storm that nasty we probably wouldn't be out there anyway! The tubing solution does seem much more elegant/simple than the keder rail.

Took it for a test spin one night, crazy condensation on the underside of the roof. MaxxAir mini is installed now so it should be better on the next trip. However, it was solid driving around Montezuma here in Colorado both up Webster Pass and Saint John's Creek. The VHB-stuck panel stiffeners all stayed on perfectly

Only spot of leave is little bit of trip through the door hinges. I'm looking into options for sealing it up that won't look too janky, but I may just run more black flashing tape along the full span and see how that does.

All in all, very happy with the build. I'm likely 25 hours of labor to this point, research time aside. This is the fourth sleeping set-up this truck has had (wildernest, six pac, and an aluminum high-top). Building it myself helped me seal up ahead where I knew would be prone to leaking and now when something breaks it'll be a lot easier to fix as well.

If I were to build again, I think I'd use VHB more heavily (not for major flex points like extrusion to frame, but frame-to-roof at least). Fewer holes = less to seal

Still to do: struts for all 3 doors, 1-side platform for stealth camping without the top popped. The welder put the frame reinforcements on the outside of the frame and I didn't even realize until it was already on the truck, so I'm trying to think of what to do about struts for the doors...

FWIW to new builders, I got away with a cheap walmart jig-saw, 12v drill (with an extra battery), and a hacksaw with only mild frustration. Jig-sawing the angles for the side doors was a stress but with patience it worked out just fine.

 

Hey everybody, long time lurker and infrequent poster, but this thread has been a huge inspiration and help for me. I put together one of these for a 1987 4runner with parts bought from a member on here (thanks again Morgan aka foxracing07). You may have remembered his project, he was planning on doing a Westfalia style hinge. After playing with the hinge for a bit, I was worried about how much it swayed in the wind, so I went with a traditional wedge shape. I live in SoCal, so I can't comment on how well it tolerates the rain just yet, but I took it out for it's maiden voyage this weekend to Los Padres National Forest. Not sure if I've ever slept so well camping, the Exped Megamat Duo 15 might be nicer than my regular bed. Here's a few photos, thanks again to RipCord for putting together such a great guide and for all the other builds here that inspired me.

 

That’s awesome! Do you have any interior photos?

 

The interior is still very much a work in progress, hopefully I'll have some photos when it's a little more finished.

 

how did you attach the solar panel to the roof?

 

I used gorilla double sided sticky tape and taped it up in a grid system to ensure the center area didn't buldge.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Gorilla-1-41-in-x-8-yds-Double-Sided-Tape-100925/313139511

 

I have two attached with LAP sealant and

$6 3M VHB 100x200mm~ (4" X8") Double Sided Foam Adhesive Sheet Tape 5952 Automotive Mounting Industrial Grade Very High Bond 5952 (1 Sheets 100x200mm)

3M VHB tape. No issues what do ever. Been in 60mph+ winds, hail, you name it. Panels have never moved

 

what panels did you buy? I need to supplement my battery with solar as I don’t drive enough for the dc-dc to keep it topped off and my fridge running all the time.

I have a bunch of vhb tape which I was thinking about using.

also what did u use the lap sealant for?

 

Renogy 100W/12v flexible panels. They are extremely thin but very robust. About $170 a piece.

 

Just a heads up, flexible panels are nice and light and thin, but have a shorter lifespan than rigid panels, which is why they are generally warrantied for 1-5 years vs the 20-25 of a rigid panel. For most people the lightness is worth the tradeoff, just wanted to mention it while you're looking at solar panels.

Edit: looks like Renogy offers the same 25 year warranty on their flexible panels as their rigid, which is impressive!