How to: DIY Wedge Camper

Hey guys. Shot in the dark here, but I recently (and temporarily) moved to SoCal from Colorado and I have several DIY projects I would like to do - this being one of them.

Being an apartment dweller does not afford me the ability to take on a project like this. I'm hoping there's someone else in SoCal that would be willing to trade garage/workshop space for my time/help on a build of your own.

I can provide all my own tools, just need the space!

 

Hey thanks.
Would you mind pointing out which rubber strip exactly you mean? Would like to answer you, but I am not sure which one of the many you mean.

 

@Labbi85 it's this

 

Ah ok these…I had do some searching, but I believe these(https://www.grainger.com/product/2R...p3mbIMoaMQ7MeXyvbQUaAupmEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds) are the one. It is too long ago that I ordered this stuff so I don’t exactly remember where I got the t slots from but I think I found them there as accessories and ordered them all together

 

@Labbi85 right on! Thank you!

 

That’s pretty sweet, good job

 

still making my way though this thread, for your floors that flip up, did you have any interference with how you attached the tent to the wedge?

 

My platform flips up in the middle of the frame and doesn't lie on the frame/extrusion edge. For your setup, I probably would have waited until the frame and extrusion were attached, then attach your hinge to the rail of the extrusion with Tnuts.

Then again depending on what you use to seal (butyl tape/cork/rubber) might be able to just lay down the seal and match the height of the hinge?

 

I do! I literally have everything to make the tent too that I need to sell off. You’re lucky because I also have a tube long enough to ship them

 

Sorry, I didn't see this until now.

My flip up floors are inset by about 1/2" inwards from the main portion of the wedge. The keder rails just barely rub, but it's not enough to cause any binding or interference. I believe once the tent was attached to the keder rails and bolted in I tapped the keder rails in gently with a rubber mallet to help eliminate the contact.

The other thing you have to be careful of is the exped mattress with the flip up portion. Because of the aluminum floor nearly contacting the keder rails when you flip it up, it acts like a pair of scissors. You just have to lift the mattress up before you lift up the floor. Otherwise it pinches/cuts the mattress. Ask me how I know...

 

I'm not sure if this is a good place to post this or not but figured I would try in an effort to help my buddy out.

I'm sure a few of you are aware of the Vegabond Drifter wedge campers and their infamous waitlist. Well a very very long story short, my good friend has been waiting on his Drifter for 3 years and has had a lot of money tied up with them for the camper. Well he recently was notified that the company is going belly up and the only thing he is entitled to is the half completed camper that they were making for him. My friend does not have the means or time to finish out the camper himself since he recently had a baby girl so he is left with the only option to sell the uncompleted camper to help recoup a portion of what he paid Vagabond. I know this is a great group of DIYers so I figured there might be someone in here looking for a great start to a wedge camper. I have a bunch more pictures and more information if anyone is interested. The camper is for a 3rd Gen long bed. The aluminum shell and roof of the camper is complete and there are a bunch of misc. parts that come with it. Please message me directly if you would like more information. Ideally he is looking for someone in the San Francisco area.

 

man that sucks, I didn't hear they shut down.

hopefully he's able to sell that.

 

I have all of the fabric, zippers, mesh, keder rail, and thread needed to sew a tent for a ripcord camper that I no longer need. anyone interested in exchanging currency for it? Its a dark green color and its the same fabric the OG ripcord used.

 

Just saw AT overland helping someone out stuck in the same situation

https://www.instagram.com/p/CxYOoxMAcbN/

 

Just curious, is there any reason I couldn't build just the tent part (pic stolen from page 1) and mount directly to the top of the bed and sleep in the bed with this as a roof, provided I can make it weatherproof? What am I missing?

 

Those are typically built longer than 6ft which would be the length of the long bed.

You'd have a hard time standing up in it.

Would you crawl under the back bar to enter?

 

Not worried about standing up in it, just looking for an easy setup and tear down tent. Due to the way it's used, I'm not sure if the back bar will be needed or if it can be modified to break open and close.

 

are you thinking of using it like a big tonneu cover lid? thats one way of doing it. but your bed has to be relatively clear of gear and if you are in a shortbed, you'll be sleeping sideways.
raising this over the truck bed means your bunk is free of gear and your gear can remain in the bed.

 

essentially yes, and it's an access cab standard bed. One of the things I liked about my current SUV is I can fold the seats flat, roll out a mattress and sleep comfortably in a pinch. I'll need to do the same in the truck but would find sleeping under a tonneau cover a little tight. The other benefit to this is it would be easy on and off. I plan on using a tonneau cover 90% of the time but if I need to go somewhere and plan on sleeping in the truck I can remove the tonneau and replace it with this.

I'll admit, it's not a GREAT plan, but it's a do-able plan.

 

I am trying to troubleshoot water getting into the space frame and coming out the bolt holes. Ive silicone sealed all along the edges where the corkboard is between the extrusion and the space frame. Ive also silicone sealed behind all the door hinges. Ive also silicone sealed all the corner brackets on the extrusion. I cant imagine any other areas for water to get inside the space frame. Any ideas?