Diary of a mad A-Frame camper builder
A step by step account of my build
This page will document the steps I take in building my a-frame trailer, as well as my thoughts, ideas and what many will deem my crazy notions as I move forward with this mad scheme.
As I mentioned on the opening page of this site, I will be starting with an '88 pop up trailer frame and box. It has a 10' X 6' X 2' box with a dinette in front, sink with a 10 gal holding tank, 3 burner stove, ice box, converter for power and a sofa in the rear. The dinette and sofa convert into beds. The original design with the 2 pull outs, front and rear beds, would comfortably sleep 6-8 people. Since it is just me and my wife, this is, needless to say, a lot more room than we actually need. In addition, we are fairly primitive in our camping, so do not need a lot of luxuries. The dry weight of the existing camper is approx. 1600 lbs. and fully loaded comes in at just under 2,000 lbs.
First week of July, 2008
After sending out a message to an aliner owners message board asking for dimensions of the factory trailers, I received a prompt reply giving me the basic measurements of the box sidewalls, roof sections, height of roof peak and overall lengths. Using these numbers, which I was warned were taken quickly so not guaranteed, I first screwed together an a-frame from some 1"X3" strapping I had laying around. To the bottom of each board I added a 12" spacer since I knew the existing side walls would be too short and not give me the headroom I needed at the front and back where the roof sections were hinged to the box. After making a few adjustments I found that the dimensions I was given, which were figured on a 12' box, would give me a good starting point. The next steps I will need to take (hopefully this coming weekend) will be to remove the canvas and 2 slide out beds front and rear. This is a fairly easy process. The canvas is held into a track, top and bottom with 3/4" self tapping screws. In addition, it is screwed through a reinforcing piece of wood to the two bunk ends. I plan on saving each part as I remove it to be canabalized if needed. Since I will be doing the work outdoors I plan to leave the roof in place as long as possible to protect the interior from bad weather.
July 12, 2008
Well, didn't get as much work done this weekend as I had hoped to, though at least I got a start on it. Started out by taking off the old canvas. This was relatively easy, the canvas was held into tracks using 3/4 self tapping screws. Next I removed the two end beds by removing the stops (nothing more than a couple bolts that prevented sliding the beds out beyond a certain point) and sliding the bed frames out. Next was a decision. The bed slides attached to the box gave me a 2 3/16" shelf which to attach the side wall extensions to. I removed one to see what was under it and found 2"X2" framing member. After weighing both options I decided to leave the slide frames in place to give me a little larger footprint to attach the side wall extensions to. I will use a sheet metal screw and large washer to screw the side walls down, through the aluminum frame and into the wood framing beneath. I then ripped down 1"X3" pine to the proper width and framed it the same as I would any wall, with the studs at 16" on center. The new framing is 12" high, giving me 36" floor to top of the side wall dimension. I figure to need the added height so that the hinge end of the roof will give me enough headroom to be able to use the seating at the front and rear of the camper. I glued and screwed the framing together for stability. Next step is to finish building the other 3 wall extensions and attach in place, then skin the outside with exterior grade luan plywood for weight considerations.
July 19, 2008
I didn't get any actual work done over the weekend due to other scheduling conflicts. I did spend some time though addressing some of the upcoming issues I will face when I begin the roof panels. To backtrack a bit, I have all the framing members for the side box wall height extensions now ripped down to size. I hope within the next week to finish framing the walls and getting them skinned with luan plywood.
Some of the issues I have been considering for the roof panels are the addition of vents and/or skylights, how to treat the sides where they will come down over the box side walls, and the best way to ensure they move smoothly when lifted up into place. As for the edges I am considering adding aluminum strips to keep the roof edges as close in to the box as possible. One possible solution is to use an "L" shaped on the roof edge, and then a flat strip underneath to strengthen the joint and to ensure a water tight seal. (see drawing "A"). As for raising and lowering the roof with a minimal of stress I am looking into using an overhead garage door track and roller set up to keep the two roof pieces moving in harmony. I plan to put the roller on the inner roof (rear section) and the track on the outer section. This should keep the two roofs from separating as they are raised. As for a way to help to raise the sections I am hoping to keep the existing lift arms that are on the trailer now, these use a heavy spring to offset the weight of the roof. The tricky part will be positioning them so they still work smoothly while helping to lift the sections up. As for the roof vents, I am looking into buying one or two manually operated vents and possibly making one or more skylights using plexiglass. These will wait until I begin the framing of the roof. I will probably frame it in such a way as to be able to add these later if I want. Hopefully next weekend I will have the time to be able to get back to the actual building.
July 27, 2008
Well, had a weekend of rain, rain and more rain. So needless to say the build is stalled. Did get the last couple of side walls framed in the garage, though have to fit them to the box before I tighten everything up. Its a bear working outdoors on a project like this, but I measured and if I put the popup in the garage it will give me about 8" of work space on each side. Sorry to say I'm a little wider than 8". So my fingers are crossed that this weekend we see some sunshine and I can finally finish the first stage of construction (the side wall box extensions). The next phase will be beginning to frame in the roof. Wish me luck.
August 3, 2008
After pouring rain, thunder and lightning all day Saturday, finally got a window of decent weather Sunday to do some more work. Was able to get 2 more of the side walls put together and dry fitted to the trailer box (see new pics on the photo page). Seems like everything takes 3 times as long as it should as I shave a little here and there to make sure everything is a good tight fit. My timeline (subject to change) is to have it completely weather tight before winter hits. If I can ensure that, then I can spend the few good days over the winter months working inside and hopefully have it finished by spring and the 2009 camping season. After getting the side walls in, I then spent some time visualizing the next phase (the roof). I think I have most of the logistics of it worked out, though I'm sure as the build progresses, it will change a few thousand times as ideas that seemed good don't work out, and new possibilities present themselves. I took another good look at the existing lift system and have doubts as to whether I will be able to adapt it to the new A-Frame roof. The fallback plan is to use gas lifting arms, like on an auto trunk, to give the roof sections help in raising. If anyone has a supplier for them I would be grateful to hear from you. Also, I encouraging those who visit us here to chime in with their suggestions. I've learned not to guess when the next progress will be accomplished, so be sure to check back often to see how far I've gotten.
August 17, 2008
Another weekend of rain. Its a pain only being able to work on this project on weekends, but the work week is just too exhausting to get much done in the evenings. I did get the materials I need to finish off the box side wall extensions. I'm hoping to have this completely wrapped up, including priming by the end of next weekend then getting ready for a weekend of camping over Labor Day weekend in the old trusty tent. I plan on skinning the side walls with luan exterior grade plywood, gluing it to the framing and tacking it in place, then caulking where it meets the existing box structure. Once the glue sets, I'll set the tack to just below the surface, fill the voids and then prime over it again. I am using KILZ2 exterior primer sealer. I figure to put on 3 to 5 coats to ensure a good waterproof barrier, then finish it with exterior grade paint. Have been looking around at options to finish off the roof, whether to stick with the house paint, or to use something with more waterproofing properties. I've been toying with the idea of finishing it with roll on truck bed liner. Its a bit pricey, but looks like it will give me the best finish. What I like is its elasticity so less chance of cracking as the trailer moves down the road.
August 24, 2008
Made some good progress this weekend. Got the side wall extension framing installed on all but the front and began skinning the walls. Added 2X4 blocking to the rear wall to attach the hinges for the roof section. I figure this will be a high stress point in the mechanics of it so wanted to ensure plenty of wood to bite into for the hinges. Ripped down exterior grade luan plywood to 13" which gives me a 1" overlap onto the existing box, then primed on all 6 sides with 3 coats of KILZ primer. Will add 2 more coats to the extrior face and caulk thoroughly into place. Right now the skin is just tacked into place. There are a few other areas of framing I think I might need to beef up to accept hinges for side walls, but need to get the hinges first to get the position right, then I will glue and tack the sheathing in place, caulking all joints and fiberglassing the seams. New pictures have been uploaded to the webshots page (link on the pictures page of this site). Couple of issues I found were the overall height of the project is more than I anticipated. I am a little worried about side drafts hitting the trailer at highway speeds, so will definitely add stabilizer when I am ready to begin towing. I suppose it won't be too bad, still less than a full size travel trailer, but definitely more surface area than the original pop up. The overall height with the roofs added will still be well below the level of my Ford Explorer and when hooked up I will still be able to see whats behind me. Played around a little with the existing lifter arms and am pretty sure they are not going to work with the new roof system. On the plus side, in doing some rough figuring, the roof sections should be relatively light, so 4 gas lift arms should give me all the life I need and more. I've reworked the roof design to keep it as light as possible. Am shooting to keep each section under 50 pounds.
Looking at the pictures, it dosen't look like a lot of progress, but when I was standing there, seeing the side walls in place, and sheathed, it really put some life back into my enthusiasm. It made me able to once again visualize what the finished project will be like. If you read my recent diary entries, between weather and other obligations it was beginning to get a little discouraging. Now I have little doubt that I will have it closed in before winter, giving me a few months to be able to do the finishing touches from the inside.
August 31, 2008
Had another productive weekend on the build, though of course never as productive as I would like. Finished off the side wall extensions including skinned, primed, and caulked. Since I had left the aluminum bed slides on the box, I decided to screw the sheathing in at the bottom of each panel for added strength. I used a 1 1/2" stainless self tapping screw which goes through the aluminum and into the wood framing underneath. Used liquid nails to attach the sheathing and caulked all joints with a silicone caulking. Have decided to reinforce each corner with an aluminum angle which will also give it a more finished look. Ended up with only 1 seam on the longest wall between the plywood, so will fiberglass that to make sure its watertight.
Got a start on the second phase fo construction, the roof which I didn't know if I would get to. Started with the rear roof section which will fold under the front half. The roof sections are 7' 4" long which will give me a center height of approx. 8' 6" when opened. Used 4 1/2X 4 1/2" spring loaded hinges where the roof sections pivots off the box. So far have a pair on the back but may add a third. I went with the adjustable spring hinge to take some of the stress off lifting the roof. Its minimal and won't even come close to actually lifting, but I figured any assistance I can give it will be a plus. Couple of issues I ran into, the hinges are installed backwards so the spring action was in the right direction so I had to shim them out, turned out the thickness of the luan was the perfect amount to space them and allow free movement. Other issue was when the roof is raised it opens a gap between the roof framing and rear wall of about 1". Not a big problem since I planned to cover the joint with weatherstripping anyways, I just need to ensure its wide enough to bridge the gap.
Getting started on the roof was a big lift to my enthusiasm. Moving on to this second phase of construction helps me to realize that I am making progress. Once the roofs are finished then on to the folding side walls which I am sure will have their own challenges, but once those are finished, it will be weather tight and I can then take the winter months working from the inside. I haven;t downloaded the pictures from the camera of the latest portions of the build, but will have them up soon, so keep checking the photo page to see them. (*note, pictures were uploaded on 9/4/08)
September 7, 2008
We were hit by Tropical Storm Hannah last weekend. By the time it hit Southern CT it wasn't too bad, lots of heavy rain but only moderate winds. Needless to say no work was done since its all outdoors. One of the bright spots of the storm though, even though I tarped over the trailer fairly well, the winds we did get blew the tarp off one of the side walls and it handled the rain very well. Not a drop of water inside the trailer box, all joints and seams seem to be completely water tight. Hoping to move forward on the rear roof section this weekend and get it mostly if not all framed in. Once I get it skinned and start on the front section I'll probably have to remove the old roof to give myself enough room to work and to ensure the two roof halves work together smoothly. This will require being able to move forward quickly to get it weathertight since the old roof has been left in place to keep the weather out. Days and nights seem to be getting cooler, so I am trying to move along smartly to meet the goal of having the exterior done and weather tight before it gets too cold. Doubt I will get the exterior painted this year, but with a little luck it will be ready for paint and then camping by early spring. If the weather cooporates this weekend I'll get some more work done, then the following weekend, going to actually try to get away and do some camping in the tent. After all, part of the reason for building this is our love of camping so I don't want to concentrate so hard on the build that I neglect to take the time to enjoy the great outdoors.
September 14, 2008
Moved forward on the roof framing this weekend. Pictures can be found on my webshots page by following the link in the photo page of this web site. Started out framing the outside in a box just a hair wider than the walls to allow the sides to overlap the box walls for a weathertight seal. Then set in spars at 18" on center and added a couple of diagonals in the front for added strength. Measured up 3' from the rear and framed in a sheet of plexiglass 20"X32" as a skylight centered in the roof. Mortised out the framing to allow the plexiglass to sit flush with the framing so when I add the sheathing it will sit tight against the frame. I'll add window tinting to it just before I sheathe over the outside. Should allow adequate lighting and a chance to see the stars while maintaining privacy. I have the old curtain tracks and will attach one top and bottom over the skylight so it can be closed if the need arises while holding the curtain taught over the angled ceiling. Glued and screwed all joints and added 4" corner braces to add strength. Once its sheathed it should be fairly rigid. So far I am under my estimated weight for the roof sections, though once I add the sheathing it should add a bit, I still think I will be able to keep it under 50 pounds per section, and possibly significantly under. I used 1X2 for the framing and right now I guesstimate it at approx. 20 to 25 pounds.
So far the roof portion of the build is going smoothly, which is scaring me a bit. I anticipated a lot more problems but everything has been going together fairly easily. I've found that not overthinking it is the best way for me, I go ahead and start building and overcome problems as they arise. The trouble with planning everything out in minute detail is if one thing changes, it changes all the following steps. I'm sure at some point this will get me into trouble, but so far its worked, or more accurately I should say, so far I've been lucky. I'm still following my original basic plans, just doing the details as I go.
Once I sheath the rear roof section, I'll remove the old roof since this will only leave about a 3' opening in the front when folded down which I can tarp over for weather protection, then I can start on the front roof. I'm building them in place to ensure a tight fit.
October 11, 2008
After a long pause finally got back to doing some building this weekend. Seems like the weekends with good weather there is always something else that needs to be done, and the ones with free time we see rain. But that all changed finally and I have the rear roof rough finished. After completing the framing last time I put an 8" edge band of plywood around the perimeter that overlaps the box sides by about 3" when the roof is closed. This will allow me to have a good weather and critter seal when the roof is closed. Using 2) 4'X8' sheets of luan I cut them to fit over the framing with the seam falling on the sides of the skylight. I cut around the sheet of plexiglass in the roof, overlapping it by about 1 1/2" on all sides. I'll caulk and then trim around this, taking extra care to ensure it is water tight. I placed the skylight so that when the front roof section is closed it will completely cover it which should add protection when the camper is closed up. I then tacked the plywood into place. I found some angle aluminum which I will use to cap the edges of the roof which will strengthen the structure as well as covering the joint. I've decided to go ahead and use the bed liner paint to cover the entire roof. Its a bit pricey, but I think its going to give me the best weather seal as well as being flexible and UV resistant.
Next step will be to remove the old roof, get the new one sealed and painted, trim out the skylight and the edges, then start on the front roof. The front roof will be built the same way as the rear with the addition of an operable roof vent that I will cannibalize from the old roof. A big part will be removing the old roof, this will be the point of no return since I will also be changing the lift system, if I use the old lift arms they will need to be cut to fit, or I may still find that i have to remove them completely and go the other route I've discussed using the gas shocks. Right now I could theoritically remove all the new construction and put the old "tent" trailer back together. Not that I'm really thinking of doing this, but I will admit, I do from time to time think I might have bit off more than I can chew. But the bottom line is, when I do get the time to work on it, I have a lot of fun and a great sense of satisfaction when I step back and look at the progress and envision the rest.
Pictures of the latest progress will be posted soon. (New Pictured finally uploaded, see link to web shots album on our pictures page)
November 2 2008
Seems like forever since I have had the time to get any progress, but life is like that. As noted above, I finally have uploaded the latest pictures of the rear roof section in its raw completed stage. Over the weekend I got in a couple more hours, and finished securing the plywood skin to the rear roof section by gluing and screwing it in place as well as caulking all joints and seams. then I began framing out the front roof section. As I looked at it, I decided to lay the framing (1X2) on its side to keep as low a profile as possible. This way where the two roofs overlap I should have about 1 1/2 raise in the front. I mortised the framing into a 2X4 front piece across the front that will be hinged off the box exactly like the rear section. I did find that the spring hinges were a waste of money as they gave me pretty much zero assistance in raising the roof so for the front I will use standard 4 1/2 X 4 1/2 ball bearing hinges. The rear roof section did end up fairly lightweight and I can raise it with one hand. Once I figure out what lift assistance system I will use, that should make it even easier whether utilizing the existing spring loaded arms, or switching over to a gas shock style lift arm.
Weather here has turned cold almost overnight, went from mid 60's to 40's and 50's in just a few days time, but I am still trying to stay on schedule and get it closed in before the first real snow fall. Worst case would be to at least get the roofs done and sealed and then hope for a few nice weekend days to get the side walls closed in. As I've pointed out in earlier entries, my original timeline was totally unrealistic, but I still am on track to have it finished by early spring. I had hoped by now to have had the roofs finished and the side walls at least framed but as I've said, it seems things take longer than I anticipate, and weather and life's little obstacles keep getting in the way. I want to thank those who have hung in with me and one of these days I will finish. I urge anyone with any comments or questions to chime in via e-mail and I will be more than happy to answer all.
May 13 2009
Well, the long winter is over, and the wet spring has sprung. At this point my timeline has been changed to "whenever I finish it". It's turned into more of a hobby than an obsession since life has stepped in to make spare time at a premium, but I will continue to move forward on this project until the day when I can step back and see a completed A-Frame camper.
A few weeks ago, I finally removed the old roof to give myself plenty of working room. Since its a 10' box, I have a 10'X10' E-Z Up canopy which I now have over the camper to keep out the weather but still am able to work on it without spending a half hour taking off then putting back on the tarps and bungee cords that I have been using to keep the rain out. The old roof I estimate at around 200+ pounds, so I am sure that I have shaved off a significant amount of weight with the new setup. Have been spending time working on some of the details before I get back to the major construction, namely the front roof section and walls. In looking things over I realize the old door will no longer work with the new system, so right now I've designed a new scratch built door that will hinge in the middle. I also added 1X2 blocking to the front wall to hang the dinette table off, attached the bracket to this and put the table into place (I'll have to remove it again to finish off the inside of the wall, just wanted to get my measurements right on placement). I decided to go ahead and see if I could make the old spring assisted lift arms work on the finished roof half and am ecstatic to say it works! I measured back the length of the front roof and then allowed myself approx 4" more for clearance, muscled the spring loaded arms in place and marked for a 1/2" hole. Through this I put a 3/8"X 4" carriage bolt. Placed a washer between the trailer skin and lift arm, and a second one between the lift arm and nut. I'll eventually cut off the excess bolt leaving enough room for a cap nut to lock against the nut holding it on now, this will give it a safer as well as a more finished look. I caulked the hole before putting the carriage bolt through to ensure its water tight. Once I got it all put together I lifted the roof into place and it worked smooth as silk. With the spring assist on the arms I am literally able to lift it with one finger. The front lift arms will be more of a challenge, since the way they are set up, the arms lift straight up off 2 pivot points. Since the new roof will be angled this will not work. I removed the second pivot arm but need to get farther on the framing before I can see if the engineering will work. If not I will go ahead and remove it and add 2 gas shocks to the front.
I've received some valuable information and assistance from visitors to this site and want to thank you all for hanging in here with me. Can't wait for that hopefully not too distant day when I can show off the pictures of the finished camper to all of you. I'll get some new pictures posted of the latest progress as soon as possible, so check back often.
May 27 2009
Well, got a bit more done this weekend. First thing I did was to add side curtains to the canopy I have erected over the trailer. This allows me to leave the canopy raised and be able to work under it rain or shine. Just took some old tarps and zip tied them to the frame of the E-Z Up canopy. This in essence gives me a temporary garage to work under.
As for the trailer itself, I've got the front roof section about 3/4 framed in using the same method as the rear roof. I did space the spars a bit closer to set up to install 1 or possibly 2 operable roof vents. While I don't have the vents yet, in looking around the most common size uses a 14"X14" rough opening. I'm framing for 2 vents approx. 2' down from the peak and spaced about a foot and a half apart. Not sure yet if I will put both in, but even if I only go with one for now, this gives me the option of adding a second one down the line.
Once I got the basic frame in place I played with the existing front lift arm for a bit. I'm more convinced than ever that it will not work right with the new setup. While I still have a couple more tricks to try, I am going on the assumption I will have to find a replacement setup.
In doing a bit more research on finishes for the roof, I think I am decided on using paint on truck bedliner. This appears to be the easiest while giving me the protection I will need. Some people have questioned the weight, but I don't see how it can add much more weight than normal paint. I do not plan on layering it on as thick as if it was used in a truck bed. For now I am planning on 2 coats and then see how it looks and feels. Its a bit pricey, especially to go with a color other than black, but Herculiner has a full kit with everything needed for around $120 a gal. I'm hoping one gallon will do it for me.
The next step will be to finish framing the front roof section and skinning it the same as the rear. Once its finished and painted I'll move on to the folding side walls which I am sure will hand me a whole new set of challenges.
There are new pictures up on my web shots page (use the link at the top of the pictures page) that show the rear roof finished and partially raised, as well as a bit of the front framing.
July 12 2009
When I went to update this diary and looked back at my initial entries, I realized its been a year since this build began. Can't believe its been so long. Hard to believe my original timeline had me completing the camper in around 7 months. Just goes to show the best laid plans...
Anyways, actually went camping this past weekend in the tent. While I was sitting there in the rain Saturday night, I was thinking how nice it would be to have a camper to wait out the rain in instead of a cramped dome tent. Now don't get me wrong, I am glad any time I get to camp, no matter what I am sleeping in, but a hard roof and walls along with a firm bed and dry floor is definitely something I would appreciate.
So, when I got back on Sunday a little after noon, once we were all unpacked I figured it was a good time to try to get a bit more done. Since my last entry, the front roof section is all framed and skinned, and I installed the roof vent (I got a brand new 14"X14" vent on ebay for a bargain price of under $30 including shipping, a savings of approx. $100 based on prices I have found online) and side panels. Only thing left is some finishing touches, figuring out the front lift assist and then its time to paint. I'm re-visiting the door issue, as I stated earlier I had planned to just make a new door, hinged in the center to fold over with the wall but now I am thinking I have found a way to make the original pop up door work. There are some issues to overcome but I think I can do it. Basically I will frame the wall with a small (approx. 1") overhang on the siding to support the door frame on the outside. From the inside I will attach a couple of clips, so when the door is in place they will hold it firm. The major obstacle of this is the raised side box walls. This will leave an opening of 12" when the door is taken out. I am thinking of building a filler piece, that will lock in when the trailer is folded down, then when removed double as a step into the camper. As I move further into this I will get pictures uploaded which will make it a bit clearer on my thinking.
Speaking of which, new pictures of the completed roofs are now available from the pictures page of this web site.
I don't know how many are hanging in with me on this build, especially given how long its taking, but for those who are I hope you are enjoying watching and reading the progress as I am enjoying building it. I get discouraged from time to time, but whenever I get the time to make progress, then step back to see my vision starting to come to life it energizes me all over again. I will say though, I can always use some encouragement so don't hesitate to send me an e-mail with any ideas or observations.
Until next time...
August 9 2009
Started building the triangular side walls this weekend. Using 1X2X8' pieces, I formed the the tops of the wall, and using a 10' piece I made the bottom. Mitering the ends I formed the outline of the triangle, then attached it to the box wall with an 8' piano hinge. It seems fairly strong and should hold up well. Once it is skinned with the plywood it should strengthen it up. From here I had to decide on windows. I had wanted to use the vinyl windows and screens from the original canvas to save weight and time. At first I didn't think it would work since the windows were larger than I had expected. But I cut them from the old canvas, leaving a good bit of overhang around it and once I layed the frame out on the ground and put the windows over it I found they would just make it. I temporarily screwed the canvas to the frame, then added more framing to support it. I just have to finish up the supporting framing, then I can start to skin it. Once the plywood is on, I'll put the window back in, attaching it to the exterior to keep it as watertight as possible.
After I had the success of the window idea seeming to work, I took some time and added a 1" angle aluminum piece to the roof edge. I cut where it met the corner of the roof to allow it to bend 90 deg. and screwed it in with 3/4" stainless screws. On the rear edge of the front roof I added a piece of 1" aluminum to give something for the rear roof to rest against. Its a little hard to explain but if you look at the new pictures you can see some of the detail. I'll finish wrapping the rest of the roof edges in the angle aluminum for strength and protection, caulk and screw then all on. As I mentioned last time I added the roof vent, and this weekend I took some time to caulk and screw it down. Ran the garden hose over it an no leaks.
Check out the new pictures found on my web shots page accessed from the pictures page on this site. Looking forward to getting a bit more done this weekend.
August 30 2009
Got started painting the roof sections this weekend. Ended up using Herculiner paint on truck bed liner. A bit pricey at $40 a quart but I am hoping in the end it will be worth it and will give the roof good protection from the elements as well as UV. It has small rubber granules to give texture and I figure this will not detract from the finished look. The price I mentioned is for black only, once you go to the limited colors they have available (red, gray and white) the price almost doubles. I tried a test piece by painting on the bed liner, letting it dry thoroughly, then painting over it with KILZ exterior primer. The test piece seemed to work great. After the primer dried (it covered in one coat) I tried scraping it, bending it, even hitting it with a hammer, and it held up great. I also soaked it with the hose and the wood checking from the unpainted bottom seemed to be dry. The rear roof section took 2 quarts of the bed liner paint so I am assuming the same for the front for a total cost of around $160. A bit more than I wanted to spend, but figured it was better than replacing a water damaged roof after only 1 season. Once I have it all coated and primed I'll go over it with a good grade exterior gloss white finish coat. Since I don't want the texture on the side walls, and they will be protected by the roof when it is closed up, the folding side walls will just get a coat of good primer and a couple more of the finish paint. Hopefully this will hold up well with limited exposure to the elements. I'll try to get some pictures of the painting progress this weekend to post.
Once the roofs are painted I can take down the EZ up canopy I have had covering the trailer. While it has made it easier than the tarps I originally covered it with, it still does not give me the height to open the roofs fully without moving the canopy out of the way (about a 10 minute operation for one person when it is fully erected). This will allow me to open the roofs to work on it as I continue on the side walls. As it was last year, my goal for this year is to have the trailer fully enclosed before winter so I can continue to work on it from the inside. Once the roofs are finished I'll probably address the front lift assist system. As I noted earlier, I was able to use the existing rear arms to help raise and hold the roof in place but the front arm broke when I was trying to muscle it into place. Rather than try to repair it when I'm not totally sure it will work I will get a pair of gas assist arms to help raise the front section.
Keep checking in as the progress seems to be moving forward much faster than it has in the past.
10/3/2009
Well, the progress marches on. Have the two roof sections now covered in the truck bed liner paint and a coat of white primer over that. Want to give it one more coat of primer then I figure 2 coats of the finish paint. Not sure if I want to go with a gloss, or a semi gloss finish (if you have an opinion please e-mail me as I can use all the suggestions I can get). Once I finished with this step I took the 1" angle aluminum and cutting 90deg. notches in the corners wrapped the top edge of the front roof section. It adds to the strength a bit and gives it a nice finished look. I screwed it from the sides approx. every 12" and bent it around the corners for a good seal. I'll remove it to finish painting then caulk and screw it back into place.
I decided to give the existing front lift arm a try, and it actually worked!!!. As mentioned in the post above though, I had broken one of the arms but think I found a way to repair it without having a new one custom made (which I assume would be pricey). Its a bit hard to explain so I'll leave that for when I have pictures of it. Since the framing of the front roof was 1"X2" laid on their sides to minimize the height I did find I had quite a bit of flex when the arms raised the roof. I fixed this by putting in 2"X2"X3' angle iron where the lift arms attach to stiffen everything up. It adds a little weight (only a couple pounds) but it was not an option since I needed to retain structural integrity.
Since we had a fairly heavy rain storm last weekend, I decided to leave the camper uncovered to see how water tight it actually was. I am happy to say with the exception of a couple of small leaks it came through just fine. The worst area was along the rear roof section where the edge of the roof meets the 6" side panel, but this will be addressed when I wrap the rear roof in the angle aluminum and caulk under it (the front section that was covered with the aliminum had no leaks), only other problem was a very small leak along the bottom of the rear skylight. I will re-caulk this and then figure out a trim for it which will also be caulked into place.
Next step is to keep moving forward on the side walls. One wall is mostly framed with the vinyl window put in, just have to finish a couple pieces of framing then sheathe and paint this, then do the other side wall where the door is. Then have to get the door put in (some engineering issues there but nothing I can't overcome) and it will be a closed in camper. Then have to insulate and figure out what covering I will use on the interior of the new sections, then decide if I am going to change the floor plan, and if so work that out, then give the exterior a complete paint job for the original box and frame, and with luck (and I know I said this last year about this time) I will have a completed camper by spring.
October 17
Got back to work on the folding side walls today. The weather here has turned cold and wet almost overnight so it is slowing the progress a bit again, but once again I am determined to get the trailer closed in and weathertight before real winter hits. As noted before, I framed in the triangular folding side wall on the street side of the trailer a couple weeks ago and checked to see if using the old vinyl windows from the original pop up canvas would work. With a bit of work the largest window would just barely fit into the triangular wall and I was thrilled. So this weekend I picked up some plywood and skinned over the frame. Only thing left was to cut out and reinstall the window.... But wait! I'm not so sure now. While it will work, I am worried about making it water tight. So headed off to ebay and did a search for "RV Windows" Found a large selection ranging in price from under $20 to $200. So now I'm in a quandary as to which way to go. The window from the canvas I am sure I can make work, but I like the idea of a real solid window. Also with the RV window I can caulk and use a trim ring for a nice water tight finished look. I think for right now I'm going to just go ahead and finish skinning the wall and painting it. Since the framing is accessible from the interior I can always add support framing if I decide to go with the RV windows and 5 minutes with a sabre saw will have it all prepped. If you have an opinion on which windows to use, please don't hesitate to chime in via e-mail and let me know. Going to try to get the plywood all finished this weekend and if the weather cooperates get a coat of primer over the wood. I'll try to remember to get some pictures and post them by next week.
November 1
Well, didn't get the new wall primed yet, but have it all skinned over. Good news is I won an e-bay auction for a 30"X22" slider RV window. Bad news was it was delivered last week in many small pieces of glass. Refused delivery and contacted the seller (luckily it was a business and not a private seller) and they sent me a replacement. Total cost with shipping was around $35 (in looking at new ones average cost for the same size window was between $80 and $140). The new one came last night via UPS and looks great. Going to go ahead and frame the opening and hopefully install it this weekend. Just have to look for a couple more for the door side of the trailer. I'll definitely get some pics of the progress this weekend assuming it dosen't rain and get them posted. Looks like I might actually get it closed in before winter hits this year. Assuming that happens, I should be able to do some work on the interior. Still have to insulate the walls and ceiling, figure out what to cover them with and run wires for lighting. If I actually get that done I'll make the decision on whether to reconfigure the interior layout or just leave it alone for now. Check back next week for new pictures and to find out how the window install goes.
Got the new window cut out and installed temporarily yesterday (11-8) and everything went relatively smoothly. Measured out and then set the window onto the wall and double checked the marks for cutting. Once the opening was cut out and the window fit I framed around it with 1X2 then temporarily screwed it into place. I think it looks great, between the slider and the window in the old door should allow for good cross ventilation. Just have to get the wall primed and then I'll caulk and screw the window into place for a nice tight seal. I think in the long run I'll be glad I went this way as opposed to the original vinyl windows from the old canvas. While I could have made them work I think it would have been a lot more work and an inferior finished product. Now just have to frame the wall around the door using the same techniques as the street side and the camper will be completely enclosed. Then some weather stripping where all the folding portions meet the box and each other and I am ready for winter. I figure a small space heater inside will allow me to do some work over the winter. Next few weeks are hectic around here but hopefully I will find the time to keep moving forward.
I've posted pictures of the finished wall with the window on my web shots page. Go to the pictures page of this web site for the link.
Drawing A Click to enlarge
This page was last updated: November 9, 2009
