Truck Camper Conversion Guide: Camper Shell Design. To keep everything together, 3″ decking screws work wonders, or you can go with cheaper wood screws. This will help you visualize the platforms and decide if you have enough leg room for sitting in between the boxes or enough room to sleep on top of them. AT Overland Atlas. Tim, Great work on the camper setup so far! If you’re not doing an adjustable setup your technically done! Chad is often joined on his adventures by his wife, Tori, and their dog, Kona. But if you’re still considering buying a camper shell, go read Part 1 or if you are still working on designing your truck camper setup check out part 2. The hardest part of building the truck camper setup is measuring correctly. If your camper shell is insulated—and it really should be—you can attach velcro strips to hang curtains, string lights, install fishing rod holders, whatever you like. You can screw in a couple wood blocks around the corners of the square to prevent the hatch from falling through. It also adds some privacy (yes,you can sleep and camp) and widely used for camping purposes. Now cut a semi-circle out of that square that is big enough to get your fingers in. Insulating the camper shell is a very good idea in those situations where you indeed want to heat the space, but want to make it stay inside for longer; doing so can also be tremendously good for those who won’t use any external heat source at all. When building a sleeping platform with two boxes on either side it can be helpful to tape off the sections where the edges of the boxes will go. The platform will allow you to store your camping supplies underneath your bed and eliminate the need to set up a tent. Post Reply. I designed it to go anywhere, which comes at the cost of comfort. Where did you get the concept for this highly custom truck camper rig? Personally, I learned a ton after taking our setup out for the first time. For example, if using a 1/2″ board, your slide rails go 1/2″ from the top of your box. But because you will be sleeping on top of these boxes make sure these hatches remain flush with the board, this includes the hinges otherwise, it will be like sleeping on the ground with a rock in your side. Build this truck bed camper by spending less than $400. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. Utilize 15% more space than a cab-high model and save on fuel with stunning aerodynamics. Discussion in 'Tonneau Covers, Caps and Shells' started by joechef, May 20, 2020. In 2012 we bought a Palomino pop-up as an entry-level camper … If your setup has you sleeping on top of the hatch make sure the door is stable when you push on top of it. Pickup trucks and camper shells have been a popular camping combo for decades. Styling. I like the idea of the carpet on the bottom of the bed. Chad can be summed up by his idea of a perfect day: Waking up early to watch the sunrise over the mountains, warm cup of coffee in hand then grabbing his camera and fly rod, hitting the trail to explore some uncharted territory followed by cold beers and campfire steaks. ItsOverflowing.com | Itsoverflowing.com is a participant in the Amazon.com Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. It seems like an easy step, but in order to maximize your space, you have to contour your design to your truck bed. Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window), Truck Camper Conversion Guide: Camper Shell Carpeting, Truck Camper Conversion Guide: Tips For Building Your Truck Camper Setup. I do plan to add a low profile rack on the camper shell to match my roof rack. Also, it has no LED string light, prayer flags, or general frills. Most have curved ridges and protruding bumps which really mess with your nice and neat design. The shell. Our mid/high-rise caps are with you for the long haul and large haul. However, over the years manufacturers have been able improve the designs of the shells drastically in order to have them mold perfectly to the truck. It seems like an easy step, but in order to maximize your space, you have to contour your design to your truck bed. Build a Truck Bed Camper for UNDER $400. Sprinkle in some 2×4’s to make your setup stronger but keep in mind you don’t want to add an unnecessary weight. Why Four Wheel Camper is the perfect truck camper for us | Two Happy Campers - […] that, we put in our order for our Hawk Shell with the following […] Mods & Additions to our Four Wheel Camper | Two Happy Campers - […] year I wrote a post titled “Our Truck Camper Setup” and talked about what our Four Wheel Camper included… Back the truck up to the camper making sure to stay centered (camper bumper kits help in getting the perfect placement every time) Mount the camper down with 4 frame mounted tie downs & 2 turnbuckles Unlatch the 4 corners then place the handle in the hole on … How high did you go on the bed platform?! Generally, we less is more when it comes to set up for camping. MID/HIGH-RISE. Simply take 2×2’s and screw them the equal distance from the top of your box as the thickness of the board you used for the top of your boxes. I have had the same topper for over 40 years and its now on truck # 3 . Now if you dropped a screw underneath one your boxes, you’ll quickly realize it is very difficult to get to anything that slides towards the back of your truck bed. It is used to add an extra storage that protect utility accessory from theft and bad weather. A few feet of Velcro tape will help you deck the inside of the camper shell with lights, curtains, and places to store electronics. Take three measurements when analyzing anything running the length of your bed. Make sure to measure the front, middle and back. Especially if you already installed the camper shell on your truck because you won’t be able to have an 8′ piece of wood stick out over the tailgate anymore. Toyota pick up camper shell. $325.00. These little lanterns from Black Diamond are lightweight, and can be hung from hooks attached to the ceiling, or just tossed in the corner to add soft lighting. … Sometimes we’ll put out a boot brush or small rug if the weather is wet and the ground is muddy. The easiest to install are Non-Mortise Concealed Hinges. American Camper Shells is an Authorized Distributor of LEER and SNUGTOP Truck Caps, Tonneau Covers, Camper Shells & Toppers. Once again strength vs weight needs to be considered. Having a camper in the back of your truck provides you the gas mileage of tent camping with some of the organization of hauling a trailer and you won't get as wet when it rains. Install of Camper Shell – Our installers then grab the shell with a forklift and set the camper shell on the rails of the truck bed. Great setup and thanks for the write ups! Camp King Industries Outback Series. This video shows my truck shell camper and camp set up while camping at Wilson Creek Wilderness in North Carolina. I do both metal and wood and am thinking of using angle iron for the 2×2 sleep platform supports. Note: if the truck has plastic rails on it, they usually run a little bead of silicone on the front of the plastic rails in order keep water from coming in the cracks. Does one of the dog hauler manufacturers make a … Once you have your measurements, add them all up and determine how much material you will need. Unless you have a bare metal truck bed, the plastic lining along the inside walls of your bed will not be a perfect square. We have been working on insulating our truck bed a little more after we spent some cold nights in Yellowstone, so I may have to borrow this idea! See more ideas about truck bed camping, truck camping, camping. So to access the storage area beneath, your going to need to add some hatches. Simple, easy,and very functional…economical too. I would be interested in hearing how you have your pickup trucks with camper shells setup for training and tests/trials. $23.99 $ 23. In the fall … That’s the painfully fun thing about truck campers, everything is a trade off haha. Talk to us about customization options for your model. The hardest part of building the truck camper setup is measuring correctly. The third and most recent addition to the AT Overland truck topper lineup is the … Home Depot and Lowes will let you return uncut lumber should you have extra at the end. https://imgur.com/1d4Ficw. If your camper shell doesn’t have a felt or carpeted liner you can install one yourself like we did - just check out our guide to installing a DIY Camper Shell Liner! May 20, 2020 at 2:58 PM #1 #1. So I did a lot of research on truck camping, came across your setup and decided to go with something similar. Camper Shell. I always seem to be refining and modifying my set up . Well done Chad ! Website: sloopimports.com. Get it as soon as Tue, Jan 12. ... even a faux wood grain or tortoise shell. It may not be pretty or professionally crafted but it is something you should be proud of. Hopefully your Thanksgiving trip is a success, let us know how it goes! Since you cant have a handle sticking out this is how you will open the hatch. Mounting Clamps Truck Caps Topper Camper Shell Mounting Clamps Powder-Coated Replaces for Chevy Silverado Sierra 1500 2500 3500 Toyota Tundra Set of 4. To keep everything level start by cutting a square of your top board, this will be the hatch door. The price of the camper shell setup is $71,000, while the truck will cost around $30,000, according to Pinner. ... A dual battery setup can provide a reliable way to meet your power needs while camping off grid. Unless you have a bare metal truck bed, the plastic lining along the inside walls of your bed will not be a perfect square. Next, you will need some hidden hinges. « 15 Best Outdoor Cat Tree Ideas and Plans, 30 Best DIY Shutters You Can Build On Cheap Budget ». 99. 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