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A project log for DIY Truck Camper

Open source truck bed camper for the masses.

dustinDustin 04/03/2019 at 03:550 Comments

Recently I've been trying to figure out just how to set up my life for maximum comfort, stability, mobility, and financial savings. I've experimented with living in a tent, stayed on a couch for a while, then spent a while in my own apartment. In one month, I move back to my home state, where my friendly old pickup is waiting for me. As much as I hate the automobile these days, due to waste and expense, it's easy to justify that truck when it replaces rent, power, and heating bills, while providing total mobility. I'm sick of long tent days and need something more solid and permanent. The cheapest, fastest, and easiest option is the old truck camper idea, so here I am, back at it again. I've got some big changes to make as well. 

A big part of the design I struggle with is the overhang above the roof of the truck. I know that's where I want my bed to go, and how to make it strong enough. I struggle with the balance between aerodynamics, comfort, strength, and looks. For that part, I've decided to look into using clear corrugated plastic roofing material. It would act as a massive skylight, and make it easy to round of the nose of the camper without having to bend plywood or something. I could also just do the entire roof and nose with the stuff to make the entire ceiling a skylight, which would be pretty awesome, aside from turning the entire camper into a green house. For that, I was considering using some of that silver bubble wrap insulation looking stuff and basically making a giant awning that pulls out over head to reflect the heat out. That might not work, so I'll test it and just get some skylights if needed. Either way, I like the ideal of a clear nose.

For the shower, I think I want to greatly simplify it. I'm thinking of gravity fed, with the water tank built into the back wall to avoid hoses running between moving panels. I may still employ an electric heater for the shower that runs off solar panels. Speaking of which, I think I'll need some of those and a few good battery banks. Those are some of the more expensive items, so I'll plan on running a secondary deep cycle battery under the hood of the truck just for the camper to start with.

I am still deciding on how to in cook and heat the camper. I'll likely add a dedicated propane heater for heating, and either an electric stove burner, or a propane burner with a custom fume hood that vents outside for safety. The energy system is still up in the air at this point, but it is going to be important. I think insulation is going to be one of the most important aspects of the camper to reduce energy needs in winter. I'm also concerned about running out of propane. I'd like to have backup systems like a quartz radiant heater for inside the truck to use electricity to heat it if needed. I plan to tap into the engine heat at some point to heat the camper, but that requires running the engine. The system I'm thinking of would have 4 sources of heat energy: engine heat, solar electricity, solar heating, and propane. That should handle heating, even though the ultimate goal is to take the truck south every winter and work from the road.

Another addition I considered, though entirely luxurious is an inflatable hot tub. This would be perfect for when I rent a campground for an entire season and have access to mains power. Since the truck would provide all it's own power for the rest of my needs, I could possibly get away with running an electric hot tub at a campground. I love hot tubs more than just about anything. It would sit so nicely under the awning of the raised rear camper wall. If I don't get one of those, I may just get an inflatable bath tub and set that up to do some soaking. Just a fun thought.

For internet and phone service, I've got myself a cheap Google Fi phone and unlimited talk and text. $10 per GB of data is available if I need it, with mobile hotspot included. Good enough for me. I can use my trust Thinkpad X230 laptop for all my business needs, work from my truck, and go on adventures as I work on various projects. The camper project is moving ahead nicely, as is my lifestyle plan in general.

Anyway, to get this project rolling, I contacted a good friend of mine to help me gather supplies and find side jobs to fund it. Once I have the camper built and ready to live in, I'll go look for more stable work for the winter to fund future goals and dreams. The touring bicycle with camp gear is a great set up, but something more permanent is needed for greater happiness and productivity. 

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