DIY foam camper build. foamie, poor man's fiberglass PMF. DIY battery.

A foam camper covered with canvas and wood glue. This is my build experience so far. It's getting close to being ready for a test run!

[@derekschwab7129]

Could build a foam channel to get the cool air to the end of your bed put a vent up by the front plus that will keep your inverter cooled

[@rdh101rdh]

First, I commend you on your courage to build a foamie. Next I like your videos very much. As you think through stuff, it helps me to think through the same stuff. Great Job. The views and comments will come. Hang in there. Can't wait to see the next video.

[@AaronKasten]

Thank you for the kind words, the recent comments really motivated me to get the update video done and it will be out tomorrow! Jan 11

[@johnjohnson9780]

Your camper is coming along. Keep us posted we can't wait to see the finished product.

[@AaronKasten]

sorry it took so long I am uploading an update and will post it soon

[@OOICU812]

I'm just browsing around looking for ideas. Thanks for taking the time to share your progress.

[@AaronKasten]

Thanks for stopping by!

[@andylangeland496]

I like that you tell what you'd change - very helpful!

[@andrewdoit]

Thanks for making this video. I’m looking to start my own build in about a month.

[@kellyhartle3251]

I built my trailer few years ago. Did an elevated bed also. Love it. Thinking of building a foam one next. Just now learning what others have done

[@AaronKasten]

Have you started a second one? Mine is holding up great, new video on it tomorrow.

[@E.V.817]

Love what you’ve done! I would watch every video you put out relating to the camper or the diy campaign gear (battery and power setup). If you can buy it, you can build it! And I’d enjoy listening to you as I fool with my own hackery. Thanks!

[@AaronKasten]

Thank you for the compliments! I am uploading a new video shortly. I have some lame excuses for not doing it sooner, mostly self-doubt and fear though :P

[@caseymanley82]

That’s going be awesome when it is finished amazing build bro

[@AaronKasten]

Thank you so much I am working on the update video now, and should go live tomorrow.

[@joelgoertzen466]

Thanks for the video. I'm planning a similar trailer, but bare inside, so I can haul a motorbike. Please keep us updated.

[@yearofthegarden]

I love the design, you've done your homework for sure, which seems to be a trend with many people who enjoy designing these micro campers, and funny enough it always seems to pay off in ingenuity for everyone who over analyzes their material's potential. Me Personally, I cannot do PMF because I live in washington, and any moisture will eventually infiltrate the material that gets left in the weather. Instead I am going to go with 3ft wide Galv. steel, mainly because I have most of a roll left over from before 2020. Other than that I will essentially replicate your design but utilize cheap cedar fence boards ripped down to size as my trim. I appreciate that you share this knowledge and experience. I've been living off grid for over a decade in a time house that I built from scratch out of metal framing material with foam board, and I really with people like you were around ten years ago, but it makes sense that this level of trial and error were not dialed in at the time, but it can be seen as pioneer frugal technology at this point in time, which is ever more needed now because of the housing crisis and how bad the western economies will get in 2023. Look into 2ft aluminum flashing rolls, I've lined a cargo trailer with it once and it was essentially a space blanket, especially once I put a wood stove (made out of stainless steam pans and 2" pipe). I believe if there is a design that a typical 6ft man can live within, which subsists within the material dimensions of 3ft rolls and 4x8ft panels, it will catch fire next year and createa a new "vanlife" movement

[@AaronKasten]

Thank you for the Comment! I really wanted to do the foam with aluminum glued to the outside but it was more than I wanted to spend. Aluminum framing is an awesome material, I need to play with some so I can improve my confidence with it. I knew a sheetrock installer that blew my mind with the things he could do with aluminum framing. I actually bought a steel flashing roll I was going to do all the edges in so I could stick magnets all over the place, I'm intimidated by metal working and chickened out. Several things like that have been scrapped with the idea of just getting it done and not over complicating the build.

[@koontzman123]

​@@AaronKastenwhat about reusing an existing travel trailer. Use the aluminum siding and roof present and glue in the xps foam? I'm not sure if you'd have enough stability. This is what I'm contemplating. Maybe trailers that need to be gutted are cheap, which could be the base of your trailer.

[@fngonzo]

Nice. I would love to see more!

[@AaronKasten]

Thank you! Sorry for the delay I am working on the update.

[@aaronw8568]

cool vid, thanks for the walkthrough

[@AaronKasten]

Thanks! Awesome name BTW

[@helmet098]

Looks good!

[@AaronKasten]

thank you!

[@hirschrep]

Looking good. I am about to start my project.

[@AaronKasten]

How's it going? Thank you for the comment

[@donaldhester9952]

I plan on doing PMF also. Great trick to get the seam to disappear. I am in Wa St but on the sunny side :)

[@AaronKasten]

Thanks!, you can still see some but after several trips in and at least 3 rain storms I can say it's holding up very well.

[@jeremypeterson7171]

2" XPS foam 4x8 sheets are now a ridiculously stupid expensive $65 a sheet!!! Craziness! Still cheaper than buying a commercial camper.

[@123klaas]

In the Netherlands are companies that trade used building materials, maybe there is a similar company near you. I can buy 4cm thick XPS foam for €3,25 per square meter instead of €14,55.

[@AaronKasten]

Yeah, I would just buy an old used popup or something now I think, the prices on those have come way down while XPS has gone silly expensive.

[@UniquelyUbiquitous-yg3xl]

To me, it’s worth the trouble to purchase 1” thick panels for just $20/each and triple up ‘em.

[@luv2jazz]

Very interested Thank you for the content

[@AaronKasten]

Thank you!

[@JA-gf2ec]

Thinking of building a tiny homelike this. Please cover door builds

[@AaronKasten]

I talk about it a little in the video I filmed last week , uploading soon. I will cover more detail in the next one after it, I'll be finishing the passenger side door and I am working on the hatch. probably in the next 2 weeks for that one.

[@healingjourneys4241]

I never knew anything about building with foam. My curiosity led me to teardrop and truck campers built from smart (Poor Man’s Fiberglass), lightweight, and cost effective materials. Some of these guys go off-roading and across very challenging terrain for years with no issues. So, here’s my crazy but serious question. Could this method of building be used to build affordable structures to house the homeless even for short term transitional housing, if not long term?

[@kennruckey]

@healingjourneys4241- this would be great for that. There are actually people working on that but unfortunately the federal government takes control of any attempt to truly help the poor, there’s too much money to be made (by the government) by manipulating the situation.

[@healingjourneys4241]

@@kennruckey yes, I'm learning a lot about that criminal enterprise. My family thinks I'm nuts. It's all in the public record but most are kept busy surviving so reading is the last thing you have time for. I'll never stop trying to figure out how to get out.

[@Tom-pb9ef]

This is awesome, thanks for sharing. I'm in the process of planning in my head how to build a foamie squaredrop that I can slide into and out of my 4x8 utility trailer. I am playing with the idea of just doing a box basically, nothing fancy or maybe even try and make it look like a cattle trailer so above the utility trailer sides ( 2 feet up ) the build will go out a foot on each side then round off the top. Not sure though cuz that means more work.

[@AaronKasten]

That sounds super cool, did you decide to do anything?

[@greuju]

I love these, but I wouldn't put anything on the exterior that someone could just rip off and sell lol. IE i'd use portable solar panels kept inside the camper or some kind of storage.

[@Stupidjustcause]

My prediction is you will regret not canvassing the entire interior . It will be strong only in one direction - certainly a halfway job . I love your video and all your insight on the project. Too many coats to paint for this old fart though ! Thanks, and Peace Coop

[@AaronKasten]

LOL, I didn't want canvas on the inside I planned to have paneling, I have an update tomorrow that will show some of it. The canvas doesn't do a great job protecting against impacts and I have young kids. I don't think the canvas on the inside would have held up well. That said I did canvas the wall between the galley and the cabin and it's holding up fine so I could be wrong. I'm going to proceed with the paneling when I get around to cutting all the pieces.

[@shuteme5]

Awesome!!

[@wooduniversity7109]

Bitcoin miner as a heater...now that's a great idea!

[@driftlessheights6177]

Looks like a lot of fun. How did you find a light but durable trailer base to start with? Did you find any bad ones to avoid? How much should someone budget for the base trailer?

[@deltamiloandtheginger443]

Do you install the window and door the same way you normally would? My mind is always blown away by these cool foam builds

[@AaronKasten]

Thank you! The windows are RV windows they sort of sandwich the wall to hold in place, I added butyl tape on behind the outside layer of the window rim to ensure it is water proof.

[@hihoney1122]

Would like to see more videoa on this foam trailer build.

[@AaronKasten]

Thank you! I am working on the update and should have it out tomorrow Jan 11 2024 apparently it takes me a year to get over self doubt embarrassment and fear of video editing.

[@evanadegroot]

still nice project

[@annepeterson1450]

Excellent! I’m not seeing any other videos of the build though; are you planning to make a playlist of start to finish? 😃. Looking forward if so!

[@AaronKasten]

Thank you! I have finally created an update, I actually recorded several but fear of editing got in my way. New video is about ready though, hopefully it will be live tomorrow.

[@chrispipkin1430]

@@AaronKasten certainly want to see start to finish

[@williamhollie7817]

Really wondering what the finished weight will be? I'd like to build something similar to be towed by a four cylinder Ranger...

[@AaronKasten]

Sorry for the delay! I had to get it weighed to get it registered and legal, it is 860lbs empty. I wanted to stay under 1k. The battery pack alone is probably close to 300lbs

[@adamjohnson5307]

Sadly 1.5” foam is now $35 😑 I wanna build a truck camper and figured building a foamie would be cheaper now I figure I’d probably spend the same amount in 2x2s and plywood. Granted I’d save so much weight by going foam. 🧐

[@AaronKasten]

I know! It's very frustrating. I'd just buy a fixer upper pop up or something now, I've seen them pretty cheap on Facebook marketplace. I'm actually going to home Depot to get some things today for the camper and dreading the prices.

[@codybundura3649]

Love the design and would love to see the finished product... Updates?

[@AaronKasten]

Thank you! I am posting an update in the morning Jan 11 sorry for the delay

[@jayblescashews]

Could use a follow up on this. Maybe a tour of it finished

[@AaronKasten]

It's coming tomorrow, thank you for the encouragement.

[@jaydee3046]

Nice work. One thing I am wondering is could do the panels before mounting them. This would allow compression curing with a waxed sheet of plywood. Either Clamp it on, or park a car on it.

[@AaronKasten]

In hind sight I wish I had done exactly that. I should have pre assemble the walls and roof. I really wanted to build it out of SIP (self insulating panels) but I am poor lol :D

[@morphergaming0531]

This is looking awesome. What weight range are you aiming at, I know your design is fluid right now but that looks like it could be towed with a 4cyl. I would imagine that a shelf across those walls would rack the walls nicely and be functional, looks great. Since your channel just happened up on my feed I subscribed so I'll know when you throw up more videos.

[@AaronKasten]

Sorry it has taken so long, I am about to post an update., I wanted to keep it super light to pull behind an electric vehicle. It ended up at 860lbs empty. Thank you for subscribing, I have finally gotten over my disappointment in myself for damaging it on our first use and fear of video editing. I hope to share progress more frequently.

[@justmike1529]

Have several episodes been deleted? Is this project glued together with expanding spray foam ? How did you attach the foam side walls to the deck? Would really love to see progress from the beginning. Thanks for the post.

[@AaronKasten]

No sorry, I suffered from pretty serious self doubt, plus I damaged it being dumb on our first trip so in embarrassment I never updated, however I am over that, finally and realized it was dumb to act that way. Update is about done and going out tomorrow. It's mostly glued with spray foam, it worked great but is messy. I bolted plywood to the frame then glued foam to the wood. The walls are glued to the base foam and then the PMF canvas and wood glue provides all the rigidity to the structure. It's holding up great so far.

[@hermanwandall4069]

I don’t know if you’re still doing these things but how much glue and how large of a canvas did you end up using and do you have any current pictures that I don’t know I’m gonna subscribe and see what’s going on but I’m building one now that’s why I ask

[@user-xj7pt9qx6y]

im thinking I can make the walls with joints so they can be joined together on site. tarp for floor, tarp for ceiling. i have a prius, so electric supply wont be a problem. twin memory foam matteress inside. do you have ideas for the joints? i could make the walls to common lengths of trailers, so i could mount it to a trailer if i need to.

[@AaronKasten]

That sounds interesting, please tag me if you did or do anything with that idea. I'm not sure about the joints maybe some sort of coupler.

[@lynngill1588]

okay so yes we are watching . question, as you are building your own. what do you think of using pocket doors and windows for a trailer build ? I have a tilt bed utility trailer that I am thinking of converting to a travel trailer , and as I don't like commercialy available doors & windows I'm working on a plan to make my own. I have some 4' square bullet proof window glass panels & as they a very thick I figure they will provide good R rating . I will for sure add solar as well as a design I'm working on to add a second skin layer to my tear drop that will use the wind that moves across the roof & between this outer and inner roof layers as a sort of wind jammer to help charge battery bank. The roof mounted solar panels might work to provide the second roof skin for this last idea. I'm planing to build with PMF as well as use rhino liner for under side in black & as well as in green for the rest of the shell as it is very water proof long lasting and easy to apply. I'm thinking about a method of having a queen size memory foam mattress that can be both bed & couch , as well as be suspended from ceiling when not in use to allow for maximum multiple uses of the limited space. I like that enter locking frame design of your bed futon. I will use many of those types of build tricks in my project. well enough of my pontificating . never ask a German or even a half breed German for his opinion cause we will give it to you, lol

[@AaronKasten]

I am not smart enough to attempt pocket doors lol. I thought about doing bed liner on the underside but it really doesn't get very wet or dirty so I think I will leave it as is. It is all coated in POR-15 and that stuff is pretty tuff. The way I did the king bed in mine fold from couch to bed also. I hadn't really thought about it dropping down from the ceiling. Thanks for the compliments I like how your German engineering brain works.

[@user-cj9kl5uq8j]

Where can we see the finished camper? I really wanna see how it turned out.

[@AaronKasten]

Wow good timing! I am going to post an update video in the morning. It's made and edited.

[@bethtucker1810]

I am going to go back and watch your previous videos. Curious

[@AaronKasten]

Update coming tomorrow.... finally

[@terrysimms1790]

I wonder if wood filler would work to smooth out the seams and if it would stick. Obviously "painting" over with the glue.

[@AaronKasten]

I think would try that next time, the stuff I used got hard and brittle and will require some patching after a year of use. Thank you for the recommendation!

[@123klaas]

Hi, I would love to see how you came this far, how you build the walls and I would like to see how strong it is. I'm about to restore a vintage camper, where all the wood is rotten, so if I can replace it with this foam I would get 2 flies with 1 stone. How is everything connected to each other, the walls, the ceiling and the floor? Any estimates on how much weight the roof can handle? Salor panels are not light. Keep up the good work and I will watch every minute! Thanks!

[@AaronKasten]

Thank you!, I have an update I am sharing soon. After that I will make a Q&A video.

[@Timbodacious]

screw poor mans fiberglass go get that bad boy rhino lined on the outside with 1/8" thick coating haha.

[@MrDuggski]

What are the exterior dimensions? It's much bigger than the teardrop I built years ago. I'm in the Philippines and looking for something to build. I really like your design. Thanks for the video.

[@AaronKasten]

Thanks for the compliments! sorry it took so long to respond. It is 12ft long and 80 inches wide, I essentially built it around a king size bed since my wife, 2 kids and I can all fit on one comfortably.

[@Tom-pb9ef]

wait 20:00 min in - I can't find any used trailers for 2k. not gone down that much in Cali anyway

[@AaronKasten]

They had come way down in Texas on FB marketplace.

[@OutlawToys]

use a mini split for AC/Heat. I'll have to look for follow up and see how it turned out.

[@AaronKasten]

Mini split would have been perfect but I already had this window unit collecting dust. Update coming tomorrow!

[@user-hc1co3qk8b]

this is awesome, my brother just turned me onto foamies, why not just shoot a vent from the ac to the back side of the trailer?

[@AaronKasten]

Thank you!, I will go over my lessons learned for the AC in my next video should be live tomorrow Jan 11 2024 just a year after the first one...

[@paulpvhl1930]

I've just discovered PMF and foam so will look over your earlier vids. Do you think this method would work to insulate the inside of a boat hull?

[@matthewcollins4157]

I know boats have been made out of PMF. Something to keep in mind is the glue used. Tightbond brand has three formulas: Tightbond is water soluble. Tightbond II is water resistant and Tightbond III is waterproof. If you're building a camper, you can get by with Tightbond III but for a boat, I personally would use Tightbond III. Also, regardless of whether you are building a camper or boat, I would use a canvass drop cloth for the unseen layer(s then go over that with a cheap bedsheet from a thrift store. The finer threads of linens will result in a smoother finish than canvas provides.

[@paulpvhl1930]

@@matthewcollins4157 All great thoughts. Thanks.

[@AaronKasten]

Mathew made great points. I used mostly TB2 but when it was sold out used TB3. I also didn't water it down like so many people suggest. I would spread some glue on the foam. Then lay the canvas over that, then using a spray bottle I would mist the canvas, so it would absorb some of the glue, then I would do glue on the outside of the canvas. This helped fill the canvas gaps.

[@matthewcollins4157]

@@AaronKasten I'm also against watering the glue down. A few additional suggestions, Use more layers, and also use different directions for the cloth orienting it on 0 degrees, 90 degrees, 45 degrees and -45 degrees. The clock is strongest in 0 degree orientation. That is from head to toe on a sheet or if on a bolt of fabric, the length of the bolt. The fabric in this direction will not stretch. 90 degrees is the width of the bolt or from the left to right of the bedsheet. It also does not stretch much but will have a little bit more give than the 0 degree direction. 45 and -45 are "on the bias" and goes from corner to corner, you will have the most stretch in this direction. This is the direction good for going around curves and is the easiest to distort when laying it down so do be careful laying in this direction. Keep in mind that parts of the hull or camper (or whatever) will need strength (0 or 90 degree) but also some parts will need to flex, twist, or give and that you want to incorporate 45 and -45 degree lay up. parts of an aircraft fuselage will use a 0, 90, 45, -45, -45, 45, 90, 0 lay up pattern with regular fiberglass and may have more or less layers depending on where on the aircraft it is (there can also be 30-60 layers in some areas) I am not suggesting that anyone needs to lay up 60 layers of PMF for our purposes, though if you are an engineer you are welcome to figure all of that out and the proper lay up pattern, but if you are an engineer, you are probably not watching KZbin videos on PMF or reading this comment. LOL Treat the cheap canvas drop cloth like the chop strand fiberglass batting for bulk and the bedsheets as woven fiberglass cloth for strength.

[@AaronKasten]

@@matthewcollins4157 More layers would have made it super strong, and would probably make it significantly more resistant to impacts. What you describe makes me think of composite Kevlar body armor. However for my application, I think it is proibably a bit of overkill, my biggest mistake came from a lack of framing in load bearing and moving areas. Had I not backed into the garage with the hatch open on our first use I think it would be near perfect but that little bump compressed some foam and broke my hatch framing lose. I also should have framed the rear hatch itself. As the canvas dried it shrank a bit and now the hatch has bow to it. I'll eventually probably rebuil the entire rear hatch area but haven't been too woried. Even driving about 200 miles in the rain, there was almost no water penetration in the back. What did get in was along the very bottom and wiped up easily with a towel when we arrived at our destination.

[@astronomicaloddz4599]

would love to see an update to this, how did it turn out

[@AaronKasten]

Sorry for the delay I suffered from some serious self-doubt and fear of video editing but I have overcome it and will be posting an update soon.

[@astronomicaloddz4599]

@AaronKasten your videos are great and real we all can't be Mr beast but we can inspire others through our trials and tribulations.keep up the good work and look forward to the next one

[@ryanhedlund1830]

Camper update video needed

[@AaronKasten]

Tomorrow! thanks for the comment and encouragement.

[@user-cp9ty7qr1d]

Cool build. Why not regular fiberglass?

[@AaronKasten]

The fiber glass was more expensive and I am cheap! Also (or maybe mostly) I was intimidated by fiberglass, the fumes and all that. I recently purchased some to experiment with but have not done anything yet.

[@user-cp9ty7qr1d]

@@AaronKasten I hear you on the intimidation, I’m looking to build my own camper but would really like it to be fiberglass, & I’m intimidated as heck… not too many how tos out there, perhaps I’ll film my own for the world to see. Cheers from Wisconsin

[@thomasbinford2739]

Is the paneling glued directly to the foam?

[@AaronKasten]

Yes, that is exactly what I did.

[@fredfreiberger7878]

I subscribed I want to see the whole build and what materials are used

[@AaronKasten]

Thank you! I am sorry I never got back, update is coming tomorrow Jan 11. after this I will do a Q&A video to answer all the questions about materials.

[@randallhorres4213]

How do walls attach to frame ?

[@AaronKasten]

I used plywood base bolted to the frame, foam glued on to the plywood, the great stuff glues the side to the floor and it's wrapped in canvas in glue to act as a shell and hold it all together. So far it's working great.

[@lizgilbert5790]

Use behr exterior latex it will work down to 35 air/surface temps

[@AaronKasten]

I ended up using all exterior latex paint I got from homedepot oops section, I think only 1 wasn't Behr. Great recommendation, thank you!.

[@jericksen]

Where are you finding used campers for $2500-$3000?

[@AaronKasten]

Facebook marketplace

[@1stJohn3.9-10]

How come so many of these tiny trailers always have 2 doors when?

[@AaronKasten]

The truth is I did it so that no matter what side I sleep on I can still get up in the middle of the night and pee without disturbing my family.

[@kennruckey]

Hey Aaron! Just found you! Are there other videos on the Foam Camper Build?!?!

[@AaronKasten]

Hi Ken, sorry for the delay, new update tomorrow Jan 11 2024 just a year later. Sorry I was discouraged and needed to get over myself before sharing more.

[@anotherperson6934]

You're getting some traction now, Aaron. You going to keep us uodated?

[@AaronKasten]

Sorry I actually damaged it on the first run because sometimes I do dumb things like back into the garage door, but I have repaired it mostly and am about to upload an update!

[@markl9428]

Nice. Is that 1" Foamboard?

[@AaronKasten]

most of it is 1" since that's all I could get #pandemic problems, however I did do the roof and the rear support wall in 2 inch foam.

[@markl9428]

@AaronKasten Cool. I working on a truck cap, using 1" but rethinking the project materials. Yours looks really nice.

[@AaronKasten]

@@markl9428 the 1" with PMF or fiberglass would probably be fine. You could do some roof spars or add a frame for some extra strength but I have laid across the top of mine and it held okay. The walls have no framing or extra structural support. The roof has a few spars I added. The compressive stregth of the foam is pretty impressive, just have to keep it straight, it has almost no tensile strength, that's what the PMF or Fiberglass provide. It's kind of like concreate, some sort of rebar type solution could work too.

[@markl9428]

@AaronKasten Appreciate this! I've currently wrapped my camper in 1/4" wood. I think I'll remove the wood, wrap it in foam and fiberglass. My goal is to keep weight down for a one person lift off. 💪

[@OutlawToys]

WHAT!? No Follow up to show us how it turned out!

[@AaronKasten]

I know... I am sorry. Self doubt , fear of video editing, and embarrassment from a dumb mistake discouraged me from posting more videos, I am over all that though and a new video is coming Jan 11 2024, you just a year late. Better late than never right?

[@helmet098]

Bro it's been 8 months, how'd it go?

[@AaronKasten]

I know I am sorry, Self doubt, fear of editing and embarrassment from a dumb mistake discouraged me from sharing more, however I finally got over it and am posting an update will be out tomorrow.

[@davidwalesby2426]

you say nobody comment on your video's, dont take it personally because it means that nobody has anything bad to say. anyways how about investing a couple hundred on a second hand roof top ac/heater system, eliminate the one you have and use that area for storage? just an idea that's all.

[@AaronKasten]

rooftop AC wouldn't fit in my garage. I also already had the window unit collecting dust.

[@12vLife]

New here. subbed. at 1:40 what is your exterior process and products? Fiberglass + paint? no mesh?

[@AaronKasten]

I used Canvas and wood glue and so much paint, I didn't count coats but it was at least 3-6 coats of primer and another 3-6 of the color.