DIY Overland Camper: The Wakamper Walkaround

After two years of constant use on harsh terrain, the Wakamper continues to hold up just great! In this video, Albaro ("Waka") gives us a detailed walk-around of his DIY off-road overland camper.
Go follow Waka on instagram: / wakadventures
SUBSCRIBE: / @sonoranspaceprogram
Don't forget to follow me on Instagram: / handsomeanchor
Chapters:
00:00 Intro
00:54 Battery box
01:40 Water heater
02:30 Galley / Sink / Stove
04:48 Interior
07:05 Front storage
08:00 Building materials
10:05 Suspension
12:22 Exterior detail / reinforcement
13:43 It's rugged!
14:45 Future tweaks
15:44 Roof rack
16:25 Fridge and slide
17:48 Battery discussion
Check our Amazon shop for some of the gear we use:
amazon.com/shop/handsomeanchor
Comms radios I use:
- Amateur (Ham) Radio:
Kenwood TM-D710G: amzn.to/2MzKOre
Yaesu FT-70DR: amzn.to/31oPHLm
Baofeng BF-F8HP: amzn.to/2S9x4sB
- GMRS
Midland MXT400: amzn.to/37LIJ5k
Midland GXT1000: amzn.to/36PGPPG
- CB
Midland 75-822: amzn.to/2MB9vDP
Camera Gear:
- Samsung Galaxy S9+: amzn.to/2BqgSZs
- Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ 5G: amzn.to/2RQ3ck7
- Vilta-M Pro Gimble: amzn.to/2GNagYk
- Sony a6500: amzn.to/2UsR6PF
#Wakamper #diycamper #overlanding

[@SonoranSpaceProgram]

It's finally here after like two years of waiting, the Wakamper walkaround!

[@mattmontalvo8546]

The Wakamper turned out absolutely fantastic. Excellent build.

[@johnathanwilliamleonnorth2040]

Do you have blueprints of it i can get?

[@Tinyhomedeals]

Do you have a estimate of how much the great camper cost to build?

[@buildinit6523]

COST ? $25,000??

[@wakeupslaveamerica]

Spider under the bed!

[@dtepson1]

No, it's a glass fuse!

[@Tinyhomedeals]

I thought that too. 😆

[@chrisdoutre101]

Regarding the battery discussion: the main benefit of those 6-volt batteries is that they are "deep cycle" batteries. Ordinary 12-volt car batteries cannot withstand being deeply discharged. These "deep cycle" batteries are designed to be almost fully discharged without damage.

[@Armedjeepster]

I live 2 streets down from Waka and drove by the camper yesterday... just from the outside that thing is NICE!

[@albarodavila7049]

If you want to stop by and check it out you are welcome to do it.

[@Surfmus]

6:50 cricket/roach rolling underneath the mattress.

[@leem200]

This is well thought out and looks well made. Love it. Thought of everything.

[@SonoranSpaceProgram]

Thank you!

[@Fullscreen007]

The best Option to store the water heater i've seen yet!

[@MW_Builds]

Awesome job building this camp trailer! You rock, and your ability is amazing!! peace

[@Tinyhomedeals]

Great job. Looks incredible

[@jaimereyes7480]

I really appreciate videos like this. I've been planning on building one. Still in the brainstorming/making a material list. I can't wait to get it done

[@SonoranSpaceProgram]

Glad it was helpful!

[@shannmartin9361]

I saw the original build video's on this camper and I was like, damn where's the finished video I'm a certified welder for the railroad and a good carpenter and I have researched these offroad/overland campers for a while now, just can't justify spending between 15-30grand for the ones currently being offered so like yourself I am going to build my own. Great job on your custom build.

[@cornbreadandbutterbeans45]

Nice build and thank you for sharing. We are getting ready to build one very similar out of all aluminum and hope to document the build like you did. Keep up the good work!

[@DemingChiropractor]

How does this video not have a ton more views? I am from New Mexico and have camped there. Love the build.

[@outofbounds218]

Awesome video, thanks for sharing. If Waka and yourself build these I'm a customer.

[@leandroleiva1345]

I like your Diy refrigerator slide bed with angle aluminums .good idea.

[@lesstraveled4740]

Nice build! Great set up!

[@shannmartin9361]

Great job working on a similar project myself.

[@williamwiese9963]

Very nice!! Welders saving the day👍🔥 I need a camper like this

[@johnkuiper8907]

Very nice !!!

[@TheHilltop69]

Throw a regulator in that propane line to your stove! Amazing trailer build, well done, efficient and compact!

[@albarodavila7049]

There is one on the tank already.

[@kurtjensen7930]

Good job!!!

[@Om77BenAdventure]

Nice build and thank u for sharing... amazing

[@SonoranSpaceProgram]

Thanks for watching

[@northernmichiganxjsoverlan3326]

About time! 😁

[@SonoranSpaceProgram]

Haha, we had gone out on numerous trips with the intention of filming this and every single time we would get wrapped up in the adventure and forget until we were already headed back home

[@northernmichiganxjsoverlan3326]

@@SonoranSpaceProgram oh i know how that goes lol

[@MeleanaKai-cd1km]

Really great. Just saw you on I10 & Houghton Rd Tucson AZ.

[@JerseyStyle7]

very cool

[@sebastiangonzalezz9260]

Bien hecho amigo!! Yo también estoy haciendo una voy a subir un video cuando lo termine. Saludos desde tierra del fuego argentina

[@PatJuhNL]

Kinda shocked at 1:28... Cover up those electrical contacts and bussbars. Also get a "decent" shorepower connector that is water proof. If it rains water could drip in and cause a short... Also at 6:00. Best to put in a CO and CO2 meter (and smoke detector) in the interior. If a seal goes bad on the combustion chamber in the Diesel heater CO and CO2 could get sucked in with the warm air that is blown around it. It won't run long when that happens but with a small space I'm cautious! Other than that. Lovely little build!

[@danemmerich6775]

Outstanding job! I wish I had a welder.

[@barrykelly2722]

Nice. Very nice. Amazing build. I wonder if you have considered fiberglass over slightly thinner ply which would solve the corner split / separation.

[@flip0x01]

Really thinking about building my own. With A/C. I'm from the PH. Great job!

[@Evosol1]

Same and same!

[@ottocornett1151]

I am making one of these and am currently in the designing process and it is literally almost the exact same

[@DesertJeepRat]

Well done fellas!

[@albarodavila7049]

Thanks for all your help 🙏.

[@DesertJeepRat]

@@albarodavila7049 Was my pleasure and it started my plans for my enclosed camper.

[@keithenck1926]

I think I've read through all the comments and I haven't seen the full weight of the trailer. Did I miss it? This is such a cool build

[@claybornlewis276]

Did anybody else noticed a spider running across the floor when he lifted up the Mattress welcome to the woods

[@peanut3050]

there is nothing weak about torsion spring axles, they have been used with great success on many heavy trailers!

[@lovablepersona5000]

Super cool. I stole most of your ideas from the original video and built my own. Thanks!

[@arizonaoutdoors7931]

Seriously like the build. How much did it cost?

[@Lindisfarnefarmer]

How do you calculate the axle placement from the tongue back?

[@Vargas0812]

i’m here in tucson would i be able to see this trailer? looks like your shop is on the west side of town i would love to build one and would appreciate all the help/info

[@farmerjim-fat-man-do]

Thanks for sharing. Nice simple build. About to begin construction on an off-road camper of similar design. Couple questions in regard to construction. Was the bed liner material applied directly to bare plywood or was it finished prior to application.? how was the seal configured on the rear galley door? Given how dusty the trailer was it looked clean inside the galley. It seems even though you can keep water out dust always finds a way inside a hatch. Thanks

[@SonoranSpaceProgram]

The bed liner (we used Raptor brand) was applied directly to the plywood, but the plywood was pre-finished cabinet grade, so it had a layer of clear coat on it already. I believe it would have been totally fine to apply the bed liner directly to unfinished raw plywood as well. Regarding the seal (GREAT question!) I'll try my best at explaining, i might have to post a photo or something if i totally fail. All of the rear and side hatch doors have an inset face frame that is parallel to the door. this not only allows the door to sit flush with the exterior when it's closed, but it also allowed us to put rubber window seal on the parallel face frame so that when the door is closed, it sandwiches the rubber between the door and the frame giving it a super nice tight seal. the handles used are also adjustable so a screw can be turned to adjust the "tightness" of the seal. I hope this explanation helps!

[@farmerjim-fat-man-do]

@@SonoranSpaceProgram thanks 👍

[@andreasarncken8309]

Nice, well made, sturdy and thought through. I would suggest whatever suspension with shocks added and probably nowadays a more modern LIPO battery with dedicated Dc-Dc charger, much less weight (probably only 25% of the 2 golf cart batteries) and much longer lasting for the same capacity, if home build, even cheaper in the long run. How heavy do you think the rig is?

[@SonoranSpaceProgram]

Great suggestions, thank you! Our guess on the weight is probably somewhere around 1500-1800lbs. We really need to weigh it proper one of these days to share the final details. This one had an overbuilt frame as well, a bunch of weight could have been saved by using 2x2 or 2x3 steel instead of the 2x4 that was used in this build

[@r3dhotlava]

How has that bed liner held up, i.e. any water damage or swelling?

[@charleslinton9874]

Am I the only one who spotted the two scorpions when he lifted up the mattress? They're miserable this year in Arizona.

[@albarodavila7049]

It was actually a ball bearing, I remember finding it a little after we shoot the video.

[@hdsquarebodyandmore.3592]

Just subscribed do you have measurements of the trailer?

[@Dantrdoffroad]

Wow, very nice. I need one like this how much is cost?

[@adammiles881]

Interested in dimensions or plans if you transferred them from the scrap of paper.

[@kamilpietrzyk2290]

Hi Did you guys fiberglass whole body before raptor liner ? Is it a must to fiberglass before raptor liner ? Let me know Thank you 🙏

[@SonoranSpaceProgram]

Good question, there was NO fiberglass layer. The only prep to the plywood before the raptor liner went on was a thin layer of clear-coat paint, and that was only because we used pre-finished plywood for the build

[@killerbizz]

I would like to know for your finished, what product you put? resin, etc thank you

[@SonoranSpaceProgram]

The final two/three coats are orange colored Raptor bed liner spray.

[@arizona5253]

What is the dimensions of the sleeping area? LxWxH, please

[@TheBakRd]

Water heater right next to the fuel can?? Interesting.

[@cocoloco7295]

What's the weight on that puppy?

[@AerialDomeVideography]

How many letters of raptor liner was used to coat it ?

[@albarodavila7049]

About 8 liters.

[@scottszymczak8362]

I love the raptor liner. How is it holding up? Did the cracks become more of a problem? Can you estimate the weight it added?

[@SonoranSpaceProgram]

It's holding up very well, the cracks were sealed with silicon and covered with aluminum angle to reinforce so it's rock solid now. The total weight added by the liner is only a few pounds

[@chipcheesewhiz]

I noticed he has a 2 inch ball hitch. How has that been working off road? Any issues with binding?

[@SonoranSpaceProgram]

Good eye! there have been no binding issues under our "normal" (but still quite gnarly) off-road use, but there was one time when Waka flopped his trailer and the ball hitch bound up and actually helped prevent the trailer from going fully on it's side. He does plan on buying (or making) a max-coupler at some point, but the ball hitch has been working just fine

[@eltondoub2673]

What's the weight?

[@SlumpdWiz]

Damn, wonder what the frame weighs by itself....

[@stereoking1]

What is the length and width of the box its self?

[@dtepson1]

4x8

[@mjdynamicproperties5701]

Isn't that fule tank to close to the gas heater ?

[@MichaelCook1981]

No..it's not an issue

[@fishntyme8495]

What refrigerator brand is that?

[@albarodavila7049]

Whynter 46 quarts

[@lestatfick6874]

Spider ran under your bed when you lifted it up.

[@SonoranSpaceProgram]

I love how many people have pointed this out, lol. I have't had the heart to tell Waka about the spider yet, hahaha

[@jppreciado9437]

Nice!! What’s the weight!

[@SonoranSpaceProgram]

This is a great question, and is another thing on the TODO list. We'll try to get it weighed next time we roll by a weight station

[@MrGreendreams420]

Anyone see that giant spider under the mattress?

[@franklunn6022]

glad I wasn't the only one ... lol

[@dtepson1]

Not a spi, it's a glass fuse.

[@jerrychiasson9857]

I have the same suspension but made in the USA the steel is considerably thicker..... we live in the Northwest territories on some serious nasty roads and my trailer does not bounce around like yours and we're loaded down generator two 6 V deep cycle batteries and water gas cans fully loaded and stuff on the roof..... Roads in Yellowknife have some serious frost heave we've been running it for a year now no problems...... I do air my KO2 tires down 10 PSI which helps on the gravel roads and potholes we Boondock as well...... but I built a pretty decent substructure that they Bolt to..... I weld them in because we have seriously long nasty roads up here.... personally would not run a air bag suspension personal experience of them failing we can't even run the air shocks up here or gas shocks they won't last here just saying.... I like the travelling arm with a spring and shocks if I was going to go with anything... Just a thought Fantastic build I think I'll put my water tank underneath as well.... Rebuilding my 4 x 8 to 5X10 by 5........thanks for the tips

[@SonoranSpaceProgram]

Yeah, i think the new suspension for this trailer will be swing arm with a coil/shocks, i have that setup on my Turtleback Expedition trailer and it works fantastically

[@andrewmena3118]

SPIDER UNDER YOUR MATTRESS AT 6:50. Wow that sucks man.

[@Ironcurtain2012]

Cost to build?

[@SonoranSpaceProgram]

Rough estimate for all parts and materials was right around $6k

[@martythompson1933]

Waka....Bro you a Kiwi??

[@albarodavila7049]

No, I am from Mexico.

[@martythompson1933]

@@albarodavila7049 ok.... Waka here in NZ is Maori for car, boat, bus or any method of transport, it is also a common name used by here :-)

[@denvernow7294]

This dude almost sounds like he doesnt know his own camper.

[@SonoranSpaceProgram]

LOL

[@albarodavila7049]

Whenever you want to come down to Tucson and explain some things to me, you are welcome to do it.

[@ottocornett1151]

I am making one of these and am currently in the designing process and it is literally almost the exact same

[@SonoranSpaceProgram]

It's a really great design, very capable and very customizable!