DIY Steel Frame slide-in Truck Camper part 1

Why I chose steel for my frame.
Note: If you build a tube frame, be sure to design it so that if any water gets into the tubing, it can drain all the way out at the bottom.
Do this by mitering corners, and by drilling holes where tubes join. Finally, drill drain holes at the bottom corners.
If you ever see rust running out of the drains, you know you have a leak somewhere. Loose screw or something of that nature.
Happy camping!!

[@jerseyjim8365]

This is the way to go if you have the skills. I would never build a wood one. Well done.

[@marlaplunk2833]

I thought about using a tube steel frame in my camper build - but I think I would just buy a nose cone from a company that makes them and attach it to the square front instead of trying to bend steel tubing. Great video, btw.

[@TheMomentEnds1]

For the aluminum siding, ACM (aluminum composite panels) material would work well, but its pretty costly. Aluminum composite materials (ACM) are a three-layer sandwich panel comprising two pre-painted aluminum sheets bonded to a polyethylene (PE) core for durability and good dimensional stability.

[@tennpikr74]

great looking job so far

[@timgundry6150]

Where did you source out the aluminum siding. I found something that I think will work and I just want to compare the two. They could actually be the same thing but I found your videos and I swear you reached inside my head and built almost exactly what I plan on building starting with the steel frame structure. I see so many people build out of lumber and I don't think they actually thought it through about how much the woods weight will be adding. Steel is lighter and stronger and I think at today's price it might be cheaper... and hell I'd rather weld something together than nail it old school retired welder...lol .. thanks for your help and any information

[@Reserector]

I asked for recommendations on Facebook and was told about a local race car shop that stocks the painted aluminum sheets. Sign supply houses are a good source if there is one in your area. I used 0.040" thick 4 x 8 sheets. 4 x 10 may be available, but the price per square foot can jump up .

[@timgundry6150]

Thanks for the update and information.

[@Yarbroughprojects]

Cool

[@timgundry6150]

I came up with an additional question lol and I might have more as time goes on... but on your bends at the front of the camper it looks like you made relief holes in the steel tubing. I don't have access to a bender so I'm assuming you didn't either and that's why you drilled the relief holes to make it easier to bend. And did you weld one end then simply bend the opposite end until it met up with the point where it connects.. which then gave you it's natural arc....or did you have some other way to bend them because I'm assuming getting all three the same would be a critical component... thanks in advance for your help...if you think you're in the middle of nowhere I live in the north woods of Maine lol I like to say it's the final frontier of the lower 48... getting potentially 3ft of snow tonight if I had this camper built it would be in the key's right now lol...

[@Reserector]

Try this link. Should paint a picture of how I did it. mississippi-mud.com/thread-20380-page-6.html

[@timgundry6150]

Graded on a curve lmao 🤣😆 that was a good one!!! But I don't know what I'm going to do now cause I don't have that kind of bender or rear bumper lol but I see how you did it and I think I can come up with something... I'm also thinking that bender you do have came from harbor freight? For the price and for what guys like me and you do you can't beat the price and quality for that matter for what it cost... and I can also Invision a lot of rivet holes to be drilled... I'm also assuming that you overlapped your aluminum panels and used some type of sealer between the two as you riveted them to the steel tubing frame... I mean seriously you built this thing almost exactly how I was thinking of doing it... it's crazy.. I'm just not going to be installing a toilet or shower is really the only difference oh yeah and I plan on installing a 9000 BTU Mrcool single zone mini split system. That will combine both heating and air conditioning...110v.... okay so I think I'm good for now you've been a great help in answering my questions and if you want when I get started I'll share my progress with you... after all our truck campers will be kinda related lol...

[@largemarge1603]

You mention 'electrolysis'. How are you isolating the steel from the aluminum to reduce galvanic corrosion? How are you sealing the wall-to-roof junction?

[@Reserector]

Mild steel and aluminum are close enough in terms of galvanic activity to be of little concern. They will react, but it takes many years, in most cases, to become a problem. Consider all of the aluminum parts in cars that are fastened with steel bolts. If anything, they tend to seize together. The walls were covered first, and trimmed to leave a one inch overhang. Adhesive was applied to the frame, and the overhang was formed around onto the adhesive using a hammer and a wood block. The roof was covered next, and trimmed to leave a 5/8" overhang. A small bead of adhesive was applied to the underside of the overhang along the joint. The overhang was then hammered around. Finally, the corner trim had sealant applied to the underside, and was attached with screws.

[@Reserector]

Just to clarify a bit more, the aluminum is powder coated on both sides. Everywhere the aluminum meets the steel frame, it is bonded with the adhesive. The side and roof overlaps got additional adhesive just before hammering the joints closed. The only aluminum directly contacting the steel is the rivets.

[@timgundry6150]

I'm not sure what your final cost was I'd sure like to know just how much the frame, siding, insulation and interior siding final cost was... You can guess if you don't know cause for sure prices are different geographically and I'm sure just over the last year prices for building products has gone up considerably but I'm just curious... I'm going to be building it no matter what my goal is to have it done in time for me to go out to Colorado in September so I can fill one off my bucket list...archery elk! Plan on spending the entire month if that's what it takes so I need this camper built badly!!! You did an awesome job I just hope when I'm done mine is just as good...

[@Reserector]

The tubing was $150. Aluminum sheet was $660. Construction adhesive was over $200 worth. My donor parts camper was $500 and was the key to the success of this build. It saved me thousands. All costs combined came to $3,600.00 not counting some new tools.

[@timgundry6150]

Well that's about how much I was thinking it was going to cost and you saved thousands on a new camper and I'm sure that your much more proud of what you built.. can't wait to get started on mine but it's going to have to wait until at least May. I don't have a garage so I have to wait until the snow melts and last year it didn't melt until June...welp thanks for your help and knowledge and sharing your build I think I need to try and find some type of doner camper.

[@michaelfeight9927]

how did you attached the aluminum to the steel

[@Reserector]

Every joint was (at least) glued. For that, I used two nearly identical products: Gorilla white indoor/outdoor multi-purpose construction adhesive, and Loctite PowerGrab white indoor/outdoor multi-purpose adhesive. Both come in a caulking tube. Both are around $8.00 per tube. I also used rivets and screws. Rivets were sealed (blind) aluminum 3/16" diameter pop rivets. (Aluminum body with steel mandrel.) I used nearly 500, installed with an air-powered riveter. I also used self-drilling, self-tapping #8 bright zinc plated screws. (Do not use stainless due to electrolysis concerns). Visible seams were riveted. Some of the seams were wrapped around corners using a hammer and wood block, and then attached with aluminum trim and screws. Each layer glued. I probably just raised more questions than I answered, so don't hesitate to pick my brain some more. The entire build is chronicled here: mississippi-mud.com/Thread-Slide-in-camper-for-the-FM

[@joekleineberg9339]

Where did you get siding at

[@Reserector]

I posted what I was looking for on Facebook where friends responded with recommendations. I ended up buying the aluminum sheets from a race shop in nearby Petal, MS. I had found a few sign shops who stock this painted aluminum, but their prices were much higher. I bought 4' x 10' sheets for $60 each. Ten sheets cost $642.00 including tax. Sadly, aluminum prices are rising rapidly. Ask around. Shop around.

[@elhuyhuyhuy1822]

I think it's a little heavy right.???

[@Reserector]

Yes and no. Depends upon what you are comparing to. All said and done, with a typical interior, it ended up about the same as any factory-built hard sided camper of this size. The cabinets and such added weight quickly as they went in. There is much I could've done differently in that regard to shave weight.

[@hoovywooopensguy4995]

so 500-800 pounds. with insulation or no?

[@Reserector]

That was my original calculation for just the shell. Frame, aluminum skin, insulation and interior ply. I wish I had weighed it at that point. By the time I added cabinets, appliances, plumbing, door, windows, etc. It finished up at 1,800 lbs.

[@hoovywooopensguy4995]

@@Reserector thanks for the assistance mate.

[@CORRIGEEN71]

Final weight?

[@Reserector]

1,800 lbs

[@jwiereng]

@@Reserector 1:41 shooting for 7-800 pounds. The mass can sneak up on ya and you end up more than double of what you hoped

[@Malik90848]

What size square tube is this

[@Reserector]

1 inch square with 0.060" wall thickness.

[@Malik90848]

@@Reserector would you use same dimensions if you were able to aluminum

[@Reserector]

@@Malik90848 I would use a thicker wall such as .125" in aluminum. I would stay with 1 inch square to work with the foam thickness

[@dsgrayco]

I like what you have done so far, but I don't agree with your idea that steel is better than wood for a camper. With that said, you are right about the fact of it's what is put into the camper for finishes and appliances and stuff like that, that is responsible for campers being so heavy. There are reasons why campers Are not steel framed in the industry. They would definitely build them this way if it was better.

[@Reserector]

My 1977 Travco motorhome has a steel frame and a fiberglass shell. Still as solid as ever. Many truck campers are aluminum framed, which I prefer for many reasons except for material cost. The common woods used in most camper builds are much heavier than they are strong. Much of it is fir. A soft wood. It takes a lot to achieve rigidity, but it is inexpensive and easy to work with. I did my initial design work with SolidWorks computer software. With that, I was able to calculate the weight of several combinations of materials. This helped me to choose optimal material thicknesses (based on availability, of course) and I was shocked at how heavy the frame would be if i used yellow pine. Steel was a good material for me personally because I'm set up to work with it.