How to build an Expedition Camper slide out dinning table

[@petemyers9264]

Great videos. Looking forward to you adding the cabinet facing, doors, and drawers! I'm getting close to doing this with my 10 series. Hurry up! Thanks

[@vantripping]

Thank you. I too am very much looking forward to the cabinet facing being installed, very soon. It will make it look much better.

[@Mebeknob]

Install a squeegee on the opening and you’ll never have to clean the table!

[@vantripping]

Ha! That is an AWESOME idea and I wish I thought of it. I just may add a brush mechanism to top of the cavity the table slides into to clean the crumbs off each time it's put away. Thanks for your great and funny suggestion.

[@yanobou]

Slick

[@vantripping]

Thanks.

[@rfoxyou]

Very cool indeed.

[@vantripping]

Thank you.

[@vantripping]

Using the track sliders reduces weight over standard slides, they are corrosion resistant, clean as they don't need lubrication, and self-cleaning. Plus very strong and compact compared with most drawer slides. Additionally, safe and out of the way of fingers and things that could be pinched.

[@patblatblat]

Any chance you could provide a link to where you got those track rollers? I've been looking for a 8020 linear motion device that can hold cantilever loads. So glad I'm a few steps behind you in my build, your vids always help lol!

[@vantripping]

Sure, here is a link to the aluminum guide rails and carriages that I used which work great and are very strong, clean, no lubricant needed, low vertical height compared with drawer sliders, and much lighter weight than drawer slides as well. www.mcmaster.com/track-rollers/side-mount-track-roller-carriages-and-guide-rails-7/

[@vantripping]

I added the link to the guide rails and carriages I used below. I would not use 8020 linear bearings for a high cantilevered load, as they will not work well with a cantilevered load. Just about any kind of movement mechanism can be added to the tracks of 8020 structural profiles, and usually for less and stronger than the 8020 parts that tend to be of lighter capacity than other available products.

[@MrBlackbutang]

Linear controller . Use those for my slide camper

[@vantripping]

Yes, I started using linear actuators to support, raise and lower the queen bed in my camper van about 6 years ago and love it. I'm using many of them in many different ways in this camper because they add so much function for little cost or weight add, and sometimes even reducing weight. Love them.

[@MrBlackbutang]

@@vantripping going to use them in series for slide out in conjunction with a voltage regulator. Very nice 👍 thanks for your reply

[@vantripping]

@@MrBlackbutang Is the voltage regulator to control the speed of them?

[@MrBlackbutang]

@@vantripping yes. I will be using 48 volt dc for current drop.

[@ian9toes]

It looks great but also looks annoyingly slow. I was thinking that instead of a full length actuator you could have used a much shorter one with a linkage to get the same range of motion but much quicker.

[@vantripping]

Thanks. Yeah, it is slower than I'd like at about a minute from closed to fully open, but it does slide out 40" and can support 150 pounds of static and dynamic force pushing or pulling the table out. If I went with an actuator that supported the table but not more it would open in about 30 seconds. That would be nicer, but I was wanted to ensure it was strong enough if someone leans on it. I like your idea of some linkage to speed it up, but trying to keep weight down and get this camper done. I'm wondering how you would do the linkage for something like this?

[@ian9toes]

@@vantripping I wasn’t thinking of anything too complicated, just a “seesaw” but with the centre pivot off centre. I’m only thinking out loud, I haven’t done it myself. The speed and torque wouldn’t be consistent though. But I’m guessing you could have just bought a different actuator that gives up some torque for speed.

[@vantripping]

@@ian9toes Sure, that would work to speed it up. I seriously considered choosing a linear actuator with a faster speed but that would come with the trade off much less force, which might possibly not have enough strength to support a person leaning on the end of the table and prevent it from being pushed in. It's a small thing to simply push a button and wait a minute for the table to come out or in versus having to fold it up, store it, always have it in the way or have a center column or other legs getting into the way of feet and knees. Plus this one has plenty of strength to lean on compared with other swing away methods.