My Truck Cap Camper I Built With ZERO Woodworking Experience!! (One Week Build)

Welcome to Mainely Outdoors this time I wanted to show you guys the truck cap camper that I built all by myself with zero woodworking experience. I gathered inspiration from other builds here on youtube and brought it all together to make my perfect truck camper set up! In total this build took me 130 hours and just over one week to build it. I’ll be putting up a video showing you the step by step process in the near future so make sure you subscribe so you don't miss out. Thanks for watching and let me know what you think in the comments below!
If you want to get a sneak peek of how I build this check out my Instagram page @mainelyoutdoors18 ( mainelyoutd...)
- Jesse (Mainelyoutdoors)
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Fishing Gear:
Check out the Fly Crate a monthly fly subscription company that helps support my channel by providing high-quality flies for my adventures! (theflycrate.com/monthly-fly-c...)
Trout fly fishing reel: amzn.to/2HmeBCD
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Large spinning reel: amzn.to/2z4gZZO
Fly Box (Super cheap and but get the job done): amzn.to/31LJVlX
Net: amzn.to/2Z7HQiq
Net quick release magnet: amzn.to/2TAoHVl
My cooking set up:
Stove: amzn.to/2YRmPgs
Lightweight Pan: amzn.to/2Kz0Faf
Water filtration system: amzn.to/31CS3oE
Cutting tools:
Pronghorn - by Cypress Creek Knives - Instagram @ cypresscreekknives - www.cypresscreekknives.com/
Pocket (favorite of all time!!): amzn.to/2KCaN24
Locking (my very first that I still own since I was 9 soo I’d say it lasts): amzn.to/31Q8jTB
Fixed: amzn.to/31EFIjR
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Best GoPro microphone: amzn.to/2KAgI7B
Battery pack for all-day recording: amzn.to/2TyZsTb
Small microphone: amzn.to/31HM4PA
GoPro case to hold the mic adaptor: amzn.to/31HLAc5
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Best outdoors camera backpack (love this thing!!): amzn.to/31J75JM
The above links are all affiliate links
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Contact me:
Gmail: [e-mail]

[@MainelyOutDoors]

The full build video is finally out! check out part one here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gaPciYaqgNh8jpY and no long wait between videos this time next one will be out monday!

[@jeffreyclement3564]

lol love the license snow. And love the door of the camper. I want one like that.

[@mav]

pretty damn nice setup there dude

[@MainelyOutDoors]

Thanks Mav! Your videos were a big inspiration for me starting this project.

[@LethallyReptarded]

Mavs a bit jealous I think 😂

[@joshawesome1557]

You know your build was good when Mav comments

[@parsonsmarcus]

Great setup! One idea for that SUV style camper door is to hang up a little curtain rod close to the door and have a black out curtain that you can move and you could tuck away on a couple little mounts when you are getting out for the day.

[@LearnMYOG]

First time seeing a floor. Good idea

[@sherrymuzykazekestravels6793]

I love the simplicity of this build and you did a great job!

[@arlenewolf5260]

Great Video! Stealth is no problem with that topper. Take the bottom portion of the rear hatch door and put on a custom wrap the color of the truck and topper. At a glance it will look like you have the tail gate in place. Put limo tint or put a see through wrap (you pick the color, match the topper / truck color or black) on the rest of the windows (the kind they put on bus windows). So, you can see out but it is difficult to see in. Also you can add black out curtins or reflectx. I had a Buddy Heater I used, but I tried a military ECWSS (Extreme Cold Weather Sleep System). They are supposed to be rated to minus 40 degrees below zero. I can attest the U.S. ECWSS will keep you warm as toast without any assistance from Propane or any other source.

[@adrianagallegocastro3148]

Excelente video.

[@vanbusgeo675]

Sweet camper dude! Can’t wait to see it in action!

[@everchevy]

I am a woodworker. I am quite impressed. I f I were younger I would copy your plans. One observation. Treated plywood on the bottom would prevent water damage. Nice back door also. The hidden metal shelve rocks.

[@gailjohnson6670]

Nice build..Thank you for the video..Have a blessed day..

[@pismoproductions3538]

I can see why you are very pleased with how your build turned out, because I am totally impressed! Love it!

[@MainelyOutDoors]

Thanks 🙏

[@ericwiitala5407]

Very well thought out and efficient. Great job! 👍

[@KYLETHEPYRO]

Holy crap! That's beyond awesome! Phenomenal work man!!

[@jamesmason210]

Great project. Great ideas.

[@freeshrugs63]

Nice video and beautiful build. I spent 2 months in the desert in winter in a short shell. Many hours of darkness and cold every evening. I get claustrophobia so I'm glad that I had a no build inside but I sacrificed storage space under the bed. I think my compromise is going to be a 5-inch storage height so I can still sit up. I have to be able to move it so I can sit up fully in the floor while waiting out a sandstorm! I appreciate the good drawer ideas.

[@eddybraga2435]

Looks great and good

[@carolhewett3756]

The sheet metal surface was a brilliant idea. You could even make some homemade dough for biscuits or bread in a Dutch oven in the coals.

[@jamesgunter7699]

Great job.

[@freddysflyz]

That look so awesome. Congrats on the build! 👍👊👊

[@ryanhowell4492]

Beautiful Video

[@lillypatience]

Nice build! You might want to consider a hypervent layer under the mattress to prevent mold and mildew or drill some more holes in the storage lids to increase ventilation. :-)

[@MainelyOutDoors]

Thats a great idea! Thanks for mentions that

[@chrismorgan3886]

I like the creative use of snow! ;-)

[@IBooDoopI]

I love how the ONLY bit of snow I could spot in this video was piled right in front of his license plate.. Love it!

[@robincarternoble]

Looks great man. Enjoyed all the build vids too. I'm building out my truck too so I like all the ideas KZbin gives me. Subscribed.

[@augustin2105]

Cool setup

[@thegringobaker]

Just got my truck and have plans to do this type of camper too. I'm also in Maine... the Bridgton area. I have to make it such that two people can use it as a a camper... my wife isn't really into fishing, but she does like camping. I'm basically thinking of making the bed twice as wide, but hinged down the middle so that I can have the center aisle when I go out alone. When opened to a "big" bed, the hinged piece will cover the aisle and rest on a ledge on the cabinet side.

[@scottgreenlee5207]

That’s really nice!

[@falkharvard8722]

What a brilliant little conversation. As a carpenter, well done

[@MainelyOutDoors]

thanks! turned out way better than I expected

[@feliciabacon9923]

This is awesome!! Can't wait for the video to see how you built it!

[@MainelyOutDoors]

Thank you 🙏! I hope to have it up soon!

[@susanstrickland6774]

Nice job 👍

[@amitachalal85]

Nice project. Cant wait to see it in action.

[@MainelyOutDoors]

Won’t be long now

[@johnholmes7272]

Great job!

[@AyatollahOfDahmsistan]

Awesome

[@billythebeard6055]

Nicely done! 👌🏻

[@Rainy78]

Love the setup! Looking forward to more Grouse catch n cook vids 👍

[@dsteresamary6654]

Too good video sir. Thanks for share you video.

[@MainelyOutDoors]

No problem!

[@stevejeffrey11]

that's a sweet truck canopy!

[@nmolinaro62]

Glad I found your channel. Great setup for your truck camper. You gave me some new ideas. New subscriber.

[@bonnienklyde918]

Looks great compfy too

[@markc2080]

Nice job. You have given me some ideas for my Ford Transit connect conversion. Nice use of pocket holes as well.

[@MainelyOutDoors]

Glad I could help

[@MariafromthePhilippineIslands]

Very functional set up.

[@unitwoodworking5403]

👍👍Thanks for useful tips and detailed information.

[@MainelyOutDoors]

Glad it was helpful!

[@FreedomToRoam86]

I like your rationale for the plywood floor to preserve the stuff above it. Good idea! And very nicely done woodwork for first time.

[@MainelyOutDoors]

Thanks it was definitely a great learning experience it helped that I put a lot of thought into this over the last year. When it came time to build i knew exactly what I wanted the problem was often I didn’t have the skill to build it 😂 but it came together great!!

[@ethanphelps9478]

really enjoyed the vid, sweet setup! you got a steal on that cap!! - fellow Mainer

[@thomasdipaolo2349]

Awesome set up

[@jacobice2011]

That’s really cool man. Great job! Thanks for sharing.

[@MainelyOutDoors]

Thanks for watching!

[@andywilson7650]

Nice setup, can't wait to see the build video.

[@MainelyOutDoors]

Thank you! I hope to get around to it soon

[@sorthemightyhunter4115]

SWEET!

[@marleyzxv1787]

One of the best builds I've seen..

[@MyLittleFarmhouse]

That’s an awesome setup 😍💕👍🏽🇦🇺

[@edrose9941]

New subscriber and your neighbor. We live in Lamoine on Frenchman's Bay so not far as the crow flies. I look forward to watching the rest of your content; I found you while I was looking for grouse videos. I love to fish, bird hunt (especially waterfowl) and will be grouse hunting for the first time this year. I hope to cross paths sometime. You make tremendous videos and you're very relatable. Best of luck with your endeavors here!

[@normanlim5071]

Very nice set up. Good Job!

[@MainelyOutDoors]

I'm glad you like it

[@77confusedzombie77]

Always enjoy seeing people's setup. Well done

[@MainelyOutDoors]

thank you!

[@MapleMarmite]

Really nice set up! I see there’s some extra support rails on the side of the bed and cabinet - to add a panel for a double bed conversion, I take it? I think I would get a roll of the limo tint privacy film and put on the back door. As well as making it a little more stealth it would help keep the sun out in the summer and stop the heat build up. 👍🏻

[@arlenewolf5260]

Looks great. I would put heavy tint on all the topper windows. Also put one way window wrap on the back hatch so you can see out but others cant see in. Get some reflictx with velcro (for EZ on EZ off) to insulate the windows in the cold and block off wandering eyes. Also if it becomes necesary a luggable loo seat on a Homer bucket with trash bags. Also I would find a way to cary some water. Your build out is amazing. I gave it a thumbs up.

[@MainelyOutDoors]

Thanks! i figured i could always go back and make little fixes here and there still haven't done any urban camping just remote. I'll probably go with some sort of on of solution like you suggested when that changes though. As for the water. Right now I just cary a 3 gallon glass jug I refill with filtration system. Still trying to figure out a good way to incorporate it into the truck.

[@MrBrewner]

Very cool! Would love to have a cap on my truck for that very reason. You could tint that back window pretty easily.

[@amydavis9613]

I love ittttt 😘😍

[@jazzman5598]

Really love what you’ve done with the place!

[@MainelyOutDoors]

😂 thanks

[@stephencarroll8537]

What I'm looking for..I fly fish too...great sit up👍

[@earlsworth7952]

A job well done! I look forward to more!

[@MainelyOutDoors]

Thanks 🙏 more to come if I can ever get around to editing 😂

[@stolidoli]

One of the better videos on this subject that I've seen. Nice build!

[@MainelyOutDoors]

Thanks!

[@patgenier1965]

Nice build. Simple. I like your Shelf on the passenger side with the cubby holes. I/m about to head to Ontario for work this week . From Alberta. Truck camping in my 2012 Tundra Its an on going kinda morphing build. lol I think Ill borrow your cubby hole cabinet idea. Cheers. Thanks.

[@jim.h]

Very nice build. If I could lay in the back of my truck, I'd do a similar thing. One modification I would suggest is to literally cut the back drawer in half and make two shorter drawers to help with organization.

[@angelapalmieri3883]

Love what you did to the truck...great job

[@MainelyOutDoors]

Thanks 👍

[@eladionunez2032]

That's better than a top tent. Pretty cool.

[@MainelyOutDoors]

Thanks! cheaper than most too

[@rlhydn3438]

really great config

[@stephenasbridge878]

Tight lines!

[@gusreid8868]

Very nice job. Great video, you should be proud. Know you are. I’m looking to do similar for Dodge RAM with shell but want to be able to remove all. And need sleeping for my 2 cuddling chocolate labs. Enjoy !

[@H.pylori]

Hi, youtube recommended this. This is a very creative project. Well done! Very functional. One big correction, however...you do have good woodworking skills. I am the one with 'zero" woodworking skills and could never do this in a million years. Thumbs up!

[@MainelyOutDoors]

Hahah I learned alot during this project thats for sure! I ran into all kinds of problems but im glad i did it and am pretty happy with the final product! thanks for watching!

[@paulwilliams2024]

This is superb . Excellent wood work

[@MainelyOutDoors]

Thanks a lot! still a work in progress though

[@MrJILWAYA]

Very nice one man👍🏻👍🏻

[@MainelyOutDoors]

Thanks I’ve definitely been enjoying it!

[@johnathanellis9010]

That’s so bad ass . Good for dude

[@gilvietor1918]

Nice setup, the beauty of doing it yourself is you can just keep improving as you go. It is also nice not waiting for orders to come in.

[@MainelyOutDoors]

Absolutely! there is so much more id like to do with it. next step is going to be running some power back there

[@tinapa7898]

Great set up. 👌 your personality and looks reminds me of someone hosting a HGTV show. I would like to call it "Truck camper renovations" Lol.

[@MainelyOutDoors]

That would be cool!

[@reyflores4606]

Nice camper build. You can add limo tint to your back glass door for more privacy. Or a wrap with the pin holes.

[@bbailey3372]

Really nice job! Well thought out system for your needs. And Congrats on your turkey!!

[@MainelyOutDoors]

Thanks Bailey I've been really happy with it so far!

[@kristieingram2039]

Great build for someone with no experience but I always say common sense is the base for all knowledge.... I would definitely put some kind of shade on those back windows while driving but that's just my opinion 😅 We carry the oven and cook top that's run by propane it's been a blessing on camp trips plus the buddy heater as we are cold weather campers

[@bradmitchell1774]

Slick set up. Lots of good ideas. I'm converting a SpaceKap for the same purpose.

[@bradmitchell1774]

Ideas for your glass. Either a darker tint, or take a pic of an empty truck bed and have a one direction vinyl decal made to cover the glass (like the ones on city buses sometimes for advertising). You can see out, but it just looks like an empty truck bed when someone glances at the back of the unit from outside. Cheers!

[@MainelyOutDoors]

Ohh yeah thats is a great idea I’m going to have to look into the vinyl decal. Thanks for mentioning that!!

[@CBL138]

Nice setup! Had to sub. Thanks for sharing

[@MainelyOutDoors]

Thanks for watching!

[@mertongerrish7958]

really nice . Good idea!! Like this channel. Keep up the good grouse hunting !!

[@MainelyOutDoors]

Should have another grouse video out soon

[@mertongerrish7958]

Love to watch you @@MainelyOutDoors hunt partridge!! I go up every year in some of the same areas we hunt for the last 20 years. SO MUCH FUN!!!!!!!

[@sherryberardino6032]

Pretty nice simple setup , never seen a door like that ,safe travels,

[@MainelyOutDoors]

Thanks 👍

[@falconhead2862]

I smashed that like button before a minute in, great build!

[@MainelyOutDoors]

Much appreciated! Glad you enjoyed the video!

[@lynettepatton2600]

Very nice..

[@Cryton1]

Cool set up. Would love to see a video with you and Mav

[@MainelyOutDoors]

So would I! 😂 tell him to make a trip to Maine I’ll show him around

[@holdenmc6]

Awesome idea. I was looking at doing this with my truck but decided just to keep the traditional tent setup for now. My Tacoma bed is a little small due to the extended cab coming with the short bed. Looking forward to some fly fishing videos!

[@MainelyOutDoors]

Well you don’t have to sleep in it you could always build a draw system for storage and cooking just to help organize all your camp gear. Makes for a fun project and I’m sure you’ll get some use of out of it. Fly fishing videos should be coming up soon the salmon bite will pick up in the next few weeks! Thanks for watching!

[@conradmarconi8096]

Nice work. One suggestion is another set of drawer slides on the big drawer. Especially with the weight being extended with the cooking shelf. Best of luck.

[@Grumps2_4]

You should put some kind of leg system to support your food storage/cooking surface. It'll help save wear onyour drawer guides.

[@heathergibson7507]

Cool set up!!

[@MainelyOutDoors]

Thanks!

[@truthbknown4957]

Freedom!

[@RevBTB]

howdy from boothbay harbor. I love this super cool build!

[@MainelyOutDoors]

Thanks!

[@h2foo841]

Outstanding build and setup. You mentioned possible water damage on the underside of the floor board. On my trailer floor underside, I'm using roofing paint (not the tar) it is Henry 587 Dura-Brite White 100% Acrylic Reflective Elastomeric Roof Coating. Works great, has totally sealed the floor on river crossings, etc. If and when you pull the unit out of the bed, may be worth putting some on.

[@MainelyOutDoors]

Thats a good idea! Thanks for the tip! so far Ive seen no water damage but when i do have to replace it i'll re do it with marine plywood and probably coat with that roof coating.

[@Screenwriting]

Nice setup. If you could do it again, would you go for another walk in door or the conventional topper with a tailgate? I'm having a hard time deciding. Thanks!

[@great3danesmom]

This is great. I want something like this for me Toyota Tundra. But I don’t have any experience building things. I’m looking forward to your video on how to build it. Thanks!

[@MainelyOutDoors]

Neither did I 😂 but it turned out pretty good just wasted a lot of time doing things the hard way and redoing them the right way when I didn’t measure it correctly. Just go for it only cost me the lumber and my time. Over all it was a great learning experience I’m glad I took on. Still trying to get around to making that video but one day I’ll find the time to finish it. Too busy camping in my truck and fishing right now.

[@sambarrett2480]

Keep up the great content 👌🏻

[@MainelyOutDoors]

Thanks, will do!

[@TexasSurplusPro]

Nice setup

[@MainelyOutDoors]

Thanks!

[@jamesrupe443]

You could add rod's to the sides and bottom of the SUV cab door and you could hang long curtains for privacy and extra room.

[@qcrews9410]

Nice job!!

[@MainelyOutDoors]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@gregflores8959]

You have hidden carpentry skills! Excellent work!

[@MainelyOutDoors]

Thanks I’m happy with how it turned out even it’s quirks

[@johnafagerquist8235]

Nice job! I hope you get many years of use out of it. Actually, I'm sure you will. You've got my imagination going on overdrive now. I have got to make me one of these!