Cheap A.R.E. DCU Camper Slide-in Build

This is my creation that I am working on. I wanted a place to sleep comfortably dry with ample natural airflow or air conditioning for the hot Texas nights. I have a company truck, Toy Jeep TJ, and my wife drives a Ford F-150 with the 5.5 foot bed. So since the company truck is not 4wd, I wanted something that the wives F-150 could carry and still pull the jeep. I decided the truck was too small for a cab-over camper and I want something that would not make it dangerous on and off road. I decided a contractor camper would be great start. I purchased a A.R.E. DCU topper for $300 and bought three 3/4" pieces plywood and started building. 3/4" R-5 foam board insulation was added to the topper with 1/8" plywood covering it for a finished look. A 5000btu window unit converts the camper into a meat locker in a few minutes,and can also be run by the $90 Harbor Freight 900 watt generator. Still working on it and have alot of ideas to improve it.
I have three treated 2x4s along the bottom to help slide it on and off the truck. I built a platform so I can pull the truck up to it and slide it on and off the truck in a couple of minutes by myself. I have screens on both side hatches so I can have them open without bugs getting in. I am looking for a screen curtain with the magnet seal like the one they sold on tv for the back door. I'm working on some cabinets and lighting right now and planning on installing 4" PVC pipe on roof rack for water storage. The a/c is the smallest 110v I could find and turns it into a meat locker no matter how hot it is outside.
I added a few things to my build. I added a 4" PVC water storage on the roof and 12vdc water pump for showering. Holds around 25 gallons from my rough estimates. I plan on measuring it one of these days. I also added cabinets, led lights, and some curtains to help finish the interior. I have a few more ideas to do on it.
UPDATE 4/6/2014
This setup gives me a 4 foot x 6.75 foot floor/ sleeping area with 4 foot high ceiling. I have the bottom lined with the gray Harbor Freight anti-fatigue foam mat which makes it nice when crawling around on knees when the futon mattress/ bed is rolled up.

And if anyone has any ideas of what y'all would add or do on this build please feel free to help me with ideas.
Thanks
 

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toyotech

Expedition Leader
Nice set up. Any concerns of the water weight up top? I had similar plans but decided not to cuz of weight up high.


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I don't notice any difference in the weight. I usually only drive it around when its full so I don't know how it would handle if it had the sloshing back and fourth of a half full tank. I usually am towing a jeep so that might make a difference.
 

toyotech

Expedition Leader
I was thinking stress on the top and where it's bolted too. I guess since you have it full. It doesn't slosh around can help


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dilleywhopper

New member
I did the same thing for the same reason for about the same cost. Although I have not mounted the window unit yet. The ability to slide it onto a dolly is a great feature.


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toyotech
I looked into the roof racks on the DCUs and they are rated for 250 lbs so the weight of the water should be no problem.
 

dilleywhopper

New member
I used 1" foam between the roof rafters and spray glue with fabric scraps from a hobby store. Easy and cheap.
I had thoughts of a full on camper build with it, but it is still light enough I can move it around myself. Maybe if I worked out a load/unload mechanism, I'll finish it out.


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dillywhopper
That came out nice with the cloth on the sides. If you do decide to cover the framing take photos of it and get some good measurements of where the framing is. I didn't and now I have problems remembering where the framing is when I need to mount anything. You might look into running some kind of treated boards along the bottom, one to lift it up so if it rains the floor is not soaking in any water buildup in truck bed, and two helps it slide a little easier and absorbs some of the damage to bottom when sliding on and off. I also ran some 1" webbing strap in 3/4" PVC pipe for hanging stuff from front to back in the roof framing. I will post some pics when I get a chance.
 

dilleywhopper

New member
I actually did frame/cross brace the bottom with treated 2x4, then painted it. The walls skirt and are screwed to them for stability. Under the window is a 2x8 cut to match the taper front to back so it's square on the inside. I-bolts through this and turnbuckles attached to stake pocket tie downs

Thanks for the tip about the framing and the strap. I will look into the curtains link, I have been woken up by sunrises after late nites around the campfire a few times. Although, I may then have to contend with the antics of ornery wheeling buddies while sleeping in...
 

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