building materials and equipment

shifter16

New member
hi everyone! i'm new to the sight but i finally got my rig to build my custom camper on. very excited! i'll post all about that in a seperate post. anyhow, i have seen all kinds of different methods, materials, equip. being used here to build custom expo's here, but i have not found a section or post with just specific materials, methods, and equip. maybe we could make a sticky for all of us who are building rigs and modifying. it would be great if we had a list of different types of materials, suppies, etc. that people may be interested in using on there own rigs. if people could post photos of said items, uses, link to site, costs when possible, and possibly even experience with vendors. i think this could be an invaulable resource for many on this site. if there is a section for this already someone please let me know! i'm finding out the hardest part of planning my build is finding vendors for specific materials/prices, choosing the best products. thoughts??
 

IdaSHO

IDACAMPER
Perhaps you should ask about the particular items/materials you are having trouble finding a source for and we can give suggestions?

My camper is quite different than most here, but I was able to find 100% of the raw materials locally. Something I really didnt want to shy from.
 

shifter16

New member
ok. well i'll try to post all mine in my build thread once its solidified. anyway i'm looking at 2 different materials to build with. alum. framing and exterior which i am the most familiar and have plenty of local resources for however if i can find a supplier and it doesn't completely break the bank i'd love to build out of foam filled honeycomb. if anyone has contacts to where it can be had along with any prices or pertinent info. i would really appreciate it. it does not need to be local at all but if anyone know of places in the area to find it i'd appreicate it as well. i'm in ventura area not to far from los angeles and the rest of so. cal. i'm looking for both the skinned and non-skinned type. idasho i skimmed through ur whole build on pirate. very nice! i've thought of going that route as well. thx in advance for any info and help!
 

Maninga

Adventurer
I think a lot of it depends on what you're wanting to build and the sort of environment you want to take it to. You might find an aluminum structure, foam infill and a form of panel material all either welded or glued together suits what you know and the shape. A number of people are using composites like Nidacore, but it takes some research to find someone who sells the stuff and most of that expertise is within the boat building community.

Me, I've just had my camper built from foam core fibreglass. It's strong, relatively lightweight with good thermal properties. If you're building just a box, have a chat with refrigerated truck manufacturers. They may be able to supply panels or build one for you.

A lot of it's a personal choice on material and design. What is it you're looking to do or looking for? Giving a better idea of what you're doing, your starting point and end goal is far better than a vague query
 

guidolyons

Addicted to Gear Oil
This RV uses some really slick interlocking aluminum panels http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/125714-Ford-E450-4x4-build-revival?highlight=panel

I think I'd just stag a box off a U-Haul or similar to save some time, but if I was to build from scratch I'd look at pre-fab honeycomb sheets like Nida Core http://www.lbifiberglass.com/NIDA/nida.html with some aluminum trim like Westyss' build http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/48351-out-with-the-old-in-with-the-new

Foam core with fiberglass or carbon fiber laminate http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...re-fiberglass-skin-pop-up-camper-build-thread
 

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