Flatbed and composite panel build on Dodge 2500

[Jeep]

The final product looks amazing Mark. Too bad I haven't had time in the last several weeks to track more of the thread let alone finish my trailer build.

Thanks Shane, sorry to hear about your wreck, that sucks. Does your lovely wife have enough years in to retire yet? I might need some help here!

 

[xtremexj]

Thanks Shane, sorry to hear about your wreck, that sucks. Does your lovely wife have enough years in to retire yet? I might need some help here!

Mark you know how much I would do that in a second if I could swing it!! If it wasn't for the 2 hour commute one way I'd be all over it right now. Got anything I can do from home to start? I'm happy to try and make something work.

 

[dwh]

Saw you playing around in the help and info forum. Looked like you were trying to get the signature of your commercial account dialed in. Cracked me up.

Hadn't looked at this thread in a long time. Wow. Fantastic. Love not only the skilled execution, but I'm seriously liking the integrated lightweight structural integrity approach.

I'd trade up to aluminum cabinets and bulkheads in a heartbeat. I LIKE the idea of a camper that you can just hose down....on the inside.


Someone thought they busted you with a screwup with mis-aligned cabinet doors. But no, just an optical illusion.

But I think I gotcha...try and wiggle out of this one...

What's up with that rack throwing all that shading on the solar?

 

[Jeep]

That was my #1 sales guy getting it right, you'd have had a lot more entertainment if it was me monkeying around in there!

Thanks for the comments, the aluminum cabinetry is working out really good, we use it in all of our industrial and emergency units so we know how to build it good, getting the cosmetic aspect dialed in from industrial was the only real challenge and we've made some pretty good progress there. Tying the unit together from floor to ceiling really adds a ton of strength so the whole concept worked out really good.

The rack throws a lot more shade on the solar when it's loaded! I have a newer layout for the panels which still protects them and the bars no longer shade the panels. I turned the fridge on in May, powered everything up and have not shut it off since, gotta love solar!

Cheers,
Mark.

 

[dwh]

Another thought...

Stephen Stewart built his own camperbox on a Mog, but I'm not sure if the build pages are still online. But he also put together a pretty good "bible" for overland trucks.

http://www.silkroute.org.uk/equipment/choosevan.htm

One thing he did that was clearly seen in the build pages, but only briefly mentioned in the bible, was to make the shower pan quite deep and angled to the drain. In the bible he calls it a funnel. This was so it would drain properly even if the truck was substantially off-level.

Looking at the support braces of your shower pan, it seems that you've got some room to play with and could make the pan deeper with a greater slope angle leading to the drain.

I would. I might also move the drain over near the aisle so it could be easily reached and inspected/serviced. Even better would be being able to reach it from the outside and maybe you've got an outside hatch for that already and I just missed it.

Man...you make it really hard to come up with useful suggestions for things that could be improved.

 

[dwh]

Over time Stewart made a couple of changes to his Mog box. One was to make a floor plate with embedded tubing tied into the hydronic heating system.

Another was to add a small trucker style mini-split a/c with the head unit installed in the sleeping compartment, and a Honda eu2000 to power it.

The outer shell of his box he had made by a commercial company that does reefer boxes for trucks. He commented somewhere that the walls were 30mm and if he had to do it again, he'd go with 60mm...at least for the sleeping compartment if not the whole box.

 

[SamM]

Wood? It's 2016 boys! There is not a factory produced vehicle that is made with wood except for the dreaded RV!

Hey Mark,
Great build! Read through the thread last night and this morning. Sorry, that I missed the Expo West now. I would have loved to have seen your camper. I'm into the box build for my overland trailer/camper. Is there an economical panel that could be sourced on the East Coast? What would you suggest? I know you are a very busy man. My trailer is based on a Schutt Industries LTT. Keeping it light is a top priority for me, as my tow vehicle is a Jeep JK 2-door.

Oh, the English Morgan sportscars are still made with wood in their frames. Thought you might like to know. They are custom handmade.

SamM

 

[Overland Explorer]

^^^^^^ Check out forum member Victorian

Andreas owns Total Composites

 

[Jeep]

Morgan's are a classic and I love them. Idasho is probably one of the few wood units with that kind of care put into the build. Not so with the rest of the industry. Check out Total Composites or Beaufort Composites on the east coast.

 

[IdaSHO]

Thanks Mark.

Interest is certainly peaking.

Well on our way. Same game, played in a completely different way.
I'm keeping things super small, on purpose.


BTW, I've already redirected a few potential clients your way.
Inquiries into composite panel builds.

I wouldnt bother sending them anywhere else :friday:

 

[Victorian]

^^^^^^ Check out forum member Victorian

Andreas owns Total Composites

Thank you Mark for the mentioning!

 

[SamM]

Thanks, I appreciate the information!

SamM

 

[Overland Explorer]

We will be in full production of a new line of off road trailers in 8 weeks. Come check them out if you are in the Pomona,CA area next weekend, October 1-2 at the Off Road Expo. We will be exhibiting with Rebel Off Road in space 87 outside.

http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/163240-Overland-Explorer-Composite-Off-Road-Trailer

 

[pappawheely]

We will be in full production of a new line of off road trailers in 6 weeks. Come check them out if you are in the Pomona,CA area next weekend, October 1-2 at the Off Road Expo. We will be exhibiting with Rebel Off Road in space 87 outside.

http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/163240-Overland-Explorer-Composite-Off-Road-Trailer

Better bring towels to clean up the drool and nose prints. :drool: See you there!

 

[MagicMtnDan]

Looks awesome! I hope to see it and your at the Expo next weekend.

There will be a bed/sleeping area inside, right? What size mattress will fit in there (in the Jeep version)?

Why don't trailer mfrs build up and over the wheels to gain usable width?