Camper shell finishing?

[Dr. Marneaus]

Hi.

I've never had a camper shell before. I just bought one for my little pickemuptruck the other day. This truck is less than a DD only being driven on occasional weekends, but gets taken camping/fishing/shooting, carries our bikes around (though i have a hitch bike rack so they wouldnt even need to go inside) goes to the hardware store, dump, etc, and its my only "real" personal vehicle (as in modern/reliable daily derivable). It's not going to be outfitted as some full on hardcore expedition style rig.

What I'm looking for is some advice on what light modifications or improvements I can do to make it more useful for the camping trips and whatnot. I do intend to sleep in the back of it a few times a year when I don't take the camper along, trips when its just me/dog. Everything I do should be easily removable as camping modifications (like a bed platform or shelves or a stove or hat have you) wont be needed 95% of the time.

Initial thoughts are:

1. lay down a rubber bed mat so its not just a hard steel floor. Super minor insulative properties. Can pull it out if the shell is ever off for regular pickup duty.

2. Line the inside of the shell with something light to prevent condensation issues. Maybe just flannel sheets or felt or super thin marine carpet or something? I feel like a thin fabric layer would at least prevent condensation from forming and dripping. Also it'll at least cover up the rough texture of the fiberglass.

3. Lighting. Potentially install some LED lights in the upper corners or something, with a plug run to whatever 12v supply i run into the bed so it can just be unplugged if the shell is removed.

Potentially eventually build a bed platform, but not super sold on that, can just put my backpacking air mattress thermarest thingy down and live with it.


Any thoughts or suggestions or experience? Any advice is appreciated.

 

[mtnkid85]

Step 1. Make sure the darn thing is sealed up as well as you can. Most of them leak up by the cab and if your sleeping directly on the bed (no platform) then its a REAL bummer when the bed starts accumulating a puddle of water.

Step 2. Make sure step one is complete.

Step 3. Every thing else you want to do to it.

A super basic sheet of plywood sitting on wooden blocks platform can really help your organization when you are sleeping in the back. Basic LED string lighting helps a lot as well and can be useful every time your utilizing this vehicle.

Also I like to have good tie downs in the bed, again to help with the organization.

 

[Ozarker]

If your camping stuff in there is temporary just toss in a 1/2x4x8 sheet of exterior ply, might paint it. Cheapest lights are probably the stick up type battery operated, tons of those out there. Myself, I'd use spray glue and put up insulation then masonite or that ABS wall covering used in commercial bathrooms, on the ceiling and sides. Might install a cheap vent van, cooler in the summer and cracked open will help with condensation. You can get a PVC gutter, turn it over and rip down it for the angle you want for a valance running the length of the roof and walls, set lights in there if you want something fancier.

I used bags and quick release snaps in one truck, all my pouches and small bags had them. Look at storage nets for tents and boats. Hanging shoe bags have multiple uses. Folding TV trays can be cut down too or bed trays, you can hinge them on a wall if you like.

Velcro should keep a bed in place. Tie downs? Don't know what vehicle you have or what equipment needs to be tied down, but straps and bungie cords usually work well for light applications or even a cooler.

There's lots of ways to slide out storage containers. Need to measure the space you have, shop for containers that fit your needs and gear and design what you want. For a few days out I don't think you'd need a platform and slides, go simple and cheap.

Wal-Mart has stacked plastic drawer systems you can attach to a plywood floor, don't go too high and you can remove the whole thing together.

 

[SDDiver5]

Check out this thread: http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/69403-Show-off-your-Truck-Shell-Top-Modifications-and-Add-Ons-!

Full of awesome ideas. Start building and enjoy.

 

[drewactual]

as far as insulating the cab/cap junction, I've used everything you can imagine... from items designed to do the jog to home-made on the fly that worked albeit only for a little while... you wanna know what works the absolute best? I freakin' inner tube... a 16" kids bike inner tube from wall world, $2, slightly inflated, and then pumped up once in position is stuck in there better and better sealed than any of the gadgets I've bought specifically for this, and has to be purposely removed...

anyhow... carry on...

 

[njtacoma]

I made a raised bed in the back of a Nissan Truck. It was a simple design.

I used an old bed frame, bolted one side of the angle iron to the bedside above the wheel well, and then cut the top and bottom pieces down to 27" I think, put a piece of plywood inside the frame and a piece of foam on top. It was nice to sort of sit up and put on boots, etc in the morning. I had wing nuts on the short ends so I could un bolt it and take it out of the bed to use as a truck.

Instead of the regular feet of the bed frame I used threaded rod and some nuts to make that side of the bed a little adjustable. I could take a bit of angle out of my bed that way if the truck wasn't level.

If I were to do it today I would make the ends hinged in the middle, so I could just pull out the plywood and foam and push the frame up against the bed side and have a full truck bed again.

 

[Dr. Marneaus]

Awesome! so far so good, thanks guys! this is definitely helpful info and I'm going to go read through that thread right now.

 

[Dr. Marneaus]

Oh my god that thread is gonna be bad for my wallet.

 

[rayra]

With a bit of care you readily put a layer of thin indoor / outdoor carpeting on the interior of the fiberglass. Be warned that if you go with a darker shade you'll want a lot more electric lighting, as it will darken things up considerably. Consider a light gray shade.

And when doing such work, make sure ot use headliner adhesive. 3M Super77 won't generally cut it in such an application, the summer heat is just too much for it,

It would also be possible to add some (sound) insulation to the interior, between shell and carpet, using neoprene.

Look in the storage forum, especially at the stuck topic featuring members' builds. LOT of ideas to pick from in there. Or key off of.

 

[Dr. Marneaus]

thanks for the heads up. a buddy of mine has access to super 90 would that be enough?

So far my plan is this:

Light: 8 LED 12v lights, from ebay. mounted up on the top edges of the shell. mounted with adhesive or velcro.

Power: a single 3 port 12v pod mounted to the shell flange (that rides on the bed rail) in one corner near the tailgate.

Interior finish: bubble wrap syle heat insulation to cover the interior of the shell, as well as to make covers for the windows (need to cut our around them anyway). The insulation will go over the wires of the lights and power boxes. Then mount a thick fabric or thin carpet over the insulation.

Floor: Rubber bed mat.

All of the above will be useful in general, not just for potential camping. thats a big thing here. I'll absolutely need lights when loading/unloading in the dark. The camper shell is black plasti dip, so its gonna get hot. I'm told it can get miserable loading.unloading stuff in there if its hot out, plus the dog will be back there. Folks on here have commented that the bubble wrap insulation helps big time just keeping the temps down. Bed mat is necessary because my bed is kinda beat up, and has some holes that need welded up (dont ask lol).

for camping type mods, I only intend to do 2 things, that i saw in that thread above. I feel like this is the perfect setup. Super simple, smart that you dont lose any height by putting storage under the bed. Removable shelves on the edges will provide some "up out of the way" storage. The bed pads are brilliant, just store up at the front and dont take up much room at all. Simple, still mostly a truck (except the bedrug)

I think I have a plan!

 

[Dr. Marneaus]

and just because, here's a pic of the rig currently. the cap was yellow. I plasti dipped it.

just your basic dakota 4x4 v8, about 1" lift front and rear, roughly 32" tires.

 

[rayra]

I was going to suggest the mylar radiant barrier / bubble wrap stuff, but it won't add much insulation overall, and having camped in a minituck with camper shell similar to yours as a yout, I figure sound insulation is more important. And there'll be as much thermal insulation from the neoprene. But it adds much more weight than the mylar (but still low overall)


http://www.ecofoil.com/All-Products/Bubble-Foil-Insulation

 

[trailscape]

Super 90 didn't work out for me. Found out it also dissolves foam, so you have to be careful with the materials you use.

Bubble wrap has proven completely useless for me in the heat. There's a specific way to use that stuff and most of us won't use it that way. I'd stick with foam panels. Look at the ratings on them.

 

[Dr. Marneaus]

Super 90 didn't work out for me. Found out it also dissolves foam, so you have to be careful with the materials you use.

Bubble wrap has proven completely useless for me in the heat. There's a specific way to use that stuff and most of us won't use it that way. I'd stick with foam panels. Look at the ratings on them.

Good to know. So knowing my main goal is not going to be to keep in so much as keep best iut, you still think some foam sheeting is the best option?

 

[Sabre]

No matter what sort of insulation, if any, you choose, the number one thing that will prevent condensation is ventilation.

Ideas for the heat: put a tarp over the shell to shade it from the sun, or erect a stand-up awning over it. You're unlikely to be able to insulate it enough to be comfortable inside on a hot day unless you're also air conditioning it.

Ideas for the cold: be sure to provide plenty of ventilation. Consider an exhaust fan. A sleeping person exhales large amounts of moisture over the course of a night, about 25 mL/hr, or 200 mL in eight hours. Cold air is dry air, and will take up a certain amount of that moisture as it warms, but the small volume of air in the shell will quickly become high in humidity. If you can exhaust the warm, moist air and replace it with cold, dry air the inside of the shell will be cold & dry.

The problem with trying to put something like felt up there is that you'll just end up with wet, mildewy felt. Something like spray foam would both insulate and provide a moisture barrier but that's a fair amount of work and you'd still need to eject the moist air.