Tundra 2016 4x4 custom off road camper build

[bigskypylot]

I like the Toyota, great reliability but what about an early 2000s Ford SD w/7.3? That engine is pretty stout and reliable. You'd have a heavy duty rig that's built to take heavier loads and with a few suspension upgrades you'd be ahead of the game, I'd think. Just my .02. Either way you can't go wrong. Looking forward to your build!

 

[DzlToy]

Apologies, I read your reply on my phone and missed the questions at the bottom of your last post.

Yes, you do need to roughen the foam up a bit, but not too much, as you don't want to the glue to go into the "valleys", thus reducing efficacy. Panels have not been tested to failure, I simply do not have the proper tools or equipment to do it. I could drive a truck over it or something along those lines, but I do not have any way to scale or measure said testing procedure.

As far as glue goes, any industrial or commercial grade spray contact cement will work. Stay away from Home Depot spray glue and the like. You will need a spray gun with a large tip (HVLP works well) and a compressor to push it. Finally, you will either need to wait for good weather and spray outside or make some kind of "paint booth" type of structure, as it does make a bit of a mess when spraying a fair amount of glue on a large panel. Next time I am at the shop, I will try to look and see what glue was used. IIRC, it was something like this:

https://www.helmitinadhesives.com/products/cementssolvents.html

Any autobody or automotive trim supplier should be able to get it for your if they do not have it in stock. I checked for distributors in NM and the corporate site does not list any but there are several in the states around you.

DAP and 3M both make similar products, but I have had less than stellar experiences with those companies (caulking and VHB tape, respectively, not contact cement) YMMV

 

[rruff]

I like the Toyota, great reliability but what about an early 2000s Ford SD w/7.3? That engine is pretty stout and reliable. You'd have a heavy duty rig that's built to take heavier loads and with a few suspension upgrades you'd be ahead of the game, I'd think. Just my .02. Either way you can't go wrong. Looking forward to your build!

No doubt if I was planning a full on expedition rig with all the comforts of home, I'd need a heavier duty truck, and the Ford would be a top contender. Or maybe a Fuso. The Tundra should suffice for my needs though. I guess it seemed like I was already making a *huge* upgrade compared to 2700lb 2.4l truck I built my last camper on!

 

[rruff]

As far as glue goes, any industrial or commercial grade spray contact cement will work. Stay away from Home Depot spray glue and the like. You will need a spray gun with a large tip (HVLP works well) and a compressor to push it. Finally, you will either need to wait for good weather and spray outside or make some kind of "paint booth" type of structure, as it does make a bit of a mess when spraying a fair amount of glue on a large panel. Next time I am at the shop, I will try to look and see what glue was used. IIRC, it was something like this:

https://www.helmitinadhesives.com/products/cementssolvents.html

Thank you for the info!

I've made some test samples bonding plywood to XPS using PL Premium. The guys in the Foamies section of the TnTTT forum are very fond of the stuff, and it seems to work very well. I was using Foamular 150 15psi XPS, and the foam failed before the bond line, every way I tried to separate them. It isn't that cheap, but easy to apply and best of all it works in cold temperatures, so I can work in the winter. Actually that might be a moot point at the rate I'm going! But there is always next winter to think about...

I honestly don't know what a good test method would be. I thought about making long, thin samples of the panels and loading them (say with a center weight), supported on the ends. Flip it over, and load from the other side. Repeat while gradually increasing the weight until something degrades or fails. Probably the bond line or the foam core. But vibration and temperature cycling are other important factors. Blazing new ground is risky without thorough validation, which is why I keep cycling back to what I did in the past. At least I know it worked.

If I could rely on the foam core to carry a good load, I could get rid of the wood stringers (or reduce them), and even skip the exterior plywood layer and just lay up fiberglass on the foam. If I could get the heavier duty styrofoam where I live, I'd give it a shot, but no one carries it and a special order requires 50 sheets minimum, and that is ~5x more than I need. The best I can do is either the Dow or Owens 25 psi XPS.

 

[rockdude]

Ron, you could spend all this money on several trips to the wind tunnel. How's the build coming? Funny bumping into you on this forum.

 

[rruff]

Very funny! Why are you here?

I actually haven't started to build anything yet. I've been playing with fiberglass and foam mostly. I've convinced myself that the cheap XPS is adequate and I can eliminate all the plywood and most of the wood from the build. Only problem with that is my uninsulated garage follows the outdoor temps pretty closely and epoxy likes temperatures in the 60-85 degree range to cure properly. So I can't do it when it's cold.

 

[rockdude]

I have had a Sportsmobile for many years and was looking to sell it and ran across this site. 20 years ago I was going to build my van into a camper van, but after several months of work, I just took it to Sportsmobile and had them finish it off. I am really interested in building a Expedition vehicle but I really don't have the time. You can't ride 2.5-3h everyday and have much time left for fun stuff.

 

[rruff]

When you get decrepit like me you won't want to ride so much! And getting rid of the job helps too. What sort of rig are you thinking?

 

[rockdude]

Hell, I don't know. I will more than likely just get an old track bed camper, gut it and build it the way I want. We just don't use our SMB very much but like the idea of still having a place to sleep with traveling and camping.

 

[Traveling 2gether Journal]

Did you ever do this build?

 

[rruff]

Did you ever do this build?

Ha... found me! I quit in the middle, then started up again with a new design (PVC foam, FG&carbon, bed over the cab, rear entry) last summer. Then my wife left, and I'd really like to start over with something smaller... but I'm going with what I got. I did shorten it about a foot. A truck like your T100 would be perfect for me; wish they made trucks like that now with some updates.

No build thread though. I keep thinking about starting one, but I'm lazy and they are work...