Four Wheel Camper Flatbed Conversion

[teleturns]

Are you going to build the pack straight down from the sides since you have a flatbed?

The sides will go straight down.

The entire camper will have an aluminum frame including the floor.

My plan is to only use plywood for the bottom of the camper. I should only have one seam in the plywood. I have never really worked with wood before so the plywood will be a learning experience for me.

What is the best way to butt joint two pieces of plywood?

[whitewatersully]

They do make a tongue and groove plywood that mates together at the edge, Makes for a stronger seem.

[pods8]

Where can I get marine grade plywood? I have found it online, but I don't want to pay shipping. Are there any stores that sell this? May be tough since I live in the desert.

Look/call around to the local lumber places I bet someone carries some. However keep in mind marine grade plywood does cost some coin.

What is the best way to butt joint two pieces of plywood?

Technically a scarf joint is the "best" way but it takes a little more effort. Ultimately the goal is just to make the joint stronger than the surrounding wood. Some folks router out a piece from each to make a lap joint, not the strongest route but may work depending on how you'll be stressing the wood. If you are doubling up plywood thickness in the floor then you can get away with that easier by staggering joints. Also you can always reinforce a single lap joint with some fiberglass/epoxy across the joint.

[homemade]

What is the best way to butt joint two pieces of plywood?

The floor of my camper has two seams where the floor is wider behind the wheel wells. Since I ran runner strips under the floor (3" or 4" strips of the 3/4" plywood) I just ran strips under the joint, used the polyurethane glue and stapled from the bottom of the runner. I don't recall the staple length, maybe they come in 1 1/4" length but in any case I made sure that the staples didn't poke thru. I have two short seams in the rear sides of the floor pack with a runner on the inside covering the seam in the same fashion. The seams have never shown any sign of cracking.

It is a simple joint, maybe it would work for your floor seam if you ran the seam along the long length of the floor and ran runner strips under the floor. I think FWC has runner strips also and I recall mention somewhere that it is good to have an air space under the floor.

[greg mgm]

Great project!
I had an older 4WC years ago and did a re-skin. I found cracks in the alum around the doors like you did, but I paid someone to replace the alum and do the welding.

Keep up the good work and please....post progress pics!

[scheefdog]

I used 3/4" CDX for my new floor pack with gorrilla glue, biscuit joints and staples. Biscuit joints are a great way to make a really solid joint in plywood and they are fast once you figure them out. However, you do need a biscuit jointer though(and I'd recommend #20 biscuits).

I painted the whole thing with oil based paint(like rustoleum). Then I ran 1x4 strips across the bottom of the floor pack(about every 16") to provide some air space between the bed and plywood. They are easy to replace when they wear out.

[teleturns]

Thanks for all of your help.

I like the idea of tongue and groove plywood and a runner strip for the butt joint. I am going to run to Lowes tomorrow and see what they have.

As for runner strips under the camper I don't know if I want to go that route. My flatbed already sits higher than a normal truck bed, causing the bottom of the overhead bed to be 6 inches above the truck cab. If I had runner strips the camper would only be getting taller. I know we are talking < 1", but ever bit counts.

On a second thought...the idea of replacing runner strips instead of a floor is a great theory.

I could put a runner strip over the joint on the inside of the floor. Having the aluminum frame for the floor would create space for this. It's a thought.

As for the build, my Spoolgun should be here tomorrow, I will ordering aluminum this week and I made room in the garage to build the floor. My goal is to have a useable shell by July 4th.

I also plan on ordering this....
Portaband and verticle mounting plate



This is a really sweet way to mount a portaband in your vise and use it as a verticle bandsaw. I should be able to cut all of my aluminum using this setup.

[Stan@FourWheel]

I too am watching this progress.

Very interesting & exciting.

I can't wait to see the final pictures.



We have done a couple of flat bed campers in the past, and one with a side door entry.

It is something on the drawing board now, and might <might?> be another future product line from FWC down the road.

Keep up the good work !!




.

[teleturns]

Started building the frame for the floor this weekend. I was absolutely impressed with the spoolgun. It worked great! There was a small learning curve at the beginning (bird nested wire and burnt tips), but I figured it out. Welding the 16g, I switched my Miller 211 dual voltage welder over to 110v and it welded perfect.



The Portaband is a must have. Making gussets was simple.




These small welds are tough using the awkward spoolgun




I welded in a small gusset on all of the joints. I know the welds are not the most beautiful things in the world, but I do know they are 100 times stronger than any of the original welds on my FWC.




Now I have to smooth several of the welds, so I can screw the plywood flush to the aluminum. I also need to go buy a biscuit jointer, so I can joint two pieces of plywood together. I am taking off the week of Memorial Day to make more progress on this project.

[Rot Box]

Looks killer! Can't wait to see more