F-450/550 for work and play? (Building a custom removable camper)

[IHDiesel73L]

Last week I sold my F-350 Regular Cab because it really didn't fit my growing family. In the meantime we're upgrading to a 4WD Kia Borrego-it will be a good way to move the whole family around and do some mild overlanding until I can find an F-450 or 550 Crew Cab to use as a custom camper platform. The thing is I really only want to have one truck, so I'd like to build something that could be easily removed as a slide-in camper would be so that I could I put stake sides on the flatbed and use the truck to haul firewood. Most of the custom campers I've seen built on flatbed platforms are permanently attached, so I'm wondering how tall of an order this is. In a couple of years I'm hoping to find something like this:



The bed on this truck is 11' long which would make for a pretty good sized camper. I've researched a lot on this site about building camper shells using composite panels made from plywood/foam/fiberglass mat and that's what I'd be leaning towards. Would it be possible to construct a camper on a flatbed platform that could be easily removed as a slide-in would? I was thinking that some sort of outriggers (maybe even removable ones) could be incorporated into the sides near the corners where camper jacks could be mounted in order to lift it on and off, but what about actually securing it to the flatbed? I was thinking about threaded inserts in the floor of the bed so that the camper could be slid on and then fastened using large bolts that would be inserted from the inside of the camper, through the floor, and into the threaded holes. My concern is making sure that the walls are sufficiently strong and tied into the floor since the floor would be the only part actually fastened to the floor. If anyone has a custom camper on a flatbed that is removable I'd love to see it.

[IdaSHO]

Actually, quite a few people have successfully mounted standard slide-in campers onto flatbeds, and have utilized the open sides for large stowage compartments.

I really like the custom flatbed camper idea myself though. And is exactly what I am currently in the planning and parts collection stages of.

I have a '96 F250 flatbed. Currently running an old Bell slide-in that I retrofitted to be an actual flatbed camper.



Cheap, and very functional.


But the real story is my 100% custom camper build.

It is located here:
http://www.expeditionportal.com/foru...t-camper-frame

Skip to page 6 to avoid any shinanigans. Although, there are many good points in there.



Venture over to the "other Custom Expo Camper" forum and I think you will find what you are looking for. The sky is the limit for custom campers. Only things limiting you is budget,creativity, and time.

[Ozrockrat]

Also do a search on google Australia www.google.com.au for ute campers. Most of the campers for pickups (utes) are flatbeds over there and they (we) do have some good ones.

Examples

www.trayon.com

http://www.campertrailers.org/slide_ons.htm

[Ponyracer]

I'm planning on converting my Ram 2500 to an extended flatbed in Jun and will be doing the same thing. I'm "soft" mounting the flatbed using valve springs but I haven't decided on how to mount the camper. I'm looking at using 2" reciever stock recessed in the bed mounted vertically and 4 "posts" on the camper that would slide down into them. That way a quick pull pin of some sort on all 4 corners and you could lift it off. If you come up with something better, let me know!!

I'd shy away from threaded areas in the bed because they will corrode and get dirt in there when the camper isn't on.

[Overland Hadley]

Have you looked at XP Campers? Not sure how they are mounted to the flatbed, but it would be worth checking out.

[Ponyracer]

XP uses some sort of pin design like I'm talking about IIRC.

[jronwood]

If you can find one, look for a 1999-2003 7.3 manual 4x4, they are hens teeth in a 450-550 CC/CC. I have a 2002 F350 7.3 auto CC/CC 4x4. They are out there but JUMP on it if you see what you want. I had a 2000 F-550 stand cab, manual 2x, replaced it with, (and still have also) a 2000 F-550 4x4 V10 auto (Hiab knuckle/log bed/flat bed modular set up). Good trucks. Same thing here 3 young kids, AlCan in a few years. Buying two 788 HMMV shelters, one for the 350 one for a trailer build, low pro, light for road trpping. I will likely do a "full" conversion of my 350 to a 550 once I find a donor truck. Already switched springs. mounts, rims, tires. Unlike the "old trucks" swap outs to 4x4 and diesel to gasser are a "no go" because bed housing and computer wiring issues, FYI. Avoid 6.0's and even the 6.4's arent great. Ford blackened their eyes on those units.

Jronwood

[IHDiesel73L]

If you can find one, look for a 1999-2003 7.3 manual 4x4, they are hens teeth in a 450-550 CC/CC. I have a 2002 F350 7.3 auto CC/CC 4x4. They are out there but JUMP on it if you see what you want. I had a 2000 F-550 stand cab, manual 2x, replaced it with, (and still have also) a 2000 F-550 4x4 V10 auto (Hiab knuckle/log bed/flat bed modular set up). Good trucks. Same thing here 3 young kids, AlCan in a few years. Buying two 788 HMMV shelters, one for the 350 one for a trailer build, low pro, light for road trpping. I will likely do a "full" conversion of my 350 to a 550 once I find a donor truck. Already switched springs. mounts, rims, tires. Unlike the "old trucks" swap outs to 4x4 and diesel to gasser are a "no go" because bed housing and computer wiring issues, FYI. Avoid 6.0's and even the 6.4's arent great. Ford blackened their eyes on those units.

All good points thanks. A 7.3L CC 4x4 Manual 450/550 is the goal, but as you said they are tough to find. I suppose I could do a manual swap which shouldn't be that hard if I could find the transmission. The 6.0Ls don't scare me as much as they used to-even though I'm a dyed-in-the-wool 7.3L fan I've met enough 6.0L guys and seen what they do with them (basically swap out the stock head bolts for studs-the stock bolts stretched causing most of the problems) to bulletproof them. We'll see-its a long way off yet so I have plenty of time to change my mind

[jronwood]

Old 550 is the one with the fender flares, it is sold. Kept the bed and tarp, it will be remoeable over my log bed on the 550 4x4 with the knuckle boom. I just ordered the adapters of the black 350 to run 19.5" tires. I have 6 extra rims here and literally about two dozen 19.5 tires. Cant wait to get those on. I just bought three 788 military shelters to use for campers. One will be removeable on the back of the black truck, one will be made into a trailer (lo profile to keep my canoes out of the wind) OF-550.jpgcamera 1! 363.jpgOF350b.jpg41450757.jpg41450669.jpg

[SChandler]

This guy built a custom camper on a flatbed and made it removable like a standard slide-in camper: http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=964651. You can see how he mounted the camper in pictures in post 53 and 60 of the thread.