Flippac + Stitch and Glue Camper

[Tmcdon890]

Hey all.

Bought a used, full-size flippac a few months back and it's been sitting in the garage. I had the idea to encase the flippac in combination with a lightweight homemade "truck bed" that I could pull with a Jeep Patriot (or any car for that matter). I camp and rock climb quite a bit, so accessibility and ease of setup/cleanup is priority. Will eventually do a full electrical, shore power setup that includes led lights, speakers, charging ports, maybe fridge, etc. Plumbing will include a 2 burner stove of some sort, sink, 10 gal fresh water, 10-11 lb propane, drain through floor. Hoping to keep the whole build including gear and water under 1500lb. First excel estimates are looking promising.

I made a model on sketchup only to realize that sketchup is incredibly frustrating and has a total lack of dynamic/parametric features. SO I got as far as this model before calling it good. I think it gets the point across. Front and rear are missing.


Encasing the flippac has been done at least once here ( https://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/flip-pac-camper-build.3702/). After scowling craigslist for a few weeks I drove up to Bozeman (I'm in Jackson WY) and picked up a little 4x8 trailer. Mostly 3/16" 3x1.5 C Channel. After getting it home I decided I'd do an axle swap and clean it up quite a bit. A few constraints: I don't have the resources to weld. So all welding work has to be outsourced and labor ain't cheap in WY ($90 an hour). I have a router, jigsaw, shopsmith mark V from '81, common shop tools, miter saw, etc. Not a complete shop whatsoever. I have a budget. Of some amount I haven't decided. Estimates are just looking over 5k. So I generally take cost savings corners when possible.

Just in the last month or so I came across the CLC teardrop, totally awesome. All stitch and glue construction, aluminum trailer. I think the base weight for those is something stupid like 350lb. Anyway, I've never worked with epoxy or glass and thought it'd be a fun time to learn. So I purchased some glass and a resin/slow hardener kit from Raka Inc and have been working a bit in the garage.

It's summer in the Tetons, progress has been painfully slow. We'll see when she actually gets rolling. I'll post when something cool happens in the garage.


See below for pics of the original trailer and updated trailer.

 

[Tmcdon890]

The current tires don't match, and waiting for deals in my area but thinking I'll do something between 215-235 on 15s. Framing 'studs' will be 3/4" ply, furred to a similar contour shown on the flippac model. External sheathing will be a 1/8" doorskin and 4oz fiberglass. (too thin? I may need to double up those layers or buy some 6oz). We'll see if I decide to insulate the cavity inside or not (it's a tent after all). Rear 'tailgate' will be two horizontally opening doors with pneumatic openers. A lot of unknowns at this point.

So far I've added swing-down stabilizer jacks (not shown), and have created a 5x8 floor. The 5x8 floor was a total PITA, but necessary. I'm using 3/4" grade A-C plywood with A-side down. The two sheets were half-lapped with a 2.5" lap with thickened epoxy. Bottomside including through-holes were totally sealed with two coats of epoxy. Half-lap joint rests on a structural cross-member center of trailer. The 6" overhang on each side will be reinforced with 2x4 floor-studs around the perimeter of the floor, minus the tailgate length. Dados and epoxy fillets will join the vertical studs to the floor-joist-studs.

Will eventually have to create my own fenders. Thinking 3/4" ply, kerf-bent to shape. Epoxy filleting will enclose the kerf cuts.

 

[Tmcdon890]

T here,

Progress is slow. Epoxy work in tedious! This is my first time working with it. Daily temperature fluctuations are less than ideal in the mountains here as well. Got the fenders filleted and mounted up, side-rails are ready for 3/4" plywood studs (8" o.c.), temporary frame is holding the Flippac in place and I'm cutting front and back walls and vertical studs this week. I'm not a boat builder, and if you look closely you'll see the fillets reflect this. Most of them will be covered with finished interior walls, and the exterior will get sanded and marine-grade paint. They're plenty strong for structural purposes. Any suggestions for paint type out there? I intend for the whole camper to be one color and I've gotten some mixed info on what surface prep the flippac needs before it can take a finish coat. I understand the current finish is gelcoat, and I most likely only need to wash (and de-wax?) before it can take a finish grade paint?

I'm know there's lots of disgust out there; that I'm putting the money and effort into a build that's supposed to be on a truck, but worry not! I'm psyched and think it's gonna turn out nice. I've got no priorities but to hunt, rock climb and build this thing out before winter. The quicker I build, the earlier I get to use it for the other two sports. Just lots more work until I can call it a cargo trailer, much less a camper.

 

[vintageracer]

Change you hubs out for 6 lug hubs and get some cheap 16 inch steel or aluminum wheels.

So many more tire choices for new tires and good used tires these days versus 15 inch which are on the way out!

 

[ottsville]

I like where you're going with this.

Have you seen this build of the CLC tear?
http://tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=50&t=67288

 

[WOODY2]

One place you are going to have to wing it is the struts that returned back to the hood. Certainly doable just need to find the new extended length and fab a couple up?

 

[Tmcdon890]

Thanks Ottsville, haven't seen that. My build will be similar except I'm hand-fabbing all the puzzle pieces myself, and they definitely won't fit as tight. And yea, haven't given the hood supports much thought yet, except I'll have to rotate the current mounts so they can diagonal towards the tongue.

 

[ex m38a1er]

Might want to consider installing legs on both sides of the front top when deployed.
Looks like it's going to tip over (most likely diagonaly) once you crawl on it,unless the trailer it'self is too heavy..

 

[Tmcdon890]

Taking a nice dump for you here. Jigsaw's been getting a workout. Also blowing through lots of epoxy working these fillets. Back door frame and door jambs are cut and installed. Most of the studs are installed. Temporary Flippac support has been removed. Still need to figure out what type of support I'd like to have over the fenders. There's the slightest rock from front to back. I'm thinking If I install an elongated rectangular piece of plywood between the fenders and the bed rail I'll get the structural rigidity I'm looking for, and also reduce the rocking stress in the fillets. Note my overhanging chunks of studs on the corners, these will be shaped into the respective corner radii, so (hopefully) there will be no seam between the Flippac and the lower structure.

Best,
T

 

[Screwfly]

Pretty cool build.
Proves you don't need an unlimited budget to get what you like! We had a project car we are starting and will be learning the "how to" as we go on it.

Sweet MK1 also!

 

[Tmcdon890]

Onward. As my fillets cured the structure actually got incredibly strong, so I didn't do anything special to reinforce it. Walls are starting to come together. I've "stitched" a few areas, but for the most part I'm just using 1 1/2" screws to hold the door skins in place before the fillets grab hold.

 

[s.e.charles]

" After scowling craigslist … "

been there!

impressive amount of detail work. stick with it.

 

[Tmcdon890]

I've got a question for someone with a structural mindset. I had initially planned to embed my trailer lights in the rear wall (3/4" ply). I'm using these lights: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00A8OBGH4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

On second thought, I have a hard time believing I will get a perfect seal between the rubber gasket and the hole (fiberglassed) in the wall of the 3/4" ply. Ultimately I will have fiberglass batt insulation in the cavity behind the hole. So now my thought process has switched to embedding the lights into the rear structural member of the trailer. The oval holes need to be 6-3/4"long by 2-1/2" wide. The rear member is 3.5"x1.5" 3/16" thick C-channel. 48" long. Any thoughts? I definitely do not want to remove steel from the trailer, but it seems like a one-and-done deal, rather than continually regretting a decision to allow water ingress into my wall cavity.

T

 

[Tmcdon890]

Here's what I'm hoping will work. If not, there's plenty of bolt-on light bracket options, it's just last resort.

 

[ITTOG]

I would look for an exterior housing that you bolt on and don't have to cut the wood or steel other than the bolt holes.