My new camper design to pull behind Spyder

[Joel The Biker]

Many of you remember my previous camper design(shown in first photo). Now I have a new design that I will build in the spring. I built a scale model to test the concept. It will be built on an aluminum 4x8 trailer, have foam and wood walls, and be able to pop up so I can stand inside(approx 6 ft interior). Total weight is expected to be around 300#. Interior design has not been determined at this time. I realize the first criticism will be the roof vent. It has to face that way to shed water when in the pop-up position. It will not catch the wind and rip off when closed for travel, but the final design may differ anyway. In fact, I am thinking about putting the roof vent the other way so I can vent it during travel. Any suggestions are welcomed.
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[Chupaca]

Looks like a fun project for the spring...looks like it should work fine and will be :popcorn:'ing for the interior design.

[easysuper]

Looks like a fun project, I may build a Pico Lite this winter if I have time. If you go with a aluminium frame make sure you have the tongue strong enough. We have a aluminium frame for our dog trailer and the tongue started to crack after about 10,000 miles and it only weighs 250 lbs.
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[Bob Denman]

:clap::2thumbs:
Let's see what can be added to it... :D
Solar panels
a wet bath
bunk beds
Bluetooth stereo system
Outdoor kitchen
Wineguard satellite TV
Automatic leveling system
4KW generator

And the list goes on! :roflblack:

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

Many of you remember my previous camper design(shown in first photo). Now I have a new design that I will build in the spring. I built a scale model to test the concept. It will be built on an aluminum 4x8 trailer, have foam and wood walls, and be able to pop up so I can stand inside(approx 6 ft interior). Total weight is expected to be around 300#. Interior design has not been determined at this time. I realize the first criticism will be the roof vent. It has to face that way to shed water when in the pop-up position. It will not catch the wind and rip off when closed for travel, but the final design may differ anyway. In fact, I am thinking about putting the roof vent the other way so I can vent it during travel. Any suggestions are welcomed.
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:clap::clap::clap:.Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet ..... google " coroplast " ..... really interesting stuff ..... It may not weigh enough though ..... lots of types, strenghts and varieties ..... horizontal or vertical tubes ....depending on how you want to bend it to shape ( teardrop ) .....even H.D. sells basic 4 X 8 sheets ......good luck .....Mike :thumbup:

[Joel The Biker]

I have some coroplast for my sign making, but I dont like it for the camper. This will be a "foamy". Look it up on youtube. Light and strong.

I will also have a SUV tent that will attach to the back for an added room when at campsites. Yes it will have a TV, A/C, and a 2000k generator, water hookup, outside shower and portable toilet in a separate popup tent. I might not need the A/C and generator and that will save a lot of weight. The generator only weighs 52# but not sure I really need it. A battery and solar should be enough. Depends which weighs less.

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[Bob Denman]

:D Cool... WAY cool! :firstplace: :bowdown:

[Road-Kill]

Nice design but good luck if you think that trailer will weigh roughly 300 pounds.
I'm guessing roughly twice that ……..and when loaded with the camping basics?


Many of you remember my previous camper design(shown in first photo). Now I have a new design that I will build in the spring. I built a scale model to test the concept. It will be built on an aluminum 4x8 trailer, have foam and wood walls, and be able to pop up so I can stand inside(approx 6 ft interior). Total weight is expected to be around 300#. Interior design has not been determined at this time. I realize the first criticism will be the roof vent. It has to face that way to shed water when in the pop-up position. It will not catch the wind and rip off when closed for travel, but the final design may differ anyway. In fact, I am thinking about putting the roof vent the other way so I can vent it during travel. Any suggestions are welcomed.
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[Joel The Biker]

Nice design but good luck if you think that trailer will weigh roughly 300 pounds.
I'm guessing roughly twice that ……..and when loaded with the camping basics?

The 300 lbs will be the weight empty. My previous camper had a steel trailer and was made of wood and only weighed 350#. This one will have an aluminum trailer that weighs about 170#(possibly less with mods) and most of the rest will be Foam, except for floor, roof and rear door. If it comes in at 400# fully loaded with gear, then it will be perfect!!:thumbup:

[ARtraveler]

Very good information for those interested in pulling a camper. :yes::yes:

[timeless]

OUTSTANDING, LOOKS WELL THOUGHT OUT ALSO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THE ROOF VENT CAN ALWAYS HAVE AN ALL WEATHER COVER THAT WORKS IN EITHER DIRECTION LIKE A LOT OF RV"S HAVE.


I have some coroplast for my sign making, but I dont like it for the camper. This will be a "foamy". Look it up on youtube. Light and strong.

I will also have a SUV tent that will attach to the back for an added room when at campsites. Yes it will have a TV, A/C, and a 2000k generator, water hookup, outside shower and portable toilet in a separate popup tent. I might not need the A/C and generator and that will save a lot of weight. The generator only weighs 52# but not sure I really need it. A battery and solar should be enough. Depends which weighs less.

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[cptjam]

I love it! Can’t wait to see it done!

[Little Blue]

It looks like a very able design. How many adults will it sleep? Good Luck on the build. :thumbup:

[Bob Denman]

I love it! Can’t wait to see it done!

:shocked: Done?? :dontknow:
I want to see it go into production, and make it to the Market! :yes:

[JerryB]

Hi Joel,

Re: My new camper

Fantastic!!!!! Keep us posted on your progress.

Jerry Baumchen

[Joel The Biker]

Production is a possibility the way General Electric is going. I may have to start building campers for a living instead of Generators! They laid off 205 workers on tuesday.

Interior space will be a bit tight at only 42 inches wide, so sleeping 2 will be very cozy. But thats where the SUV tent helps out. Cozy sleeping will be more for WalMart camping when you cant set up the tent.

I am sure the design will be updated a bit before I start the build in the spring. This design was an accident. I turned my original design upside down and I just said, "That's it!" This design allows 6 ft interior height and makes waterproofing easy.

[Joel The Biker]

I think the outside will be white aluminum diamond plate. I found a company that sells rolls of .025 thick diamond plate. https://www.cutsmetal.net/white-aluminum-diamond-plate-various-sizes/ I can laminate it to 1" thick foam and it will be very strong and look like factory built. A 4x8 sheet weighs 12 lbs( 6 oz/sqft ). The sides of my camper are only 36" and taper to 12" in front. So each sheet of aluminum will be under 10 Lbs for the sides and even less for front and rear. So the diamond plate skin will only add around 40 lbs at most if I do the roof. I do have some experience with the same stuff bought at Lowes, but they only sell 2x3 sheets. I do have some pieces laying around that I can try different ways to attach it to the foam. This will make to camper really nice in case I end up building some for other people.

[taxmyzer]

I think the outside will be white aluminum diamond plate. I found a company that sells rolls of .025 thick diamond plate. https://www.cutsmetal.net/white-aluminum-diamond-plate-various-sizes/ I can laminate it to 1" thick foam and it will be very strong and look like factory built. I am still waiting for them to let me know how much a 4x8 sheet weighs. I do have some experience with the same stuff bought at Lowes, but they only sell 2x3 sheets. I do have some pieces laying around that I can try different ways to attach it to the foam. This will make to camper really nice in case I end up building some for other people.

Joel Campers LLC?

[finless]

I would make the rear door a split door. e.g. a 1/2 door on the bottom half and a 1/2 door on the top pop up part.
I like the design idea of the pop up for sure!
Can't wait to see it.

Bob

[jaherbst]

:clap::2thumbs:
Let's see what can be added to it... :D
Solar panels
a wet bath
bunk beds
Bluetooth stereo system
Outdoor kitchen
Wineguard satellite TV
Automatic leveling system
4KW generator

And the list goes on! :roflblack:

And don’t forget the “Hot Tub” Bob!

[Motorcycledave]

That looks like a good design, You should give some thought to moving the fenders up and using larger tires
and wheels, years ago when we built ours we had small 12 inch tires on it, the tires would drop all the way into chuck holes
and not roll over them. look in to a different axel design and larger tires and wheels. we used 165X15
Good luck and please post photos of the build.
Dave


Many of you remember my previous camper design(shown in first photo). Now I have a new design that I will build in the spring. I built a scale model to test the concept. It will be built on an aluminum 4x8 trailer, have foam and wood walls, and be able to pop up so I can stand inside(approx 6 ft interior). Total weight is expected to be around 300#. Interior design has not been determined at this time. I realize the first criticism will be the roof vent. It has to face that way to shed water when in the pop-up position. It will not catch the wind and rip off when closed for travel, but the final design may differ anyway. In fact, I am thinking about putting the roof vent the other way so I can vent it during travel. Any suggestions are welcomed.
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[Joel The Biker]

I would make the rear door a split door. e.g. a 1/2 door on the bottom half and a 1/2 door on the top pop up part.
I like the design idea of the pop up for sure!
Can't wait to see it.

Bob

I am not using a half door because I wanted to simplify things. Plus, a factory built teardrop camper door will be more secure and water-tight. I like the idea of my trailer being sealed up with no obvious entry point when its in the towing position. Also, the 2 different angles of the back panels would mean the half doors would need to be opened separately.

Here is a list of criteria that my camper must meet:

1 weigh around 300 lbs or as light as possible empty
2 Little or no set-up time/ must be able to pull into rest area/truck stop and climb inside for a nap. Cant do that with a MiniMate.
3 Be corrosion/rot proof
4 Look like it was factory built
5 be safe to tow with the spyder
6 Be weatherproof and able to sit outside all winter.

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

Have you considered a large HATCH that would swing up on gas struts ..... way less expensive and it would protect you from the rain ......just a thought ........ Mike :thumbup:

[Bob Denman]

And don’t forget the “Hot Tub” Bob!
Jack,
If he left the design to us: it'd be 45' long, and have a diesel pusher design! :2thumbs:

Hot Tub?? Hmmm... you sure are a decadent old rascal! :clap: :bowdown:

[viperryder]

Here is just another idea. Why not move the wheels inboard? This will allow you to have more room inside by making the camper wider. Also, give you a little storage room in front of and behind the wheel wells. Just another idea. Good luck.

[Joel The Biker]

Here is just another idea. Why not move the wheels inboard? This will allow you to have more room inside by making the camper wider. Also, give you a little storage room in front of and behind the wheel wells. Just another idea. Good luck.

A wider width is actually being considered, but since its only for me, it might remain at 48".

[wd8ajj]

I have some coroplast for my sign making, but I dont like it for the camper. This will be a "foamy". Look it up on youtube. Light and strong.

I will also have a SUV tent that will attach to the back for an added room when at campsites. Yes it will have a TV, A/C, and a 2000k generator, water hookup, outside shower and portable toilet in a separate popup tent. I might not need the A/C and generator and that will save a lot of weight. The generator only weighs 52# but not sure I really need it. A battery and solar should be enough. Depends which weighs less.

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I left my 2K generator dome because of weight issues and got an 100 0watt sine wave inverter to use for 110V at night running off my battery. I use a solar panel to charge the battery along with a battery charger if at a camp site with power.

[Two cats]

Many of you remember my previous camper design(shown in first photo). Now I have a new design that I will build in the spring. I built a scale model to test the concept. It will be built on an aluminum 4x8 trailer, have foam and wood walls, and be able to pop up so I can stand inside(approx 6 ft interior). Total weight is expected to be around 300#. Interior design has not been determined at this time. I realize the first criticism will be the roof vent. It has to face that way to shed water when in the pop-up position. It will not catch the wind and rip off when closed for travel, but the final design may differ anyway. In fact, I am thinking about putting the roof vent the other way so I can vent it during travel. Any suggestions are welcomed.
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looks very nice. I'd put a sliding window with a screen in the front to let air circulate through it while traveling. If that will work or not. As long as it's not raining

[robhowen]

Outstanding! It's wonderful to see creative DIY concepts like this. Please keep us informed.
Rob

[Gordy]

not trying to steal your thread just showing the one i built first trip was 6000 kms

[grieppc]

what about brakes and air conditioning?

[Cavman]

For a toilet you can use a homer bucket, kitchen trash bag and some para cord to hold the trash bag in place. After using, remove trash bag and tie a knot in the top and discard. When traveling, use the bucket pre-prepped for storage.

[Joel The Biker]

I dont need brakes. Trailer camper will be light. I have a small air conditioner and might make a removable panel so it can be used on short trips, but it weighs 40 lbs, so I doubt I will use it very often.

[larryd]

I dont need brakes. Trailer camper will be light. I have a small air conditioner and might make a removable panel so it can be used on short trips, but it weighs 40 lbs, so I doubt I will use it very often.



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[Cavman]

Can you list some information about the trailer frame? Brand and where to get one?

[Joel The Biker]

The aluminum trailer will be from Northern Tools. It is IronTon branded and costs around $650.


I am waiting for their sale when its $599 or they give a gift certificate with a certain purchase amount.

[Joel The Biker]

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I have looked at several of those and watched the Youtube videos. They all have bad reviews and dont cool the air much.

I did find this though -
https://youtu.be/7AZecMKOkMk

[Cavman]

I found this information to be interesting on some trailer mods.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rRWgUfegqUs (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rRWgUfegqUs)

[Cavman]

It’s says that Iron Ton trailers are steel frame and Ultra Tow trailers are aluminum frame.
Thanks for pointing me in the right direction on where to seek a trailer frame.

[cruisinTX]

Interesting read from a year ago. I'm curious on this turned out. Seems like a very good idea to me.

[dondje]

Looks like a fun project, I may build a Pico Lite this winter if I have time. If you go with a aluminium frame make sure you have the tongue strong enough. We have a aluminium frame for our dog trailer and the tongue started to crack after about 10,000 miles and it only weighs 250 lbs.
164547

I know this is old, but someone revived it.

Could the cracking be caused from being connected to a hitch that is non-sprung. Leaves the tongue to do a lot of hard bouncing.

Regards,

Don

[Eckhard]

Joel:

A company called SafariCondo makes a car sized version of the a folding trailer called the ALTO you might get some pointers from. It is a inverted from your design in so much that the inner portion goes up and down. I like your version more.

[UtahPete]

Joel:

A company called SafariCondo makes a car sized version of the a folding trailer called the ALTO you might get some pointers from. It is a inverted from your design in so much that the inner portion goes up and down. I like your version more.

At 1800# it would have to be scaled down 5:1 to pull with the Spyder https://safaricondo.com/en/caravanes-alto/