Thread: Design and build a camper trailer - novice

Looking great so far Debruiser,
Just a thought on sealing the gap in from the side walls to trailer.
If you get some 8mm sail track, rivet a length around the top of the trailer and another length to the walls of your camper, then have your local upholstery shop sew up some marine hooding with rope ends to run around all this.
The tailgate is an issue, but this can be solved with bungies so you un-hook them first before dropping the rear gate.

Second thoughts, sail track around the walls of the camper and it would be easy to either lace on the fabric to the trailer rails or use bungies or press studs all around to the trailer.
Doing it this way will make it dust and water proof and will look professional.
Attached is a diagram of 2 methods I amsail track.jpg thinking of.

Originally Posted by Flipper

Looking great so far Debruiser,
Just a thought on sealing the gap in from the side walls to trailer.
If you get some 8mm sail track, rivet a length around the top of the trailer and another length to the walls of your camper, then have your local upholstery shop sew up some marine hooding with rope ends to run around all this.
The tailgate is an issue, but this can be solved with bungies so you un-hook them first before dropping the rear gate.

Second thoughts, sail track around the walls of the camper and it would be easy to either lace on the fabric to the trailer rails or use bungies or press studs all around to the trailer.
Doing it this way will make it dust and water proof and will look professional.
Attached is a diagram of 2 methods I amsail track.jpg thinking of.

hmmmm.... not a bad thought at all! I might just steal the 2nd thought.

Here is some excitement for your day. On second thoughts if my posts are your most exciting thing for a day then probably you need to get out more

Couple of new pics... finally started on the kitchen shelves/draws. It's not screwed into place yet. Going to get it all fitting then pull it all out to paint the frame. Then it'll all go back in and get a final painting.





Was thinking of painting the ply/wood with paint rather than varnishing. My experiences with marine grade varnish havn't been the best.

At last it's starting to look like something... not just a bunch of random RHS' welded into a cube.

Good job mate......ahhhhh sawdust.......

I guess no matter what type of coating you use, to some extent it will wear.

yea sawdust everywhere.... how does it do that!

I would have preferred to go ali kitchen shelfs, bench, draws BUT I can't weld it... A: don't have the gear, B: Not sure that I have the talent. SO marine grade ply plus some timber is the go.

I've got a nice little sink on order that should go very nicely! unfortunately it's not here yet hopefully it gets here this week.

Yes I hope any coating I use wears (otherwise I've put in a crap load of work for something that isn't getting used!). I have used marine grade varnish before on outdoor furniture and found it to flake and peal. I dont want that happening to this - it will be far too hard to revarnish and plus I dont want the ply getting wet and chance having it fall apart.

The flaking varnish on the outdoor furniture might have been due to the UV exposure maybe. At least inside the camper they won't get that.

I see a lot of the Americans use the herculiner type products, you know the anti skid good wearing rubberised stuff for utes/trailers beds. I did see our local auto parts place were now selling the rustoleum brand kits, not sure on the price or how far they would go, but that might be an option for the top working surfaces and then paint/varnish/epoxy resin even, the underside/edges.

Very excited! Got the sink and faucet turn up in the mail today! YAY! Now I can get stuck into the kitchen and get it all fitted up.

Originally Posted by debruiser

Very excited! Got the sink and faucet turn up in the mail today! YAY! Now I can get stuck into the kitchen and get it all fitted up.

Faucet - really? Can't we just call them taps over here?