Category: 2018 Camper Build

I don’t think I’ve posted about the camper recently. Between bad weather and mainly lack of funding after a few rotten no good expensive weekends I haven’t done much. But I have been able to work on the lid. First picture shows the lid leaning against the camper, rigid foam glued to the ribs. This of course is the bottom. Next picture shows the lid sitting on saw horses over a drop cloth. Third picture shows the freshly applied gripper and canvas that will make the skin of the lid. I have to stop here because the paint has to dry. Unfortunately there’s not room for the lid like this and the camper at the same time so weather has to be nice.

I know you’ve been waiting to hear about the camper. Saturday morning I applied canvas skin to the rest of the walls. Three sides in all. I expected it to go much faster than last weekend and it did. Here’s me applying a squeegee to the canvas which is wet with primer and then a wider view after I was done for the day. Just so you know, its the XL hazmat suit that makes me look like I put on 25 pounds. If you are wondering about the lack of windows, they will be in the flip up panels. Once dry, I can apply as many coats on cheap brand paint and then a not so cheap top coat. I spotted an “Elastomeric Roof Coating” that looks like it would do a good job. Some camper makers have used that before with success. Waterproof, mold resistant, UV resistant, etc, that appears to like it would do well.

More fun with Poor Man’s Fiberglass. Yesterday I did the top of the tapered front end. This morning I did the two sides. Because it tapers, these sides range from about 4′ tall to 5′ tall and about 3′ wide. I did both sides. I am using 4’x12′ painter’s canvas from Harbor Freight. I’ve not actually measured them before washing yet but they apparently shrink up substantially in the wash. I washed this one twice to get the lint out (I could make my own paper with the amount of lint that came out of the dryer). Anyway, it is still most of 4′ wide but only about 10′ long now. As long as they don’t shrink any more than that I can cut them in half and that will be long enough for a side. Since these wrapped around each side about a foot I can probably finish each side with one tarp. Two for the back and two for the top. I have three in stock so I’ll need to get three more. I used about 80% of a gallon of the primer. At $26/gallon Glidden Gripper is a little pricey but it’s called Gripper for a reason.