DIY truck camper

[Wolverine]

After looking and not finding a camper that fit my needs, I decided to try to build my own. Function, weight and cost being the 3 biggest concerns. I wanted to be able to put the truck in park and be able to climb in the back and sleep with no or minimal setup. Level-ish ground being about the only thing to look for. Weight for my light duty truck because a new truck isn't in the cards anytime soon. Tried to keep the costs modest but using true camper materials added up quickly.

I originally started out with a smaller, simpler redneck design that I quickly scrapped In favor of something with a little more of a true camper finish. The design is still a little bit odd but checks all the necessary boxes to do what I needed.



Since I am not a carpenter by trade, designing and framing proved to be a fun/frustrating challenge with a few do overs and redesigns on the run. I certainly learned a few tricks along the way that would prove useful and quicker for my next potential build.

I used a combination of 2X4's and laminated wood out of 3/4 plywood. Certainly there are lighter options but none that would work for the tools and abilities that I have. I used 1/8" luan for the skin and 1 1/2" foam board insulation.

Siding is regular fiberglas RV siding and standard RV windows and trim. The door is custom size RV door to fit the size opening I had. I thought about making a door but figured this would definitely have a cleaner look.

Standard truck camper jacks and lighting. I used bed liner on the bottom and up 2" on the side to help seal the bottom. I plan to bring the bedliner up the sides to the bottom of the wings for more protection against scratching from stored stuff in the bed.

 

[406RoadToad]

This is what’s great about hunters!!! Love that “can-do” spirit!!

 

[Wolverine]

The camper is secured to the truck front and back to trucks tie down points. With the weight of the camper I am not concerned about the ability for them to hold.

Inside was kept simple. I only use portable water jugs and the stove is used outside mostly but could be used inside. One bed is 25" wide and the other is 32" wide. They are about 6'6" long. Inside height is about 5' 10".

I have an 8' bed on the truck and I made the camper 7' long to alow for a porch and outside storage for deer and such during travel. It's definitely nice to be able to walk out and not have to step down right away. With the tailgate closed there is plenty of room for either my generator, deisel heater or a propane tank to be kept outside.

I used a buddy heater at first for heat but had moisture problems so I switched over to a deisel heater and absolutely love it! I have camped down to the teens and the deisel heater could run you out of there. The buddy heater would to but with too much moisture.

I remove the jacks for travel to cut down on drag and to give a better line of sight out of the mirrors. I use the stock mirrors without and problems but towing mirrors would be nice. Only change I made to the truck was to out beefier shocks on the back as I needed shocks anyway. I will upgrade to a heavier tire when they need replaced.

Truck is just a 1/2 ton and handles the camper with zero problems. The camper weights 1000 pound with 6 gallons of water and full camp gear..heater, stove, fuel and cooking stuff. I have averaged from 10 to 16 MPG depending on how I drive. 10 if driving 75-80 with a headwind but usually I get 12-14 driving between 67- 70. On a 2 lane at 55-65 I will see closer to 16.

Only thing I would have done differently is put a window in the door which I will probably add at some point. It was built for my height of 5'10" so I have plenty of room. My buddy is 6'4" and had no problems sleeping or moving around. It allows me the option to pull my boat and the ability to camp wherever I can simply park the truck. No need for setup or tear down. If I am staying in one spot I can easily unload it to free up the truck for any reasons.

 

[FlyGuy]

Nicely done. Inspiring me to take something like that on.


How did your costs compare to buying a finished out rig? How many months (or hours) would you say you have into it?


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[Wihunter12]

Very impressive, well done!

 

[Randle]

That thing is well .......





SUPER AWESOME
Great job

 

[wytx]

Try some carpet on the ceiling to cut down on condensation.
We see a lot of home made campers come through town, your looks great !
Good job.

 

[Nickofthewoods]

Nice job! I think we've all seen some really questionable homemade slide-ins but yours looks legitimate.

I would also like to see a time/cost analysis if you are willing to share that info.

 

[rickjames80]

That turned out really nice! You got me thinking about a diesel heater for my wall tent now. Tent is only 8x10 and when the stove is needed it takes up some valuable floor space. Diesel heater outside ducted inside might be a sweet solution. Any feedback on noise from the heater?

 

[BBob]

Very nice! I’ve seen some awesome home built wood campers over the years. The nicest one I’ve ever seen was last year on a ski/snowboard trip. Very well done overhead camper. He like you used RV doors and windows.

I’ll be curious as to how the diesel heater does for you over time and what kind of maintenance you’ll have to do to keep it running.

 

[Wvroach]

Nice job, I'm also curious about that diesel heater.

 

[traildust]

Awesome build!

 

[dtrkyman]

Great idea leaving space behind the tail gate!


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[cjdewese]

Thats an awesome camper. Nicely done.

My family just recently switched from a 4 door truck to a 4Runner and want to do something similar with an old trailer we have when funds and time permits.

I really like the design with room to step out onto the tailgate, 1st time I've seen that but really like it.

 

[Wolverine]

Nicely done. Inspiring me to take something like that on.


How did your costs compare to buying a finished out rig? How many months (or hours) would you say you have into it?


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It took me around 4 months to build at a very relaxed pace. There were times that I didn't work on it for 3 or 4 days. I did have a solid month of of just design and researching materials before starting. I am sure it could be done much faster by someone with more carpentry experience.

Cost was between $5000-$5500 including the deisel heater. Some of the cost was buying large containers of screws and plenty of extra materials that will be used towards other projects. The siding and jacks were almost 1/2 the cost of the camper. There are cheaper jacks available but I wanted the option to be Able to upgrade to electric power heads for the jacks in the future if choose to.

There are a few campers on the market with similar designs that run anywhere from 11k to 16k new. Some are just as basic and some have more features. With what I have seen in my research, I am more confident in how my camper is sealed compared to some of the junk being build nowadays. After many years of camping, I was able to build to my exact needs and not to what manufacturers think I need or want. Too much waste in what they put out that just adds unnecessary weight and cost.

 

[MTSasquatch]

Nothing like seeing a craftsman do what he does best. Nicely done

 

[Wolverine]

That turned out really nice! You got me thinking about a diesel heater for my wall tent now. Tent is only 8x10 and when the stove is needed it takes up some valuable floor space. Diesel heater outside ducted inside might be a sweet solution. Any feedback on noise from the heater?

Very nice! I’ve seen some awesome home built wood campers over the years. The nicest one I’ve ever seen was last year on a ski/snowboard trip. Very well done overhead camper. He like you used RV doors and windows.

I’ll be curious as to how the diesel heater does for you over time and what kind of maintenance you’ll have to do to keep it running.

Nice job, I'm also curious about that diesel heater.

The deisel heater is a vevor 2k. I bought the heater kit and built my own box to put it in. You can buy them already in if you want. Mine came with a wall mounted controller which I just mounted inside the box and a remote that I use from inside the camper.
This heater has a 3" inlet and a 3" outlet that I used 3X4 reducers on so I could run 4" flex duct to pipe into the camper. It came with I think a 2 gallon fuel tank that I mounted to the side of the box I build.

I used a marine exhaust outlet mounted to the box that I can slide on and take off the exhaust pipe. Exhaust pipe gets extremely hot so I always keep it on rocks and out of any dry grass.

I easily get 2 1/2- 3 nights on 1 tank running on low 95%of the time. I usually start it on high to knock the chill out then drop it down to 1 or 2 on the settings then it just sips the fuel. I haven't run it longer than 2 nights on a battery without recharging the battery so I can't give first hand knowledge on battery life. It is extremely important not to let the battery die or the heater will melt down according to reports I've seen.

I have run the heater sitting on the tailgate and can definitely hear it at night. It the fuel pump that make a knocking of thumping sound. Doesn't keep me awake but would bother a sensitive sleeper. I put it on a cooler or on the ground under the tailgate and have only slight air noise.


There are a ton of videos on YouTube about deisel heaters and different ways that people have the used and installed on everything from vans to rooftop tents. Some of the biggest complaints are too much heat. That can be resolved by installing a tee on the pipe outside of the space to dump some heat if needed. I usually don't use the heater during the night if it's warmer than 40 out....only briefly before bed and in the morning. I have less than $200 invested in the heater.

 

[BBob]

Thank you for the heater info!

 

[packer58]

Awesome build, nicely done. I'm in the middle of my second enclosed trailer build so i can really appreciate the work that goes into these projects.......

 

[drewfoo]

Nice work!