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benfroggg · 12-26-2016, 11:20 PM

Good links!

It's not too late to revise... but I've excluded some details in this thread that are in the videos.
The camper cannot stand more than 83" tall to fit into the garage and be able to be jacked up for service. This is a major limitation... but with lots of tools and not much money, I must be able to fix this thing when it breaks. I have a garage with two stories. The floor above is the limiting factor. That's not going to change for a host of reasons... most notably is the need to us the space upstairs.

So any tapering of the roof is impractical. If I taper it at all, it reduces the interior dimensions in a way that's not acceptable for the equipment. The two large speaker boxes I need to move are 24"x24"x48". They have to be stood up inside to create enough room for all the gear. So the interior needs to be as tall as it can possibly be... As it is right now, the interior headroom is 57.5".

The problem with tapering/rounding is that there's a storage compartment right at the corner. To radius it, I'd have to eliminate the storage compartment and rebuild the floor. Not to mention the only thing holding the existing structure together is the corner post in place now. To remove it/modify it is to remove the entire upper bed. I'm not going to do that.

Thus, a folding lightweight boat tail is the best option I have.
I'll definitely try to smooth the leading edge corners. Probably do so with pool noodles at first then something more rigid after testing.

As to the frame-
I'm filming now. I lost a ton of video on it because my computer/hard drive died just after I dumped a bunch of video on it. I'll post a new video here before the end of the week if all goes well.

The frame is gusseted in many locations. The corners where the rear door are, the corners were the roof meets, etc. I'm out of steel, hoping to pick up more in the morning. Then I'll add more up front too.
Even at it's incomplete stage, it's super rigid. It doesn't flex. I have some photos, but the size limit is a problem for getting them uploaded.

The bed area walls are built like a truss. They too are super strong. I can hang my body weight from the far end of the frame above the cab and it flexes downward less than 1/2". This with the frame incomplete and only tacked together.

Lastly, as far as touring.... we don't. We might someday, but that's a ways off. We're gigging 3-5 times a month, most within 1 hour of home. One gig is 2 hours away, but they put us up in a room...
As things grow, we'll expand somewhat. But right now, I'd much rather make a living having to only drive 2 hours commute rather than 6 or more. So as far as toting water... we'l be doing that in a water bottle each.

12-26-2016, 11:20 PM	#15 (permalink)
benfroggg EcoModding Lurker Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Augusta, ME Posts: 45 Thanks: 2 Thanked 12 Times in 11 Posts	Good links! It's not too late to revise... but I've excluded some details in this thread that are in the videos. The camper cannot stand more than 83" tall to fit into the garage and be able to be jacked up for service. This is a major limitation... but with lots of tools and not much money, I must be able to fix this thing when it breaks. I have a garage with two stories. The floor above is the limiting factor. That's not going to change for a host of reasons... most notably is the need to us the space upstairs. So any tapering of the roof is impractical. If I taper it at all, it reduces the interior dimensions in a way that's not acceptable for the equipment. The two large speaker boxes I need to move are 24"x24"x48". They have to be stood up inside to create enough room for all the gear. So the interior needs to be as tall as it can possibly be... As it is right now, the interior headroom is 57.5". The problem with tapering/rounding is that there's a storage compartment right at the corner. To radius it, I'd have to eliminate the storage compartment and rebuild the floor. Not to mention the only thing holding the existing structure together is the corner post in place now. To remove it/modify it is to remove the entire upper bed. I'm not going to do that. Thus, a folding lightweight boat tail is the best option I have. I'll definitely try to smooth the leading edge corners. Probably do so with pool noodles at first then something more rigid after testing. As to the frame- I'm filming now. I lost a ton of video on it because my computer/hard drive died just after I dumped a bunch of video on it. I'll post a new video here before the end of the week if all goes well. The frame is gusseted in many locations. The corners where the rear door are, the corners were the roof meets, etc. I'm out of steel, hoping to pick up more in the morning. Then I'll add more up front too. Even at it's incomplete stage, it's super rigid. It doesn't flex. I have some photos, but the size limit is a problem for getting them uploaded. The bed area walls are built like a truss. They too are super strong. I can hang my body weight from the far end of the frame above the cab and it flexes downward less than 1/2". This with the frame incomplete and only tacked together. Lastly, as far as touring.... we don't. We might someday, but that's a ways off. We're gigging 3-5 times a month, most within 1 hour of home. One gig is 2 hours away, but they put us up in a room... As things grow, we'll expand somewhat. But right now, I'd much rather make a living having to only drive 2 hours commute rather than 6 or more. So as far as toting water... we'l be doing that in a water bottle each.