Wheels

The plan now is to move the frame to a place where I can work on it indoors for a while to get things weather proof. To this end I need wheels. 

I found heavy duty wheels with a 20mm axle hole. Brackets for these were fabricated using a 20mmm mild steel rod.

An R clip will hold the wheel onto the axle. 

On board

With the frame on board it was off to the supplier for the timber for the walls floor and roof. 

Demounting system

I looked at various ways of supporting the camper to move it onto and off of the trck bed. There are some very sexy and expensive ways of doing this around. I happened a kit of four legs and a jack for about 200 pounds from Edwards Trailers. 

The legs have two hooks at the base to carry the weight and a lug at the top for stability. I created suitable brackets for these. 

These brackets are removeable. It is worth pointing out that I envisage that removing the camper will be a seasonal and not a daily event; I don't envisage removing it 'on-tour'. Part of the plan, of course, is for the vehicle and camper to be transportable in a shipping container. This plan envisages de-mounting the camper onto wheels, hitching the truck and camper together and driving both into the container. 

With the stands all attached the scaffolding was dismantled and the truck (gingerly) reversed beneath it. 

Completing the frame

The frame was moved from the back of the truck onto the scaffolding base for completion off a level base. 

Central floor support added and underside painted

Frame turned over and first corner post being positioned

Positioning the roof support frame work onto the corner posts. Small sections of steel were welded at the underside of the roof frame at each corner. These dropped into the top of the corner posts and simplified the positioning job (by one man).

Roof frame in position 

Laminate Floor

Laminated Floor strength test.

Following a bit of research into floor construction I decided to experiment with the creation of a laminate floor panel based on ply/expanded foam/ply laters. 

Adhesive used was Screwfix no-nonsense expanding (solvent free) sticky foam. Mid later 30mm XPS styrofoam. These layers were glued, pressed together under weights and allowed to dry overnight.

Top surface 12mm of softwood plywood. 30mm XPS styrofoam, bottom surface 4mm plywood

Output is light, strong and inflexible. The beams here are at 750mm centres and there is no flexing under my weight.