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reason why you don't frame the roof yet is
that you'll need this opening to get the
sheets for the inside skin in. I put wood glue
on the frame, stapled the plywood sheet to the
frame and then used drywall screws to
permanently attach it. Then I used a router
with flush
trim router bit to cut out the openings
and trim it to height. Do one side at a time
to not lock yourself in the box. |
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didn't I design the framing so that the
framing would be 4 feet tall? I wanted the
outside skin to cover everything from the
roof edge to the bottom of the base with a
4'x8' sheet. Since my base is 2.5" thick,
the framing needed to be 45.5" tall, which
would then give me an inside height of 44"
once the roof was on. This is tall enough to
sit on a folded mattress, as a couch,
without hitting your head on the roof. I
opted to have the upper 1/3 of the front at
a 45 degree angle to get a little less wind
resistance and to get away from the totally
square (rectangular) look. |
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At
this point I didn't skin the inside of the
back wall, as a lot of wiring needed to go in
there.
Now it is time to do the roof framing, but
have the pre-cut sheets for the ceiling inside
before you close the framing, as you won't be
able to get the sheets in later. That includes
the panel for the back wall, which you can see
laying on the floor in the right image. |
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Once
the inside skin of the camper is on, it's time
to run the electric wiring. I taped the wires
to the framing to prevent interference with
the insulation as much as possible. For the
12VDC wiring I used 16 gauge black/red wires.
It took about 150 feet to run it all.
Tip:
Take plenty of photos so that you can remember
where you ran the wires for any future
modifications. |
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Due
to the high cost of lithium batteries I went
with a Marine Deep Cycle battery. It is rather
heavy but much cheaper and has plenty of power
for my needs. I decided against an inverter,
as I didn't see the need to have 120VAC if we
don't have shore power, but can add it later
if the need ever arises.
The electric is more involved than initially
anticipated. With 100W Solar Panel Kit,
12V
Exhaust Fan, Dimmable Lights for Inside,
Waterproof
Exterior Lights and LED Lights for Galley,
120V
Shore Power Inlet, Waterproof 120V Outlets,
12V
Outlet with USB and Voltmeter inside and
in the galley, it's a lot and a significant
part of the total cost. Therefore making a
detailed plan beforehand, just a hand sketch,
is very important.
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| Now
it's time
to put the insulation in the gaps between the
framing. Regular Styrofoam insulation is good
enough for this and much cheaper than the pink
foam boards. Try to cut it so that there
aren't any large gaps where condensation could
form, as that would potentially, over time
create mold and rot the camper from inside the
walls. |
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