teardrop camper shell?

[deadset]

New Guy here. Hello! I would like to get some guesstimates on the weight of a custom teardrop that is roughly 80 inches wide by 84 inches long. It would be a stick framed insulated shell with aluminum sides. No cabinetry beyond a couple of simple shells. No kitchen as the only door will be at the tailgate. Definitely a fantastic fan and some windows.

My idea is to build it to be about two feet high at the cab of my truck and curve up to be the full 4 feet high at the tail-gait. The bigger dimensions are so that I can fit my wife daughter and I plus two dogs on the king size bed I will put in it. I am wondering what the guesstimate is on weight to see if the sides of my truck are strong enough to hold it. I am trying to avoid building supports into the truck bed to help carry the weight.

I dont want to build a traditional teardrop because sadly I am an over consumer and have a trailer I will be pulling with a couple of ATV's on it.

Weights of similar sized teardrops without the metal trailer frame would be very much appreciated. Thanks!

[bobhenry]

Spit balling here I had a high top camper years ago seems it was in the 500 pound range. Why not get online and look at similar sizes on retail sights they will give you the specs of their units?

[deadset]

Spit balling here I had a high top camper years ago seems it was in the 500 pound range. Why not get online and look at similar sizes on retail sights they will give you the specs of their units?

I have been but am really trying to get a rough estimate on what my own teardrop home built shell will weigh because I dont know if it will be similar to those shells or not. If I go this direction the floor of my shell will begin at the level of my truck walls so there will be storage underneath. The whole thing will be resting on the walls just like a shell IF it can be done that way.

[bobhenry]

Well you didn't give me much to go on so I built my design. Truck stake pockets are pretty standard and they measure 67" out to out so bed is about 70" wide maybe depending on design. I don't see how you got to 80" wide but is can be done. I roughed a square box 4' tall 6' wide and 7 foot long. I built it much as you would a standard wall with a top and a bottom plate and studs at 24" o/c. I felt as if nominal 1 1/2 x a full 3" 2x3 would save some weight without jeopardizing the strength. I added a 1x4 running diagonal as a let in wind brace from high front to low rear and a shorter one high rear to wherever it intersects with the other ( or a full length could be added inside) I put 4 studs front and rear wall equal spaced and you could adjust the rear spacing out to accommodate the door of your choice. 3 intermediate 2x6 were used as the flat roof joists. I used a 2x6 so it could be notched at the end to plane out with the top plate and the remaining stub under the notch could be screwed and glued to the sister sidewall stud. A covering of gage aluminum and that's a very basic shell.

52' of plate 2x3 ~40' of side studs and~ 32' of end studs 146# at 1.2# per foot
24' of 1x4 let in wind bracing 16# at .65 per foot
18' of 2x6 37# at 2.05 per foot
The aluminum I have no clue as to style and gage so I dumped in 1/2 pound per sq ft so 152 sq ft was 76#

146 + 16 + 37 + 76 + 275#

Now you add windows doors perhaps insulation and inside paneling plus hardware nails screws and you will soon arrive at the 400 - 500 pounds I was at earlier.

[bobhenry]

if you are curious as to let in wind bracing as it is really old school. You plow a rabbet in the stud that will allow the member to set in the grove and be nailed or screwed in place to triangulate the wall panel to avoid racking.

[yrock87]

at 80 inches wide you may want to consider getting or building an ATV rack for your truck and then towing the camper. that king sized bed will be 4 ft in the air and a challenge to safely climb into. also, you loose a lot of square footage under the bed. putting the ATVs on the truck gives you the ability to tow a camper big enough for the 5 bodies you plan to cram in there. https://www.google.com/search?q=bed+top ... 9aKZ10M%3A

[deadset]

at 80 inches wide you may want to consider getting or building an ATV rack for your truck and then towing the camper. that king sized bed will be 4 ft in the air and a challenge to safely climb into. also, you loose a lot of square footage under the bed. putting the ATVs on the truck gives you the ability to tow a camper big enough for the 5 bodies you plan to cram in there. https://www.google.com/search?q=bed+top ... 9aKZ10M%3A

I've got BIG luxury problems is all. Its just my wife and I and our daughter. We are getting a Polaris Ranger and since they are so wide it wont fit on my 2011 GMC Sierra. We have a relatively new Dutchman 23 foot trailer that just plain bugs me its so big and bulky and heavy. They dont want to downgrade into a tent if possible so there it is. Luxury problems.

[deadset]

[quote="bobhenry"]Well you didn't give me much to go on so I built my design. Truck stake pockets are pretty standard and they measure 67" out to out so bed is about 70" wide maybe depending on design. I don't see how you got to 80" wide but is can be done. I roughed a square box 4' tall 6' wide and 7 foot long. I built it much as you would a standard wall with a top and a bottom plate and studs at 24" o/c. I felt as if nominal 1 1/2 x a full 3" 2x3 would save some weight without jeopardizing the strength. I added a 1x4 running diagonal as a let in wind brace from high front to low rear and a shorter one high rear to wherever it intersects with the other ( or a full length could be added inside) I put 4 studs front and rear wall equal spaced and you could adjust the rear spacing out to accommodate the door of your choice. 3 intermediate 2x6 were used as the flat roof joists. I used a 2x6 so it could be notched at the end to plane out with the top plate and the remaining stub under the notch could be screwed and glued to the sister sidewall stud. A covering of gage aluminum and that's a very basic shell.

52' of plate 2x3 ~40' of side studs and~ 32' of end studs 146# at 1.2# per foot
24' of 1x4 let in wind bracing 16# at .65 per foot
18' of 2x6 37# at 2.05 per foot
The aluminum I have no clue as to style and gage so I dumped in 1/2 pound per sq ft so 152 sq ft was 76#

146 + 16 + 37 + 76 + 275#


Honestly reading your post got me discouraged. I had never thought of adding cross pieces for a wind brace at all before. Don't you think if I used the traditional teardrop design that it would be strong enough to ride on my truck safely? Also I said 80 inches wide because a king size bed is 76 inches wide and that is what we wanted to put in it. I was looking online and one possible solution is to have a metal rack built so that the weight of the camper top rides on the truck bed instead of the walls of the truck.


Another problem I ran into is looking up camper jacks for this thing they run 800 bucks for a set of them!!! I cant think of another way to get the shell of the truck though..

[bobhenry]

"Also I said 80 inches wide because a king size bed is 76 inches wide and that is what we wanted .."

Everyone thinks of king and queen sized beds. In a teardrop or tiny trailer you have no worries about falling out of bed and you are able to utilize all of the mattress. There is something in your brain even when asleep that tells you this. I often wake up on our full sized mattress with my nose about an inch or two from the wall. ( I am a side sleeper) So here I am at 325# using about 2' of the mattress. Mock it up and try it if you don't fully believe me.