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HourlessLife

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This is our rig. We call him DAUNTLESS. We're getting ready to drive this rig around the world on a 10-15 year journey.
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HourlessLife

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How do you like the alucab so far?
We're impressed with the quality and the use of space that we were able to accomplish in a small 5' bed. But to be honest, we've been basically in 4 shops and have only spent two nights in it in between. So it is hard to give any sort of real world feedback on it yet. We are full-time overlanders though, so we'll have plenty of time before Overland Expo Mountain West at the end of August to formulate some proper thoughts. I'd say ask me in a month or so. Probably not the answer you're looking for, but it is an honest answer. More to come. ~ E
 

kylethompson

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We're impressed with the quality and the use of space that we were able to accomplish in a small 5' bed. But to be honest, we've been basically in 4 shops and have only spent two nights in it in between. So it is hard to give any sort of real world feedback on it yet. We are full-time overlanders though, so we'll have plenty of time before Overland Expo Mountain West at the end of August to formulate some proper thoughts. I'd say ask me in a month or so. Probably not the answer you're looking for, but it is an honest answer. More to come. ~ E
Thanks for the response. I’ll ask again later. Mostly I’m curious how the sleeping arrangement works up top and navigating out at night to use the restroom while the other stays in bed. I’m working on designing a cabover pop up for my mojave right now and imagining the space and living in it are two very different things.
 
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Does anyone know what these plastic boxes are? Looks like you could use 8020's square tubing, fasteners and these boxes, or plastic milk crates (I used them for cheap college furniture back in the day) to make a nice modular interior. Looks like the cubicle boxes stack. The images are from Eurocamper.
Jeep Gladiator Gladiator Expedition Rigs Screen Shot 2021-07-24 at 5.19.52 PM
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Mules

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Here is a good example of square/vertical sides on a fiberglass shell which would be easier to build than curved sides. I also like the pop top split line running front to back.
Jeep Gladiator Gladiator Expedition Rigs Screen Shot 2021-07-20 at 7.07.41 AM
Jeep Gladiator Gladiator Expedition Rigs Screen Shot 2021-07-20 at 7.08.37 AM
 

mog

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Here is a good example of square/vertical sides on a fiberglass shell which would be easier to build than curved sides. I also like the pop top split line running front to back.
Yup, those square/vertical sides would be exponentially easier to build and aline with both the bed and top. Plus it gives it a little more of a dedicated 'Expo Look' instead of an SUV look.
 
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Mules

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Mules

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Well, my biggest fear is building a camper from scratch that will look like duct tape and bubble gum. I want a professional looking build, or why bother. I'm leaning toward building the shell out of Polystyrene foam and glassing it. I'm not looking forward to the kerfing and glassing. I can either build thick foam sides, and cut and sand them down, or I had a new thought.

Could I heat bend foam boards for the curves? Very few people have done this on larger scales, but model builders do it often.

 

mog

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Well, my biggest fear is building a camper from scratch that will look like duct tape and bubble gum. I want a professional looking build, or why bother. I'm leaning toward building the shell out of Polystyrene foam and glassing it. I'm not looking forward to the kerfing and glassing. I can either build thick foam sides, and cut and sand them down, or I had a new thought.

Could I heat bend foam boards for the curves? Very few people have done this on larger scales, but model builders do it often.
Man building panels is quite ambitious. Of course, if you have the skills to work with aluminum you probably have the skills to work with fiberglass and foam (I try and keep my 'builds' to Legos).
Here are a couple of long threads from the Expo Portal of a couple of self-built panels using fiberglass and foam.

In this one, Paul created a new top for an EarthRoamer Jeep cabin, so not a complete build. Paul is a surfboard maker and woodworker extraordinaire. A crazy long thread so I've tried to link to about the correct page where it starts (if not try a few pages forward or backward) HERE

This thread is a complete build of a lifting roof camper. It came out great and later sold for big bucks, but a crazy amount of work HERE

I'm off to my Lego camper build :blush:
 
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Mules

Mules

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Man building panels is quite ambitious. Of course, if you have the skills to work with aluminum you probably have the skills to work with fiberglass and foam (I try and keep my 'builds' to Legos).
Here are a couple of long threads from the Expo Portal of a couple of self-built panels using fiberglass and foam.

In this one, Paul created a new top for an EarthRoamer Jeep cabin, so not a complete build. Paul is a surfboard maker and woodworker extraordinaire. A crazy long thread so I've tried to link to about the correct page where it starts (if not try a few pages forward or backward) HERE

This thread is a complete build of a lifting roof camper. It came out great and later sold for big bucks, but a crazy amount of work HERE

I'm off to my Lego camper build :blush:
What incredible builds!
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mog

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Could I heat bend foam boards for the curves? Very few people have done this on larger scales, but model builders do it often.
As I am biased towards FRP/Foam panels since that is what I have and am building with, you can bend the panels by cutting kerfs (just like woodworking) to have radiused corners HERE .
Jeep Gladiator Gladiator Expedition Rigs kerf

Of course, the radius is dependant on the thickness of your panels. I am using 84mm panels (extreme climate panels), but most builds now are 50mm. Total Composite has 30mm panels available that are mainly for 'interior' but I think those would be more than sufferance for the size build you are planning. The only downside is they don't have 30mm exterior extrusions to join the panels. Andreas at Total Composite (BC, Canada) is the world's most helpful guy if you need more information. And so I don't come off like a commercial for Total Composite, Global Expedition Vehicles ( Springfield, MO ) has 'Structural Composite Sandwich panels', the same they use for their in-house builds. For thinner composite panels it is my understanding (which has been wrong in the past), is that billboard sign companies have composite panels for billboards, so many be a source for materials?. I've seen that some people fiberglass the composite panels in the corners, but way beyond my paygrade to have an opinion on that. As always, YMMV
 
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Mules

Mules

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As I am biased towards FRP/Foam panels since that is what I have and am building with, you can bend the panels by cutting kerfs (just like woodworking) to have radiused corners HERE .
kerf.jpg

Of course, the radius is dependant on the thickness of your panels. I am using 84mm panels (extreme climate panels), but most builds now are 50mm. Total Composite has 30mm panels available that are mainly for 'interior' but I think those would be more than sufferance for the size build you are planning. The only downside is they don't have 30mm exterior extrusions to join the panels. Andreas at Total Composite (BC, Canada) is the world's most helpful guy if you need more information. And so I don't come off like a commercial for Total Composite, Global Expedition Vehicles ( Springfield, MO ) has 'Structural Composite Sandwich panels', the same they use for their in-house builds. For thinner composite panels it is my understanding (which has been wrong in the past), is that billboard sign companies have composite panels for billboards, so many be a source for materials?. I've seen that some people fiberglass the composite panels in the corners, but way beyond my paygrade to have an opinion on that. As always, YMMV
Seems like we don't have a good supply of composite parts in the U.S. StyroMAX out of Australia is a great web site for ideas.



Jeep Gladiator Gladiator Expedition Rigs Screen Shot 2021-07-30 at 6.15.59 AM
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