Gladiator Expedition Rigs

[Mules]

I have some experience with the Joolca HotTap which is a similar design and it will be the hot water system I likely go with.
https://www.joolca.com/products/hot...a4PrY8js05GlkhwxYNRDsA5YKVxpjqc4aAjEXEALw_wcB

Joolca HotTap has much better reviews than Coleman!

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[Mules]

About attaching the camper to the bed:

Plan A) I plan on C-clamping (typical shell clamps) the bottom shell to the bed, which will carry all the weight. The flex allotment will be flexible gaskets, where the front of the shell connects to the cab. The shell will be firmly attached to the bed, but float on the cab section. It will flex at the back door gap and the sunroof gap. And if I flex too much, it will break off the attachment points (before breaking the shell).

Plan B). I covered this, in case Plan A breaks. Cut the bottom shell in two and add accordion gaskets.



Pertaining to the the utility systems, I like MOG's suggestion:

I'll keep it simple for now. My aspirations of a full electric/solar system aren't panning out, if I want to go cold weather camping. Just too unpractical to heat this rig for a few days on electric. Diesel heaters sound great and are cheap, but another fuel to worry about and doesn't take care of cooking needs. I might be circling back to propane plus a Jackery, since the appliances are cheap and plentiful. I'm sure I'll change my mind a few times as I uncover other cool gadgets.

 

[LaterGator]

If you have the trail rails, attaching the shell to the trail rails and having them carry the load instead of the bed caps would be more reliable. The gap between bed and shell just uses a gasket to seal it. No load applied. The AluCab canopy puts all the weight on the trail rails and works great. No leaks.

 

[lkosh]

I have not used one of these Geyser Systems yet for showers/dishwashing. but it certainly seems like it would do a great job and save a bunch of water.

I found a Geyser Systems with the heater on sale for a huge discount at an REI Garage Sale a few months ago but haven't had the opportunity to actually test it out. That's my plan for hot showers and hot/warm water to wash dishes. Everything else I think should be fine with just cold water. Should also help conserve water.

About attaching the camper to the bed:

Plan A) I plan on C-clamping (typical shell clamps) the bottom shell to the bed, which will carry all the weight. The flex allotment will be flexible gaskets, where the front of the shell connects to the cab. The shell will be firmly attached to the bed, but float on the cab section. It will flex at the back door gap and the sunroof gap. And if I flex too much, it will break off the attachment points (before breaking the shell).

Thanks for sharing the details! I'd be curious to see what gasket you end up using near the cab of the Gladiator to allow the flex. Do you think this will cause any issues with the freedom panel attachment points/sealing out water between them using a thicker gasket?

 

[rharr]

I found a Geyser Systems with the heater on sale for a huge discount at an REI Garage Sale a few months ago but haven't had the opportunity to actually test it out. That's my plan for hot showers and hot/warm water to wash dishes. Everything else I think should be fine with just cold water. Should also help conserve water.



Thanks for sharing the details! I'd be curious to see what gasket you end up using near the cab of the Gladiator to allow the flex. Do you think this will cause any issues with the freedom panel attachment points/sealing out water between them using a thicker gasket?

seals, you may want to look here for seal/gasket options
https://therubbercompany.com/extrusions-profiles/


This kind of stuff is used a lot in construction and is generally called building expansion joints.

 

[Mules]

One nice things about this camper is that its small and light enough to fit through a 3' door. My son and I can separate it and move it to the basement. Pretty nice feature since my garage is full. Now I have a warm place to work and store it.

 

[Mules]

Another forum gave me a good pointer for those of you wanting to build your own camper. These fiberglass edges and corners might have saved me a lot of time building the upper shell. It looks well thought out.

 

[Mules]

To strengthen the seams, I'm fiberglassing both the inside and outside seams. You need to grind down the seam and fill with a couple layers of fiberglass and resin. After this, I'll sand down the entire shell, fill holes and seams with bondo, repeat, and it will be ready for primer.

 

[rharr]

do your research on body filler, bondo is common but it seems to hold/draw water over time. I would talk to some local hi end body shops and ask what the preferred pro body filler is.

 

[Mules]

Glassed the seams, sanded the whole shell, bondo'ed it, and ran out of sand paper. Next weekend, round two of bondo/sanding. Wish I didn't have all the dimples from the screws I used to hold the skin down.

 

[Mules]

I keep looking at Drifta Troopy conversions, when I'm thinking about the interior layout. They are simple and well thought out.

 

[Mules]

Here's some more potential camper seating ideas, and I think they'll fit lengthwise (58" & 54" long) in the bed. Upholstering custom seating is expensive, and these are cheap, plentiful on eBay, and even come in leather. Boy those Yukon seats would look good, but I'll be giving up a lot of under seat storage.

Yukon third row seats might be better since they are shorter (49" long) and thinner. Looks like the seat belts are also attached.

 

[Mules]

do your research on body filler, bondo is common but it seems to hold/draw water over time. I would talk to some local hi end body shops and ask what the preferred pro body filler is.

Thanks for the question and here's what I found out. My camper shell, resin, and FRP panels are all polyester based. It is preferred to stick with either polyester or epoxy on a fiberglass build and not best to mix the two. Here's the best part, Bondo is also polyester based so it bonds well and will have the same thermal expansion characteristics as the rest of the material. Dissimilar materials are more likely to crack over time.

On metal automobiles, bondo might trap water which can lead to eventual rust. Epoxywould be a better choice for metal. Since I'm all polyester build, the polyester bondo is a good choice with no metal rust potential.

 

[mog]

Quite the Swiss Army Knife of cabins

Here on Bring A Trailer

 

[Mules]

Here's a perfect size water tank that would fit on the front wall of the truck bed and fit under my seats, in case I go built in instead of jerry cans.

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