This frame is 58" by 8' 10". I added 5" to each end to allow for a reciever for a bike rack in the rear, and to place a 1/4" thick tube against the dropped floor opening. This will allow me to keep the tongue from going into the dropped floor area, and have a good, stiff framing member to weld to.

I already had the tubing cut for a shorter version, so, I added the 10" required to the side rails. This joint will be behind the axle.

I used an Attwood 50degree hitch. I also bought a frame jack.

Placing the framing against the floor opening and farther ahead, gave me a good spot to weld the tongue to.
The tube to the rear in this shot is 1/4" thick 2 by 2 tube.

A Flexride torsion unit. I welded it to the frame, since the axle is servicable while on the frame.

I added this angle to allow for a water tank to get bolted to the frame. The axle tube will support the other side of the tank.

I added 1/8" gussetts. These will stiffen the frame as well as add bolt points for the body.

These plates will suport the frame stabilizers. I'll bolt them on with stainless hardware.

I also cut the galley lid sides from the walls while on the bench.

The frame is cleaned with acetone,  almost ready for paint.

Some differences in the plan..

I started out by adding a foot to the front portion of the frame. This allowed me to place the tongue so that it wouldn't run into the dropped floor section of the frame. I fabricated a drop from 12-gauge steel, welded and water-tight. This gave me a nice dropped floor area, without having to build it in wood, then waterproof it!

I added brackets to allow me to hang a water tank from the frame. The bracket on the left is tacked to the axle, the right, is on a frame crossmember. I also added gussets, drilled for mounting bolts.

...And a reciever to support our bike rack..

I built the body panels in the same way that I did the first 'Diner. I cut the panel parts with a jig and router.
 I describe the details of this method in my New SHOP MANUAL.
I will show the details of this camper that differ from it's sister.

We wanted traditional frame cabinets, so I built the bulkheads in face-frame style. I'll make framed panel doors. Note the floor recess is already done before the floor is installed.

Phyllis wanted lots of storage space, and no A/C unit, so I modified the galley bulkhead to allow for more cabinet space.

I built the forward cabinet partitions in place. I used part of the wall skins as a pattern for the parts.

I also built the rear cabin cabinets in place. I built a stress-skin panel wall in place. It's light, and insulated to boot!!

Here is the galley bulkhead, ready for the cabinets. The upper cabinets are about 7" deep, The lower, 20" deep. The counter is 3/4" ply.

I lined the steel dropped floor area with foam and skinned it in 1/4" ply. The floor is covered in 3/4" ply.

The interior is Birch ply and Maple solid wood frames. Everything got three coats of Minwax Satin Spar Varnish. That area framed in front of the cabinet area is one of the seats, with a flip-up top, for storage.

This is the bottom of the battery compartment. I sealed the floor in a lot of epoxy so that it would shed any water that might get in the compartment from the vent.

I found this water fill fitting at West Marine. It gets mounted in the exterior wall, and connects to the tank with a 1-1/4' hose.

Here are the forward cabinets. I used my usual sash locks as door latches. Brass piano hinges were used for the bedding storage bins at the bottom.

I made a frame for the tank from salvaged bed frame angle iron, and some scrap unistrut, a conduit support frame with oval mounting holes every inch. I usually have lots of bits left over from work!

I installed a demand pump in the cabinet behind the sink pull-out.

The sink, a 10" stainless steel mixing bowl, pulls out on a drawer slider.

The water plumbing runs through the battery compartment. That tube at the top is the vent for battery gasses to flow through to the outside.

Here's the water tank, hanging by threaded rod, from the trailer frame. The valve is for draining the tank.

A crowded view! Here's the plumbing for the tank, and the conduit that carries the power to the battery compartment in the background. In the far background, is the fill hose. I ran the supply hose in some scrap pvc conduit for support and protection from road hazards.

Here's my electrical system. The fuse box is from Del City, the raceway is left  over from jobs. The inverter is a 750 watt unit. I used an automatic reset 30-amp circuit breaker in the line from the battery.

A close-up of the 'breaker. I got it at the auto parts store, in the fuse section.

Contents and images, Copyright, 2002-2006, Steve Frederick
Design ans photo-realistics renderings, Copyright, Mike Schneider
No image or text may be reproduced for any commercial use without permission. Updated July 14,2006

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