The Joys of the Camper
The open road is calling, and you are going to heed that call, but first you need a convenient, cheap way to see the country, and your truck is the key. A truck camper can easily allow you to sleep anywhere as you travel the country, as long as it is built solidly enough to withstand the knocks of the roads.
Materials
The best materials to use are aluminum and steel bars. They are strong and light, able to be cut or bent in any shape, and they won't rot like wood will. So, to start, buy at least ten feet of steel bars, and enough aluminum sheeting, siding or walls to cover the roof and sides of the camper. Now, all you have to do is measure the frame for the camper, make your cuts, and start welding.
Designs
The simplest designs work best. Just make your camper roof come up even with the top of your cab roof. Draw a simple outline of four vertical support posts for each corner of the truck bed, with horizontal cross braces. Then, attach these two horizontal braces with a long, perpendicular brace. This is all you need to support the camper roof.
Building It
First, weld the vertical support bars into brackets, and then bolt or weld these into the sides of the truck bed walls. This secures them in place. Bolt them if you want to be able to remove the camper. Cut a section to use as a cross brace between the vertical supports to create the camper frame. Then, weld your perpendicular brace to these two horizontal pieces. The next part involves stretching and bending the aluminum over the frame. Once this is done, drill holes in the horizontal braces, and rivet the roof in place.
Additional Features
Add windows by cutting them into the steel after it is secured to the frame, because this ensures they end up where you want them. You can buy window frames for truck windows, RVs and other recreational vehicles, and install them using adhesive and or rivets right the aluminum sides. You should also consider weatherproofing the camper by adding a rear and front wall. This can be cut from sheet metal and soldered into place. The seams can be caulked for added waterproofing if necessary.
