Why not buy a trailer camper and transplant it to a truck frame?

BlizzND

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 25, 2008
Messages
300
I was thinking today, if I was to convert a box truck to a rv, I would search out a used trailer type camper of an equal size, then carefully dissasemble the camper, then re-assemble inside the frp or aluminuim shell on the truck. this would save a fortune in trips to Home depot or menards, you could have your wife help you pick out the floorplan and comming this fall get a real good deal on any unit still left on a dealers lot. once you are done with the transfer you'd have a frame trailer to sell too.

or go straight cab and chassis truck and mout the camper less axles and hitch to the frame add skirt toolboxes and sheet them to match.

just thinking and typing...
-blizz
 
I happened to see a flatbed truck (a previous 6500 chevy wrecker)for sale on ebay last year with a toyhauler trailer mounted onto the bed. A welding shop back east had apparently performed the conversion. There was skirting and storage around the rear. The rig actually looked pretty nice; the only issue was dropping the rear ramp door of the hauler to meet the ground, they added an extension, but the angle was a bit steep and the extra stress on the door had to be pretty hard on it.
 
I was thinking the same thing. Rather than reinvent the wheel, get a camper of comparable size and remove the siding. Then, replace the siding with whatever color aluminum you want and add the skirting. Voila!!! The only problem I have found is finding the right floor plan. Almost all the campers I have found have the bed in the front which prohibits cutting the door to go from the cab to the camper. One other thing I have run accross is the campers usually are slanted back at the front so there would have to be some cutting and fitting to mate them to the truck properly.
 
I haven't seen a toy hauler, but I have seen a class 7 with a travel trailer refitted to the frame. The thing I noticed was the rear wheel wells being modified to not look homemade. They did a good job, but I don't remember much else. At least I can tell you it can be done.

Doc Weaver
 
Here's one all ready done:
Custom-truck-RV.jpg


It's even for sale. http://busesandmore.com/rvs/Ga...oach-Custom-RV.shtml
I looked at it in person. This particular one needed a lot of cleaning up and some fixing up to be ready for my tastes. It just felt like I was in an old beat up camper trailer that was bolted to a truck frame. I'm sure it could be done better by Blizzard.
 
Ha! If done by blizzard, if he has to do it, it may never get done.

I spent the entire 3 day weekend on my project, and really not a lot to show for it, just a bunch of piddly azzed little things that need to be done before I can take it off the lift blocks.

I stopped by the local RV dealer the other day to get some parts, then since the doors were open on a few units, I peeked in- to take a look.

These were mid 90's used campers. Yikes! scary cheap wallboard and fake wood trim, upon seeing that- I felt a bit better about my overpriced money monster still to be completed.

The truck Bob posted doesn't look half bad from the photo. But I'm sure the interior if left factory original; really could use an exreme interior makeover.

-blizz
 

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