FortyWater12 - Wedge Camper Build

[9zero1790]

I have about $3600-3700 into it right now I think. That is all in with extra stops to the hardware store to buy odds and ends etc. The google spreadsheet on my first post details out all the materials needed down to the penny. I think I had originally budgeted $3,500 for all of my materials.

For the tent I am using a 600D polyester canvas that is coated with polyurethane for water resistance. I'll have YKK zippers and bug netting for the windows. It will attach to the aluminum extrusion with awning track, sometimes referred to as "keder rail". I am outsouring this portion of the build to a local upholstery guy. I bought all of the material and will pay his labor rate of $90/hour. He will not only be able to do it 10x faster than I would, but it will also look 10x better haha.



Honestly, this is my first time ever doing something like this. I like to consider myself a DIYer and have remodeled a house and previously wrenched on my vehicles before, but never really fabricated anything like this. I am thankful for my friends who have helped me along the way with the metal working as I am a VERY novice welder. Also thankful for the internet, I read, re-read, and then re-read the how to thread I shared from TacomaWorld many times before I embarked on this journey haha.

its going great so far. makes me appreciate the cost of some of the factory made models ive looked at. some ive thought were too much money for something simple but they really are not that simple and not that cheap to build.

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[fortywater12]

its going great so far. makes me appreciate the cost of some of the factory made models ive looked at. some ive thought were too much money for something simple but they really are not that simple and not that cheap to build.

Haha, yep, exactly. All in I will be in the $4,500 range with the canvas being outsourced. I could have come in just under $4k having done it all by myself. It has also taken roughly 3 months of my time only being able to work on it here and there.

It makes you really think about the $7800 price tag of a go fast camper or like build. My favorite is the Super Pacific X1. They seem to have thought of every little thing when they designed it and it has so many neat features. The price tag is hard to stomach on that one though, you are getting close to legit cabover setups/4wheel camper territory.

 

[Rhino]

I have about $3600-3700 into it right now I think. That is all in with extra stops to the hardware store to buy odds and ends etc. The google spreadsheet on my first post details out all the materials needed down to the penny. I think I had originally budgeted $3,500 for all of my materials.

For the tent I am using a 600D polyester canvas that is coated with polyurethane for water resistance. I'll have YKK zippers and bug netting for the windows. It will attach to the aluminum extrusion with awning track, sometimes referred to as "keder rail". I am outsouring this portion of the build to a local upholstery guy. I bought all of the material and will pay his labor rate of $90/hour. He will not only be able to do it 10x faster than I would, but it will also look 10x better haha.



Honestly, this is my first time ever doing something like this. I like to consider myself a DIYer and have remodeled a house and previously wrenched on my vehicles before, but never really fabricated anything like this. I am thankful for my friends who have helped me along the way with the metal working as I am a VERY novice welder. Also thankful for the internet, I read, re-read, and then re-read the how to thread I shared from TacomaWorld many times before I embarked on this journey haha.

not a bad price tbh man! even at 4k thats a pretty decent price

that should work good i was always wondering if i did it my self where or how i would do the fabric part of it haha

ahhhh ya ripcords thread he is a cool dude ive talked to him a bit back when i had my tacoma on tw super helpful

 

[fortywater12]

Southco locks/latches are on. This was a little tedious but went quick after I did the first two. Loving how they turned out!

This week I’m going to put on all my panel stiffeners and gas struts for the doors. I need to also put on my bulkhead gasket.

After that, I just have little things left like the 3rd brake light, cutting my opening on my floor into the wedge/sleeping platform, and touching up sealant etc.

Fabric is scheduled to be sewn mid Feb.

 

[OFC Ranger]

I have about $3600-3700 into it right now I think. That is all in with extra stops to the hardware store to buy odds and ends etc. The google spreadsheet on my first post details out all the materials needed down to the penny. I think I had originally budgeted $3,500 for all of my materials.

For the tent I am using a 600D polyester canvas that is coated with polyurethane for water resistance. I'll have YKK zippers and bug netting for the windows. It will attach to the aluminum extrusion with awning track, sometimes referred to as "keder rail". I am outsouring this portion of the build to a local upholstery guy. I bought all of the material and will pay his labor rate of $90/hour. He will not only be able to do it 10x faster than I would, but it will also look 10x better haha.



Honestly, this is my first time ever doing something like this. I like to consider myself a DIYer and have remodeled a house and previously wrenched on my vehicles before, but never really fabricated anything like this. I am thankful for my friends who have helped me along the way with the metal working as I am a VERY novice welder. Also thankful for the internet, I read, re-read, and then re-read the how to thread I shared from TacomaWorld many times before I embarked on this journey haha.

I admire your fabrication skills, but I do have to inquire about something that bothers me on the overall project.

Generally when I fabricate something it is because a minimum of two factors are happening;

1. I know the same quality or better can be created for a fraction of the market cost.

2. What I want doesn't exist, or a similar product does exist, but does not quite have all the capabilities I am after.

You have now entered the price tag of what a a market value equivalent would cost, and that comes generally with some sort of warranty, product support, and supposedly covers the cost of R&D. I say supposedly, because I firmly believe when in the off-road industry tosses the phrase R&D around I'm pretty sure all that means is giving out a hand full of the prototype and telling people to try and go beat it up. When a company says their roof rack costs $2000 from $200 in material and labor "because R&D is part of that" I laugh. I don't think any science lab/wind tunnel shit is going on with it at all. I will exclude precision equipment like suspensions for example from my statement.

Any who, without getting long winded, why did you choose this path? I am not seeing the benefits of something like this once a certain line in the sand has been crossed other than "because its fun and I wanted too". Which is a perfectly acceptable reason to me!

 

[fortywater12]

I admire your fabrication skills, but I do have to inquire about something that bothers me on the overall project.

Generally when I fabricate something it is because a minimum of two factors are happening;

1. I know the same quality or better can be created for a fraction of the market cost.

2. What I want doesn't exist, or a similar product does exist, but does not quite have all the capabilities I am after.

You have now entered the price tag of what a a market value equivalent would cost, and that comes generally with some sort of warranty, product support, and supposedly covers the cost of R&D. I say supposedly, because I firmly believe when in the off-road industry tosses the phrase R&D around I'm pretty sure all that means is giving out a hand full of the prototype and telling people to try and go beat it up. When a company says their roof rack costs $2000 from $200 in material and labor "because R&D is part of that" I laugh. I don't think any science lab/wind tunnel shit is going on with it at all. I will exclude precision equipment like suspensions for example from my statement.

Any who, without getting long winded, why did you choose this path? I am not seeing the benefits of something like this once a certain line in the sand has been crossed other than "because its fun and I wanted too". Which is a perfectly acceptable reason to me!

Thanks for the kind words and the comment! All in I will be at $4,500 with outsourcing my canvas sewing. The cheapest option for a wedge camper starts at $6000-$6,500 from what I researched prior to embarking on this adventure (Lone Peak was the cheapest at $6k before shipping & tax with no options). A go fast camper would have been $7,500 and a trip out to Montana for a model that was spec'd to what I have built.

From start to finish, it will have taken me 3 months, which is also right at the lead time of go fast. The cheaper wedges are even further out, like 6 months.

I figured saving a minimum of $2k, having fun/learning, and being able to use it in the same time frame (or earlier if I went lone peak) made it a no-brainer for me. The warranty and product support would be nice, but not $2k nice, in my opinion. There is a really large community for DIY wedges and a lot of issues have been vetted in the DIY how to thread I shared from Tacomaworld.

Hope that answers your question! In short, I still saved a ton of money over the next cheapest option, and I got it earlier.

 

[OFC Ranger]

Thanks for the kind words and the comment! All in I will be at $4,500 with outsourcing my canvas sewing. The cheapest option for a wedge camper starts at $6000-$6,500 from what I researched prior to embarking on this adventure (Lone Peak was the cheapest at $6k before shipping & tax with no options). A go fast camper would have been $7,500 and a trip out to Montana for a model that was spec'd to what I have built.

From start to finish, it will have taken me 3 months, which is also right at the lead time of go fast. The cheaper wedges are even further out, like 6 months.

I figured saving a minimum of $2k, having fun/learning, and being able to use it in the same time frame (or earlier if I went lone peak) made it a no-brainer for me. The warranty and product support would be nice, but not $2k nice, in my opinion. There is a really large community for DIY wedges and a lot of issues have been vetted in the DIY how to thread I shared from Tacomaworld.

Hope that answers your question! In short, I still saved a ton of money over the next cheapest option, and I got it earlier.

Oh my, then this was an error on my part. I thought these sort of things were $4,000 to $5,000. So my bad on that.

2k is certainly justifiable especially when you get to learn a new skill that you can carry over to other fabrications.

Keep up the good work!

 

[fortywater12]

Oh my, then this was an error on my part. I thought these sort of things were $4,000 to $5,000. So my bad on that.

2k is certainly justifiable especially when you get to learn a new skill that you can carry over to other fabrications.

Keep up the good work!

No worries at all. Oh man, I wish! Maybe soon though? Lone peak may shake up the market if they can deliver a quality product starting at $5,995. Might drive some price competition.

Thanks for taking time to read through - I admire all of the work you do on your truck, and you have been an inspiration of sorts for me to go for it on some DIY projects.

Cheers!

 

[OFC Ranger]

No worries at all. Oh man, I wish! Maybe soon though? Lone peak may shake up the market if they can deliver a quality product starting at $5,995. Might drive some price competition.

Thanks for taking time to read through - I admire all of the work you do on your truck, and you have been an inspiration of sorts for me to go for it on some DIY projects.

Cheers!

Food doesn't bring people together, fabricating does. haha

Between you and @TopoRanger you guys have me tossing some new ideas around in my head. Now if I could finally get off my ass and move from weldless designs to learning to weld might be my next plateau.

I have a hard time letting go of the simplicity of nut and bolt construction. Has better modularity and repair capability than a welded product, but just is not viewed by the public in general as having that "strength" or "polished" touch to it.

If I have to remove my rack platform I can do it in sections without needing a hoist or some other lift device.

 

[fortywater12]

This past weekend I accomplished a lot on the wedge camper build!

I got the floor cutout done for access to the sleeping area:

I got my latches on for the wedge:

I added spacers to my southco latches so they could properly clamp onto my spaceframe for my side panels:

I got my panel stiffeners riveted on:

And lastly, I got a full test fit!!!

This week I am going to work on installing all of my gas struts and panel gaskets. I will also touch up as much cosmetic stuff as I can.

Next week I will take a trip to Hot Metal Fab in Loomis, CA for some permanent mounting bracket solutions. After that, I should hopefully have my canvas finished and get that all attached.

She's really taking shape now. it was a great weekend!

 

[fortywater12]

All my gas struts are on! Also visited some friends at Hot Metal Fab in Sac for some goodies off of their brand new laser. These will be the permanent brackets that will hold my camper down. The mounting points are the existing tie down locations on the bed. Once the brackets are bent, they will have new integrated tie down locations so I will not lose that functionality.

Lastly, my canvas guy bailed on me. He is not comfortable sewing my tent portion of this project so he turned it down. This is unfortunate as I was about a week out from having him start, but I appreciate the honesty from him and his commitment to only deliver excellent product. He recommended a second company to me located out of Grass Valley, CA. Upon speaking with them, they are actually contracted to sew the canvas for an actual wedge camper company. They were incredibly familiar with what I am trying to do and suggested they build mine in April 2023 when they do their next run of tents for this other company.

I have a trip to Yosemite planned to see firefall at the end of the month. I am going to use the camper, so I will temporarily cut a tarp to size and duct-tape it to the inside of my wedge extrusion. Should do the trick and let me proof out my measurements/blueprints!

Cheers yall.

 

[Jdyer8989]

Where did you purchase the hurricane hinge ? I am still trying to decide on what hinge to use on my build. I might chest cheap out and use piano hinge.

 

[fortywater12]

Where did you purchase the hurricane hinge ? I am still trying to decide on what hinge to use on my build. I might chest cheap out and use piano hinge.

Hey Justin! I purchased my hinge from Overland Trailer, here is a link to their store:

https://overlandtrailer.com/product/hurricane-hatch-hinge/

I was about to do the exact same thing, and then my best friend who has been helping me with this project said "How much is the hurricane hinge? How much is the piano hinge? You're really going to skimp $150 on your $4,000 build?" Lol. It cost me $318 and some change to get all of my hinge shipped to my door. (3) 60" pieces was plenty.

Also, lot's of people battle leaking with wedge campers in general, and I wanted to make sure I had zero water intrusion on the top side of my panels since all of my water will be sheeting off the top or the tent when it is open, directing all the water to the top edge of the panels. I think the piano hinge could work well so long as you seal it properly, but may not be 100% water tight. Also, the built in rain gutter on the hurricane hinge is awesome.

Cheers!

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