Camper 2 Build
The inspiration for this camper came from all the fun we had with
the first camper. We went into this build know a lot more about
camper builds. This build was going to be much better than the 1st camper.
In the end this camper weighed in a 1,160 pounds.
Inside this camper was a small refrigerator, Air-conditioner and plenty of
solar power.
Traveling Pictures
The Utility Trailer
I purchased this 8’x5′ utility trailer at Norther Tool. I paid about $300.
This trailer as of 8/25 cost $599.99! Not worth the money.
The first thing I did to this utility trailer is changed the wheels.
It came with 12″ and I wanted something a little bigger.
I learned that 13″ off the shelf wheels fit fine on this wheel hub.
The fender had to be adjusted higher for more clearance.
It all worked out great.
The Floor
For the floor I went with a 10’x6′ layout. My plan was to build the floor
a little bigger than the trailer. It worked out fine. The inside of this
camper was considerable bigger than camper 1. There was much
more detail work on this trailer because of the bolts holding the trailer
together. I had to notch the 2″x4″s to get everything to lay flat on the
trailer.
The Frame
The wall supports were 2x2s and 2x3s on the corners.
I used 12″ center spacing on the studs.
RV Depot was the place where I bought the windows.
I thought it would be easier to just buy the windows
as to making them.
The Walls
This time I used 5/16″ plywood on the exterior.
On the interior I used 1/4″ plywood.
For insulation we used 1″ Styrofoam on the inside walls.
We finished the inside wall using marine polyurethane.
On the outside we used a green latex paint. The last camper’s
marine urethane didn’t hold up. Latex might be better
for longevity. We ran all our wiring before the inside walls
were installed.
The Roof
For the roof we used 1/4″ plywood. Glued and stapled.
We installed a good ceiling fan and wired some solar panels
on the roof. For a sealant on the roof, I used Lanco Elastomer.
About 6 coats of elastomer was used. Never leaked.
The windows.
I bought regular RV windows from RV Depot.
They went in without any problems. Butyl sealant
was used for each window. The windows were well
built and worked great.
For Power
I put 4, 100-watt solar panels on the roof.
and 2, 12-volt AMG lead batteries inside. A cheap controller
keep the batteries charged. I installed a 500-watt sinewave
inverter to run the refrigerator. That worked out wonderfully.
We never ran out of power with this simple little system.
What Happened
We went all over America with this camper 2. We were
able to get all 49 states in. Even got to fly up to Alaska to
visit family. But we did have some problems!
While in Cortez Colorado up on Masa Verde I noticed the
trailer frame had a bend in it. Close inspection showed the
metal hitch part of the trailer was about to break in-half.
We could have lost the whole trailer if it had broken off.
I believe the hitch part that broke was because the iron wasn’t strong
enough. As for the broken wheel hub I think that happened because of
the two lead batteries. Those batteries were on that side over the
wheel. We got a tow to Livingston Montana to a nice campground.
There everyone tried to help fix the wheel. In the end I was able
to order a wheel hub online. I replaced it and on we went.
Where is Camper 2 now?
It’s gone! After 2 years of traveling everywhere with the camper it
got mold inside. The camper was parked for about 6 months.
We didn’t realize that water was getting in around windows.
Because we didn’t see the water we didn’t fix it. Mold started to
grow and there was nothing we could do about it. I took it apart and
we reused the electronics in Camper 3.
Water got into the wall from the RV windows I installed.
At the bottom edge of the aluminum frame there was a crack.
The crack was sealed with hot melt glue and it didn’t hold up.
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Rick 8/6/25 Team (-) FrugalWay.com
