S-280 camper build

[m16ty]

Gimpy, I'll try that test. I tend the think the bare AL would be cooler. I'll need to shoot the underside with the temp gun though. I'm not sure it would give a accurate reading shooting the top side.

I've got some left over so I'll test it and see who is right.

 

[M35A2-AZ]

Nice job on the roof!!!!

 

[m16ty]

Finally finished the skid today.

In the last two pics, what are these angle pieces mounted on the front and back for? Also, there are two big oddly shaped chunks of aluminum mounted on the front (end opposite the door) that I have no idea what it is.

 

[Al Harvey]

Wonder if they have something to do with it mounting in different vehicles like a lmtv. The last pic looks like a stop and the other one looks like a stop and lip. Maybe where it's suppose to stop against the front of the bed. I don't know but can guess. Lol

 

[firefox]

The part in pic 4 is the top mount point for the dolly set.
1 and 2 in the pic bellow.
The part in pic 5 is what the dolly set hooks into. I have a M720 dollyset that I use with my
S280 shelter. TM 9-2330-285-14&P/TO 36A11-21-10-1.

 

[m16ty]

Thanks Firefox, I wondered if that what the mystery pieces were.

 

[Recovry4x4]

Here is a thought on some lighting. I use lots of the LED strip lights in my truck. Before I switched to the SECM bed I had a steel topper. It had a 5 meter strip of LEDs and lit it up nice. Now that topper is on a trailer. Since the LEDs draw next to nothing, I added a little 8ah battery and a 5 watt solar panel. Now I have a self sustaining system that will give hours of light. Been going 5 months now.

 

[m16ty]

Kenny, that's a good idea. I had been debating on leaving the florescent lights that are in it now but your strip lights may be the way to go.

My plan is to add some sort of A/C and I'll get me one of those Honda generators to run that but I'd like to still have lights and whatnot that I can run without the generator. My thinking is tapping into the deuce electrical system via the slave port or if I didn't have much draw I could use the trailer plug.

 

[firefox]

For the roof, if you have a second sheet, you might devise a way to mount the
second sheet an inch or two above the first, but eliminate the sides. The
idea being like a shade tarp. I don't know how dificult it would be to make, but
I suspect it would really get rid of a lot of heat. I got the idea from the S250 RTTY shelter
I have. It comes with corner brackets to put stakes in to support a shade tarp.
Or you could use a canvass shade tarp for times of extreme heat.

 

[firefox]

Ok you guys, now you have me over thinking this whole thing. So here's my other idea.
Before putting the aluminum sheet on, use some good spray adheasive or roll on type and
glue some high R value rigid foam sheets to the top after properly preping the surface
of the shelter. Then afix the aluminum sheet on top of that using the adheasive and a similar method as the op, but use a strip of heavy rubber between the aluminum and the shelter
to minimize heat transfer. I don't think it would be that much more work, and well worth it.

 

[firefox]

Ty, where are you going to mount your spare tire when the shelter is in the bed?

 

[m16ty]

Ty, where are you going to mount your spare tire when the shelter is in the bed?

I'm not sure I understand your question. The spare tire will be in the spare tire carrier with or without the shelter in the bed.

As for the roof, I had 18' of material so not enough to go over it again. You make some good suggestions but I think I'll try it like it is and see how it works out. Anything is bound to beat the standard CARC painted roof.

 

[firefox]

My S280 is 13 feet long and my 5 ton bed is 14 feet, so it is going to be a trick to keep
my 12x20 spare in the regular slot without extending the shelter over the end, and
I really don't want to do that. I take it that your shelter is a lot shorter.

I have a unique situation as my shelter has one side that is comprised of two panels, which
fold out to form an extension of the floor space. I will include a picture of an assembly of
a bunch of these. I will cut one of the side panels of the truck so that I can fold these
panels out and support them on some posts. Then tent over the extra area.

 

[firefox]

This is another pic of the system.
Note, I only have one of these shelters, so
I can't do what they originally did, but
I think I can eventually make something work.

 

[m16ty]

My shelter is going in a deuce so my spare is mounted under the front of the bed.

The shelter itself measures right at 12'. When I added the skid it sticks beyond each end 3" because I wanted the skid to stick beyond the shelter itself to protect it during loading/unloading. That's makes to overall length 12' 6" so I just won't be able to close the tailgate with the shelter installed. I didn't see that as a big deal.

Your shelter is the Tasma hall compared to my standard S280.

My next step in the build is to add the removable tail roller to the deuce bed. That way I can at least get the shelter home and have more time to work on it. While I have many forklifts and cranes at work, I don't have a way to unload it at the house.

I haven't completely figured out how I want to go with the winch in the front of the bed but if I can get the tail roller installed I can temporarily use a portable 8K electric winch I have.


Gimpy, I haven't forgot about our little "competition". The sun just hasn't been out around here in over a week.

 

[firefox]

Any idea how difficult it would be to mount my spare under the front of the bed on an M54A2, or if even possible?

 

[m16ty]

Any idea how difficult it would be to mount my spare under the front of the bed on an M54A2, or if even possible?

Probably not without a bunch of work. The deuce spare is mounted right where the fuel tank is on your M54. Only option I see is to remove one of your fuel tanks.

If you're not going to be loaded all that heavy, it's not terrible not to carry a spare on a dualed out truck if you don't normally travel too far from home. You've got 4 spares on the back that you can use to limp home. I wouldn't do this though if you're loaded heavy enough to exceed the tire weight rating of the single tire.

 

[m16ty]

I have moved all the post that pertain to the bed loading setup to it's own thread in the deuce mod forum. That part is more associated with the modification of the truck and not the shelter.
http://www.steelsoldiers.com/showth...inch-skid-loading-setup&p=1713594#post1713594

 

[61sleepercab]

Back to choice of top color, local Ford dealer was playing with infrared thermometer and measured black and white car side by side. Black car was 30 degrees hotter .I would check out what trailer companies are putting on trailer roof. I believe white is conventional color except for Airstream. Mark

 

[m16ty]

Most commercial van trailers are bare aluminum on the roof. Most camper trailers are either white or black rubber roof.

I figured there would have been more of a temp difference between black and white. I'm sure the black was gloss though so that's bound to help. Also, taking a surface temp of the top side isn't telling the true story. A temp reading of the back side would be more accurate.

I haven't gotten around to doing Gimpy's test yet but I will.