Truck campers have been a part
of the RV scene for longer than there has been an RV scene! They are usually
the least expensive RV to purchase and own. At least, they are if you already
own a pick up that fits the camper you want.
The earliest truck campers were
built directly on the bed of a pick up. Some times these home made rigs move
away from the accepted modern definition of truck camper because they will not
slide in and out of the truck bed. A camper is essentially a small house built
in the form of a box that fits in the back of the truck.
The slide in feature requires
some extra engineering, but is not a difficult thing to achieve. Many
successful and attractive home made truck campers have been constructed using
wooden framework covered with light weight plywood. These can be very well
constructed units, and they are sure to meet all the needs of the owner
builder. The problem with a home made camper is that it almost always looks
home made!
The earliest commercially built
campers were built in the same fashion. The quality of construction sometimes
suffered because the units were built rapidly to a uniform design. However, the
factory built rigs looked better because they were usually clad in aluminum
siding and trimmed with aluminum extrusions.
Many manufacturers still use
this form of construction, although there has been a movement away from wood in
slide in truck campers construction in the last couple decades. Because the camper is
essentially a box, it tends to flex a bit when it is in use, especially when it
is being carried over rough mountain roads. Eventually this flexing will cause
roof seals to fail, and a small amount of rain water is allowed to get into the
wood structure of the camper. Fresh water can cause wood to rot.
All aluminum campers featuring
aircraft style construction have been built, and owners love them for their
unique look and stout construction. However, they are often prohibitively
expensive. Riveted and welded aluminum frames are becoming a more common camper
feature. Fiberglass exteriors are also common.
Fiberglass construction takes
two forms in campers. The most common is sheet construction. This takes a
similar appearance to traditional
construction, rather than plywood the panels are made from fiberglass. Another
type of fiberglass construction is the so called clamshell truck campers. These
rigs have a more rounded and flowing appearance than panel constructed campers.
The building method is similar to boat construction. Molds for the top and
bottom of the camper are built, and layers of fiberglass are laminated into the
mold using resin. When the resin sets, the halves are popped from the molds and
bonded together. The result is a very strong, relatively light shell.
Fiberglass truck campers require a good deal of insulation because they are
very vulnerable to condensation. Visit website to check more info on truck camper.
