mtdew999
Backwoods, Oregon
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Joined: 06/28/2003
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I'm building a tent trailer on an old heilite box I came across - it's the second one I've done. I'll get some pics up of the first. I have an industrial sewing machine (TACSEW), but you could do most of it on a regular home version, provided you used lightweight materials.
I get my material here:
http://www.therainshed.com/
They're located in Corvallis, Oregon and have a huge selection of fabrics. You can order samples.
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WoodLark
South Carolina, USA
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Joined: 07/18/2009
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I have two issues with rooftop type tents in my particular case. First, they usually require climbing up some sort of ladder. We want to take our two dogs camping with us and they are not climbers. Second, my preference is for a tent that I can stand up in to get dressed; the rooftop tents I have seen have very low headroom.
I would be interested in building my own camper, but I would like something that ends up looking more like the Viking Express or the old Nimrod camper.
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hausfrau
Oregon
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Joined: 07/13/2008
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I'd like to make one similar to the RTV Camper only using a utility trailer as the base. I really like the idea of a kitchen area on the ground. Haven't worked out the sleeping arrangements yet!
RTV Camper
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Hiker3
Florida
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Joined: 01/21/2007
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Very interesting thread. Our small budget and "Un"powerful tow vehicles lead us to purchase our folding tent camper. It was the most reasonable solution for our family.
I was a backpacker, so these different designs discussed on this thread are spacious to me  Neat stuff!
Livin Lite Quicksilver 8.0 (Folding Tent Camper) only 900 lbs!
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ccamping
Home
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Joined: 07/25/2009
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mtdew999, love to see some pictures. When I lived in Corvallis the Rain Shed was a good place to pickup misc supplies for tent and awning projects.
Yes, a short ladder or base of some sort is required. At 45 lbs "Emma" is easy to lift into the tent.
Not being able to standup to change is one drawback when using a Rooftop Tent on a trailer. When they're used on top of vehicles, many of them having changing rooms available that hang under the tent. I've been prototyping a new style tent unit optimized for usage on trailers that address this drawback.
 
One that is similar to the Express or Nimrod I like is the Coleman Colorado
 
Hmmm, for as huge as the RTV is I didn't see a place to sleep. Having a nice built in kitchen, kind of like a Teardrop would be nice.
When you do-it-yourself the possibilities are ends ...
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hausfrau
Oregon
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Joined: 07/13/2008
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I like the Coleman Colorado ... if it had a bigger awning space under which I could set up my camp kitchen, I'd be happy. The boys would have to sleep in a tent on the ground, though. Poor teenagers. So much angst, so little time.
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tr4
NY
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Joined: 07/08/2009
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Funny all this talk of Nimrods. I have the remains of a 66. When I got it, all there was was the box and frame. Found no info on it. Now it is a frame with a 2 X 12 and plywood pressure treated deck. Still good to put a tent onto. It was only recently, in the last month, that I found a pic of one complete.
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Wildcat63
MN
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Joined: 07/09/2006
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My Parents first pop up was a 1962 Apache which was an aluminum trailer approximately 6 feet long and 4 feet wide. There were large doors on each side with opened to storage compartments with a center divider. The bed was on top of the trailer and a tent was attached to the top of the trailer and it folded out onto the ground as a large canvas wall tent with room to put two cots. It was very lightweight and easy to tow behind my parents 74 Impala Station Wagon.
Wildcat63
07 Coachmen Clipper Classic 1070ST
02 Explorer 4.6 V8 TV
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Road Ruler
Canada
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Joined: 09/11/2003
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Wildcat63 wrote:My Parents first pop up was a 1962 Apache which was an aluminum trailer approximately 6 feet long and 4 feet wide. There were large doors on each side with opened to storage compartments with a center divider. The bed was on top of the trailer and a tent was attached to the top of the trailer and it folded out onto the ground as a large canvas wall tent with room to put two cots. It was very lightweight and easy to tow behind my parents 74 Impala Station Wagon.
That was the Apache Scout and as an Apache dealer back then my dad sold many of them. I saw one for sale on Ebay not long ago. All aluminum box, they can last many years. I really liked that model too. Today they could be towed with any 4 cyl car.
Bring back "3 of them at a time from the Michigan factory" my Dad towed them with a small V8 powered 1961 Ford Galaxy.
Airstreams.... the best towing trailers on the planet!
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ccamping
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In my teenage days camping, getting away from the folks was great.
Yes there are a lot of vintage, aluminum box tent trailers that would make good projects. Most don't have tents any more and require work, but can be very nice when done.
Here is a JC Higgins I recently pickup up, without a tent.
 
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