My DIY camper shell

[JimKivi]

After much reading on aerodynamics and wind drag.....and you DID hear that squeeeek from a tight "budget" when I started writing.... I came up with this start to a way to cover the bed. I wanted a stout rack and a way to keep the elements and thieves out of the back. The shell top is a cut down fiberglass top from an old Silverado shell, free on C List. The rack is adapted from an earlier truck. There will be T&G wood side panels, a rear door, and a rooftop solar panel. There are removable cross bars for the rack, taken off for aerodynamics on the 1500 trip. The trip from California, a half hour south of the OR border to central Baja found us getting 30 and 31 mpg at from 65 to 83 mph in our 4wd ecoboost. I have scheduled the plastic surgery to get the "sugar" eating grin off my ugly melon. Happy camper indeed.

Update 4/8/24

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[Timothyd]

After much reading on aerodynamics and wind drag.....and you DID hear that squeeeek from a tight "budget" when I started writing.... I came up with this start to a way to cover the bed. I wanted a stout rack and a way to keep the elements and thieves out of the back. The shell top is a cut down fiberglass top from an old Silverado shell, free on C List. The rack is adapted from an earlier truck. There will be T&G wood side panels, a rear door, and a rooftop solar panel. There are removable cross bars for the rack, taken off for aerodynamics on the 1500 trip. The trip from California, a half hour south of the OR border to central Baja found us getting 30 and 31 mpg at from 65 to 83 mph in our 4wd ecoboost. I have scheduled the plastic surgery to get the "sugar" eating grin off my ugly melon. Happy camper indeed.

View attachment 133492

I like! I was thinking of doing something like that for camping and canoeing so I can get out of the weather with that short bed.

 

[JimKivi]

I like! I was thinking of doing something like that for camping and canoeing so I can get out of the weather with that short bed.

I find that I can sleep diagonally in the back, so will have a platform that angles across the truck. I went through several ideas of running with a shell that used the tailgate as an extension, but settled on this. Sealing to the cabin top is "good enough" with adhesive foam tape, but I don't expect it to be perfect. I was glad to see that there was no "wind whistle"/

 

[Maverickman74]

After much reading on aerodynamics and wind drag.....and you DID hear that squeeeek from a tight "budget" when I started writing.... I came up with this start to a way to cover the bed. I wanted a stout rack and a way to keep the elements and thieves out of the back. The shell top is a cut down fiberglass top from an old Silverado shell, free on C List. The rack is adapted from an earlier truck. There will be T&G wood side panels, a rear door, and a rooftop solar panel. There are removable cross bars for the rack, taken off for aerodynamics on the 1500 trip. The trip from California, a half hour south of the OR border to central Baja found us getting 30 and 31 mpg at from 65 to 83 mph in our 4wd ecoboost. I have scheduled the plastic surgery to get the "sugar" eating grin off my ugly melon. Happy camper indeed.

Let's just say. I like how you build stuff.... out of other stuff!

 

[fossil]

Let's just say. I like how you build stuff.... out of other stuff!

 

[W0lverine]

After much reading on aerodynamics and wind drag.....and you DID hear that squeeeek from a tight "budget" when I started writing.... I came up with this start to a way to cover the bed. I wanted a stout rack and a way to keep the elements and thieves out of the back. The shell top is a cut down fiberglass top from an old Silverado shell, free on C List. The rack is adapted from an earlier truck. There will be T&G wood side panels, a rear door, and a rooftop solar panel. There are removable cross bars for the rack, taken off for aerodynamics on the 1500 trip. The trip from California, a half hour south of the OR border to central Baja found us getting 30 and 31 mpg at from 65 to 83 mph in our 4wd ecoboost. I have scheduled the plastic surgery to get the "sugar" eating grin off my ugly melon. Happy camper indeed.

where did you get the 4x4 sticker? nice work on the topper!

 

[JimKivi]

where did you get the 4x4 sticker? nice work on the topper!

The 4x4 sticker is an ebay purchase. It is actually a Silverado sticker, but I thought the Maverick needed "a little something". We started with a hybrid order, but switched when the constraints were a factor, and as long as we were going eco, threw in 4x4, a plus with snow up north and sand in Baja. I figured as long as I paid for 4wd, I oughta gloat a little. ;-)

 

[W0lverine]

The 4x4 sticker is an ebay purchase. It is actually a Silverado sticker, but I thought the Maverick needed "a little something". We started with a hybrid order, but switched when the constraints were a factor, and as long as we were going eco, threw in 4x4, a plus with snow up north and sand in Baja. I figured as long as I paid for 4wd, I oughta gloat a little. ;-)

The 4x4 sticker is an ebay purchase. It is actually a Silverado sticker, but I thought the Maverick needed "a little something". We started with a hybrid order, but switched when the constraints were a factor, and as long as we were going eco, threw in 4x4, a plus with snow up north and sand in Baja. I figured as long as I paid for 4wd, I oughta gloat a little. ;-)

I will get one. have ecoboost 22 xl with aftermarket cruise, awd, heat bolt heater, and tow package, in cactus grey. going to add a black Softopper soon.....head bolt heater is nice to have as we lived in Alaska for 30 years and still have property there...

 

[W0lverine]

I will get one. have ecoboost 22 xl with aftermarket cruise, awd, heat bolt heater, and tow package, in cactus grey. going to add a black Softopper soon.....head bolt heater is nice to have as we lived in Alaska for 30 years and still have property there...

 

[Timothyd]

I find that I can sleep diagonally in the back, so will have a platform that angles across the truck. I went through several ideas of running with a shell that used the tailgate as an extension, but settled on this. Sealing to the cabin top is "good enough" with adhesive foam tape, but I don't expect it to be perfect. I was glad to see that there was no "wind whistle"/

I'm considering one of those "Pass Through" windows to the bed from the cab. That would give me a nice long bunk.

 

[JimKivi]

After much reading on aerodynamics and wind drag.....and you DID hear that squeeeek from a tight "budget" when I started writing.... I came up with this start to a way to cover the bed. I wanted a stout rack and a way to keep the elements and thieves out of the back. The shell top is a cut down fiberglass top from an old Silverado shell, free on C List. The rack is adapted from an earlier truck. There will be T&G wood side panels, a rear door, and a rooftop solar panel. There are removable cross bars for the rack, taken off for aerodynamics on the 1500 trip. The trip from California, a half hour south of the OR border to central Baja found us getting 30 and 31 mpg at from 65 to 83 mph in our 4wd ecoboost. I have scheduled the plastic surgery to get the "sugar" eating grin off my ugly melon. Happy camper indeed.

Update

 

[TedTX]

Thanks for the update. Forgot about this thread and thought I had an original idea. My built is similar concept but the solar panel roof is on a home made wooden rack sized like you did but way longer over the truck cab.

 

[JennyJoannSuebeeMcNash]

I like it!

 

[Dad]

Great DIY mod! That shit eating grin looks good on you . . . keep it!

 

[JASmith]

Looks well constructed, but first thing I thought of is that you need a BOL-L-GOL GARDENING sticker on your door:

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