My DIY Maverick camper pops up and down now! So close to getting it on my Maverick, hope it's ready for climbing season.

In this video I installed some gas struts so the roof can open and close on its own while also pulling the somewhat heavy hard insulated walls open. I used aluminum flat bar and some steel marine hinges to attach the walls to the roof. I also saved a family of ducks in the process
Hope you guys like it! Lmk if you have any questions about the camper

Great work. Mom says you should put on a shirt, lol.

TedTX said:

Great work. Mom says you should put on a shirt, lol.

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haha I was just telling my buddy, the FIRST thing I should have built for this project was a large canvas awning over my driveway to block the sun and heat... now it's too late. I'll be done soon and it's not worth it

That's pretty impressive!! So far it looks pretty cool. I have questions.
1) How much have you spent so far?
2) How much do you expect this to cost when you're done?
3) Will it be cheaper than buying one?
4) What more do you have left to do?
5) Will you put in windows?
6) Will you put some sort of "skin" on it or paint it?

Very cool!

The only part I found concerning was that portable drive/dock thingy hanging off your MacBook.

ClemsonU88 said:

That's pretty impressive!! So far it looks pretty cool.

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Thanks!

ClemsonU88 said:

1) How much have you spent so far?

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Gosh idk, it's hard to say. Probably around $8k if I count all the mistakes I made and prototyping I had to do to figure out how to get these walls to work...

ClemsonU88 said:

2) How much do you expect this to cost when you're done?

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I'm pretty much done right now and I think I'm probably sitting at around $8k. I've calculated all of the major receipts I can remember and it comes down to $6k, so I'm adding $2k as error.

ClemsonU88 said:

3) Will it be cheaper than buying one?

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If you spec out something similar with Hiatus it comes to around $20k! Although to be fair they have a couple more windows I wouldn't be adding so it's probably more like $19k.

ClemsonU88 said:

4) What more do you have left to do?

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The videos are far behind but hopefully that will change now that my sister is helping me edit them. As of now this is what my list looks like:

- figure out latching mechanism for the left main door
- cut out holes for the slam latches for the access door
- glue on the rest of the ACP panels
- seal the plastic hinge on the folding walls with tape
- weather proof the spot between the bottom of the folding walls when they are open and the aluminum frame (this one is going to be tough...)
- install the maxxair fan

ClemsonU88 said:

5) Will you put in windows?

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There will be 2 windows in the upper section on the large trapezoidal walls. For the lower section I think the access door will be enough but I may add some windows if I feel the desire later on. I'd like to use it for a bit to see what comes naturally!

ClemsonU88 said:

6) Will you put some sort of "skin" on it or paint it?

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I don't think so. Putting some vinyl wrap might make it look nicer but maybe later if it gets scratched up or something lol the black ACP looks pretty good as it is but is definitely not scratch resistant... like at all

Carlitos_92 said:

Very cool!

The only part I found concerning was that portable drive/dock thingy hanging off your MacBook.

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With this being my first major project like this, I'm glad THAT is the only thing you find concerning hahaha

It's definitely not the best setup, but I always record in the thinking chair.

zolland said:

In this video I installed some gas struts so the roof can open and close on its own while also pulling the somewhat heavy hard insulated walls open. I used aluminum flat bar and some steel marine hinges to attach the walls to the roof. I also saved a family of ducks in the process
Hope you guys like it! Lmk if you have any questions about the camper

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I love your sweet Boulevard Brewing t-shirt!

zolland said:

Thanks!
:
:
I don't think so. Putting some vinyl wrap might make it look nicer but maybe later if it gets scratched up or something lol the black ACP looks pretty good as it is but is definitely not scratch resistant... like at all

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Thanks for the response. That's too rich for my blood. But I'll say it again, it's very impressive.

I look forward to seeing the finished product.

Great work so far. I keep thinking about something similar to this; but using electric stepper/motors and hall sensors to have a one button open close assist. Also, I'm more inclined towards tent/fabric as the walls, so simple bungie to assist in keeping the material out of the closed/ratchet action. Thoughts?

zolland said:

In this video I installed some gas struts so the roof can open and close on its own while also pulling the somewhat heavy hard insulated walls open. I used aluminum flat bar and some steel marine hinges to attach the walls to the roof. I also saved a family of ducks in the process
Hope you guys like it! Lmk if you have any questions about the camper

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Looks great. Only thing is it seems it takes 2 people to open and close it. I have no one to help me open something like this. Wish it was a one person operation. I will have to use a hinge type top so the roof will be sloped towards the front.

IndyHavoc said:

I keep thinking about something similar to this; but using electric stepper/motors and hall sensors to have a one button open close assist. Also, I'm more inclined towards tent/fabric as the walls, so simple bungie to assist in keeping the material out of the closed/ratchet action. Thoughts?

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That would be awesome, this is a very interesting idea. Could you elaborate on your idea for the design though? The motors would assist in closing only and allow the struts to handle opening? Or they would also help with opening? What mechanism would allow the motors to help open and close the camper?

Grabber Rick said:

Only thing is it seems it takes 2 people to open and close it.

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It is definitely a 1 person job to open; the struts are very strong. Closing can be difficult, but even with it on my truck (making the top and pull down handles very high up) I am still able to do it alone. Closing will be even easier once the heavy roof ACP panel is installed. This may make opening less automatic, but once the gas struts activate all it really takes is getting inside and lightly pushing up on the walls.

I always had someone assist me with the initial tests because if any of the bars attaching the walls were to completely fail the struts would completely extend and the top section would pivot making it a huge pain in the ass to close and potentially tearing apart any other attachments. With two people we are able to keep it under control during any mechanical failure... sadly I know from experience lmao and what's even sadder is I didn't get it on video!

zolland said:

That would be awesome, this is a very interesting idea. Could you elaborate on your idea for the design though? The motors would assist in closing only and allow the struts to handle opening? Or they would also help with opening? What mechanism would allow the motors to help open and close the camper?



It is definitely a 1 person job to open; the struts are very strong. Closing can be difficult, but even with it on my truck (making the top and pull down handles very high up) I am still able to do it alone. Closing will be even easier once the heavy roof ACP panel is installed. This may make opening less automatic, but once the gas struts activate all it really takes is getting inside and lightly pushing up on the walls.

I always had someone assist me with the initial tests because if any of the bars attaching the walls were to completely fail the struts would completely extend and the top section would pivot making it a huge pain in the ass to close and potentially tearing apart any other attachments. With two people we are able to keep it under control during any mechanical failure... sadly I know from experience lmao and what's even sadder is I didn't get it on video!

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How did you attach the gas struts? I know on my car hatch their are the balls that the ends of the struts push onto and the clips keep them from popping off.

Grabber Rick said:

How did you attach the gas struts?

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I attached the ball studs to the strut, then attached the ball studs to the rails of my extrusion with bolts and t-nuts. I then tightened one stud and compressed the strut with a ratchet strap bringing the other end closer. Once at the desired length I tightened the bolts on the other ball stud.

zolland said:

In this video I installed some gas struts so the roof can open and close on its own while also pulling the somewhat heavy hard insulated walls open. I used aluminum flat bar and some steel marine hinges to attach the walls to the roof. I also saved a family of ducks in the process
Hope you guys like it! Lmk if you have any questions about the camper

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Well done! I wish I had that kind of spare time on my hands!