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Hi All,
Just beginning my investigation of the feasibility of being able to build the camper myself.
Can I get your opinion on whether one could complete the construction solo? From the videos I’ve watched, there does appear to be a couple of points where a dead lift is required: fitting the bottom on the inverted shell and placing the competed shell on the trailer.
I can envision the use of a garage roof hoist might make this easier.
Any opinions?
Thanks much,
Jeff
There was one person in our class that did his solo. HOWEVER, we all pitched in several times during the assembly. Moving the body around certainly helped. But also during the large epoxy pour over the two layers of fiberglass. One team mixed epoxy while another spread it out onto the fiberglass.
Also, the solo guy has just completed building a fiberglass airplane, so he possessed a particular set of skills.
There are times you may need to enlist help.
I recently completed my camper build ‘solo’ about two weeks ago. Let me elaborate on what I mean by that.
The build took place in Maryland, and I picked up the camper kit from Annapolis using a rented trailer. My initial plan was to complete the entire project independently. However, about 15 minutes into the drive home, I pulled over to check the load and realized that maneuvering the components on my own would be difficult.
Despite this initial challenge, I managed to do approximately 99% of the work myself. The few instances where I needed assistance were for specific tasks: installing the floor, flipping the camper over, and lifting it onto the trailer. While I briefly considered hoisting the floor over the mold, I ultimately enlisted my wife’s help for this. Turning the camper within my single-car garage also proved challenging, and I accomplished this with the aid of a couple of couch cushions and my wife acting as a spotter. This type of assistance occurred about three or four times throughout the build. With careful planning, you can likely minimize the need for these maneuvers.
To load the camper onto the trailer, I used a system involving a couple of tubes placed underneath and two 2″ x 6″ planks, each 8 feet long, to create ramps. Even with this setup, I had a spotter to ensure the camper wasn’t damaged. During the final stages, my five-year-old occasionally helped by holding a screwdriver or ratchet while I tightened lock nuts on the mushroom vents and secured the camper to the floor.
Ultimately, building this camper solo is definitely achievable. However, it requires significant time dedicated to design and figuring out hoisting and other lifting methods. Good luck with your build, and please keep us updated on your progress!
Awesome responses by folks! I’ll be solo too, but will draft neighbors for rotating, flipping, moving big components. I will build out some of the standalone components (doors, hatch, tongue box, etc…) in the Green Valley Woodworkers Club Shop (green valley, az) and will no doubt receive the help and guidance of many of the skilled volunteers there who can’t stand to see someone struggle with something.
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