I saw some cheap 5x8 trailers on marketplace and instantly got an idea to build something like this. Did a quick search and it seems like that’s what you do. Awesome job, looks really fun.
Awesome! It's a really fun project for anyone with a hint of carpentry skills. I'd encourage anyone to dive in if you have a few tools to get the project done. Let me know if you have any questions when you get started on your build. You can find me on instagram @aaronfunke and can DM me with any questions. Thanks for watching and subscribing!
Haha thank you! To be honest, my talent, skills and knowledge are pretty minimal. I'm just confident that I can figure things out. Thanks for watching and subscribing!
Did you silicone around the doors for the skin or just use the trim to hold it in? We bought a partial build from Frank at Vintage Technologies, great guy and incredibly knowledgeable.
Hello, how is it now after 2 years? Is the silicone still holding? Why didn't you use professional adhesives and sealants? Something like Sika Sorry my bad English . I come from Germany
I just started watching your videos and I appreciate your time and effort that you do explaining the process! Really enjoy your honesty. Keep up the great work. On a side note, in one video you talked about cooking set up. I’ve not had a chance to watch all your videos ( working on it) lol. When we were camping I purchased the “Deluxe camp kitchen” from Cabela’s / Bass Pro Shops, it’s a handy set up for cooking and prep. It’s heavy and bulky but worth a look. We used for weekend trips to week long trips. We put it under a pop up canopy on site. Sorry if you have been blasted with replies in regards to the cooking station, just wanted to share. Thank you again for the videos!!
Thanks for the suggestion! I have yet to build myself a good cooking setup. So I need to find a good option. Thanks for watching the videos and subscribing! I appreciate the support!
Could you please let me know what kind of metal trim you used across front where it angles toward roof? Is it some sort of an angled trim? I can't seem to find this kind of a product online. Thanks and love the build.
Hey! Thanks for watching and subscribing. I used two pieces of flat aluminum trim, butt up against eachother. Then I sealed the heck out of the gap between them using silicone. This is the flat trim I used: www.recpro.com/rv-insert-roof-flat-trim-black-92/
Great question. The only aluminum I could get my hands on is 4x8. My trailer is 5x8. So I ended up using two pieces on the top in order to cover the whole thing. Ideally it would be one piece with no seam.
How thick is that aluminum sheet your cutting at 9:47? I just got some .04 for my step van roof and it's thicker and less flexible than I thought. Been thinking rivets and/or vhb tape. Not sure...
Great video mate! It would have been interesting to see more details of how you installed the rear tailgate and how you manage to prevent water from getting into that storage space? Nice work though and big improvement over the raptor paint 👍🏻
Curious how the aluminum skin holds up. I’m still learning how to build a trailer, and was curious how that was applied. My concern would be moisture buildup between the wood and the skin. Maybe not where you’re at, but I live in FL where the humidity can get extreme. What is your thoughts on that? Appreciate any feedback and great build! Love your videos.
Great question! Everything is sealed up really solid on this build. In Utah, we will get snow on top of the camper that will slowly melt and potentially seep in, but I haven't had any issues with it since I know how well I sealed everything with the trim and with silicon around the corners. I'm not sure you will have any more issues with this than you would with any other type of coating or siding. Filon could be a good option, just because it won't expand and contract as much, but you will still run into the same issues with humidity. But I think all siding will have that issue. If I were in your boat, I would use the siding of your choice after sealing the frame really well. Get the best exterior primer/paint you can find that reduces mildew and mold. I like this stuff: amzn.to/3eKEY8U
So how did the aluminum look after it warmed up in the sun light? I would think just glueing outer edge would make it the worst case . Floating floor let’s perimeter slide out for expansion. Looks way better then rhino ,,good job.
Luckily the “glue” is silicone, so it has some give to it, but the edge molding is what really holds it in place more than anything. I’ve seen photos of some that are completely glued down and they get really bad rippling through them. It still looks really good in the sun, you just get a slight “bubble” across the whole length of the trailer, which is a-ok by me.
I used this: www.recpro.com/rv-insert-roof-flat-trim-black-92/ and this: www.recpro.com/rv-insert-roof-trim-with-leg/ I suggest using butyl tape under each piece of trim to seal things up and then use some black silicone once everything is installed to seal up anywhere the sheet metal meets the trim. Thanks for watching and subscribing!
Just curious how much aluminum it took to cover your camper and what the cost including shipping was? Nowadays that can’t be a cheap option but you did a great job and it looks excellent. Nice work.
I used 6 sheets total. (Actually 5 sheets of the charcoal painted aluminum and 1 sheet of the black Diamond plated aluminum). I bought the painted stuff locally at MetalWest. It came out to $60 per sheet with no shipping cost, I just had to pick it up. But I had to buy 18 sheets as the minimum order. So I built a couple of campers and then sold the left overs on Craigslist. I bought the black Diamond plated stuff online at cutsmetal.net. To get enough for both campers, I think it was $200 and that included shipping. The price actually seemed pretty comparable to using raptor liner + tint. I also think that Filon can be a great option and maybe the easiest option. Thanks for watching my videos. I love hearing about other peoples experiences building their own campers.
I bought mine straight from a local manufacturer (MetalWest) but I had to buy in bulk. I had to buy 18 sheets at $60 a piece. You can buy smaller quantities from places like RecPro.com. Cutsmetal.net also has some cool diamond plate options if you prefer that look. Thanks for watching the video and subscribing!
I may have misspoken. There isn't a bubble underneath the skin, but the skin itself will "bubble" in the heat. As aluminum is warmed up (often just sitting in the sun), it will expand. If the aluminum skin is fastened on all sides, then there is no where for the aluminum to expand outward. Instead, it temporarily "bubble" or expands outward. Some people call this "oil canning". In my experinece, this goes away as soon the aluminum cools back down. You can minimize this by not puting screws through your aluminum and just using your trim to hold on the aluminum sheets. If you decide you do want to screw through the aluminum, I would suggest predrilling oversized screw holes in the aluminum. With an oversized hole, that will allow a little more room for th metal to expand. If you do that, just make sure you don't tighten down your screws too much or else the metal wont be able to move as it expands. Sorry, I am not the best at explaining with written text. Maybe i should stick to videos. haha. Let me know if you need more clarification. Thanks for watching!
@@FunkeAdventures Ah I see. I thought it was a perfect explanation! Haha. Thank you for the suggestions as well! I’m in the process of designing and researching to build my own camper and am trying to decide how I’m going to finish my exterior. I love your most recent videos on building your new camper and all the steps you’re taking. It’s very helpful!
@@konnorbolton9302 I am glad that the videos have helped. I know some other people use Filon for their siding, and have found success with it. If you are interested in that route, OregonBatman has some good information: ruclips.net/video/6K2GYSH_Pd8/видео.html
The sad fact is the diy bed liner products are just paint . The honestly don’t work all that well for there intended purpose let alone covering campers . I wonder how well the real product works? There’s no comparison to a Rhino , Line x etc. to the diy kits . So I would be curious if the real thing would be a viable option. Considering the cost of skinning one with aluminum It my be a better alternative.
I think stuff like Raptor liner would work fine. It is a bit more intense than the simple spray can stuff you buy at the hardware store. It is a 2 part, similar to what is used by auto paint shops. That said, I think the failure I experienced was more of a failure of the substrate. That paint is not intended for plywood. It is meant for something more solid like steel. I still would shy away from it unless I was putting it on metal. Thanks for watching!
It's okay I'm at my own thank God I'm DIY how much you probably want for that probably $30,000 no thank you I don't buy manufactured goods I make my own..
They are definitely spendy, which is why I built my own. It's not as cheap as one would think, but it doesn't come close to $30,000. If I were to sell this, I would probably sell it for $9000-10,000. I spent over $5000 building it, and put in over 120 hours of work to build it.
@@FunkeAdventures that is great I built my own at a solid plywood manufactured ones that light made and made out of chipboard when you make your own you put a lot more work into it so I see why you want for it but 9,000 is kind of reasonable but still a lot of money but I get it you're doing it so you can make your money back so I get the point out of that it looks nice anyway though.. I'm in my own with a high top actually it's not fully built yet I'm still working on it now..
![2022 DIY Overland Camper Trailer Tour - Square Drop [Updated]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Jnsc1BzkB5s/mqdefault.jpg)
![2022 DIY Overland Camper Trailer Tour - Square Drop [Updated]](/img/tr.png)
The beauty of this land is truly remarkable. What a way to travel through this vast land. You are a skilled man.
We've got to get you and the fam out sometime!
A nice upgrade. I love that you're looking out for your customer even if it's a lot of work.
It seems to be a much better finished product. It's nice to get the process nailed down for the next build too. Thanks for watching!
I saw some cheap 5x8 trailers on marketplace and instantly got an idea to build something like this. Did a quick search and it seems like that’s what you do. Awesome job, looks really fun.
Awesome! It's a really fun project for anyone with a hint of carpentry skills. I'd encourage anyone to dive in if you have a few tools to get the project done. Let me know if you have any questions when you get started on your build. You can find me on instagram @aaronfunke and can DM me with any questions. Thanks for watching and subscribing!
GR8 JOB ON UR BUILD, WISH I HAD UR TALENT, SKILLS, AND KNOWLEDGE.
Haha thank you! To be honest, my talent, skills and knowledge are pretty minimal. I'm just confident that I can figure things out.
Thanks for watching and subscribing!
Looks great! I like the that you took the frame off the trailer too!
Thanks! 👍
Cool build! Trying to build my own trailer this is very informative! Thanks for sharing
Glad it was helpful! We have a whole build series going on on our channel. Hopefully some of that can help with your build. Thanks for watching!
Awesome job. I enjoy you are Trying new things. Make a decision and then attack it. Great work.
Thanks for watching Rick!
Did you not like the raptor liner? Did you use their primer?
Did you silicone around the doors for the skin or just use the trim to hold it in? We bought a partial build from Frank at Vintage Technologies, great guy and incredibly knowledgeable.
Hello, how is it now after 2 years? Is the silicone still holding?
Why didn't you use professional adhesives and sealants? Something like Sika
Sorry my bad English . I come from Germany
I just started watching your videos and I appreciate your time and effort that you do explaining the process! Really enjoy your honesty. Keep up the great work. On a side note, in one video you talked about cooking set up. I’ve not had a chance to watch all your videos ( working on it) lol. When we were camping I purchased the “Deluxe camp kitchen” from Cabela’s / Bass Pro Shops, it’s a handy set up for cooking and prep. It’s heavy and bulky but worth a look. We used for weekend trips to week long trips. We put it under a pop up canopy on site. Sorry if you have been blasted with replies in regards to the cooking station, just wanted to share. Thank you again for the videos!!
Thanks for the suggestion! I have yet to build myself a good cooking setup. So I need to find a good option.
Thanks for watching the videos and subscribing! I appreciate the support!
Incredible job! very impressive !!
Thanks a lot!
I will miss the green, but dang that aluminum looks so good!! I like the diamond playing all the way up as well. Love the videos, keep ‘em coming!!
I wish I could get that green on some aluminum. I loved that color for my camper.
Looks great! 😍
Thanks! Looking forward to more adventures with you!
Hey how has the aluminum held up with just the silicone holding it on?
Could you please let me know what kind of metal trim you used across front where it angles toward roof? Is it some sort of an angled trim? I can't seem to find this kind of a product online. Thanks and love the build.
Hey! Thanks for watching and subscribing. I used two pieces of flat aluminum trim, butt up against eachother. Then I sealed the heck out of the gap between them using silicone. This is the flat trim I used: www.recpro.com/rv-insert-roof-flat-trim-black-92/
How come you didn't just lay the aluminum over the top if it's floating anyway
looks great, curious why you have a seam in the top instead of a single piece?
Great question. The only aluminum I could get my hands on is 4x8. My trailer is 5x8. So I ended up using two pieces on the top in order to cover the whole thing. Ideally it would be one piece with no seam.
beautiful I learned a lot thank you
How thick is that aluminum sheet your cutting at 9:47? I just got some .04 for my step van roof and it's thicker and less flexible than I thought. Been thinking rivets and/or vhb tape. Not sure...
Mine is .029 painted aluminum.
Great video mate! It would have been interesting to see more details of how you installed the rear tailgate and how you manage to prevent water from getting into that storage space?
Nice work though and big improvement over the raptor paint 👍🏻
Thanks so much for watching. Recording a video this week showing that rear hatch and how I seal it up to keep out moisture and dust.
Curious how the aluminum skin holds up. I’m still learning how to build a trailer, and was curious how that was applied. My concern would be moisture buildup between the wood and the skin. Maybe not where you’re at, but I live in FL where the humidity can get extreme. What is your thoughts on that? Appreciate any feedback and great build! Love your videos.
Great question! Everything is sealed up really solid on this build. In Utah, we will get snow on top of the camper that will slowly melt and potentially seep in, but I haven't had any issues with it since I know how well I sealed everything with the trim and with silicon around the corners. I'm not sure you will have any more issues with this than you would with any other type of coating or siding. Filon could be a good option, just because it won't expand and contract as much, but you will still run into the same issues with humidity. But I think all siding will have that issue. If I were in your boat, I would use the siding of your choice after sealing the frame really well. Get the best exterior primer/paint you can find that reduces mildew and mold. I like this stuff: amzn.to/3eKEY8U
So how did the aluminum look after it warmed up in the sun light?
I would think just glueing outer edge would make it the worst case . Floating floor let’s perimeter slide out for expansion.
Looks way better then rhino ,,good job.
Luckily the “glue” is silicone, so it has some give to it, but the edge molding is what really holds it in place more than anything. I’ve seen photos of some that are completely glued down and they get really bad rippling through them.
It still looks really good in the sun, you just get a slight “bubble” across the whole length of the trailer, which is a-ok by me.
Thanks for watching our video! We appreciate you being here.
What was the total cost of this build?
What is the thickness of your aluminum sheet? Have you considered coiled aluminum, .032 or.040?
This is painted aluminum .029 inch. I purchased it from MetalWest, but I know there are some online suppliers too.
How did you finish the seems on your roof there???
I used this: www.recpro.com/rv-insert-roof-flat-trim-black-92/
and this: www.recpro.com/rv-insert-roof-trim-with-leg/
I suggest using butyl tape under each piece of trim to seal things up and then use some black silicone once everything is installed to seal up anywhere the sheet metal meets the trim.
Thanks for watching and subscribing!
Just curious how much aluminum it took to cover your camper and what the cost including shipping was? Nowadays that can’t be a cheap option but you did a great job and it looks excellent. Nice work.
I used 6 sheets total. (Actually 5 sheets of the charcoal painted aluminum and 1 sheet of the black Diamond plated aluminum). I bought the painted stuff locally at MetalWest. It came out to $60 per sheet with no shipping cost, I just had to pick it up. But I had to buy 18 sheets as the minimum order. So I built a couple of campers and then sold the left overs on Craigslist. I bought the black Diamond plated stuff online at cutsmetal.net. To get enough for both campers, I think it was $200 and that included shipping.
The price actually seemed pretty comparable to using raptor liner + tint.
I also think that Filon can be a great option and maybe the easiest option.
Thanks for watching my videos. I love hearing about other peoples experiences building their own campers.
Where to buy the aluminum skin and how much does it cost?
I bought mine straight from a local manufacturer (MetalWest) but I had to buy in bulk. I had to buy 18 sheets at $60 a piece. You can buy smaller quantities from places like RecPro.com. Cutsmetal.net also has some cool diamond plate options if you prefer that look. Thanks for watching the video and subscribing!
What do you mean by there is a “bubble” underneath the skin when it’s in the sun?
I may have misspoken. There isn't a bubble underneath the skin, but the skin itself will "bubble" in the heat. As aluminum is warmed up (often just sitting in the sun), it will expand. If the aluminum skin is fastened on all sides, then there is no where for the aluminum to expand outward. Instead, it temporarily "bubble" or expands outward. Some people call this "oil canning". In my experinece, this goes away as soon the aluminum cools back down. You can minimize this by not puting screws through your aluminum and just using your trim to hold on the aluminum sheets. If you decide you do want to screw through the aluminum, I would suggest predrilling oversized screw holes in the aluminum. With an oversized hole, that will allow a little more room for th metal to expand. If you do that, just make sure you don't tighten down your screws too much or else the metal wont be able to move as it expands.
Sorry, I am not the best at explaining with written text. Maybe i should stick to videos. haha. Let me know if you need more clarification. Thanks for watching!
@@FunkeAdventures Ah I see. I thought it was a perfect explanation! Haha. Thank you for the suggestions as well! I’m in the process of designing and researching to build my own camper and am trying to decide how I’m going to finish my exterior. I love your most recent videos on building your new camper and all the steps you’re taking. It’s very helpful!
@@konnorbolton9302 I am glad that the videos have helped. I know some other people use Filon for their siding, and have found success with it. If you are interested in that route, OregonBatman has some good information: ruclips.net/video/6K2GYSH_Pd8/видео.html
@@FunkeAdventures great! Thank you so much, I’ll look into that.
Thanks for sharing
Thanks for watching!
The sad fact is the diy bed liner products are just paint . The honestly don’t work all that well for there intended purpose let alone covering campers . I wonder how well the real product works? There’s no comparison to a Rhino , Line x etc. to the diy kits . So I would be curious if the real thing would be a viable option. Considering the cost of skinning one with aluminum It my be a better alternative.
I think stuff like Raptor liner would work fine. It is a bit more intense than the simple spray can stuff you buy at the hardware store. It is a 2 part, similar to what is used by auto paint shops.
That said, I think the failure I experienced was more of a failure of the substrate. That paint is not intended for plywood. It is meant for something more solid like steel. I still would shy away from it unless I was putting it on metal.
Thanks for watching!
It's okay I'm at my own thank God I'm DIY how much you probably want for that probably $30,000 no thank you I don't buy manufactured goods I make my own..
They are definitely spendy, which is why I built my own. It's not as cheap as one would think, but it doesn't come close to $30,000. If I were to sell this, I would probably sell it for $9000-10,000. I spent over $5000 building it, and put in over 120 hours of work to build it.
@@FunkeAdventures that is great I built my own at a solid plywood manufactured ones that light made and made out of chipboard when you make your own you put a lot more work into it so I see why you want for it but 9,000 is kind of reasonable but still a lot of money but I get it you're doing it so you can make your money back so I get the point out of that it looks nice anyway though.. I'm in my own with a high top actually it's not fully built yet I'm still working on it now..