Gea and Mark Slingerland’s Rig Truck: 1992 Scania 93M Camper: Made it ourselves Tie-downs/turnbuckles: Twistlocks and a Kingpin Suspension: Air, Home » Off-Road and Off-The-Grid Campers » Extreme Rigs » Truck Camping Out of the Box. A DIY truck bed camper is the best option for those travelers who don’t want to pitch a tent or drive a huge trailer. The Slingerlands took a Scania truck and a box designed to haul clothing and built an incredible one-of-a-kind demountable truck camper and mobile motorcycle garage. All Rights Reserved. stuff about Demountables . Opposite the kitchen we installed the toilet. And we did! Here in America, we need jacks to load and unload our campers. A dream of mine was to someday have our own truck and to build our own camper exactly the way we wanted it to be. That’s a very clever and very versatile approach. You try to keep in mind how you want things to work and where you want it, or need it. So, if something happens we can restore it without problems. These bodies (usually a box body) are used to enable the truck to do more work during the permitted driving hours for the driver. A demountable camper is simply one that can be removed from the vehicle. We are able to keep in touch with that life and friends as well. Increasingly eBay offers possibilities if you have internet access and are happy to use it. The lowered garage works perfectly because we can drive our motorcycle in and then chains keep it in place. The pod is only accesable via the rear door. You call it the overcab. My husband used to be a professional truck driver for 20 years. Squaretubing and a hand winch.Callen Camper converted for a flatbed. With air suspension, who needs jacks? We sold our old camper and I searched the internet for a truck. Mounting tends to take longer because you have to get the pickup aligned as perfectly as possible before lowering the camper onto it. //-->, guide to demountables ... common questions. Mark: We can choose which body we want on the truck; the camper body or the flat body. Sometimes on the weekends we join up with an oldtimer meeting, which is what you call vintage car shows. It had been previously used for transporting clothing to shops. google_ad_height = 60; We like to travel all over the world and we can find Scania parts everywhere without a lot of trouble. With each subsequent email and photograph, their truck, camper, and truck camping lifestyle got even more interesting. When we were designing the concept of this truck and camper, there was no doubt that we needed a truck with air suspension. It’s in August and we try to attend each year. More Hardware: Legs and Steps. The seats, the bed above, and the behind the seat benches were ideas we borrowed from the marine industry. That way it could fit on the truck. The toilet is not plastic, but a real porcelain toilet with a macerator underneath it. Above: Lift ‘n Load Truck Event In Holland. One Mega Mod will... Just for fun, here’s a crossword puzzle on truck campers. Gea: We bought the truck in July of 2015, but the idea started earlier. Above: The garage is the door in the back of their camper. With everything you’re describing, it seems like it might have been easier to build it as one vehicle. Fits all modern single cab trucks. We are temporarily live in the camper and a building site office. document.writeln("page last updated:" + document.lastModified); google_ad_slot = "5562388597"; There are not too many left. Attendees have all kinds of cranes on their trucks or trailers. In particular, the Norg Harder looks like a must-attend at least once in our lifetime. The 9 liter, 6 cylinder diesel engine uses about 20 liters of fuel for 100 kilometers. (In the UK this number is specified in the V5 registration document.) 2021 NorthStar demountable campers 2021 models now available to order as the UK distributor for NorthStar truck campers since 1999, we know a thing or two about... 18. gumtree.com . Find great deals on eBay for demountable camper. How did you go about designing the plumbing and electrical systems? When we made it home, the work on the Scania began. And just wait until you see the incredible truck events they attend in Europe with their rig. Latest: Camper Nose Rebuild and Crossword Puzzle. Gea: We tried to think of all things we wanted and how we wanted it, and then marked out a drawing on the floor. Inside the Camper it is clean and tidy - it is fitted with a four burner gas hob and grill , microwave , 19" flat screen TV , Inverter and all the usual equipment that came with the camper when supplied new . Tell us about the truck events in the pictures you sent us. Truck drivers, their families, and visitors can park their truck for the weekend and just have fun with friends and colleagues. This will inevitably be felt in the way the combination drives, with an impact on acceleration and braking times and with a tendency to roll on roundabouts and tight corners. How did you go about making the box into the camper you envisioned? We have really just begun our travels with it. They are like an open-air museum of automobile history with automobile enthusiasts from all over Europe gathering together. We are always working on maintaining our camper. • Happijac - another US-based manufacturer specialising exclusively in products for truck campers. The telescopic legs, as supplied with the Suntrekker, were designed to just clear the P100's bed - when extended to their wobbly maximum! Gea: We tried to use as little space as possible so we would have more space and room to live in. (Put the name in quotes, e.g. All of the profits for the event go to charity. - A … The rest was done in a truck paint shop. You can find an inexpensive, used demountable camper for sale on … The truck only had one diesel tank leaving space for another tank for waste-water. United States Patent 4215894 . Used: An item that has been previously used. If the ground is very uneven or slopes significantly from one side to the other it becomes extremely difficult to accurately position the pickup and to get the demountable to lower squarely and centrally onto it. It’s like a walk-in toilet and shower. We can fix most things ourselves. We didn’t really know what to do or how to do it, but sometimes you just have to start and it work it out along the way. The flat body is on the truck so we can use the truck for loads of wood. Wherever you look though you are not going to be spoiled for choice. That is the way you learn. Above: Camping At Nog Harder in the Netherlands. Then we saw a picture of the camper demounted. By the same token, in the case of a van, it is not legal to carry people in the back of the van unless it has been fitted with securely-mounted seats, the registration authority has been notified, and the vehicle's registration document has been changed accordingly. Above: The Scania truck with its flat body attached. The flat body (flatbed) attaches in the same way. Dumfries, Dumfries and Galloway PRV Wildmoor Demountable camper, this is a unique vehicle built by Profab Recreational Vehicles. Report. - A set of Lift-Off Legs (4 pieces). But, we’re both tall and we didn’t really fit in the mobile home. collection only. • expeditionportal.com - 'One man camper loading' is a thread from the Expedition Portal, initiated by someone calling themselves Prybry, that describes and illustrates their approach to overcoming the difficulties of loading by fitting casters to the bottom of their camper's jacking legs. Mark designed the way it would work. There were the metal legs holding the camper, and the truck driving off separately. As we like to say at Truck Camper Magazine, if it doesn’t demount, it doesn’t count. 67 photos. From their website, it looks like nothing we have in the United States. John Williams's Library. That is a meeting for truck drivers, their families, and their trucks. Gea: We found a truck box at a truck store in Heteren. We made an exchangeable plumbing system to the tank. It's ideal to make use of the vehicle on it's own, or to put a little home from home down in any place you like. One of our favorite truck events is called Nog Harder in Lopik. We wanted an older truck that was not too big, and is very reliable. Mark: We have a 250 liter (66 gallon) fresh water tank underneath part of the corner seat with a boiler next to it. Copyright © 2007-2020. One of the major benefits of the Slide On Campers is their ability to tow if you are seeking to travel with boats, motorbikes or even a horse trailer giving wide flexibility.. Only a few moments if you believe the manufacturers - a little longer in the real world! For travel they are simply wound up as far as possible but are left in place. The bed was too short and the shower was to low. Units can be ordered from 'shell only' for those wishing to build their own. The homebuilt rig was impressive, but where were the corner jacks? all facilities, fits double and extra cab trucks and its a poptop... demountable camper . So the combination black and grey tank is technically part of the truck, but connects to the camper? demountable Camper Body Legs 4x4 overlander camper. Gea: The Truck Star Festival in Assen is Europe’s largest trucking event. With a 1992 truck, there are not too many modern problems. The next obvious consideration is length - pickups come with cargo beds of different lengths and there are demountables on the market designed to fit all of them. Gea: What we want is freedom. It works well. We like to just drive around in it. The supply of second-hand demountables in the UK is extremely limited reflecting the very small sales of new units. See the article 'A Choice Of One' on the matching the camper to the pickup page for full details. Dec 7, 2018 - A demountable camper is simply one that can be removed from the vehicle. They had fun making it because it was so different from what they normally make. Among European demountables the legs are more commonly designed to be removed for travel (and stored inside the camper) or to be folded up out of the way. The camper unit can be used/slept in without it being on the truck. It's worth regularly checking the stocklist of motorcaravan/caravan dealers (they may have taken one in in part-exchange). Gea: Yes, most of the time you can camp there. Realizing that the camper is unfinished, how long have you been working on the truck and camper project? For travel they are simply wound up as far as possible but are left in place. Gea: We want to be self-sufficient for seven days or more, so we needed big holding tanks. How to Build a Lightweight Truck Camper: Follow the Instructions. On many north American campers, particularly the larger models, the jacking legs are permanently fixed in their vertical locations at the sides and rear of the vehicle. . Rieco-Titan engineers camper products for safety, practicality, and durability. 8) Legs are designed to carry the weight independantley without effecting the construction of the Demountable 9) Specially designed strapping system no other Demoutable can offer 10) The Demountable can be lowered to one step height (easy to enter without an additional step) 11) Choose your own Interior design and colour of fabric Was this some kind of European magic? We are not afraid to ask for advice. Right now we are building a new house. /* Top ad */ At the moment we are partially living in the camper while we’re building our house. We call that dry camping. Nog Harder is also near water, so it is a kind of a short holiday for us. Cars constructed before 1970 are in attendance. We are always able to take the bike along where ever we go, so it gives us extra freedom. Notify me before the end of the auction. Exceptional value at 1000 . In the Netherlands we pay taxes and insurance for our cars and trucks based on weight, age, and fuel type. They have two rear steadies (like car jacks) and two removable front jacking legs that slot into brackets under the the pod near to the front. Gea: We were recently at a Lift ‘n Load in Gorinchem, Holland. They have legs or jacks that lift the van so the ute can reverse under it to be secured. Above: The slide in bar that works like a kingpin. Visitors can also check out the trucks, talk with the owners/operators, and have a nice day. Mark: We lowered the back end of our camper so we can always have our motorcycle, which is a Honda XRV 750 (Africa Twin). With a green light for the article, we engaged Gea and Mark Slingerland of the Netherlands. We knew it needed to be well made because we didn’t want any leaks. They make a campsite area and we stay from the beginning to the end. Next to the entry door, we put the kitchen on the right. The truck box was a bit of a gamble, but we thought we could make it fit on our Scania. We have traveled to almost every country in Europe. We bought the flat body separate from the truck, so we had to make that fit. We are currently building our house and barn right now. We shortened it to 6 meters long, which was a lot of work. What kind of truck do you have, and why did you select that particular make and model? The fuel tank was empty when we bought it. Like most people, we try to make things and renovate things in our home. Axxent followed Mark’s ideas, but they had the tools and the expertise. It has electric legs for easy mo. "Island Plastics Suntrekker", to restrict the search to exactly that phrase and avoid irrelevant links.) The jacking legs of a demountable, of course, have to be capable of lifting the camper unit clear of the carrying pickup. Above: Nog Harder Truck Event Netherlands. Demountable bodies are able to stand independently on integrated legs, this allows for the simple detachment and re-attachment of the body from the chassis of the cab. In our mobile home, we went to Greece, Albania, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Portugal, Spain, France, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain, Poland, Servia, Kroatia, and Montenegro. We also like go to all sorts of truck events and meetings. Not sure if original manufacturer, but was modified by me to fit my ford ranger. The flat body is really easy to attach for when we want to carry loads. google_ad_width = 468; We are both tall, so the height of the kitchen is higher than normal. When we first considered this story, it was almost immediately nixed. Axxent also made the twist locks and hook on the box and truck. Numerous trips to the USA had introduced me to demountables – campers on retractable legs that sit in the bed of a pick-up truck, and that can be loaded on and off with relative ease. We make all kinds of jacks and linear actuators to be used for truck campers and custom applications. Then we took the box to Axxent in Vaassen. Demountable camper to fit single cab truck. The Truck Star Festival looks incredible. He has added some Extra Options: - An Awning (2.0m x 2.5m). #YourHashtag (unclaimed) Gea: We hope to take the truck and camper to the United States and travel from the north to the south. So we drove to Lyon, looked at it, started it up, bought it, and drove it back home. 100% water tight and solid construction. We do not have a background in construction. The flat body was originally 10 meters long. Don’t give up, keep trying, and keep going. 4 x 4 Pick Up Truck. The barn will fit both the truck and camper when it’s completed, so it’s going to be a big barn. The item may have some signs of cosmetic wear, but is fully operational and functions as intended. You guys have some serious gumption. Click on any question below or click here to show all answers or to hide all answers. We wanted to do it the right away. We want to do whatever we want when we want to do it. Lovingly stored in a smoke pet free home. How did they do that? - A Fiberglass Utility Box (for his camping gears). Private classified ad's in the motorcaravan press are probably the best bet but, as ever, it's a matter of looking in the right place at the right time. We are still working on it but, like a house, I think we will always keep working on it. Gea and Mark’s design concepts are inspirational, as is their sheer grit and gumption. 2WD. We are self-supporting, so we can go an stay everywhere we like. Mark: The truck is a 1992 Scania 93M. You can find much more information on the demountable insurance page. It never ends. Gea: We ordered a fresh water tank from a company that had the size we wanted. Went on a long trip around Europe last summer as seen in photos. There are quite a lot of truck and oldtimer events over here. You can stay for free at most of the events. That way, we knew how big everything needed to be. Among European demountables the legs are more commonly designed to be removed for travel (and stored inside the camper) or to be folded up out of the way. We call it the spiegelbak, or Mum’s attic. The camper legs whind up into the body giving it the look of a coach built, also when removed the flatbed has sides and rear tailgate that convert it to a proper pickup. Nice idea but some of the cautions in subsequent postings are worth taking note of. Having said that, it matters much less if the slope is front-to-back than it does if it is side-to-side. In two words, air suspension. There were the metal legs holding the camper, and the truck driving off separately. It’s a manual 10-speed with 280 horsepower and has a top speed of 128 kilometers per hour (80 mph). Okay, now you have a truck and an empty box. We are used to it. It's not essential but it certainly makes the job a whole lot easier if it is, particularly when it comes to re-mounting it. Then I looked around for a suitable trailer or something I could make the camper with. At the time of writing the stock list includes 20 different models of varying ages and types. You can find more details on the european demountable hire page of this website. That was a gamble. Tell us about that feature. The tank always stays on the truck. Beyond that there are several other dimensions and considerations which have to be taken into account to be sure of a safe and secure fit of one to the other. We said, “By the time we are 50 years old we are going to build our own.”. The short answer is 'No'. The registered vehicle, i.e. Above: Their 1992 Scania 93M before the flatbed was attached. See complete description. demountable Camper Body Legs . What led you to building your own truck camper? Otherwise we will find a free space nearby. Gea: Our camper is attached to the truck with twist-locks on the back of both sides of the camper. Demountable campers are not just camper shells laid over the bed of your truck. Slide On campers are demountable campers designed to turn your everyday ute into a recreational vehicle. There were metal legs on the corners, but they could not raise and lower the camper to load and unload. With the truck’s air suspension system, we can lift the truck and lower the truck to load and unload the camper. Island Plastics' Suntrekker in the early 1990's, for example, simply required the removal of the tailgate in order to fit it to the contemporary Ford P100. Apollo 4 Berth Camper - Demountable (09 ) : I am the second owner and it had a few " battle scars " when I bought it - I've added a few more ! There are very few companies in Europe that hire out demountable campers and pickups. All the trucks are parked on a race track and they have barbecues, swimming pools, bars, and everything they can think of. Above: The toilet is across from the kitchen and the shower is behind the mirror. We would like to thank K. Somchai from Chiang Mai for his Brand New AvengerBox Premium Model Truck Bed Camper fitted on his Toyota Hilux.MK.6 (Vigo) Extra-Cab. Mark: Here in Europe, air suspension is common on trucks. Gea: We painted a lot of the truck ourselves. Gea: It takes a lot of time and money, even though we have done most of the work ourselves. That’s quite a project. A demountable body is a type of truck body that is commonly used by the distribution industry. We just cleaned it, painted it in our colors, and attached it to the truck. Wow! The grey and black water of the toilet, shower, and kitchen goes into the passenger’s side 700 liter (184 gallon) fuel tank of the truck. Gea: Actually, no. He has added some Extra Options: - An Awning (2.0m x 2.5m). £22,350 . The age and configuration of this truck is very beneficial for our taxes and insurance. This is the basis upon which passengers are able to travel in the back of other kinds of motorhome. The first consideration has to be weight - the weight of the demountable unit (plus an allowance for people, water, gas, clothing, equipment, etc.) Yes it can. This way we didn’t have to install extra insulation. We also needed tanks that were strong and easy to clean. How did they do that?