Enthusiast III
Last year I purchased the AT Overland Summit for my Super Duty. From the very beginning I had every intention of building out the inside of the bed with a simple interior to make my long trips and overnight that much more comfortable. I like to do landscape photography so camping near trailheads and in national parks is my main goal. I'm not interested in hardcore offroading but I've been along a few tracks and spend a fair few nights in the desert in the soutwest. So after a year of camping out of my sparse topper with camp gear littered about, I was ready to get started.
The primary goal of the interior was to organize all the camping stuff that seemed to increase every year. Funny I used to do this sort of thing with whatever I could carry on my little 650cc motorcycle. Also, I have a firm belief that just because a thing is useful doesn't mean it can't look good either. So in the Fall of 2019 I started designing a cabinet system that used 80/20 aluminum extrusions as a framework, and plywood for the paneling and drawers. This desing process went on into the Winter and Spring as I realized the best way to keep the project from becoming a chaotic mess was to have the dimensions set in stone long before the first parts were ordered.
The design is meant to be modular. Currently there are 5 major pieces to the system. 2 floor panels, and 3 cabinet modules. Everything bolts together to create a semi-monolithic unit that can is anchored to the truck bed.
Render of the final Fusion360 CAD design
Of course we all know what happened next. Covid 19 made its way into all of our lives. In a sort of twisted turn of luck, I was given much more free time from work. I immediately put that time to use ordering the first parts for the cabinets and getting started on the first module. This first module would be the teacher. I would learn trick and methods for constructing the rest of the cabinets from this one that would make everything go together later in a much more efficient manner. Unfortunately that meant the first cabinet would be a lot of trial and error.
Test fitting the framework of the first module with 20 gallon fresh water tank in place.
The first cabinet is a hybrid of a rear bench, fresh water tank, electrical box, and central connection point for everything to follow. It has a small storage space above the water tank that I use for clothes. A large space on the side, underneath where the galley module overlaps hides the more utilitarian aspects of the camper, such as freshwater plumbing both to the sink and out to an exterior drain.
After struggling through that cabinet, building the floor not once but twice, I was able to get to work on the rest of the cabinet modules. The storage module is fairly straight forward, its just a large bench with a hinged lid that makes use of space over the wheel well for storing the more space consuming aspects of camping. Down there goes chairs, boots, fishing equipment, hatchets, etc. This cabinet, along with the rear bench, are topped with custom ordered cushions made of sunbrella fabric.
The galley module is where most of the work went. With four drawers, one door, a pullout table, and a custom made counter top it was a beast. The counter is made from workbench maple butcher block that was cut down to size. A stainless sink is undermounted and the whole thing is stained, oiled, and waxed. The same goes for the pullout table which is also made from maple. The drawers are all made from baltic birch plywood. Like the bench tops, they are stained all around except the faces, which are painted. A few coats of polyeurethane protects the finish and adds a nice look to the end result. Beneath the sink a 5 gallon gray water tank is strapped in.
Work in progress modules showing framing, paneling, and how they nest together.
The finished project is exactly what I had envisioned. I'm very happy with both the end results, and the new skills and crafts I've learned along the way. I'm proud of how my little cabin on wheels is shaping up.
If you have any questions ask away, I'm happy to explain anything about the build.
The primary goal of the interior was to organize all the camping stuff that seemed to increase every year. Funny I used to do this sort of thing with whatever I could carry on my little 650cc motorcycle. Also, I have a firm belief that just because a thing is useful doesn't mean it can't look good either. So in the Fall of 2019 I started designing a cabinet system that used 80/20 aluminum extrusions as a framework, and plywood for the paneling and drawers. This desing process went on into the Winter and Spring as I realized the best way to keep the project from becoming a chaotic mess was to have the dimensions set in stone long before the first parts were ordered.
The design is meant to be modular. Currently there are 5 major pieces to the system. 2 floor panels, and 3 cabinet modules. Everything bolts together to create a semi-monolithic unit that can is anchored to the truck bed.
Render of the final Fusion360 CAD design
Of course we all know what happened next. Covid 19 made its way into all of our lives. In a sort of twisted turn of luck, I was given much more free time from work. I immediately put that time to use ordering the first parts for the cabinets and getting started on the first module. This first module would be the teacher. I would learn trick and methods for constructing the rest of the cabinets from this one that would make everything go together later in a much more efficient manner. Unfortunately that meant the first cabinet would be a lot of trial and error.
Test fitting the framework of the first module with 20 gallon fresh water tank in place.
The first cabinet is a hybrid of a rear bench, fresh water tank, electrical box, and central connection point for everything to follow. It has a small storage space above the water tank that I use for clothes. A large space on the side, underneath where the galley module overlaps hides the more utilitarian aspects of the camper, such as freshwater plumbing both to the sink and out to an exterior drain.
After struggling through that cabinet, building the floor not once but twice, I was able to get to work on the rest of the cabinet modules. The storage module is fairly straight forward, its just a large bench with a hinged lid that makes use of space over the wheel well for storing the more space consuming aspects of camping. Down there goes chairs, boots, fishing equipment, hatchets, etc. This cabinet, along with the rear bench, are topped with custom ordered cushions made of sunbrella fabric.
The galley module is where most of the work went. With four drawers, one door, a pullout table, and a custom made counter top it was a beast. The counter is made from workbench maple butcher block that was cut down to size. A stainless sink is undermounted and the whole thing is stained, oiled, and waxed. The same goes for the pullout table which is also made from maple. The drawers are all made from baltic birch plywood. Like the bench tops, they are stained all around except the faces, which are painted. A few coats of polyeurethane protects the finish and adds a nice look to the end result. Beneath the sink a 5 gallon gray water tank is strapped in.
Work in progress modules showing framing, paneling, and how they nest together.
The finished project is exactly what I had envisioned. I'm very happy with both the end results, and the new skills and crafts I've learned along the way. I'm proud of how my little cabin on wheels is shaping up.
If you have any questions ask away, I'm happy to explain anything about the build.
