Building a Storage Box

[missaof2006]

I have a 2015 Rockwood 1940ltd pop-up camper by Forest River. I would like to take the spare tire rack off to build a small storage box for small items, such as; fire poker, hot dog sticks, bunk end supports, fishing poles, and possibly to store canopies if I am able to do something big enough. Has anyone ever added anything to their back bumpers of the pop-up or just the front? If you have built something, what are some must know tips and tricks to make it successful and not damage the camper or the trailer frame? Also, would like to reattach spare tire rack to the storage box of possible. And has anyone ever built a small table for the outside where the cook stove latches to when they don’t use the cook stove?

[bikendan]

Moved thread to the Tent Camper and Popup section since many of the OP's questions relate specifically to popups.

[flyerdp]

Originally Posted by missaof2006

I have a 2015 Rockwood 1940ltd pop-up camper by Forest River. I would like to take the spare tire rack off to build a small storage box for small items, such as; fire poker, hot dog sticks, bunk end supports, fishing poles, and possibly to store canopies if I am able to do something big enough. Has anyone ever added anything to their back bumpers of the pop-up or just the front? If you have built something, what are some must know tips and tricks to make it successful and not damage the camper or the trailer frame? Also, would like to reattach spare tire rack to the storage box of possible. And has anyone ever built a small table for the outside where the cook stove latches to when they don’t use the cook stove?

The rear bumper is not designed for really any weight or storage. Folks have broken their campers putting weight back there. Hanging a box with gear and then the tire of of that is asking for trouble.

This was from I believe a bike rack after adding a trailer hitch to the rear bumper:

https://www.popupportal.com/threads/...0/post-1455342

[Mike91]

Maybe with a travel trailer/5th wheel but not a tent trailer/Pop up.

Pop Ups don't have the frame strength and the tire mount is bolted through a thin weaker wall. I wouldn't put any kind of weight on the wall other than the close hugging tire. The bumper can only support static (none moving/bouncing weight) without bending or breaking the bumper off. If the bumper bends, your rear bunk end is useless as it doesn't have the bumper to support it now.

Put all cargo inside your camper or in your truck.

[Mike91]

Originally Posted by flyerdp

The rear bumper is not designed for really any weight or storage. Folks have broken their campers putting weight back there. Hanging a box with gear and then the tire of of that is asking for trouble.

This was from I believe a bike rack after adding a trailer hitch to the rear bumper:

https://www.popupportal.com/threads/...0/post-1455342

Just posted to that thread.

Very poorly installed and welded hitch.

[nvs4602]

Instead of a box. Sounds like a lot of the stuff you want to take along would fit inside a 6" pvc pipe. You could strap them on somewhere.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Buyers-Products/5013220645

[DouglasReid]

Originally Posted by nvs4602

Instead of a box. Sounds like a lot of the stuff you want to take along would fit inside a 6" pvc pipe. You could strap them on somewhere.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Buyers-Products/5013220645

Or a 5" square post with two caps. It could be strapped to the roof or is the roof made of tarp material?

[flyerdp]

Originally Posted by DouglasReid

Or a 5" square post with two caps. It could be strapped to the roof or is the roof made of tarp material?

You have zeroed in on the two weakest links on your camper

The roof is a plastic material that resembles "FRP". It is vacu-formed to the roof frame and glued on. Its about 3/16" of an inch thick. On my last camper I was holding a screwdriver (Philips) about 5 feet over it screwing something in to the ceiling of my garage and dropped it. It poked a hole in the roof.

On that note always make sure your roof is well sealed because the side-boards are basically chip-board under that aluminum or fiberglass outer layer. Water infiltration will turn that to trash in the blink of an eye and that is what holds your roof up from the lifter posts. Pay particular attention to the seam between the black corner molding and roof as that is where water gets in. Having had the joy of buying the ~70 parts and paying nearly $300 to get it freighted to me (pre gas hike) I recommend being certain that area is sealed. I would never poke a hole to mount something in my roof after dealing with that

[Mike91]

Originally Posted by flyerdp

On that note always make sure your roof is well sealed because the side-boards are basically chip-board under that aluminum or fiberglass outer layer.

My side boards are plywood. However it will swell up like particleboard but will not fall apart like particle board though. I had a bad roof initially on another camper and the plywood side panels swelled up from being soaked with water. They dried well but had mildew stains and swelled permanently where they were wet.

Always had plywood for side boards on all my pop up campers, never chipboard. Chipboard, Structure wood, Particle board is what the floor is made out of.

[flyerdp]

Originally Posted by Mike91

My side boards are plywood. However it will swell up like particleboard but will not fall apart like particle board though.

Always had plywood for side boards on all my pop up campers, never chipboard. Chipboard, Structure wood, Particle board is what the floor is made out of.

Take my word for it, I saw it myself when I replaced it after the skin peeled off. I felt it crumble in my hands and turn to powder and the base wood shards from the water infiltration damage. It wavered like a noodle when the last bolt was removed holding it on to the roof and folded in half. I could see it in the new board as I pressed sealer in to all the edges to keep it from ever happening again. That was my 2016 forest river camper, and I asked at the dealer about it on my 2018 both have the same material in the side boards. The texture of the OSB is even evident in the skin of the outer skin on my new one. It looks like this under the metal skin on the outside and plastic on the inside:



This is the box with the "crating" on it with the one remaining replacement board I bought sitting on the new camper:



I know I am well informed on the material the side boards are made of.

After writing the above I remembered the hole for the wires to the LED strip over the door was not completely covered. I have been meaning to clean it up and re-seal it since buying the camper earlier this year. I just pulled the sealer from the around the whole to take these before filling it.

I stand corrected after seeing the photo. I remember now the material was not as good as OSB. It is a fibrous composite material that is VERY thirsty with some larger shards but for the most part it is not much better than very very thick paper veneer you might find non cheap furniture. Look at this image it shows the chunks taken out from drilling a hole through it rather than a smoother even round hole you would get drilling any real wood. The surface of the material is very uniform too as a composite would be:



You don't have to take my word for it. The screws from the side board to the lifter post are sealed by a rubber gasket so you can remove one without risk and look in your own to see the same.

[Mike91]

Sorry for responding this late, but just remembered now to take a snap shot.

This is the plywood I have on my camper. It's on all 4 sides. I can't see the side boards on this 2020 2716g camper since they are not damaged and covered in vinyl. However on my previous lemon 2019 2716g camper, the side boards were water damaged by a leaking roof. They swelled enough to see beyond the vinyl wrap, and see it was plywood also on the sides, the same exact wood I have in my pictures.



Pictures were when setting up where you could see the wood and the stink bugs.

I'm guessing that in 2018 they used particle board instead. I seen on older Rockwoods they used particle board for all 4 sides of the roof.

[flyerdp]

Originally Posted by Mike91

Sorry for responding this late, but just remembered now to take a snap shot.

This is the plywood I have on my camper. It's on all 4 sides. I can't see the side boards on this 2020 2716g camper since they are not damaged and covered in vinyl. However on my previous lemon 2019 2716g camper, the side boards were water damaged by a leaking roof. They swelled enough to see beyond the vinyl wrap, and see it was plywood also on the sides, the same exact wood I have in my pictures.


I'm guessing that in 2018 they used particle board instead. I seen on older Rockwoods they used particle board for all 4 sides of the roof.

With respect Mike I never mentioned the front/rear boards because they are bare and yes even mine are plywood. I suppose that is because they are glued to the roof plastic and not easily replaceable so they made them more durable. Further, having had a sideboard off I can tell you that the curved part of the roof front/back has almost no support under it, just some glued on foam so don't apply a lot of pressure there or you may cave it in.

I am only referring to the left/right sideboards covered by the white plastic vinyl on the inside and aluminum or fiberglass on the outside that you admitted can not see the material. You can choose to believe anything you wish. Yours is the same as the everyone else recent model F.R. popup, composite. That info came from the manufacturer directly. If you really wanted to see for yourself you could pull one of the two screws at the top of the lifter post with the wide black rubber cap and zoom in on the material in the hole. You have oft commented on the poor build quality of these things but you refuse to believe this simple truth.

The first signs of water infiltration on mine was that the white vinyl used to be nearly flush with the metal trim at the bottom then as it got wet it expanded the wood and the vinyl was about 1/16 to 1/8 inch away from the edge of the metal trim where it absorbed the most moisture.