Welcome to September’s Mega PowerMod Contest, sponsored by Goal Zero. One Mega Mod will be published in every Email Alert in September. At the end of the month, we’ll hold a reader vote to determine September’s winner. Click here for information about the 2024 Mod Contest, including how to enter.
Brett Kormos, Cranbrook, British Columbia
1987 Okanagan Trim and Refresh
2017 Ford F-150
1987 Okanagan 8 foot (model unknown)
Before purchasing the camper, I’d gawked at the Scout Olympic and Capri Lone Star. I loved that those campers gave the owners all the essentials in a light and compact design that’s perfect for half-ton trucks. I had no desire to get a larger truck.
I also really liked the idea of a project. Since I live in Canada, I had plenty of cold winter nights to pick away at a project. And lastly, the cost of smaller new campers seems to be a lot higher than mid-size used campers. So I thought, why not try?
In 2022, I purchased an 8-foot 1987 Okanagan truck camper. I removed the entire interior including all the appliances and began removing and/or repairing the rotten bits.
Once everything was cleaned out, I began shortening the camper to fit my 2017 Ford F-150’s 6.5’ box. I removed approximately eighteen inches off the back of the camper. In doing so, I was able to remove the rotten corners that had previously supported the hydraulic jacks leaving me with fresh thirty-five year old plywood to begin the rebuild.
I salvaged much of the siding, aluminum roofing, and some of the plywood from the part cut off. The back wall was largely left intact and I was able to attach it back to the camper after I added new structure to the cut areas.
A lot of time went into the removal of the butyl tape sealing the trim and reinstalling the trim with new butyl tape, including custom making trim pieces where there had previously been missing trim.
I was fortunate enough to find four larger windows from a fifth-wheel trailer left in the local landfill and re-purposed them to fit the camper. This also addressed a safety concern in the 1987 camper as the upper bed had windows that were approximately 5×10 inches; no good for escaping or for airflow.
The whole camper needed to be re-sealed top to bottom including new windows. All new electrical was needed, interior and exterior, so I re-wired the whole camper.
I furred out the existing 3/4 inch wood framed walls to add an additional 3/4 inch of expanded polystyrene insulation. I sourced 1/8 inch plywood to re-surface the walls, and completed all new cabinetry in a minimalist way.
My wife completely re-upholstered the camper including press-on button window coverings. I plumbed in a sink that was custom-built from a stainless steel bowl, added a small bathroom with a cassette toilet, and installed a diesel heater, new light fixtures, and window hardware. I finished the walls with wallpaper to make the camper look closer to a factory-built camper than a DIY camper. I finished the ceiling with felt for a softer feel. I also added flooring.
I used a Yeti Cooler for a refrigerator and a Bluetti EB3A power station for interior power. I added a 100-watt solar panel to the roof, added a 12-volt ceiling fan, and replaced the dated ceiling hatch. I’ve added exterior storage compartments and new markers—you name it, I’ve gone through it.
Since I completed the project in 2022, I have driven approximately 9,000 kilometers (approximately 5,590 miles), camped in minus 27 degrees Celsius (-16.6 degrees Fahrenheit), and been to the Mexican Border and back including a week in pouring rain in Oregon. It has worked absolutely perfectly for our needs.
I bought my camper for $200 CAD.
Some of the Materials/components:
1/2″ 4×8 Aspen Plywood, Home Depot Canada $87.00 CAD https://www.homedepot.ca/product/columbia-forest-products-3-4-inch-x-4-feet-x-8-feet-sanded-aspen-plywood/1000861471
1/8″ 4×8 Plywood, Windsor Plywood, ~ $20 CAD per sheet
3/4″ 4×8 Expanded Polystyrene Insulation, Home Depot Canada, $16.50 per sheet
Vinyl Floor Home Depot Canada
All Fabrics, Fabricland: https://fabricland.ca/home/
Paint: Tremclad paint/primer, $97.50 CAD, Home Depot Canada https://www.homedepot.ca/product/tremclad-oil-based-rust-paint-in-flat-white-3-78-l/1000406110
Much of the items purchased were done through Facebook Marketplace including exterior storage container $75, exhaust fan, and skylight $15.
Available Links in no particular order:
Bluetti Portable Power Station
Batter Cable Adaptors for Diesel Heater
It took me 300-plus hours to complete this modification and cost me about $3000 CAD.
Disclaimer: The modifications above are submitted by Truck Camper Magazine readers. It is your responsibility to make sure that any do-it-yourself modification project you undertake is safe, effective, and legal for your situation.
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If you’d like to enter a modification you’ve done on your truck camper, click here. You can enter as many mods as you want, at any time. Good luck mod makers!
