Welcome to the sixth entry in February’s Medium Mod Contest. One Medium Mod will be published in every Email Alert in February. At the end of the month, we’ll hold a reader vote to determine February’s winner. Click here for information about the 2021 Mod Contest, including how to enter.
Leo Guzman, Salinas, California
Adding An Exterior Storage Compartment
2020 Ram 3500
2020 Eagle Cap 811
Above: The back wing area before the mod started
This is our first truck camper and we soon realized the exterior storage compartment is somewhat small. There are certain items that I don’t mind keeping out in the open including leveling blocks, hoses, and some tools. After a little imagination, I decided to add extra space to store those items.
All of the materials for this modification were bought from Home Depot except for the cargo nets. I started by cutting a 72-inch piece of angle aluminum into four small pieces (16-inches in length).
Then I screwed those pieces on each side of the location where I wanted the base of the new compartment.
For the base (floor) of the compartment, I used two sheets of HDPE cutting boards which were later cut to fit the area.
I first made a template using cardboard, and subsequently cut the boards with a jigsaw.
On one of the camper’s sides, there is the exhaust pipe of the generator, so I wrapped the tube with exhaust heat wrap tape.
Once the floor of the compartment was in place, I screwed it using stainless steel materials.
Then I added eyebolts on each corner to later use as anchors for bungee cords or the cargo net itself.
Three holes were made on the bottom of the cutting boards to secure the cargo net. Eye straps were screwed on the top portion to secure the cargo net in the closed position.
I used sealant on each screw, and also sealed the area where I installed the angle aluminum pieces.
I have not used the camper since I installed it, but it is pretty straight forward. I am happy to know I’ll have more storage in the original storage compartment.
It took me eight hours to complete this modification and cost me $150. In my opinion, the skill level of this modification is medium.
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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