Residential module in a pickup truck made of plywood. Habitable module Geocamper for pickup. Habitable module for pickup camper "Bronco"

Traveling is always pleasant, but not everyone likes paying for expensive hotels or staying only within the city. Motorhomes have become a great solution for long-distance trips, but motorhomes and caravans of this type require a lot of additional costs. They need to be registered separately, take out insurance and get a new category of rights.

All of this can be avoided by pickup truck owners. For such cars, compact residential modules are provided that turn cars into so-called truck campers. They are installed on the base of the machine. The design itself protrudes above the driver's cabin, so that the driver and passengers get a full-fledged place to relax.

Design features

As a rule, residential modules are equipped with everything necessary. There is a full bed, a table for 2-4 people, a small kitchen compartment. More expensive models even have a shower and toilet. Additionally, residential compartments are equipped with heating systems, plumbing, electrical equipment, air conditioners, refrigerators, lockers and various storage niches.

Healthy! Thanks to this configuration, a pickup truck can turn into a motor home, which is convenient to use while traveling, expeditions, fishing, etc.

Typically, modules are made from lightweight composite materials (strong plastic, fiberglass, or other modified compounds). As a rule, the modules are universal and can be installed on any pickup truck model. But, there are companies that make living compartments only for specific cars. Modules can also have different shape and vary in size.

Varieties of residential modules

The design can be solid (such modules are called monocoques) or sliding (allows you to significantly increase the space during parking).

There are also models with an overhang at the back. Thanks to this modification, it is possible to increase the interior space of the living compartment, its length can reach up to 6 meters, and its weight can be from 300 to 1900 kg. In this case, the entrance, as a rule, is located on the side, and inside there is a shower and a toilet. If you rely on the requirements for a hotel room, then you can compare such a module with a "Suite" room. The maximum number of beds is 8.

Healthy! There are truck campers with retractable bay windows. Their weight reaches 3.7 tons. But, such models are produced only in the USA for large-sized American cars.

If we talk about the disadvantages of such models, then they are certainly much more expensive. In addition, the total weight of the car increases markedly, and with it the fuel consumption (although large pickups already “eat” a lot of fuel). Also, such modules reduce the maneuverability of the car, it will not be possible to drive everywhere.

Modules that practically do not go beyond the car cannot be longer than 3.9 meters. They have less usable space. In addition, such dimensions do not allow the installation of a bathroom. In such models, the number of beds can reach up to 4. The entrance is located at the back.

Such models are cheaper than analogues with overhangs. They are more ergonomic and are characterized by increased maneuverability in sloping terrain.

The cost of a residential module depends on the manufacturer, type and level of comfort due to additional equipment.

Most Popular Models

Economy class modules cost between 500,000 and 1,000,000 rubles. More spacious and equipped with all the necessary compartments will cost about 3.5 million.

Healthy! Of course, you can make the simplest module with your own hands, but in this case it is important to take into account the characteristics of the car and create a reliable design.

If we talk about manufacturers, then for the most part campers come from China, but there are also European and domestic companies that offer decent products.

Geocamper

This camper is produced by the Russian company Kairos. This is a compact model without overhangs, but with good aerodynamics. The weight of the module with all the equipment is only 250 kg, so it will fit almost any pickup truck. The height of the machine, together with the living module, is approximately 3.5 meters. Due to the fact that the center of gravity of the module is shifted to the lower part, this increases the vehicle's cross-country ability.

The module is equipped with two windows, a door. The body is made from polymer materials with protective coating. Inside, the elements are made mainly of fiberglass. The table accommodates 4 people, sleeping places - 2. Additionally, the module can be equipped with solar panels, batteries, shower. In the basic configuration, the camper costs 500,000 rubles.

Helix 1500

This is one of the most convenient models, as every centimeter of space is competently organized in it. Outside there are boxes for storing water, fuel and much more. There is also a box with generators and gas cylinders. This is a transformer module. Its top cover lifts up and increases space.

The module weighs 495 kg, when folded, its height is 164 cm, and when the upper part is disassembled, it is 2.58 m. There are 2 sleeping places in module 2. This unit costs 650,000 in the basic configuration. If necessary, the buyer can order additional rails for the roof, ventilation unit, solar panels, sockets, heaters, refrigerator and more.

Lemberg

The cost of this Ukrainian-made camper is about 740,000 rubles. The buyer can choose the most convenient layout for himself. The module has 4 beds, a washstand, a kitchen unit, burners. You can also order additional equipment. The fiberglass body is quite thick (from 3 to 7 mm), if desired, it can be insulated. At the bottom of the module, plywood up to 15 mm thick is installed, due to which the entire camper body is reinforced.

The weight of the module is only 300 kg. It is easy to remove and install.

Almost all models have a lot of advantages, especially if they are equipped with additional equipment.

Advantages of residential modules

Campers have a lot of advantages. First of all, they do not need to be registered with the MREO. In addition, these modules:

• Completely autonomous. In fact, they are full-fledged living quarters that can accommodate a whole family.
• Allow you to travel around hard-to-reach places.
• Compact. Almost all models are removable. This means that you can remove the structure and leave it in the forest or on the coast and go by car for groceries or sightseeing.

• They allow you to develop sufficient speed when driving on the highway. Trailer houses cannot boast of such.
• Equipped with everything you need. You can live in such a module for quite a long time. At the same time, travelers can fully work, watch TV and use the Internet.
• Easily mounted. On average, one person takes about 20 minutes to install the module.

Habitable modules are often used for long expeditions. This perfect solution for hunters, fishermen and those who simply love nature and do not want to follow standard tourist routes while traveling.

And now, in detail and constructively, discarding the emotional component.

The undoubted plus of the module is, of course, mobility. Turned off the road, or drove to the truck stop, turned off the engine, raised the roof and that's it - Nochlezhka is ready for the night. Lock yourself inside and do whatever you want - it's a real little house. This is how the module looked inside during a month-long trip around Georgia, everything was done in haste and in draft form. There are kitchen utensils in a transparent box with an orange lid; in the near future, a continuation of the sofa will be made there, which will become L-shaped. Under the attached sofa there will be another locker for things.

The main locker for things is located to the left of the entrance. Before the trip to Georgia, they managed to finish it and sew a mattress on it, which gave the module at least a little comfort. The wall of the module to the left of the sofa will also be covered with this fabric, and pockets for small things will be sewn on it. There should be a lot of pockets and compartments for storing a traveling shmurdyak so that everything is stored in its place. During a long route, this is especially well felt.

Opposite the locker is a countertop. I don’t even know what to say here - It’s convenient. From the sink and built-in gas burner decided to give up. There are several reasons for this. Firstly, it is a pity to allocate space for the tank under dirty water and a large gas tank. Secondly, I see no reason to turn back the pipeline, which will operate only in the warm season. In the summer, it’s easier for me to rinse the dishes on the street. And cooking, in those moments when there is no rain, is more pleasant at the stake.

Under the tabletop at the moment there is a storage where chairs, a shower, a shower cubicle, an awning, shoes, a minimum set of tools and a zip, toys and gas are piled in a heap ... In the near future plans to make it under the tabletop drawers and shelves for storage. Perhaps there will also be placed a battery that will be charged from a solar battery. Now the car only has an inverter. Lighting in the module of diode flashlights - one of them, in the photo below, is magnetized to a gas stove.

Sleeping area. I have already written many times about the sizes, but I continue to receive questions - "Is it comfortable to sleep with three of us." The size of the bed is 200 by 180 centimeters - a full bed. The only discomfort was from the realization that it hurt to fall from the bed, and the small one constantly crawled to the edge at night - I had to constantly watch. Some kind of limiter needs to be improved.

p.s. sunroof is a great purchase. You can watch the stars, or you can spy on the outside world through a raised hatch without going outside.

In those moments when the bed is laid out on top, about a meter of working space remains at the bottom of the module. On the right side of the couch is Tatonka tourist first aid kit. Without it, nowhere, especially with a child. A very convenient thing, you can carry it in the car, you go hiking - you can hang it on your belt.

Another illustrative photo, for the availability of space in the module with the top bed extended.

Dressing room. I wrote about the tent. He wrote about canisters and showers.

Thermal insulation. The insulation worked out great. On cold days, the module was really warm and comfortable, the wind does not blow at all. In the heat, we had a maximum of +35, it is relatively comfortable to rest and hide from the heat - thanks to good ventilation, namely, windows, a hatch, and large windows made of mosquito nets on an awning.

Moisture. Perhaps the biggest disadvantage of the module to this day remains moisture, and the fight against its ingress. There are several reasons for this. Firstly, the module itself, I don’t know where anymore - it’s leaking. There are no puddles inside, everything is dry and beautiful. But if you disassemble the floor, then under the frame of the module there are always traces of moisture. There are not many of them, but my mind is not ready to put up with it. Could this be condensation buildup? I'm already confused. Secondly, the roof, or rather the junction of the roof and the awning, was obviously not made correctly, it needs to be redone. Or take out the gas stops outside. Are gas struts on the side of the street normal? The completion of the roof entails the alteration of the awning, which also leaks during heavy rain. During heavy rains, an awning had to be stretched over the module. If the downpour charged at night, it was especially annoying.

In general, the junction of the roof and the module is the biggest problem today, which needs to be corrected.

On the sides of the awning there are two windows made of mesh, which are closed with curtains. The outer curtain is lowered if it is raining outside.

The inner stem lowers for warmth, if at night it blew coolness from the mountains. Curtains on lightnings, are fixed by flypapers.

Driving performance, off-road, track - everything is fine with this. Off-road, the car behaves almost the same as without the module. On the track, thanks to the loaded ass is very soft and smooth. The weight of the module during the trip around Georgia, with all our traveling shmurdyak, was approximately 300 kg.

On the highway, a comfortable speed is 100 km / h. Consumption is about 10 l / 100 km. Under the pedal, a comfortable margin for overtaking up to 120-130 km.

If you have any questions - ask, I will answer.

I somehow wondered why cool branded motorhomes do not arouse such interest as home-made, sometimes unsightly campers? Do-it-yourself residential modules for pickups, liners for trailers, converted "gazelles" and "loaves" are more interesting than expensive campers and caravans from famous manufacturers for many, many millions of money. Made in garage conditions, literally on the knee, by enthusiasts without special education and skills, by people who were driven only by a dream. Self-taught, full of romanticism of roads and distant wanderings, literally from improvised materials they realize inexpensive motorhomes. The answer lies on the surface. It's just that few people in our country can imagine themselves as the owner of a huge motorhome, created for ideal roads and civilized camping. And seeing that a person made a camper himself in the garage, he easily associates himself with him and asks himself the question “why shouldn’t I do the same?”

At one time, similar articles prompted me to build my own residential module for a pickup truck.

Last time I finished on the description of the manufacture of a simple one for my habitation module in a pickup truck.

And this is where my troubles began. The pains of creativity were mainly connected with the roof. At first the roof had to be flat. But a large area of ​​2800 * 1550mm did not want to be strong in any way and sagged under its own weight. It was decided to strengthen it a little, but not at the expense of weight with the help of stiffeners.

This gave some results. But that was only the beginning of my torment. Initially, the roof had to rise from two sides. And for this, one of lifting mechanisms consisting of aluminum profiles.

When it was installed, I realized that the scheme is absolutely unviable. The roof was shaking. Even light breeze could easily break my design. But solar panels, a trunk, etc. should be installed on it.

I had to come up with other lifts. The next option was plywood. Everything worked out. But only at first glance. The weight of the reinforced roof and plywood lifts by weight became simply unacceptable. I, an adult man, could hardly lift this structure. And with all that, the strength was not the same ...

And it was decided to radically change everything. The roof became 20 cm higher. It began to have its own frame. And most importantly, she began to rise only on one side. To simplify the ascent, I put two Zhiguli gas lifts.
In the rear third of the roof, I left room for a small trunk. There I planned to put a black plastic water tank. Heated in the sun, it could be used for a shower. But it was all in the plans. In the meantime, there was still a lot of work to be done.

I screwed two latches to fix the roof in the closed position.

Finally, everything is now in place. Height in sleeper was from 40 cm to 90 cm. In the kitchen area, the height was 190 cm. The strength of the roof made it possible to withstand strong wind. The gas lifts supported the extra weight on the roof. This finished the roof.

In the next part, I will talk about which awning I chose, about ventilation and windows.

A mysterious individual in the cat family is the cheetah. He is a copy of his brothers, but does not climb trees and is not able to retract his claws. Therefore, scientists found it difficult to attribute it to one or another species. This situation is the same with a motorhome of the Pick up type. Motorists still do not know whether to call it a caravan or a motorhome. What is a residential module for a pickup truck, what models are presented in Russia today?

Kinds

The division of the module into two categories is typical for residential equipment of a pickup truck:

Peculiarities

The motorhome is named after the literal translation of the American expression pick up, which stands for how to pick up or lift. It has a design that is easily installed on the base of a truck or pickup truck. Easy to mount and dismantle. RV type. It does not apply to a motorhome or a caravan, as it is represented by both options. Europeans consider it a lifting caravan, not a motorhome. In more detail, the types of motor homes, as well as their differences, are discussed in

Abroad, a popular type of pick up motorhome is a pickup truck with a living compartment. Such a module is cheap and compact when compared with a heavy one. This type of motorhome was born thanks to lovers of pickup trucks. Installed on the car in twenty minutes with his own hands. Even one person can handle it. The design is equipped with a current generator: gas or liquid, battery, heater, air conditioner. The purpose is associated with a comfortable stay outside the city.

And the goals of the traveler are different:

• Hunting.
• Fishing.
• Camping.
• Caravaning.
• Trips.
• Scientific expeditions.

Advantages of the pickup module

In addition to unusualness and practicality, the design is endowed with advantages:

Module device

Composite production of residential modules for a pickup truck involves versatile materials. Fiberglass is preferred. The use of modified plastic and extra strong plastic is used in the design of prototypes or to order. The one-piece cast design combines compactness with aerodynamics. Equipped with beds designed for four or eight people. They have a toilet on board. They are equipped with a kitchenette that provides a decent level of comfort for travelers.

Modules are mounted on all brands of pickups. Although some samples are intended for certain machines. The price of a residential module depends on its type. staffing and interior decoration also affect the final cost. Economy models sell for between $12,000 and $15,000. The price for a camper with increased comfort, as a rule, exceeds 50 thousand dollars.

Manufacturers and models of residential modules

Each company is engaged in the manufacture of campers for several pickups of different brands:

• Mazda.
• Mitsubishi.
• Nissan.
• Ford.
• Toyota.
• Opel.
• Chevrolet.

In addition, their assortment includes samples for a specific car, such as Mazda XL-cab or Nissan Navara. The most famous pickup camper companies are Tischer with Nordstar from Germany. Other popular brands are Bimobil, PALOMINO, Ormocar.

Of several dozen organizations for the manufacture of residential modules, Palomino with Lance Camper stand out.

But for the most part Russian market taken over by Chinese firms. And if we talk about native production, then it began to grow as caravanning gained popularity in Russia. These samples are cheaper, so today they are more popular.

Therefore, it makes sense to consider several models of different companies:

• Gwocamper from Kairos LLC:
  • Curb weight with equipment - 0.25 tons.
  • Without it - 0.16 tons.
  • External dimensions (LxWxH) - 3.38x1.88x0.18 m.
  • Overhang - no.
  • Equipment height - 3 500 mm.
  • The center of gravity is at the bottom.
  • The color scheme is grey.
  • Coating - polymer protection.
  • The door is a two-leaf hinged structure equipped with a lock.
  • Windows - 2 pieces 30x70 cm.
  • The interior material is fiberglass, carpet.
  • The price is 500 thousand rubles.

Suitable for almost foreign and Russian cars. Equipped with a universal kit:

• A table that transforms into a bed.
• Two LED light sources.
• Kitchenette. It is a compact built-in module.
• Four seats.
• Two places to stay.

Among the additional equipment:

• Heater.
• Solar battery.
• Toilet.
• Shower cubicle.
• Batteries.
• Electrical equipment.
• Water container.
• Locker.
• Several niches and shelves.

Equipment parameters:

• Toilet.
• Air conditioner.
• Electric jacks on remote control.
• Refrigerating chamber on a gas power source.
• Three burner gas stove.
• A gas boiler. He is responsible for the heating and hot water supply.
• Sleeping place by the type of bed 1.6x2 m. Accommodates two adults and one child.

Roof that can be easily raised or lowered, increasing interior space and ergonomics while riding. Module models are equipped with tinted windows, vinyl curtains that protect the room from the bright sun and provide comfort. The design provides for an additional water tank in the volume of 0.1 cubic meters. An official dealer in the United States of America supplies a warranty camper for 16 thousand dollars. In the Russian Federation, the model of the former use costs about 900 thousand rubles, and the new one is up to 1,500,000 rubles.

Criterias of choice

Before buying a camper for a pickup truck, it is important to evaluate several parameters:

• Compatibility of the design with the make and model of the car.
• Living area type.
• Staffing.
• Interior decoration.
• Room layout.
• The presence of sanitary, shower, kitchen areas.
• Number of beds.
• Installation dimensions.
• Curb weight, or weight.
• Manufacturer.
• Price.

Traveling in a motorhome fully reveals the possibilities of visiting excellent tourist routes that are inaccessible to buses and staying there indefinitely. As for the price of campers for pickups, it directly depends on the model.