Yeah, I'm making some parts using a 3D printer I built myself. I will be sharing all the parts I design on my Thingiverse account. I've only got one thing shared right now. I've got to test the other parts I've designed before I'll put them online. Here's a replacement holder for the bed support bars:
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2271756Here's a pic of a few printed out next to the original I modeled them after:
I've also modeled and printed replacement letters for the back of my spare cover. I haven't released those files yet, but I will in the future.
Here are my thoughts on printed parts:
The fast version is; if you've already got a 3D printer and know how to use it, there is money and (sometimes) time to be saved. If you don't have access to one and the part is available for sale online, you're probably better off buying it there.
There are some caveats to using printed parts as well. If you use typical ABS filament to print the parts, you'll need to paint them to make them UV stable. I imagine the raw parts would last a while in the sun but they will break down much more quickly if not painted. There are UV stable filaments available but I haven't tried them personally.
Printed parts will be weaker compared to their cast counterparts. This won't matter much for decorative parts. For instance, the APACHE letters on the spare cover. But, for the bar-holders and other active parts, printed parts may not be strong enough. I'm actually testing this right now with the "top hat" that covers the roller bearings that the bed ends slide on when pulled in and out. I could only find one plastic top hat piece in my camper. I have already bought the bearings and washers, so I only need that plastic cover. The first one I printed as a test cracked immediately when I put the full weight of the bed on it. I've since printed another that I put into an Acetone vapor bath. This lightly covers the part with acetone and melts the layers together. This has a the benefit of smoothing the edges out but it also melts the outer shell together and makes a much stronger part. The acetone'd top hat has been functioning pretty well since then, and I'm specifically trying to break it.
I do intend on using printed parts to fill in missing corners and cracked segments, but nothing really larger than 4 or 5 inches. That will come soon. My plan is to print the missing corners and then blend them into the body with MEK and LABS.
In terms of expense, this is relative. If you're paying to have the parts printed then yes, it will be very expensive. If you're printing them yourself, a $20 roll of filament will get you very far. For instance, the bar holders I linked to above are $9.50 each on Apachecampertrailers.com That's $38 for 4 new ones. For the 4 replacements I printed, I may have $1.75 or less of plastic in them. I took a big portion of my $20 ABS filament roll and melted it down into LABS, and I still likely have enough left over to print most of the parts I'll need for the entire camper.
(I also acetone-vapored the holders for strength. I don't know if they'd hold up as well without that step.)
So sure, there's money to be saved in that regard, but paying $38 is still cheaper than buying a 3D printer and learning how to use it. If it's something you've already got or something you want to get into, then the investment could be worthwhile.
Sorry to ramble on. If you've got additional questions let me know. I know of one or two others who are printing parts for Apaches but I don't think it's super common just yet. Once I'm a bit further on in my renovation I'll post pictures of my parts in use in my topic I started for my camper, Rhonda.
