Shit looks secure to me...Quote:
Originally Posted by counterfeitfake
http://www.truckcampermagazine.com/i...enixraptor.jpg
....don't tell Jim about the big ass window on one side.
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Shit looks secure to me...Quote:
Originally Posted by counterfeitfake
http://www.truckcampermagazine.com/i...enixraptor.jpg
....don't tell Jim about the big ass window on one side.
Tailgates are handy though (cooking, etc.).
Don't those Fords have a pull-out step from the tailgate? That would be a nice feature for climbing up onto the tailgate, and then into the camper.
Survey says I'm finding a lot of downsides as follows.
Ambulances seem really cool at first but are subject to a short duration of severe service (abusive treatment but thats how I want my ambulance ride to go - drive it like you stole it please!) & are overbuilt for rolling, so they are heavy & consequently ponderous to drive. Decommissioning the cabinetry and the electrics looks like a massive project. On the tight side for a family of four for a ski week. Really difficult to modify that tough frame - for example to add a cab over or more height.
A short bus skoolie looks intriguing at first but a lot of guys wives quickly grow tired of looking at a schoolbus project in the driveway, it then goes away to hide in the woods untouched, then he gets back to it a year later - it costs more good ski money and way more time & effort than he thought.
Class C motorhomes have come WAY down with the economy. Might be the best most practical solution. There are no Class C diesels except newer hi$$ models. So we are talking about a V10 gasser with 10 mpg at best with a possibility of single digit mpgs. So a 1,000 mile trip burns 100 gallons of gas! The greenie weenie in me says no. A Class A is easier to find with a diesel, however they are so huge that you can expect less than 10 mpg still!
How about a shuttle project? Examples; a casino bus, airport shuttle, hotel shuttle, from 16 to 20+ passengers. Lots of windows. Rear HVAC. Sometimes can get dually rear axle & sometimes even two axles, either of which I think might drive better for stability. Can easily find diesel Ford 350 & 450 chassis. Seems like these might drive alright in skiville, or outside of skiville better yet as a trailhead access platform and over passes without too much terror. I think one could equip it quite easily as a 12 month living quarters w/everything necessary and nothing you don't need. Are you better off than a Class C which you are basically engineering? Possibly. You have the diesel. It's like the Ambulance project without the significant decommissioning. I think you have a prayer at 16, 18 possibly even 20 mpg. I have seen a hotel shuttle with Blizzaks, which probably makes more sense than a Ujoint AWD kit for on-road intentions and lighter off-roading on mellow dirt & fire roads. How do they drive with a moderate load?
Invite your input please.
You CAN occasionally find a diesel class C rig.
The BEST option would be a high-top or pop-top camper van with a diesel motor and 4x4. And you could build one! Time is money.
I've put a ridiculous amount of thought into this (and very little action) and decided a 4x4 diesel truck with a camper was the best option, for a lazy guy like me with no garage.
I've daydreamed plenty about this too.Quote:
Originally Posted by counterfeitfake
1) Money no object, space no object: something enormous like this:
http://globalxvehicles.com/vehicles/
2) Back in the realm of someday possibility, though realistically, still too much $ to sink into a camping/skiing rig:
http://www.sportsmobile.com/4_4x4sports.html
And Sportsmobile is working on a pop-top conversion on the new Nissan NV van, which is a lot more appealing platform to me than an Econoline van.
3) Best bang-for-buck, ease of use, ease of driving/parking/etc.: used 3/4 ton extended cab, longbed, Chevy/Ford/Dodge truck with a pop-up camper on the back. Gets it all done for well under $20K total.
What I want to know about the pop-up option:
How much of a hassle is it to put it up and down?
With a roof box on top?
Is it warm enough?
How big a problem is moisture? Especially if you're out for a really long time?
I have a sports mobile and popping the top with a full roof box is not going to happen. They have an electric lift as an option, so don't know if that would work. I just pull the skis out before opening, but it is a hassle. Otherwise, the top is easy to open and close.
Not super warm, but with a good heater it would not be a problem, and using a propex type heater will dry out the camper nicely (I don't have a heater in mine yet, but my trailer does and it works great and dries gear out over night.
I have used a coleman propane heat, and it is okay, but not great and does add moisture, but I have not used it for more then a weekend. Running the van heater would help dry things out when driving.
Mine has a crank handle. Up: unbuckle outside buckles, climb in, turn handle till fully popped. Takes maybe three minutes. Putting it down is essentially the same thing in reverse, except I do have to get out of the camper and make sure the sides are all tucked in. Maybe 5 minutes.Quote:
Originally Posted by counterfeitfake
I don't have a roofbox on top, but I've raised/lowered with a fair amount of snow weight, and it's been fine.
My canvas is not insulated. I've camped in it down to -10 (possibly colder, but the thermometer died), and I was plenty warm.
Moisture: I live in Colorado, so it's a lot drier than Seatown. On the coldest nights, with multiple bodies in there, there is a fair amount of condensation. Popping the roof vent a little does help.
You should look into installing some gas struts for lift assist. 4 Suspa 40lb'ders should do the trick nicely.Quote:
Originally Posted by hutash
A few from last night on the Green River:
Attachment 95604
Attachment 95605
Attachment 95606
I have a truck with a camper shell and a platform set up in the back. After living in it for months at a time, here's what I gotQuote:
Originally Posted by Trackhead
Truck
Pros
-Clearance
-4wd
-really great setup for camping out in the mountains where you can drive out to the middle of nowhere to sleep
Cons
-Sucks to be living in the truck when you're in any type of urban environment
-Tinted windows and a windshield cover could help so you have some sort of privacy
-No access to your 'home' in the bed without crawling in and out.
Van I don't have actual experience with a van, but after living in my truck, I would rather have a van.
Pros
-Ability to pull up anywhere you want and walk to the back undetected. stealthiness.
-They come in 4wd with high clearance too.
Cons
-non 4wd low clearance vans are most common
-it's a van and not a truck...
I have to admit that I did not realize class b van based rigs actually have a real head w/shower which tips the scales to family travel reality. However, from what I am seeing in the $10 to $12g range, the class c selection is much nicer. There are precious few class b's. the b's are divided into couple or family layouts. The couple layouts lack travelin' seats for the kids so one needs to be aware of this.
I'm not sure if it strictly is a class b anymore when they chop it off & add the widebody to it (chinook baja) but that adds tons of liveability.
I REALLY like the smaller physical size, more like 21 feet of the chinooks vs the 30' class c. it's almost garageable and all around more practical.
For AWD/4WD class C rigs, these are pretty nice. Not cheap, but none of them are...
http://www.tigermotorhomes.com/home.htm
well if you are close to spending sixfig's you better check in with http://www.outsidevan.com
As the research evolves, my needs a clearer. A huge class B has everything I need but cost more than I have. So a small class c will do everything I need and I will probably get Blizzaks for it and it will be suitable for my intended purpose which does not include extreme jeeping. Generator is a must have. Wondering about winter plumbing issues next...
Those little Toyota class-Cs seem pretty sweet.
We originally tried a '78 Six-Pac camper for my Tacoma, but it was super wobbly and heavy and huge. So we sold it and craigslisted a Panther camper... which is sort of a hybrid between a canopy and a camper. It weighs about 500 lbs and sleeps 2 w/dog comfortably. Slept in it in ski area parking lots and sno-parks a handful of times this winter and it rules! My V6 can haul 2 sleds with the camper on and still go 50 mph up a hill no problem.
http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._1400737_n.jpg
We have the smallest, most bare-bones model (they don't make it anymore) but the bigger ones are still pretty sweet!
Panther campers: http://www.panthercampers.com/
Swap the quadbike for a sled: http://theage.drive.com.au/motor-new...404-1cwd4.html
i'm not a van guy, but this one is pretty cool... pretty badass looking and tons of room... 4wd too...
http://www.sportsmobile.com/z-PO_calif.html
http://www.sportsmobile.com/z_preown.../da03998-1.jpg
115,000 worth of cool, that is. If'n it's a SMB you're wantin', here is a link to some more reasonably priced units FS: http://rv.jaxed.com/cgi-bin/mash.cgi...=d&submit=+GO+
This is for sale locally. It's 4x4, not sure about diesel.Quote:
Originally Posted by anemic
http://img829.imageshack.us/img829/3...4r3550up0u.jpg
Awesome post right there ^^^
This past weekend in Fruita. I'm totally loving the camper.
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5109/...c1b894b3_z.jpg
I have so many mods going on right now, I'll have to do a proper write up at some point.
He diesel, did that grey water hose that you picked up [in my change for a nickel cooler] fit?
More pics?
C-thanks again. I got home way too late Sunday and also last night to give it a try. I'll throw it on there today or tomorrow to check it out.
More camper pics or Fruita pics?
Khakis:
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5229/...095a4b6e_z.jpg
Attachment 96293
Had a little river scout action on the Bruneau last weekend.
You guys got any good info on the basics of how you secure, hookup, etc. a slide in cabover pickup camper?
I'm going to be in Steamboat from May till July for a clinical rotation and I need a place to live. Everything that I've seen is really expensive (I have to pay double rent on my place here in Denver), and out of the blue I got the bright idea to pickup a slide in camper for my 06 F-150 and find creative spots to park it around Steamboat for the two months I'm there.
I've got a street legal XR650 that I can use for daily transport to the clinic, and I figured I'd get a gym membership to take care of the shower angle. Beyond that, it's just laundromats and coffee shops for internet. Figured I'd bring my weber mini grill and grill out for dinner, cereal, PB&Js for breakfast, etc.
I'm just curious if the average cheap ass 70's craigslist slide in will fit in my F150, and what sort of equipment I would need to get it to fit. I think size wise the truck is probably ok, since it's got a 3" lift and it's an extended cab with the longer bed. I'm mostly just worried about how deep the bedsides are on the newer Fords.
What do you guys think? Am I crazy?
If you have an 8ft bed, any camper should fit, but you might sag the suspension a bit with a big one. Maybe look for a 6Pac (the kind that doesn't hang over the rear of the truck). If roof clearance is an issue, you can use some plywood or 2x4s for extra height. The best way to secure it is with a Torklift kit, which mounts directly to the trucks frame under the bed. Cheaper kits attach to the bed or bumper, but I wouldn't trust that unless you get a lightweight pop-up that you don't plan on going off road with.
I put the Sunrader up for sale. If any mags are interested I would be willing to deal. It's in Bozeman.
Spotted this thing today. Called, gonna go take a look tomorrow. Only other reference I can find to a pop up camper called a 'Gator' is an old post on the Exped Portal that mentioned a 1976 model for sale in Regina.
Haha. I just searched for alligator and camper and also couldn't find anything about those rigs. But I did decide I would never tent camp near the Everglades in Florida!
How did the Gator look? Is it useable?
Gonna go take a look at 2 this afternoon. Guy said it was 'dirty' inside which could mean a variety of things. Also spotted this Bigfoot. It's been up for a few weeks, they just dropped the price a grand! Not a pop up, but a bit more luxurious on those winter nights.
this is for sale locally. Not sure on price. It's an old jeep with a custom camper and a mercedes diesel out of a 300SD.
http://i349.photobucket.com/albums/q...0/IMGP9781.jpg
http://bb.bc4x4.com/attachment.php?a...1&d=1270659881
^^Ha, awesome. Is that a Ventura or Bigfoot trailer on the back?
Took a look at that pop up. It is an Alligator Pop-Top made by Sportcraft in Claresholm, Alberta in 1976. Weighs about 700lbs. Only the top is fibreglass, the rest of the camper is the standard plywood/stick frame with aluminum siding. Completely uninsulated. The whole back is actually a glass sliding door. It has a crank up mechanism for the top which worked fine. The canvas was in good shape, no mildew, some wear from being raised and lowered. However much like tent trailers from the same era, it would be a bit drafty... Definitely not suitable for winter camping as is. And I doubt the top would support a significant snow load, it was only two or three layers of chopped strand mat I think. Lots of spidering in the gelcoat, no penetrations. Pretty much, the thing is a curiosity as is. Might be worth the $875 to someone looking for a project. I'm not and I wouldn't pay more than $500 for it if I was.
This was nice to wake up to. From the kwood parking lot back in March.
http://sportsmobileforum.com/gallery...850b9184b7.jpg
That is a great price for a Bigfoot, if the fridge etc still work. But probably will need at least a 3/4 ton to haul it. Any truck camper with a bath/shower starts to get heavy.Quote:
Originally Posted by That was Pontus
just bought this bad boy:
http://bagwhan.smugmug.com/Miscellan.../IMG1755-M.jpg
Need to get the door fixed, not really sure how to do it or how to find someone to pay to do it.
Congrats.
Just go to Homodepot and buy a new lock and some hinges if needed. If you post more pics (perhaps in the 203066 tech companion thread: http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/s...mpanion+thread), I'd be glad to help you out.
Also, give me a rundown of your layout, systems, etc.
After looking at some more photos, it seems like you have to address the framing issue first. Get used to working with fiberglass with that one. Lots of stress fractures that you will have to address, especially in the corners. I'd start with a new door assembly with seals from Scamp (couple hundo), then address your frame issues first before installing it. Eggs are not just the kind of camper you can start bolting, nailing, and reinforcing.
Finally, I've got 2 20lb propane tanks and 1 regulator that you are welcome to have for free.
Hope it did the job this year.Quote:
Originally Posted by montanamike
What's the new rig?
See you soon, congrats are in order!
Groovy rig. An ultrarunner acquaintance has one and loves it. Said that he had a suspension rubber torsion bar fail but that it was a cheap and easy fix. I checked them out before I bought my FWC. Fixing that door should not be a big deal. Have fun.Quote:
Originally Posted by Danno
I posted this a few pages back. Now on ebay:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...tchlink:top:en
Quote:
Originally Posted by El Chupacabra
That thing is sooooo cool.