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My truck has the factory tow package. My rear mounts just slide into the square holes on the sides of the factory hitch. I like this setup because I am completely mounted to the frame. I've seen people bend their rear bumpers with the setup that Vince described. But it always comes back to personal preference. Do what you like!
Mike
That should eliminate mictro's concern about bending the rear bumper.
Mike L
00 Silverado 2500 4x4 6.0L 5spd
Deadhorse, Alaska 6-6-99
At the rear you have the entire length of the frame to twist and absorb forces. So a solid or semi-solid mount shouldn't hurt anything. The front mounts are right in the middle of the frame - a very strong part, and it won't yield to the rubber mounts under the bed, so something has to give.
I'm hoping that having the spring preload in the rear will keep the camper down on the rubber mat when we hit the washboards at the wrong speed. My feeling is that the frame and heavy rear bumper set up a resonance that allows the rear mounts to come loose (momentarily) and let the camper move side to side.
Of course, I'm also going to make my spacers on the side of the camper bottom (between the wheelwells) wider so it can't move so far before it hits the wheelwells. Going to shoot for 1/8"-1/4" clearance. I have some 1/8" teflon I plan on using to keep from rubbing the paint off the wheelwells.
Mike L
Pocahontas
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Pickups Message Board
There are a bunch of people in some of the other pickup groups that really need that knowledge. Post it into the Silverado, F150, Dodge Ram, etc. groups to catch the ones who really need it.
If you ever do a similar article on putting a camper on a pickup, I would suggest a similar posting to the PU groups and here.
Thanks,
Mike L
works just fine to hold my 10ft popup camper with the Happijac rubber bushed hold down.
Do you have any other suggestions?
On my Lance, I bought a gallon of professional goo from the Lance dealer ($42). It is called PARRBOND CLEAR, from H.B. Fuller Company, Elkhart IN. It's a lot like silicon sealer once dry, but much tougher. It's messy to apply and sets up pretty quickly. I used it for all joints, vents, screw heads, etc. I don't know how it lasts because it's only been on since summer. I assume it's good since the dealer uses it.
Do you have a leak or is this preventative maintenance? I wonder if Rhino would tolerate the flex and expansion, a truck bed is a pretty stable surface. I guess the Rhino is meant to stand up to a lot of abuse so it may be okay. You may want to paint the surface with a white roofing sealer (like Snow Roof) to reduce the heat load. One thing to watch with black asphalt type products, they lead to black streaks on the walls. I doubt the Rhino would do that though.
This site, put up by a fellow named Bill Swails, also describes some interesting camper appliances including a diesel fired stove and a high efficiency 12V mechanical refrigerator. His new camper that replaces his 4 wheel looks more like a micro motor home but has some high tech construction features of the sort I mentioned some time ago as we were discussing ways to reduce camper weight.
He has some good information, strong opinions and some very good links.
Of course, his camper is ugly, and I wouldn't trade him for our camper.
Mike L
Think about it - He expects to go around the world with a $5K pop-up camper and when he can't do it with the camper in stock form, bitches about it. If he had asked, the people at Four Wheel camper would have told him the camper used in the Turtle Expedition was not stock, it was custom built. Even I thought to ask that.
Now he's got a $50K+ custom rig and he's a happy camper. Well, duh!
Until then, anybody got any good trips planned? Or want to start any discussion of good places to visit?
This August I'll head back to Iowa (have to be there to get some fresh sweeeeet corn) and take my dad to Detroit to visit the Henry Ford Museum. On the way back I thought we might stop in Chicago and visit the the Museum of Science and Industry. Then we will probably follow I-80 back into Iowa.
Anybody know of any must see spots along I-80 between Des Moines and Chicago? Or along I-94 between Chicago and Detroit? I'm not sure of our route to/from Iowa - California. I've made the trip about 25 times and try to follow different routes, my favorite is US50 across Nevada, I-70 to Denver, I-76/80 into Iowa. If time permits, we always stop in the Pioneer Village in Minden, Nebraska and the Stuhr Museum in Grand Island. Too many things to see and do in Colorado and Utah.
Any places that demand a visit in your memory banks????
Mike L
Where the heck is Coalinga or Clear Creek Rec Center compared to Flagstaff, AZ????
Desoto Bend Wildlife Area and Bertrand Museum on US 30 north of Council Bluffs. This museum displays the artifacts recovered from the Bertrand, a steamboat that hit a snag and sunk in the 1860s on the way to Ft. Benton Montana and the gold fields. Thousands of items were recoved when the wreck was discovered a hundred years later. Basically one gets to see a biopsy of what life was like a hundred and forty years ago. The display is magnificent in a delightful museum building with windows that look out onto the birds in the refuge. If you want to feel good about paying your income taxes, this is a place to go. It is a quality experience paid for by the US Wildlife Service. Golden Age Pass accepted.
Museum Agate Fossil Beds Monument, north of Scottsbluff, Nebraska. This is another wonderful museum paid for by our tax dollars. It is located on a ranch near the headwaters of the Niobrara River where two hills contain the fossils of thousands of camels, prehistoric horses, etc. The ranch owner was befriended by the Souix Indians who camped on the property. When they were put onto the Reservations at Pine Ridge they gave him many of their most important robes, weapons, jewelry, etc. for safekeeping, not trusting the Indian Service or themselves for what might happen to it. The ranch owner and family have preserved these gifts for years and eventually donated them to this museum. Some of the Rangers are Souix and give excellent information on the exhibits. Fossil exhibits are great, too. Only a short haul north is Ft. Robinson State Park. Located on the old fort, the last army base to train cavalry, there is great country around it and good camping.
I like to stop in Cedar Rapids, since I am a fan of the artist, Grant Wood (of American Gothic fame). He grew up in Cedar Rapids and the Cedar Rapids Art Museum has several of his very best paintings. The War Memorial in Cedar Rapids has a stained glass window commemorating the soldiers from World War I designed by Grant Wood and is on the National Register of Historic Buildings.
Well, that is a start, and I'd better quit before I get trapped and fill too much space.
In the same general are the coal mines in Lusk, Wyoming that we thoroughly enjoyed. And just a hundred or so miles north is Devil's Tower, home of the largest prarie dog colony around.
I'm not a Grant Wood's fan, but we will check out the Bertrand Museum. Thanks for the tip.
Mike L
I made a grill/light guard for our truck. It was made out of copper water pipe and a 3/8" mesh galvanized screen. We slowed down and pulled over whenever we met oncoming traffic on gravel or dirt roads. Still, after the trip I found 3-4 rock dents 1/2"-1" in the screen. At least two of them would have taken out a headlight, so the $50 or so I spent on materials was well spent.
I would highly suggest you invest in some long mudflaps for the front and rear wheels. Even with our mudflaps, the gravel did a number on the underside of the body and bed. I've seen some impressive mudflaps cut out of semi trailer mudflaps. The went right to the ground.
BTW, the gravel roads are far from unimproved. They are frequently better maintained than the 'paved' roads. Gravel roads are not affected much by the winters, but the paved roads can get some really nasty frost heaves and potholes. On gravel, watch for soft spots caused by ice or snow piles melting slowing in one spot and causing a wet/soft spot. Almost as bad as a big pothole.
Before you go, make sure your camper is mosquito tight. If they can get in, they will get in. It was amazing to hear the little critters bouncing off the screen in the vents trying to find a way in. The vents in my camper had a hole around the handle that was large enough to let a mosquito through. Sealed that with a washer placed above the screen. Go inside the camper (off the truck) on a bright sunny day and look inside every cabinet, crack and crevice for light leaks. Where you find a light leak, there is probably a mosquito leak. Some places the mosquitos are really bad, and you won't be happy if they can get in.
Where are coming from? We are from the SF Bay area in Cal.
Mike L
The hwy is paved all the way (not the Cassiar), but that's doesn't mean it will be paved when you drive it. Needless to say, the summer time is not only the tourist season, it's also the construction season. I've seen 50 mile stretches of the road dug up for construction. But traveling the road is not as primitive as it used to be. There are lots of places for fuel and most of the road is in very good condition.
The last time I drove up the hwy was January 1999. No gravel to worry about. I just locked out OD and put the truck in 4wd. I had just picked up my camper in British Columbia, so I was still getting used to having it in the bed of my truck. It was my first pickup camper. By the end of the trip, I didn't even know it was up there. As for the road conditions, they weren't bad, except one streach just outside of Fort Nelson in the Steamboat Pass area. We had left Fort Nelson around 7am, so it was still dark and hit a pretty good snow storm. Don't let anyone tell you that it won't snow if the temp is -20. The temps hit 20 below outside of Prince George and never got warmer until about three hours from Anchorage. The low was -38 around the Alaska/Canada border. It was 10 degrees cooler a week later.
It's been awhile since I posted. For those of you who don't know, I live in Alaska. I just bought a new house in Palmer Alaska, about 40 miles north of Anchorage. The decision to buy a new house pretty much nixed any winter camping plans this year. I moved into the new house a few days after Christmas. I commute to Anchorage everyday for work, so the truck is starting to accumulate some miles.
There is money in escrow to pave an RV pad next to the house. I plan to put some kind of tie-down hooks in the ground since we have some pretty good winds out here. The camper is winterized now. I likely won't get to use it until May and it won't be used as much this summer as I'd like. I've got to put a yard in here at the house.
My truck:
1999 Ford F-350 Superduty, supercab, dually, V-10, 4wd, 4.30 axle ratio, auto trans, AT tires, line-x spray-in bedliner. 47,000 miles and running strong.
My camper:
1999 10'11" Bigfoot 3000 with all the options, rated to -40.
Brutus, congrats on the new house. Condolences on the lack of winter camping. Good to hear from you again.
Ritakay,
If you go by the Lliard Hot Springs, be sure and stop. It was 50 and raining the day we stopped, and the water felt wonderful!! It was a surprise to see ferns in country that gets so cold in the winter.
Mike L
In the article he mentioned some clear sticky backed material they had placed over the surfaces of the SUV that were likely to get rock chips. The stuff was supposed to be pretty effective. I don't recall any of the details - has anybody else heard of this stuff?
It sounded pretty good at the time and I meant to keep the magazine, but I forgot to tell my wife I wanted to keep it. Man! I hate it when she cleans the house. That's one of the ten reasons it's said that dogs are better than spouses - 'the dirtier you are the more interesting they find you.'
Jim
"Lie? Me? Never! No, no, no, the truth is far too much fun." - Captain Hook
http://www.roadsideamerica.com/
I have a 1993 Ford Taurus GL Sedan with the 3.8L V-6 (100,500 miles). Over the weekend, my wife experienced some engine trouble. It is either a blown head gasket or cracked engine block. I am interested in cutting my losses with this vehicle and just getting rid of it.
Does any one have any thoughts on what the vehicle is worth as is? The body and interior are in good shape. There are no other mechanical problems with the vehicle that I am aware of.
FYI - Without the engine trouble, Kelly Blue Book has the Trade-In value at $2,600 and Retail at $5,500.
Any help would be most appreciated.
Thanks,
Mike
I'd just get a new head gasket put on and sell it....
The clear adhesive covering is made by 3M. I can't remember the name of it either. As I recall it is a bit pricy, but cheaper than a paint job. I haven't used it, but it would be useful if they had something like that for windshields. See below:
It is a good idea to break your windshield on the first couple of days in the far north. Then you can forget about it and relax. We did just that.
The Taurus V6 in question above is known to blow head gaskets. Check alldata.com for TSBs on this.
Don't leave any money/wallet in your clothes when you use the bathhouse at Liard Hot Springs.
Good to hear from you Brutus.
Got mostly 8 mpg or so running 65. Hurrying back to Flagstaff, during my driving stint, over the course of 150 miles I burned like 23 gallons of gas for a whopping 6mpg running mostly 77mph.
Hoping my new 6.0L CC 2500HD 5 speed 4.10 does as good if not better.
New truck is on a railcar headed for AZ. Hope to be driving by the end of the month.
link. Good luck. ;-)
Pocahontas
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Pickups Message Board
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75v
HARDSIDE:
http://www.bigfootrv.com/
http://www.lancecamper.com/
http://www.fleetwoodrv.com/truck_campers.html
http://www.skylinerv.com/2weekender.htm
http://www.wrv.com/products/index_atc_ltd.html
http://www.starcraftrv.com/hardsidetc.html
http://www.northern-lite.com/
http://www.nashtraveltrailers.com/campers.html
http://northlandcampers.com/index.shtml
POPUP:
http://www.fourwheelcampers.com/
http://www.palominorv.com/
http://www.phoenixcampers.com/index.html
http://sunliteinc.com/
http://www.northstarcampers.com/
http://www.alaskancamper.com
http://www.lite-craftcampers.com
Here are a couple of sites to add to your list:
Hardside:
http://www.summerwindcampers.com/
http://www.hallmarkrv.com/
Pop-up
http://www.hallmarkrv.com/
And here is a site that lists manufacturers. Most are RV or trailer manufacturers, but some make campers. I haven't take the time to cross check your list against the possible camper manufacturers in this list.
RV Manufacturers index:
http://www.rvsafety.com/Manufact.htm
Mike L
I am in the market for a slide-in camper. Before I make the leap, thought I might look for ideas on how people have modified their truck beds and truck caps into "comfortable" campers. Of primary concern is how to keep warm in the colder Fall months. Last time I woke up, my dog's water bowl and I were frozen solid. Never again!!!
Any suggestions or ideas would be appreciated. I currently have a Dodge Ram 1500 short bed with a cab high Snug Top Cap.
A good alternative is to buy a 4 Wheel camper shell model. It is a small popup camper that has some insulation, a good sized bed, and an optional heater.
When the camper is down, it has about the same internal size as a camper shell. When it is up, you have enough room to stand. I think it weighs about 7-800lbs.
Check it out at:
http://www.fourwheelcampers.com/
Mike L
Buddy has a new Lance, gonna check his truck for the connector type.
Figuring on pony'ing up for a new Lance this summer....
I was talking with the manager at the rv parts store here about Lance. He said they don't sell their mating connector to anyone but Lance dealers, but he had recently talked with the owner of Lance and made an agreement to begin selling it.
By coincidence, that store is also the best rv parts source I've found on the web. If they don't list the connector, send them an e-mail. It's a small place, I assume they will be happy to answer.
http://www.rvpartsoutlet.com
A gentleman over on the PickupTruck.Com Aftermarket Parts Forum was kind enough post some information on a very intriguing product. The product is an extendable towing mirror which is available with both power control and **heat**. The mirrors are manufactured by Lucerix in Brazil (http://www.lucerix.com/English_Main/New_Products/X_Mount/X_Mount.html) and are available in the U.S. from AutoMirror Source.Com (http://www.automirrorsource.com/dir/1.html). Here's the link to the message thread over on PickupTruck.Com - http://forums.pickuptruck.com/Forum18/HTML/000107.html.
Does anybody else have any experience with Lucerix products? It appears that they do quite a bit of business in the Class A and commercial-truck markets.