Cabover Campers & Camper Trailers (pickups)

volkej

oltroll - http://www.palominorv.com

vince4

Good luck on your plan. I used to use my drill to raise my old jacks with no weight on them but that's all it could do. I even tried my plug-in 1/2" drill and it couldn't budge the camper. I think it would take an additional gearbox to generate enough torque to use a drill motor.

oltroll

I finally got a new truck today. 01 GMC 2500 heavy duty crew-cab 4x4 with short bed. 6.0 auto. with 410 rear end locking diff. Of course none of my stuff (air bags, tie downs, mirror extensions) from the Ram would fit so I can start over with all new stuff! May not need air bags with my 1400 lb. pop-up. Wonder if I get a bigger camper will my wife notice?? Vince---I will try and send you a picture this weekend.

freeman2c

I have been going through all the previous posts, there have been many! I saw that you took your truck and camper to Yosemite. Did you go up and down the Tioga Pass. I'm assuming you did. How did your truck performe going up? And what gear did you go down in? I have a truck similar to yours, 2000 gmc ext. cab long bed w/ 4.10 and 6.0 engine; although mine is a two wheel drive. 8600gvwr. Toulumne Meadows and Sequoia-Kings Canyon are places I would be taking my future camper. So I am interested in how this truck performes at altitude and grades w/ a load. Currently I do not own a camper, but the wife and I are saving and hope to have one by end of next summer. We, rather I, am researching heavily into this camper. Looking at Lance 915, 920, or the 1010. Just wanted to add, this is a great forum. It has been fun reading about everyones' adventures and has been and is a great place for information. Thanks for everything.

-cory

volkej

Vince - Here's your popup - advertised in the Sacramento Bee

"4 Wheel Pop Up camper, fits full size long bed trucks. $2950. 771-0799"

I assume that's a 916 area code.

Jim

vince4

I know you aren't hot on the idea of the wiring but I suggest you think about putting a good battery under the hood and be done with it. No more swapping batteries. You could pay a RV dealer to install it, or at least to wire it. Did you look at the pictures of mine on the web?

vince4

Wow, congratulations on your new truck! That's a big one! You definitely don't need air bags or a sway bar for a popup on that truck. I'll bet the only thing the camper does to the truck is make it ride a little better. How many fishing poles can you hold on this one?

vince4

Yes I took it over Tioga Pass with the camper. That was the first time I've ever felt I was using pretty much all the truck had. It did just fine, I didn't have to go slower than the turns allowed. I didn't really push it to the limit so I believe there was some power to spare. That is such a treat for me because both of my previous trucks were tapped out with the camper and I always had to sit back and just wait for the hill to end, slowly. I don't remember what gear I used going down, probably 2nd. Although I've used 1st many times with the camper. The brakes on this truck are so good I feel totally confident but still prefer to use the engine when possible.

I've taken it to Sequoia-Kings Canyon a few times and it just zips on up as fast as I wish to go. Of course it's sucking the gas big time while doing it but you can't fight physics.

Since you are shopping for a camper, I'll post the web site list again as I added a few sites.

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 (Arctic Fox)

http://northlandcampers.com/index.shtml

http://www.summerwindcampers.com/

http://www.hallmarkrv.com/

http://www.okanaganrv.com/camper.htm

http://www.shadowcruiser.com/

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

http://www.hallmarkrv.com/

vince4

Great! Thanks for the tip. I'll call tomorrow (actually it's today, yikes). I wonder what year it is. Probably not very new for that price. Are you in the Sac area? Could I bribe you with a six-pack or similar if I need a set of local eyeballs? I have family in Paradise so I wouldn't mind driving up anyway.

mledtje

My Phoenix pop-up camper weighs about 1400lbs, and I have it on a 2500 4x4 6.0L. I have and use the air bags. Normally I run about 15 lbs (driver's side) and 8 lbs (pass side) pressure. The extra pressure on the driver's side levels the unit - all the appliances (Refrig, heater, water heater, water pump, furnace) are on that side.

I also find the air bags useful to level the truck at a campsite. The back is slightly higher than the front, and I can raise it 2" or lower it 1" with the air bags, I can also adjust about 2" side to side. I just have to remember to reset the air pressure in the morning. I should get the hard mounted air compressor and in cab gauges like Vince has.

Mike L

freeman2c

Vince, thanks for the camper sites and the info on the truck. Got another couple questions for all the 2000 chevy/gmc 2500 owners. Does your tach have a red line. My doesn't . Also I read a lot of you are using the AC Delco oil filters. I have been using the Fram w/ Mobil 1 10w-30. Is the AC Delco supposed to be better? Thanks again.

cory

bobn9

I have a Lance (11.5) and would to know if anyone has installed golf cart batteries in one of these and where they put the batteries, I don't believe that they would fit in the regular battery compartment. We do alot of wilderness camping east of the White Mts toward Tonopah, got a generator, but would like to get a setup with solar and golf cart batteries for the Lance. The factory dosen't seem to much input on something like this

bobn9

Expect to get a new GMC 3500, duramax/allison and a lot of other goodies, suppose to be built next week. Am changing from a Ram dually, which I use with a Lance 11.6. You noted that you could not use the tiedowns, etc. I was hoping to take them off the Ram and onto the GMC, the air bags am leaving on the Ram. What difficultly did you find with the ties downs. The Ram is a Cummins with 75000 mile and in good shape among the extras are an exhaust brake and extra fuel tank giving it a capacity of over 70 gal diesel, its a 96 if anyone is interested, the deperciation is gone.

volkej

I do live in the Sacto area, but I'm only here on weekends. If that works for you I'll be glad to take a look at the camper for you.
Let me know.

Jim

oltroll

All I would have really had to replace would have been the front brackets. (they are not bent the same). The support bar would only have had to be cut a little and re-drilled I think. If I had taken the rear bolts out it would have left the big holes in the bumper. Also; I had already had to repaint them once and they were starting to rust again. The air-bags would have fit on a 2500 Ram but not on a GMC. I will probably get new bags after I pay for the spray-in liner and other truck stuff--like more fishing rod holders.

oltroll

I put my camper on the truck today for the first time. It only dropped the rear 1 1/2 inches. No difference on the front. I couldn't drive it to see how it did because I haven't ordered the new happy jacks yet. I did get the wiring finished and drove in 4 wheel drive on the beach for the first time. It did great; I have to experiment with tire pressure to see what works best; 28 pounds is a little much in real soft sand.

vince4

I called on that camper the next morning and it was already sold. I checked the Bee web site and the add had only been listed the day before so either the adds take a while to hit the web or that camper is in high demand. It was an 89. Thanks for the offer Jim, maybe I'll take you up on it in the future. It looks like there are more campers in the paper up there than in the Mercury here.

vince4

No I don't have a redline either. It's not necessary with an automatic transmission because the truck decides when you've hit the max. I don't know if it has a rev limiter, I never thought about that before. I have noticed that when pushed it will go all the way to the published redline (low 5000s) before shifting. I bet Mike's manual transmission truck has real red paint.

Oil filters. Ugh. I can tell you haven't been following the Silverado topic for the last year or so. Fram filters fell out of favor in a big way among this crowd after a Mopar guy took it on himself to study the construction of several brands and posted his results to the web. Fram didn't fare well but AC Delco did. And since Delco is the factory brand, people feel secure with it in case a warranty issue ever comes up. The oil filter study is pretty interesting, you can read it at

http://members.nbci.com/minimopar/oilfilterstudy.html

I decided to use synthetic oil in this truck and change it less often. Given that, it seems wise to use a better filter too so I use the AC Delco Gold synthetic media filter. I bought two cases on-line so I have enough to last until about 70k miles and I don't have to run around looking for one every time I change the oil. I used Fram on my Honda for 180k miles and the engine was still great when I got rid of the car. So who knows.

mledtje

My 1500 and my 2500 have redlines. I'd go out and look at it, but they are home (I'm at work), my memory says the redline is around 5500. Might be lower. Doesn't matter, the computer will not let the engine pull past redline, it will shut off the fuel to prevent engine damage.

Mike L

freeman2c

Thanks for the info on the oil and the redline. I didn't make the connection between it being an automatic and no redline. My previous vehicles were manuals. I am still learning. I'll have to read up on the oil debates per your link. Thanks a bunch.

cory

mledtje

Both trucks have dashed red lines starting at 5200 rpm and solid red lines starting at 5500.

Amazing - the memory still works sometimes.

Mike L

oltroll

I ordered tie downs for my new truck today. I decided to go with Tork Lift this time rather than Happy Jack. The main reason for the change was the rear bumper on the GMC looks really thin. I think I would also have to cut the rubber that goes around end of the bumper to get a flat spot for the rear bolt.
Mike--what are you using on your truck?

mledtje

I'm using HappiJac system. The bolt goes through the black plastic cover and bumper. No problem. When I moved the tiedowns from one truck to the other, I swapped the plastic covers also; the old truck now has hidden holes, and the new truck had a guide to drill the holes in the bumper.

Mike L

satch121

Finally installed the hellwig anti-sway on my truck. Loaded the camper up and I really don't know that there is any difference in handling compared with when the bar wasn't on. I still get mild lean and rocking when cornering or going over uneven terrain. Could it be that I'm asking for too much? My truck is a 200 K2500 long box with aLance 1010. Could this combo be too much for the sway bar? If you have any ideas please post. everything seems to be tight and secure and installed correctly (I think).

Thanks
Ronnie

mledtje

You should notice a difference with the bar, specially on the curves; or the rocking you get when entering a driveway at an angle. The difference might be more noticeable if you disconnect the bar (one side is enough) and drive it again. For some reason, it is sometimes hard to notice a change, but easy to notice when you go back.

If your combo was too much for the bar, it would be horribly unstable without the bar.

Mike L
2000 2500 4x4 6.0L 5spd
Deadhorse, Alaska 6-6-99

satch121

I really felt my rig handled well last year, went all the way from Wisc to Wash and I really was impressed. I wonder if my shocks are going south. We live on a washboardy road and even though I only have 16K on the odometer they might be going downhill. When I ordered the truck they were the 100 dollar up grade called the" heavy duty chassis pkg." I really notice the roll when I drive over a uneven road or driveway.

mledtje

I ordered the 'Firm Ride' suspension package - HD shocks. That was a waste of money! Had to upgrade to Bilstein HD shocks to get good shocks. And they last nearly forever.

Mike L

djpstman

Do you still have that link to your site for the battery install? I think it deserves another look. Thanks.

By the way, carpenter ants found there way into the camper this spring. I put some traps in and did some spraying last night. They seem to like to get under the bathroom floor compartment. Have you run into this?

vince4

I agree that the rear bumper is thin. Everything on new trucks is thin, including the frame. I also have the Happijac system and mounted the button in the chrome area of the bumper. No cutting plastic and no problem with flatness. I've taken the camper through some fairly rough terrain where I sometimes misjudged and slammed it pretty good. On the Death Valley trip with Mike I went over a big rock too fast and the shock was enough to open a double friction latched pantry door. I had a little mess to clean up and my dog was pretty freaked but the bumper didn't bend. I think it would bend if the shock was bad enough, like in an accident, but less than that is okay.

vince4

What I noticed on my old old truck after adding a bar was not that it leaned so much less, but that it stabilized more quickly afterwards. It helped cut down on the side-to-side oscillation after a disturbance. I can't say with the Hellwig bar on this truck because I put it on before the camper. I do get a fair amount of rocking when going up a driveway at an angle. I wish the bar was thicker but I know it must be helping. Go for the new shocks, Bilsteins or Rancho 9000.

By the way, I learned (with a heads-up from someone here) that Rancho doesn't offer shocks for the "new" style GM trucks yet. Boy are they slow. Just when I had about decided to order a set too. D*mn.

vince4

Here is the site

http://members.home.net/vofm/battery/battery.html

I really documented this for other Silverado owners because it's hard to find that type of information. Even the dealer couldn't figure out all of the detail from their documentation. But the general idea is the same for any truck. The wiring was made easier on mine because I ordered it with the camper wiring option so there was a nice heavy wire already in the engine compartment. But running a wire back is no big deal.

My goal on this truck was to have as few tasks as possible to use the camper. I've built in everything I can so I don't need to mess with a bunch of accessories/details when loading and unloading. It's really worked out nicely. Having to deal with a heavy battery and worry about power going out is a nuisance you can eliminate if you choose to.

mledtje

The nice thing about following Vince's 2nd battery install is: the Silverado's all have the connector for the isolation relay in place and wired. Even if you don't use any of the other GM parts, the isolation relay is worth getting.

Mike L

volkej

Here's another good site that details how to install a second battery in a Y2K Silverado:

http://www.off-road.com/chevy/reviews/wranglerdb/

vince4

That seems like a lot of wiring hassle for what you get. I guess if you winch often with the motor off then connecting the two batteries together with a switch could be useful. Otherwise I think a hardwired relay is all you need. The only time I needed to connect the two batteries was when the main was dead and I just used cables.

oltroll

I am thinking about mounting a limit switch (wired normally open) with a small rod attached that will be about 3 inches taller than my AC to the center of my roof in the front of my camper. Then mount a small light in the cab that will come on if I go under something that would hit the AC. By using white lamp cord wire I should be able to hide the wire on the outside of the camper. Would use a small 2 wire plug to connect it. Anyone seen or tried anything like this? Could put one on all 4 corners for added protection.

vince4

Well that's a clever idea. I'd suggest it trigger a buzzer too because once it trips you have very little time to react. The only thing I've ever hit was a tree limb at my sister's house. I was just starting from being parked so luckily it didn't do too much damage. You might want to put the sensor toward the right side since that's the side you park on.

Some thoughts for you to ponder -

-It needs to be stiff enough to not trip due to wind.
-You could snake the wiring through the AC vent grid to get it inside and avoid exterior wiring. Then run it down to a nice connector under the overhang, or where ever you connect other services.
-The farther forward you put it, the more time you have to react.
-The rod should be flexible, like a small rubber antenna, so it doesn't bend permanently.

Can't think of a good switch assembly. Maybe something meant for liquid level sensing in a tank?

oltroll

Years ago when I was an industrial electrician we used what I believe was Micro Switch brand switches. They came in all sorts. Some were in metal cases with rubber seals over the plunger that activated the switch for outside use. I am trying to find a catolage that has them.

vince4

I work in the electronics field and find almost all my components on-line these days. I miss catalogs for browsing but a good search engine is hard to beat.

You could certainly build something out of almost any switch given enough effort and creativity, but it would be nicer to find something almost right from the start.

oltroll

Computers are the way of the present and future but its hard to take one to the bathroom with you to read.

mledtje

Given the choice of on-line or print catalogs, I will always choose the print version. If you know exactly what you are looking for, the online version works quite well.

But, I usually have a rough idea and am browsing for more information. The print version works much better for me.

In my office I have about 4 feet of catalogs on a shelf, and I just got my new set of Thomas Registers outside my office. I was given a choice of online, CD or print version of the Thomas Register and chose print.

Most searches, I can find more choices faster with the Thomas Register than I can online. And I never get porno sites popping up.

Just a pet peeve I guess.

Mike L

vince4

That's why they invented notebook computers.

djpstman

Thanks for the info on the battery install. I will have to look at my Ford for room. The Optima battery sure intrigues me. I like to know if the extra $$ are worth it. I'm trying some different batteries this year to see how they go.

I like the low warning buzzer idea. It would come in handy when you're just not sure if you have the clearance. Perhaps one of those small cameras on the roof pointed forward would help? I suppose you would have to look at the display in the cab to know if you are too close.

The ants are just about gone !!! The ants come marching home again, haraah !!!

vince4

I forgot you mentioned you had ants. I've had good success spraying around the support and jacks that hold the camper up in my driveway. I figure if I cut off their point of entry then I win.

oltroll

I got my Tork-Lifts yesterday. They are some heavy-duty units! The front went great, but the rear ones didn't line up with the top bolts on the bumper support. I called the factory and they are going to get a New truck today (to use as a guide) and make a new set that line up. They seem very willing to make things right. New ones should be here in about 3 or 4 days.

vince4

That sounds like good service. But what's this new truck stuff? This style has been out since 99 and I doubt the rear bumper is any different for a HD. I guess Rancho isn't the only ones behind the times.

oltroll

The problem was probably human error. The support bracket that goes to the frame that bolts in with the bumper support bracket holes didn't line up. It probably wasn't put in the jig right or drew up when it was welded.

kingfishgus

I know this sounds awfully simple, and it's not electronic, but when I had a tall van, I used the radio antenna as a guage. I ran it up till it was a couple inches higher than that roof, and in low hanging areas watched it carefully. If it hit, my truck was likely to hit. Had to use an aftermarket antenna to get the length, but it worked.
I think it would be extremely hard to get a switch type unit adjusted to not trip for wind at high speed, but to trip for a tree branch at low speed. Would have to use a on/off switch probably and just keep it turned off at higher speeds and only turn it on when needed. But if you knew when you needed it, you wouldn't need it, sort of. If I thought I was getting close to a low hanging branch, I probably wouldn't trust it anyway. Maybe just a removable 8ft whip antenna mounted to the front bumper, and just use it when offroading slowly?
Good idea for an auto switch unit, but the devil is in the details.

oltroll

Mike---where is the gas tank door located on your truck? After installing my front Tork-Lift's I discovered the turnbuckles passed right in front of the door if installed as directed. I am going to have to put them opposite of the way they are supposed to go. My front eye-bolt on the camper is 13 inches from the front. Tork lift wants as much front pull as possible. I might have 2 inches at best.(not quite straight down.)The others should do fine. I don't think Happy Jacks would work at all; they would have to mount too high in the bed. If my front eye bolt was about 4 inches further back it would probably work the way they should. MY new rear set was shipped today. I passed this information on to SunLite and Tork lift. Both of these said that some 02 and a lot of the 03 model trucks are going to have some type of carbon fiber beds. Anyone else heard this?

volkej

You can order a composite box now for a Silverado. It's about a $700 option.

Jim

mledtje

My HappiJacs tiedowns go about 1" forward and 12" down from the camper to the bed mounted brackets. No less than 3" from the gas filler door. I don't have my forward pull, mostly down. Even without my rubber mat under the camper it has never moved back, only side to side about 1/2"

If this explation is not clear, I could take a picture and post it.

Mike L