Cabover Campers & Camper Trailers (pickups)

mledtje

And you didn't mention it here? How you going to get everyone from the west coast to show up?

It turns out it is my birthday on Sat.

Must be time to celebrate!!!!

The big 55!

Later,

Mike L

vince4

Well Mike, I've got 6 people so far and that's my limit for logistics. If you were interested I was going to tell you where and when and leave the rest up to you.

To the West Coast: come meet me at Butano State Park near the town of Pescadaro this weekend! Redwoods and ocean yes, showers no.

vince4

I'm glad you are happy with your camper. I'll take a look at their site and see if they list the new one yet. If you are into digital photography etc. send me some pictures. I'll post them for the gang here if you want.

vince4

I've become convinced that my wheels are flexing under load and rubbing on the brake calipers. The clearance between caliper and wheel is very small, so much so that stick-on weights rubbed and had to be replaced with the hammer on type. When the camper is on and my window is open I can hear a tick, tick, tick noise. It gets louder when I turn right, and I can hear it from the other window when I turn left. I haven't proven it yet but I plan to put a felt pin line across the inside and see if it gets rubbed away. If that is the noise source then I'm not too impressed with these wheels. Maybe wheels always flex a little and we don't have any way to know?

bobsquatch

On my van I have american racing outlaw ones. When I bought them and had them installed they rubbed my front brake calipers and ruined a wheel. They put on 1/4" spacers behind them and sent me on my way. On long loaded drives through the desert I start to hear the faintest rubbing from my front end and I think thats it. It too increases on turns. I dont blame the wheels but the people who sold us the wrong backspacing with insufficient clearance for normal heat expansion. P.S. mine rubbed off the sticker weights too. Also mine doesn't tick it whisps a faint rubbing sound.

mledtje

If it is rubbing, then you should have a shiny mark where it rubs. The rest of the wheel will be dirty. It may be a very small line of contact, but it should be there.

How much clearance does it have? 1/16", more, less??

Seems like you put your factory wheels on to verify the out of balance/round of the new wheels/tires. I would have to assume that you did not have the ticking sound with the factory wheels and tires, correct?

Mike L

vince4

I haven't seen any obvious bright stripe but haven't looked very hard. The clearance is just a hair more than a stick-on weight, about 1/16 I guess. If this were the problem I'd expect to hear a scraping noise, not the tick tick. But what else can it be? It definitely came with the new tires/wheels.

markw8

I was looking at Weld wheels for my truck also.I noticed a bracket that holds the brake line to the caliper.This bracket just clears the inside of the stock wheel.It looked to me like any wheel with any more offset to the inside that this would cause interference.I better add that this is on the front.

mledtje

The aftermarket wheels have less offset to the inside. They tend to stick out more than the factory wheels.

Mike L

wyoboy

oltroll and lariat1 were talking of heaters a while back. I just returned from an elk hunting (successful, thank you) trip south of Jackson, (Hole to tourists)Wyoming, and I kept warm in my small camper two different ways. The first sub-freezing night I used my lantern that is fueled by disposable propane bottles to preheat the place. After about 30 mins. it was quite toasty. So much so that I undressed to my briefs and fell asleep on top of the bed for an hour. I considered using my new heater but instead turned off the lantern. 1.5 hours later I was cold so I crawled inside my sleeping bag which worked fine for another 4 hours when my chattering teeth woke me. Lighting the lantern for the rest of the night did the trick. I'm still using the same bottle of gas. The next two nights I fired up my new sub-$50 Coleman BlackCat heater with the roof vent slightly open and a window open about 4 inches for ventilation. Do follow the directions for proper ventilation. The 850 degree F heater will burn whatever it contacts but it has no flame that other heaters shoot out. I was quite toasty but used an entire bottle each night and had to use a flashlight to find my boots each morning. BTW-It was about the same temperature each night but raining/snowing the first night for a few hours before clearing for the rest of the stay. Lots of frozen ground until the sun hit it for a few hours. Larger campers might need more than a lantern and the BlackCat might be less than adequate if really cold.

Kevin

bobsquatch

My new truck is comming and I plan on immediatly putting a rhinoliner or other spray in bedliner in it. I plan on purchasing a shell for now and possibly a slide in camper in the future. Will a bedliner cause me any problems down the road? It will be an under rail liner as ford has factory bedrail protection. Any recomendations on the best bedliner would be appreciated.

mictro

bobsquatch,

My vote is for the Line-X brand. I have it in my truck and also have a slide in camper. Once the camper is in position, it provides "traction" and helps keep it from sliding.

I personally think the Line-X looks better than Rhino. Rhino has more of a cottage cheese look to it and Line-X looks like a more professional/factory finish.

Mike

mledtje

I'd be concerned about a slide in bedliner and a camper. The plastic would let a camper move around.

A spray in shouldn't be an issue. My preference would be a thick rubber mat for the camper to sit on ~ $50.

Later, if you have messed up the paint in the be, you can still spray in the rhinoliner.

Mike L

frobey

I've talked to both Lance and Torklift (frame-mounted tiedowns) about this issue. They both recommend a bed mat (3/8" thick or less) to keep the camper from moving around. Of course, you could get your spray in liner and put a bed mat over top of it I found a nice one at a local truck place for $60. Non of the auto parts stores (Advanced, Autozone or Pep Boys) carried the correct bed mat for my F350 SD and didn't have any in their catalog. If you can't find one at a local truck store I found one online at http://www.jaeeagle.com/bedmats.html. Costs quite a bit more since you're paying for shipping.

Frank

stabbur

I have been using inexpensive rubber cow mats that keep the camper nicely secured on a half inch of rubber but my back gets sore just looking at them. Cut down in two pieces to fit the total weight is at least a hundred pounds. About how much does your bed mat for the 350 weigh? Thanks.

mledtje

The one I picked up at a local truck parts place weighs in at 50-60 lbs. It was made for my truck and it fits properly. About 1/2" thick with bumps on the backside for drainage and air circulation.

On bad washboard roads (Vince, remember going out to Goler Wash?) the camper will still move slightly side to side. But it won't move in normal use.

Mike L

frobey

The one I got is probably 40-50 lbs. It's about 3/8 thick with wide ribs on the top and bumps on the bottom. It fits my F350 perfectly. According to the folks where I bought it it is a Protech bed mat.

Frank

bobsquatch

I appreciate the info.

vince4

I beat you all for a cheap mat. $40 at Walmart. No custom fit, no bumps. Only weighs 15 lbs or so. Keeps the camper in place though.

vince4

It sounds like the lantern was a better heater because it used less gas. If you could hold a 5 gal tank in your camper you could run any heater all night cheaply.

mledtje

I recently had the opportunity to visit the Guggenheim exhibits "The Art of the Motorcycle" at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas. I have posted some pictures at:

Guggenheim - Las Vegas

http://community.webshots.com/album/23621145SqrUfKKuMp

The exhibits will be there through June. Visit them if you get the chance, they are magnificent! We go in before it was open to the public (my friend has a motorcycle in the exhibit) and spent 5 hours going through the empty halls. 65,000 sqft of exhibit hall, 40' high ceilings, two levels, megabucks spent on displays.

There are also some picturs of camping in the Sierra's and Death Valley at:

Death Valley

http://community.webshots.com/album/8462467uzEJwXMptJ

Snow Camping

http://community.webshots.com/album/1745543FgfioFuOtD

Mike L

markbuck

Got a 'perfect fit' Penda bedmat from Cabela's. Mine is 3 yrs old, working great.

sandersen1

I'm in the market for a new truck that I intend to carry a camper with. I'm wondering if there have been any problems with the independent front suspension and getting uneven tire ware with the extra load of a camper up forward. Ford and Dodge both have a solid front axle on the 4WDs. Can anyone help me with this question?

bobsquatch

Measure your front bumper height without the camper then put the camper on and crank up the adjustment on your tortion bars to get the same height you had before. I have a Ford solid axel front end but I think for this particular situation the IFS has the advantage. A word of caution though, Make sure you crank up each side evenly.

vince4

I don't believe you will get any more wear with IFS than with a solid axle. I haven't had a set of tires long enough to say first hand but I know from actual measurements people have made that the additional weight on the front is only a few hundred pounds. I chose Chevy in part for the IFS because the unloaded ride is better and I usually leave the camper off. Don't let the wear concern stop you if you really want a GM.

oltroll

From what I have seen the Ford front ends eat tires like candy. I dont mean to put down Fords but we have 6- 350 box type ambulances and cant get 10,000 miles out of a set of front tires.They have been back to the dealer and frontend shops with no sucess. I now have 15,000 miles on my hd 2500 GMC and havent noticed much wear on the tires. Rotated them at 10,000. My camper has been on about 1/2 of those miles.

vince4

Yes, I've heard that the Ford twin I-beam suspension is an alignment problem. In fact I've been told it can't be aligned (?) and you just hope that yours is straight. But it also has a reputation as being "tough" whatever that means. If it causes alignment and tire wear problems then I don't see what is so tough about it.

oltroll you have 15k on the new truck already? It seems like you've only had it 6 months or less. You have been a busy boy.

To be fair regarding the wear issue, you need to mention that your camper is a popup and is therefore a light load for your HD truck.

bobsquatch

I have an 89 Ford E350 2WD van which is empty most of the time and get around 40,000 miles out of a set of 33 12.5 16.5 all terrain tires which wear faster than street treads. Pretty even wear throught life. When put under a constant heavy load ie ambulances or camper toting I can see the front end geometry changing and causing wear problems. At least with the IFS you can compensate for the extra load. The ford twin Ibeam is only on 2WD models though so I would not worry about that because the 4X4's have a totally different setup with a solid front axel. No twin Ibeams.

markw8

I have a 2000, 2500 ext cab 4x4 with 19,000 miles on it. It has carried a Lance 920 for about 8000 of these.The tires are the original Firestone Steeltex AT s. They have been rotated three times and they are wearing very well.

mledtje

My '00 2500 4x4 has 23,000 miles on it. All with a 2000lb load (loaded truck weighs 7400lbs) and I have never rotated the tires. They still look great! Less than 1/2 worn.

My 99 1500 4x4 has 30,000 miles on it, 20,000 with the same 2000lb load (6440lbs loaded) and I have never rotated those tires either. Due to a couple of thousand miles of rough gravel roads in Alaska the tires look noticeably worn, more than 1/2 gone. But I expect to get another 10-15,000 out of them.

Love those Firestone Steeltex A/t's!

Mike L

oltroll

Has any one ever had the extended warranty that GM offers. With the miles I am getting on my truck I am thinking of getting it. I have read lots of negatives about other ext.warranties and wondered if any one had tried this one.

vince4

Bad bad Mike.

Don't ever buy a front wheel drive.

mledtje

And they look quite good. Don't show signs of uneven wear.

Actually, some of the front wheel drive cars recommended not rotating tires. Seems the fronts needed to be replaced every 50K or so and the rears would last the life of the vehicle if they were not rotated.

Mike L

sfish

I have a 2001 Silverado 1500 and I am thinking of putting a camper on it. Has anyone had experience with Firestone or Helvig "Ride rite" air bag type units. Did they affect the ride of the unloaded truck much? Thanks for the help

mledtje

I think everybody on this group has some kind of airbag suspension or assist. I have the AirLift brand on both trucks.

The Air Lift Ride Control (standard duty - 2500 lbs) is a little less expensive, much harder to install and requires 10psi minumum to protect the air bags. The Air Lift Super Duty (heavy duty - 5000 lbs) is much easier to install and requires 5 psi to protect the air bags.

Now that I have installed both, I would never do the standard duty kit again.

Whichever system you use, make sure you run individual air lines for each side. If you tie both bags to one air filler you will have problems when you go around corners. The outside air bag will see more load and will transfer air to the inside air bag which will increase the lean and increase the load on the outside and transfer more air to the inside, etc.

Two air lines, two filler ports is a much better idea.

Mike L

sfish

thanks for the info on the bags. Is there any difference in unloaded ride between the standard duty and the super duty?

mledtje

Not really. Both make the ride a little firmer than no bags, but they also allow you to load the truck and maintain a level ride.

Mike L

vince4

I think you will not notice any difference in ride with 5 or 10 psi in the bags. I didn't on my 2500. If you want a full size camper on your 1500 you need the air bags for sure. Actually you will need more than that. What type of camper did you have in mind?

The Hellwig bags are the Firestone bags, just relabeled. The AirLift brand is different, someone once said they are made by Goodyear but I don't know. Here are some sites.

http://www.airliftcompany.com/

http://www.firestoneindustrial.com/home.htm

vince4

Hey I just received an e-mail saying the Rancho 9000 adjustable shocks are now available for my 2000 2500 4x4. Finally. I haven't verified it yet.

sfish

Vince4 and others thanks for the information. The local Bigfoot dealer has a 8.5 ft shortbox on a 1999 Chevy 'ado 1500 with bags. Looks nice and he says runs and drives fine. Close to the wt limit, but no more so than a bigger (10 ft.+) Bigfoot on a 2500, or so he claims. Northern lite also has a short box 8.5 ft. I intend to use it very little with the camper on it and only short drives of 100 miles.

mledtje

An 8.2'Bigfoot weighs 1560# dry. By the time you add water, propane, food and clothing it will be about 1800# or more. If you have any options on the camper, AC, microwave, etc. it will weigh even more.

My 1400# popup camper with supplies and my wife and myself push my 1500 Silverado over the Max Gross Vehicle Weight Rating. All told the load on the truck is over 2050#. And when I look at Chevy's camper rating on the truck, it is rated for a 1340# camper. And if we had a 1340# camper, we would be just under the MGVWR of 6400#.

And even with airbags and a rear sway bar, the handling was marginal. With a hardside camper having more weight up top, I don't think you will be happy with the handling at all.

I doubt that you can put 15-1600# camper on a 1500 without exceeding the truck's ratings. We moved the same camper to a 2500 and it has a 1200# margin to the limits. A Bigfoot 10.6 has a base weight of 2470#, 900# more than the 8.2. The 10.6 on a 2500 would have 300# more to play with than the 1500.

At any rate, don't trust a salesman. They want to make the sale. Double check the numbers yourself.

For short trips and intermittent use, a small used trailer might make more sense. Even a small trailer has more room inside than a big camper. And you don't have the hassle of loading and unloading the camper when you aren't using it. I see used 18-20' campers all the time for $5-10K.

Mike L

vince4

I agree with Mike that a trailer sounds like a better solution for your use. Unless you are going somewhere a trailer won't fit. I don't agree about the camper though. No doubt the 1500 will be over the rating, but for such a low usage it doesn't matter. You do need the bags and a bar and even then it will be sloppy, but it will work. You just need to drive more carefully.

If you think your use may increase in the future, then think about the alternatives. Maybe a popup camper?

sfish

both ideas are things to think about. I have put the bags on hold till I can do the math. They are on sale installed for $250 till Dec 31. I thought if I might need them that was a really good price, but if I go another route it is $250 for nothing. thanks for the good advice.

mledtje

Loren, you still out there?

How you doing? It's cooling off out here. Down into the 40's at night and only the mid 60's in the day. Maybe a little cooler in Iowa.

You probably have your camper fully winterized by now. I'm sure my dad does, his last camping trip was late October. I've been trying to talk him into getting an Airstream. I thought the 19' would be perfect for him. He said it's too small (he needs his space) an is looking at the 26' model. This from a guy who has an 800 SqFt house. Go figure.

Has the new flying rules restricted your flying at all? I wondered how the rules would be enforced in an airport with no tower.

Later,

Mike L

vince4

Has anyone learned if Rancho is making the RS9000 adjustable shocks for the current GM 3/4 ton trucks yet? I was told yes so I looked at their site yesterday and they still only list the old C/K series. Maybe the app guide is out of date, I haven't sent an email yet.

docsilva

I am looking at a 2002 F-350, v10 to haul my Lance camper. Any suggestions on which ratio to get, the 3.73 or 4.30. Will there be much difference in gas mileage? Most of my trips are to the Sierra's, and I will never be pulling a trailer.

While reviewing the last 750 posts I think vince installed electric jacks, if so is there a retro kit that replaces the standard jacks?

One last item on tires. For those of you with Firestone Steeltex I would consider changing to a different brand. I've had 2 blowouts on tires with about 15,000 miles on them. Not fun when your carring an 10.9 foot camper. Always run 80 psi, and not overloaded. You might want to look at the NHTSA web site for details and comments.

Thanks for you help.

mullins87

I have a F-350 with the PSD, 6-speed and 3.73 ratio. Just recently sold my slide-in. I don't know how big or how much your Lance weighs, but mine grossed around 3,500# when ready for the weekend. Aside from a little sway in tight corners, I never knew it was there and didn't really see a significant drop in fuel mileage either.

n75v111

Haven't been on for a while. 2700 mi trip out to Vermont with the HD and have to leave in the morning at 3:30a business to Hobbs NM on commerical which i'm not too thrilled about. Sounds like Icing forcast and don't like the sounds of it.

Chat when I get back.

Loren

n75v111

Got home last nite after work checked the weather channel and aviation flite service and DFW and West Texas did not look safe enough to me to ride the cattle tubes so got a hold of the attorney I was to meet up with and told him I thought we had better cancell.
Checked with our people in Odessa this morn and they had 6" on the ground with another 6" expected -- Not to mention probable severe icing coming down on DFW. He said there wouldn't be an auto left by the end of today without bent fenders.

Mike - General Aviation was of course shut-down immediately after Sept. 11th. You may remember when we made our landing at MIW, I was being vectored by Waterloo radar approach control.
Even though we as most smaller town airports - certainly those without air carrier service - don't have on field FAA Controlers, all airspace above 700 feet is controlled. In other word (some exceptions) you inter FAA controled airspace at 700' above the ground. Now you don't have to be under direct control by Center as you can enter that air space VFR.
However the point is during the FAA Shut down of all Aviation anyone intering controled airspace and for that matter just taking off from any airport once they hit a radar screen DID RECIEVE F16 ESCORT TO THE NEAREST AIRPORT and they ment business.

Loren

mledtje

How did the truck do on the trip to Vermont? Did you pull the trailer, or motel it? Did you track the mileage from the big 8.1L? Just curious.

I remember we were on radar control from Waterloo, but I thought that was by choice. So, what are the restrictions on flying now? Are you back to flying as you were, or must you file flight plans and be tracked on radar? Or, are you still shut down?

I don't remember the final resolution on your aux battery problem - maybe I was still on the road and missed your post. Hopefully, it is all resolved and working the way you think it should. I remember something about the option being put on hold and later being released, but haven't heard what changed in the operation of the factory aux battery setup. Do you know what the factory did?

Later,

Mike L